Brian Kalata's Page

This was sent today by WGA Presidents Patric Verrone and Michael Winship to membership:

To Our Fellow Members,

While
fully mindful of the continuing media blackout, we write you to address
the rumors and reports that undoubtedly you have been hearing.

The
facts: we are still in talks and do not yet have a contract. Whe… Continue

I have been talking to people on sets for the last couple of years about the changes in technology. I found it hard to believe that so many people who work in the entertainment industry where so uniformed about the state of technology.

All The Majors have deals now with Apple, Microsoft and Netflix for direct delivery of content via the internet. These deals have been many months in the making - defiantly before the strike.

I think they were hoping to push off any discussion of this for three… Continue

THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY AND THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA ANNOUNCE INDEPENDENT AGREEMENT

NEW YORK, NY and LOS ANGELES, CA – (January 11, 2008) – The Weinstein Company (TWC) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced today that they have signed a comprehensive independent agreement. While the details are not being disclosed, the deal addresses the issues important to writers, including New Media.

As a result of this agreement, Writers Guild members will now be able to work with The Weinstein… Continue

Things are not going as smoothly as many thought they would between the Directors Guild and the AMPTP. Many thought that the DGA would waltz in and strike a deal - n questions asked. I have been telling people that that is what the AMPTP thought would happen. But I also told them, I think the AMPTP is in for a surmise.

The DGA has spent a lot of time and money studying the issue of internet revenue and they are not uninformed. And they are not up for giving away money. And there is money to be… Continue