Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

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  • #31
    Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

    Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
    Right? Someone made the comment about non-WGA writer packaging but that doesn't seem likely to me, since they [agents] don't accept outside queries and everything is through recommendations, I don't see that happening, does anyone else?

    Unless there is a flux of managers sending their non-wga writers to agencies? And what is the likelyhood that a manager is going to set up a non-WGA writer to cannibalize his own WGA writer's ability to get a deal? Maybe i'm being naive?

    And what's with this talk that big4 WGA writer clients are working with their agents on the sly?
    "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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    • #32
      Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

      Originally posted by finalact4 View Post
      And what's with this talk that big4 WGA writer clients are working with their agents on the sly?
      Where it gets murky is with writer-producers and writer-directors. I've heard there are many hyphenates that are still being repped in their non-writer capacities by their former big4 agents.

      HTH,
      Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

      -Steve Trautmann
      3rd & Fairfax: The WGAW Podcast

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      • #33
        Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

        Originally posted by finalact4 View Post
        Right? Someone made the comment about non-WGA writer packaging but that doesn't seem likely to me, since they [agents] don't accept outside queries and everything is through recommendations, I don't see that happening, does anyone else?

        Unless there is a flux of managers sending their non-wga writers to agencies? And what is the likelyhood that a manager is going to set up a non-WGA writer to cannibalize his own WGA writer's ability to get a deal? Maybe i'm being naive?

        And what's with this talk that big4 WGA writer clients are working with their agents on the sly?
        I’m not yet in the guild. My current thing is being packaged by a big two.

        Any writer who is not in the WGA, their manager is still submitting stuff to entities that have not signed the agreement. Obviously this happens even without the standoff - managers submit non-guild writers to agencies. But now, the willingness of an agent to sign them as a one off (and get fired once they are in the guild) and take out a project seems to be...not great. But, if you’ve got something you can package with director and actor talent? That works.

        We submitted to a guy at a three letter place who had championed stuff internally previously. And this was not highly commercial stuff. This one is much more so. Didn’t hear a peep back. We ultimately get an A list director pushing it, who is repped at said place. Now the agent is all in. It’s just a weird time. I honestly don’t care and am not concerning myself with the machinations of how it will all play out.

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        • #34
          Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

          Originally posted by Satriales View Post
          I'm not yet in the guild. My current thing is being packaged by a big two.

          Any writer who is not in the WGA, their manager is still submitting stuff to entities that have not signed the agreement. Obviously this happens even without the standoff - managers submit non-guild writers to agencies. But now, the willingness of an agent to sign them as a one off (and get fired once they are in the guild) and take out a project seems to be...not great. But, if you've got something you can package with director and actor talent? That works.

          We submitted to a guy at a three letter place who had championed stuff internally previously. And this was not highly commercial stuff. This one is much more so. Didn't hear a peep back. We ultimately get an A list director pushing it, who is repped at said place. Now the agent is all in. It's just a weird time. I honestly don't care and am not concerning myself with the machinations of how it will all play out.
          Gotcha. that makes sense.
          "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

          Comment


          • #35
            Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

            Originally posted by KitchonaSteve View Post
            Where it gets murky is with writer-producers and writer-directors. I've heard there are many hyphenates that are still being repped in their non-writer capacities by their former big4 agents.

            HTH,
            So they're using their hyphenate to basically continue packaging even though as a writer, they "shouldn't." They're subverting the guild's directive, legally, for selfish reasons, but still making other writers suffer for better good of the Guild members, then?

            If that's the case, it's disappointing, because it gives a false sense of self-sacrifice and camaraderie, that doesn't really exist, to the rest of the membership.

            And that's 1) too bad, and 2) disappointing that their sacrifice, which would help the overall cause the Guild, isn't being made.
            "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

            Comment


            • #36
              Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

              Originally posted by finalact4 View Post
              So they're using their hyphenate to basically continue packaging even though as a writer, they "shouldn't." They're subverting the guild's directive, legally, for selfish reasons, but still making other writers suffer for better good of the Guild members, then?

              If that's the case, it's disappointing, because it gives a false sense of self-sacrifice and camaraderie, that doesn't really exist, to the rest of the membership.

              And that's 1) too bad, and 2) disappointing that their sacrifice, which would help the overall cause the Guild, isn't being made.
              I don't how much packaging is going on with the hyphenates, but I know that feature writers have been disadvantaged the most business-wise during this action. TV writers tend to use their professional network to find their jobs, whereas feature writers rely much more heavily on their agents to get them into rooms and point them to OWAs, etc.
              Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

              -Steve Trautmann
              3rd & Fairfax: The WGAW Podcast

              Comment


              • #37
                Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

                Originally posted by finalact4 View Post
                So they're using their hyphenate to basically continue packaging even though as a writer, they "shouldn't." They're subverting the guild's directive, legally, for selfish reasons, but still making other writers suffer for better good of the Guild members, then?
                Not sure if anyone else has joined Adam McKay in disavowing packaging fees even in his producer role, but many hyphenates signed their overall deals via agents before the firings. I agree the best practice would probably be Adam's position but I also understand from the agents' POV, "hey, we did our production deal before so that's still in effect even if we don't rep you as a writer anymore."

                https://variety.com/2019/film/news/a...ls-1203302713/

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                • #38
                  Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

                  Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
                  Not sure if anyone else has joined Adam McKay in disavowing packaging fees even in his producer role, but many hyphenates signed their overall deals via agents before the firings. I agree the best practice would probably be Adam's position but I also understand from the agents' POV, "hey, we did our production deal before so that's still in effect even if we don't rep you as a writer anymore."

                  https://variety.com/2019/film/news/a...ls-1203302713/
                  Yeah, I hear ya, I'm not talking about the pre-existing deals, I get that and, of course, the deals should remain in place, but there is some chatter in the comments of some of these articles that suggest big writers are still dealing with their agents--

                  One possible way, might be through the use of their hyphenates. I don't have any empirical knowledge, just what I'm getting from the commenters.

                  I admire Adam's move.
                  "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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                  • #39
                    Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

                    I think this explains a lot about why there has been such loyalty. It has to have something to do with them sticking with fight.

                    https://deadline.com/2020/03/wme-par...us-1202888834/
                    "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

                      Originally posted by finalact4 View Post
                      I think this explains a lot about why there has been such loyalty. It has to have something to do with them sticking with fight.[/url]
                      I mean, I guess there is a certain sense of "loyalty" in waiting around to cash out after Ari ****ed up the IPO to such a fare-thee-well that you're taking a big haircut relative to what you had been promised for years:

                      "those agents were told of an indefinite postponement of a windfall they expected to occur on April 5. Basically, the partners were set to be given the option to cash out 20% of their equity, calculated on a $3.6 billion valuation of the company. That will be pushed down the road indefinitely and the partners were also told it is likely they will be asked to volunteer to take pay cuts, until business rebounds."

                      On the other hand, now being told you're not even getting your 20 cents on the dollar return, oh and also kick in some more until the pandemic stops seems like it will really separate the loyal from the merely self-interested.

                      I thought the whole point of WME not having to give in to the WGA's packaging demands was that they had so steady of a stream of existing packaging fees that they could weather any length of time without repping writers. Maybe that was just a lot of posturing and not a lot of truth?

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                      • #41
                        Re: Abrams Artists Signs WGA CoC

                        Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
                        I mean, I guess there is a certain sense of "loyalty" in waiting around to cash out after Ari ****ed up the IPO to such a fare-thee-well that you're taking a big haircut relative to what you had been promised for years:

                        "those agents were told of an indefinite postponement of a windfall they expected to occur on April 5. Basically, the partners were set to be given the option to cash out 20% of their equity, calculated on a $3.6 billion valuation of the company. That will be pushed down the road indefinitely and the partners were also told it is likely they will be asked to volunteer to take pay cuts, until business rebounds."

                        On the other hand, now being told you're not even getting your 20 cents on the dollar return, oh and also kick in some more until the pandemic stops seems like it will really separate the loyal from the merely self-interested.

                        I thought the whole point of WME not having to give in to the WGA's packaging demands was that they had so steady of a stream of existing packaging fees that they could weather any length of time without repping writers. Maybe that was just a lot of posturing and not a lot of truth?
                        Yeah, I don't know, right?

                        Packaging is lucrative, but the payout seemed it was a guaranteed payday. I honestly don't know.
                        "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

                        Comment

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