WGA and Directors Enter Second Week of Negotiations...
January 30th, 2001
While Contract talks for the Writers Guild of America enter their second week the question of how screenwriters and directors are credited has developed into a touchy one.
For those of you not familiar, here's the issue, it's called a "possessory credit." Many directors place "A Film By" credit on the film. Screenwriters have always been slighted in Hollywood, and having been pushed out of the filmmaking process intentionally by directors and producers, their influence has crumbled, except in those rare occasions. It is proven that when the original vision of the writer is upheld, the script and therefore the movie are always better.
Guild spokeswoman Cheryl Rhoden told Variety, "In this business, the recognition you get for your work is what gets you your next paycheck." Directors say that multiple writers ultimately end up working the script, and they (directors) are therefore ultimately responsible for a movie's final shape. This may be true, but once again it's because of the muddling directors and bumbling producers that so many writers are "brought in." The original vision of the movie is always the writer, at least when the thing is any good.
The possessory credit was established in the 1950's as a marketing device for movies with well known directors, such as Alfred Hitchcock.
"There's nothing to prevent a writer from negotiating for the credit, if they want," U-571 director Jonathan Mostow told Variety. "But no one is going to win any respect by trying to deny someone else a credit."
It all comes down to respect and the logical ascendence of control, which naturally should start with the screenwriter.
Yeah, I know, good luck...
-- Chris
For those of you not familiar, here's the issue, it's called a "possessory credit." Many directors place "A Film By" credit on the film. Screenwriters have always been slighted in Hollywood, and having been pushed out of the filmmaking process intentionally by directors and producers, their influence has crumbled, except in those rare occasions. It is proven that when the original vision of the writer is upheld, the script and therefore the movie are always better.
Guild spokeswoman Cheryl Rhoden told Variety, "In this business, the recognition you get for your work is what gets you your next paycheck." Directors say that multiple writers ultimately end up working the script, and they (directors) are therefore ultimately responsible for a movie's final shape. This may be true, but once again it's because of the muddling directors and bumbling producers that so many writers are "brought in." The original vision of the movie is always the writer, at least when the thing is any good.
The possessory credit was established in the 1950's as a marketing device for movies with well known directors, such as Alfred Hitchcock.
"There's nothing to prevent a writer from negotiating for the credit, if they want," U-571 director Jonathan Mostow told Variety. "But no one is going to win any respect by trying to deny someone else a credit."
It all comes down to respect and the logical ascendence of control, which naturally should start with the screenwriter.
Yeah, I know, good luck...
-- Chris
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