No Strike! Writers and Hollywood Studios Agree on New Contract
May 4th, 2001
The new deal arrived three days after the old contract expired early May 2. The contract still must be approved by the guild's members, some 11,500, who will most likely will do so.
The agreement between the Writers Guild of America and the industry's Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was reportedly reached around noon, but not announced until just moments ago.
Here are the financial highlights: Under the specific terms of the settlement, the Fox network will pay full fees, foreign TV residuals will be uncapped and paid in perpetuity and writers will receive a percentage of profits for the first time. The three-year agreement is a significant improvement of $41 million over the old contract, according to reports.
On the "respect" front: Writers also did okay on creative rights. The new contract mandates that they be invited to premieres, cast and crew events and press junkets. There will also be a set of nonbinding preferred practices saying directors should meet with writers before they are replaced, and that are to be invited to the first cast reading and allowed on sets. However, the director can limit this.
Unfortunately, screenwriters lost out on the possessory credit, "a film by" statement that is given to directors. After a long struggle, the WGA on Thursday decided to remove it as a demand after it became a major sticking point.
A final note: there will be a joint Directors Guild and Writers Guild committee to discuss other creative issues.
The agreement between the Writers Guild of America and the industry's Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was reportedly reached around noon, but not announced until just moments ago.
Here are the financial highlights: Under the specific terms of the settlement, the Fox network will pay full fees, foreign TV residuals will be uncapped and paid in perpetuity and writers will receive a percentage of profits for the first time. The three-year agreement is a significant improvement of $41 million over the old contract, according to reports.
On the "respect" front: Writers also did okay on creative rights. The new contract mandates that they be invited to premieres, cast and crew events and press junkets. There will also be a set of nonbinding preferred practices saying directors should meet with writers before they are replaced, and that are to be invited to the first cast reading and allowed on sets. However, the director can limit this.
Unfortunately, screenwriters lost out on the possessory credit, "a film by" statement that is given to directors. After a long struggle, the WGA on Thursday decided to remove it as a demand after it became a major sticking point.
A final note: there will be a joint Directors Guild and Writers Guild committee to discuss other creative issues.
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