3. In this presentation
The topics under negotiation
The two sides, the WGA and the AMPTP;
teaching point: typical mistakes in writing
Other players
Comedy show hosts
Explanation of typical mistakes
End results of the strike
4. The topics under
negotiation
Home video residuals
New media
Jurisdiction in reality and animation
5. Writers Guild of America
12,000 members working in film and television
“What we must have is a contract, that gives us
the ability to keep up with the financial success of
this ever-expanding global industry.” - WGA
There’s one typical mistake in that quotation.
Can you find it?
6. Alliance of Motion Picture
and Television Producers
The AMPTP represents over 350 producers and
11 large studios, including Disney, Warner
Brothers, News
Corp, Viacom, Paramount, CBS, NBC, Sony, and
Lionsgate
“The WGA’s pursuit of radical demands has led
them to begin this strike, and now has caused
this breakdown in negotiations.” - AMPTP
There’s a typical mistake in that quotation. Can
you find it?
7. Other players (1)
Directors Guild of America (DGA) – contract with
AMPTP due for renewal soon
Work closely with writers
8. Other players (2)
Screen Actors Guild (SAG) – contract with
AMPTP up for renewal soon
Work closely with writers
The DGA and the SAG also rely on residuals
9. Other players (3)
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage
Employees (IATSE) – known as “below the line”
employees, these workers have no creative
input, only technical
“This week our show was shut down and all 102
of us were laid off. Everyone should become
their fair share, but does it have to be at the
expense of the other 90% of the crewmembers?”
– Dale Alexander, key grip, The Office (NBC)
Can you find the typical mistake?
10. Comedy show hosts
Rely on writers
Work closely with them
Also feel responsible for their other
crewmembers
How did they react?
17. Typical mistakes (1)
“What we must have is a contract, that gives us
the ability to keep up with the financial success of
this ever-expanding global industry.”
What’s the problem?
18. Typical mistakes (1)
“What we must have is a contract, that gives us
the ability to keep up with the financial success of
this ever-expanding global industry.”
Don’t put a comma before “that”.
“Ichdenke, dass…” = “I think that…”
Correct: “What we must have is a contract that
gives us the ability to keep up with the financial
success of this ever-expanding global industry.”
19. Typical mistakes (2)
“The WGA’s pursuit of radical demands has led
them to begin this strike, and now has caused
this breakdown in negotiations.”
What’s the problem?
20. Typical mistakes (2)
“The WGA’s pursuit of radical demands has led
them to begin this strike, and now has caused
this breakdown in negotiations.”
The beginning of the strike is over, so we can’t
talk about it using the present perfect, “has led”;
it has to be past simple, “led.”
Correct: “The WGA’s pursuit of radical demands
led them to begin this strike, and now has
caused this breakdown in negotiations.”
21. Typical mistakes (3)
“This week our show was shut down and all 102
of us were laid off. Everyone should become
their fair share, but does it have to be at the
expense of the other 90% of the crewmembers?”
What’s the problem?
22. Typical mistakes (3)
“This week our show was shut down and all 102
of us were laid off. Everyone should become
their fair share, but does it have to be at the
expense of the other 90% of the crewmembers?”
“Become” = werden. Bekommen = get.
“This week our show was shut down and all 102
of us were laid off. Everyone should get their fair
share, but does it have to be at the expense of
the other 90% of the crewmembers?”
23. Outcome
Home video residuals: no change from 0.3%
New media: 0.3% to 0.7%, but only after 50,000
to 100,000 paid downloads, or, in the case of free
promotional streaming, after 17-24 days.
Jurisdiction in reality and animation: no.
Transparency: the union is granted full access to
financial data
Editor's Notes
The writers’ strike lasted from November 7, 2007, to February 12, 2008, causing 1-2 billion dollars in financial losses.
20 years ago, VHS tapes cost between 40 and 100 dollars. Writers accepted 0.3% of the first million sold and 0.36% after that. This was an 80% cut on ordinary residuals from reruns on TV. Then VHS production prices fell, sales took off, DVDs appeared, and now the WGA wanted the rates doubled to 0.6%. New media: In 2007, writers were paid at the same rate, 0.3%, when their content was sold over the web, and 0% when content was distributed for free but accompanied by paid advertisements. They saw that the online market was taking off, and wanted a part of it. Thirdly, they wanted to expand their union to include writers of animated content, which in 2007 were members of a different union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and also to include people who worked in reality shows on shaping the storylines and selecting which clips to present.
Started his show again in the first week of December. Was criticized for sending an email to friends and family on November 25, 2007 asking them for jokes – or “seeking scabs,” as it was reported in the press.
Went back to work in the first week of January. Took some criticism for writing his own monologues, but the WGA rules supported him, and he was not punished. “A Jew, a Christian, and a Muslim walk into a bar. The Jew says to the Muslim … see, I have no idea what he says because there is a writer’s strike.”
Ellen is the one on the right; the other woman is her wife, Portia di Rossi. Ellen took a day off and then went back to work without her writers. She is both a member of WGA and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which forbids her to participate in strikes by other unions. At first she was strongly criticized and then later strongly defended, with defenders noting she has a staff of 135 people dependent on her show.
Has his own production company. Settled with WGA on December 28, 2007, and resumed work as normal, but with a beard.
They resumed their shows on January 7, 2008, without writers and with more reliance on interviews.
Seen here wearing a “strike beard.” Kept his show off the air and paid the salaries of his 80 employees with his own money until he started the show again on January 2, 2008.
The technical reason for this is that “that” introduces a defining relative clause. The comma introduces a pause in speech and a non-defining relative clause in writing.
The technical reason for this is that “that” introduces a defining relative clause. The comma introduces a pause in speech and a non-defining relative clause in writing.
This mistake is so common that even English native speakers make it sometimes – but not as often as German native speakers.
This mistake is so common that even English native speakers make it sometimes – but not as often as German native speakers.
German is actually more practical in this case.
German is actually more practical in this case.
The writers lost about $260 million in earnings, but they got their foot in the door with new media.
