Towels

Well my WGA Strike panel yesterday was quite an experience, and it was a thrill to finally meet in person someone who is partially responsible for making my favorite TV show, look them in the eye and shake their hand.

There was a lot of fascinating discussion on the panel with Mark Verheiden and Jeffrey Berman (co-founder of UnitedHollywood and creator of the Pencils 2 Media Moguls strike action), as well as the other strike-related panel that featured Berman and Michael Coulton (one of the quick wits responsible for the "AMPTP.com" parody site). Apparently the conference-holders recorded the panel audio and will be posting it soon; I'll let you know.

Mr. Berman tells me he never heard back about what happened with most of the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA fans who won Pencils 2 Media Moguls prizes. If any of you winners out there want to submit some details and stories to us (at bsgsitrep at gmail dot com) about your prize wins, we will make sure Mr. Berman receives them.

One short anecdote I need to share with you guys. At one point I was prompted to discuss the BSG fan response to the Pencils 2 Media Moguls campaign. I explained about the infamous "towel scene," and the fans' response to the towel prizes. Mark Verheiden then pointed out that he happened to be the writer of that episode. His comment: "You should see the out-takes."

Going to BlogWorld

I have some cool news... Susan Getgood, who writes a great marketing blog and is a massive BSG fan, has convinced me to come out to the BlogWorld conference in Las Vegas this weekend and speak on a panel.

Here are the details. If any of you will be in town, please stop by!

Social Media & the Writers' Strike: Blogs, Fans & Community

Saturday, Sept. 20

2:45 PM - 3:45 PM, 230

Community Track


This panel, the first of two sessions about Social Media and the Writers' Strike, will offer an overview of how the writers used social media during the strike to inform the public, encourage and reward fan support and keep union members motivated. We will focus on community-developed sites like United Hollywood and the impact of fan support as we discuss the overall impact of social media (vs. mainstream media) on the outcome.

Panelists:

Mark Verheiden, WGA member, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA writer/producer, blogger

Jeffrey Berman, WGA member, co-founder of United Hollywood, coordinator of the Pencils 2 Media Moguls campaign

Susan Getgood…and me!

Susan has another WGA strike-related panel later that day at 5pm, see here for details.

Getting on with the show

Mark Verheiden reports that the WGA membership has approved the new contract. United Hollywood has more.
From the WGA:

Today, it is our pleasure to inform you that members of the Writers Guilds of America, East and West, have voted to ratify the MBA contract with 93.6% approval. With a total of 4,060 votes cast, the tally was 3,802 to 258. These numbers reaffirm the tremendous level of support and commitment our membership has continuously demonstrated over these last few crucial months.

I guess Harlan Ellison was among the 258.

Harlan Dissents

Harlan Ellison dissents and recommends writers vote NO on the new WGA contract. Interestingly, in the comments to his post on United Hollywood a lot of writers seem to agree with him. We'll find out, when the results of the contract ratification vote are revealed if this is a minority report.

BSG co-exec producer Mark Verheiden voted aye on the contact.

Pencils Up, the Strike is Over!

Here's the latest from the WGA:

To Our Fellow Members:

On Tuesday, members of the Writers Guilds East and West voted by a 92.5% margin to lift the restraining order that was invoked on November 5th. The strike is over.

Writing can resume immediately. If you were employed when the strike began, you should plan to report to work on Wednesday. If you’re not employed at an office or other work site, call or e-mail your employer that you are resuming work. If you have been told not to report to work or resume your services, we recommend that you still notify your employer in writing of your availability to do so. Questions concerning return-to-work issues should be directed to the WGAW legal department at 323.782.4521 or the WGAE’s assistant executive director Ann Toback at 212-767-7823.

The decision to begin this strike was not taken lightly and was only made after no other reasonable alternative was possible. We are profoundly aware of the economic loss these fourteen weeks have created not only for our members but so many other colleagues who work in the television and motion picture industries. Nonetheless, with the establishment of the WGA jurisdiction over new media and residual formulas based on distributor’s gross revenue (among other gains) we are confident that the results are a significant achievement not only for ourselves but the entire creative community, now and in the future.

We hope to build upon the extraordinary energy, ingenuity, and solidarity that were generated by your hard work during the strike.

Over the next weeks and months, we will be in touch with you to discuss and develop ways we can use our unprecedented unity to make our two guilds stronger and more effective than ever.

Now that the strike has ended, there remains the vote to ratify the new contract. Ballots and information on the new deal, both pro and con, will be mailed to you shortly. You will be able to return those ballots via mail or at a membership meeting to be held Monday, February 25th, 2008, at times and locations to be determined.

Thank you for making it possible. As ever, we are all in this together.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone

President, WGAW

Michael Winship

President, WGAE

Battlestar Galactica co-exec producer Mark Verheiden writes:

The contract still needs to be ratified, but barring some sort of disaster that's pretty much a done deal. So it's over. It's interesting; making a living as a writer in the film and television business is nerve-wracking almost by definition, but the strike was a different sort of stress. For one things, most writers are sole proprietors, used to making business decisions for themselves. To hand the reins over to others (even the crack WGA negotiating team) is inherently frustrating. Also, like most writers I'm used to working under deadline, aiming toward a due date. Strikes don't work that way.

Still, it's amazing how fast and yet how slow one hundred days can pass. And it's even more amazing what the collective, determined will of a group of like-minded folks can achieve.

We now return you to our regular blog, dealing with my various projects, obsessions and interests. Hey, how about that Springsteen tour? And remember, Battlestar Galactica season four returns on April 4th!

Now back to work!

Fans4Writers deserves so much credit for organizing fan communities online. The studios mocked the Fan Days and the Pencils, but the public's unwavering support for the writers (as shown in all the opinion polls) at the very least helped strengthen the WGA's hand.

It's a great victory for workers in all fields, as well for all the below the line workers in Hollywood, not just for the writers and directors....

So, I expect this to be the last strike related news on this blog. We'll now resume regular Battlestar Galactica news....

Miscellaneous News

Kristin at E!Online has an update on tons of shows now that the strike is ending. Of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, she has this to report:

What We're Hearing: The crown jewel of the Sci Fi Channel should finish out its fourth and final season, but per writer Jane Espenson, it's almost certain that, schedule-wise, the story will be split into two separate miniseasons. The show completed 14 episodes before the strike hit, and at least the first 10 will air beginning Apr. 4. The second batch could premiere in the fall or even sometime in 2009.

And, on a sidenote, she also mentions BIONIC WOMAN:

As for Jason Katims' other series, Bionic Woman, well, let's just say it's been hit by a truck and won't be coming back from the dead with new, fancy parts. Ever.

Not a big surprise. Goodbye, spendidly evil Katee Sackhoff! We hardly knew ye…For anyone who did like this show, or the good parts thereof, the DVD is coming out March 18th. Same date as BSG S3.


Sci Fi Department on AMC unfortunately lost their appointment with Ron Moore to ask all our fan questions. Maybe later.

A few great new BSG tees and hoodies available this month from Glarkware and ThinkGeek.



BSG has charted at #6 on The Onion A.V. Clubs list of the 20 Pop-Culture Obsessions Geekier Than Monty Python. (Hey, since when is Monty Python fandom geeky? *g*) We’re in good company on this one folks – right up there with Fantasy Sports leagues, Renaissance Faires and Michael Jackson.

Kandyse McClure recently updated her blog, discussing how she’s used the strike hiatus to delve into teaching yoga, amongst other things.

Here is BSG writer Jane Espenson’s essay for the Why We Write project.

An idea whose time has come: livejournalist picturegames imagines Tricia Helfer as Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s DARK KNIGHT series with Christian Bale. Righteous.

Blogger Elver Loho ponders why TV writing can be so much better than film writing nowadays. (Can it?)…meanwhile, The LA Times ponders the same question from a different angle: are certain types of (misanthropic and/or seriously complicated) characters, and their rich backstories, only worth creating for the longer format of a TV series?

The Bygone Bureau gives advice about how to watch entire First Season of BSG in one sitting. Always a fun project.

Another fan hobby of mine that never gets tired: reading a new “how I discovered BSG and had my mind blown by its excellence” blog post. Here’s a new well-written one, by a blogger for Eos Books, that is very useful if you’re trying to convert a friend. They even include tons of press quotes.

So Say We All

The strike is over. At least unofficially. Showrunners like Ron Moore can report back to work on Monday. The members of the WGA will vote on Tuesday to officially end the strike, and once that vote is made public, they will return to work on Wednesday. But, all picketing is now over.

We congratulate the writers on this victory, and the Galactica Sitrep is proud to have been involved among the many fan websites and blogs supporting the writers.

Pencils Up? TBD.

It's Sunday morning and here's a strike update.

The WGA membership meetings yesterday on both coasts were well attended and an outline of the deal terms was presented and questions answered by the negotiating committee. There will be a vote soon across the WGA to accept or reject the deal. Nikki Finke notes that if the membership votes to take this deal, picketing will end and writers may be back to work as early as this Wednesday.

Mr. Moore has not made any new post on his blog, though Battlestar Galactica writers Mark Verheiden and Jane Espenson seem satisfied. EUREKA writer Charlie Craig has noticed that cable writers get a worse deal than network ones. More links on the strike here from Mo Ryan this morning, including the opinions of several other writer/bloggers.

United Hollywood posted this thoughtful debate, Pro and Con about the streaming window terms. Though I certainly want the writers to get everything they can from this deal, I have to say the PRO arguement here is much stronger. Let's just look at BSG for one moment as an example - more than half the fans I know of this show, caught up with at least S1, if not S2, via long-window access (ie, seeing it many months, even years, after that first broadcast window ended). Let's not even talk about people I know who admire Joss Whedon shows - there seems to be an entire new GENERATION of Joss fandom that has developed around the DVD releases. The CON standpoint, which uses "appointment" TV shows like LOST as their main evidence, doesn't seem valid for the majority of film and TV. Most people I know catch up with things after the first airing (or with films, after opening weekend), once they've heard enough positive word of mouth amongst their friends, trusted critics, etc.

WGA NegComm: "We have a tentative deal."

United Hollywood is announcing that the WGA Negotiating Committee has reached a deal with the AMPTP that it feels is acceptable to membership:

Letter From The Presidents With Deal Summary

This was sent early this morning to membership. The delay in publishing the deal points, we've learned, was because the companies dragged their feet enshrining some of the final details in an attempt to renege on some of what they had promised. The last-minute fight to keep that from happening took until late last night.

To Our Fellow Members,

We have a tentative deal.

It is an agreement that protects a future in which the Internet becomes the primary means of both content creation and delivery. It creates formulas for revenue-based residuals in new media, provides access to deals and financial data to help us evaluate and enforce those formulas, and establishes the principle that, "When they get paid, we get paid."

Specific terms of the agreement are described in the summary at the following link - http://www.wga.org/contract_07/wga_tent_summary.pdf - and will be further discussed at our Saturday membership meetings on both coasts. At those meetings we will also discuss how we will proceed regarding ratification of this agreement and lifting the restraining order that ends the strike. Details of the Los Angeles meeting can be found at http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2763.

Less than six months ago, the AMPTP wanted to enact profit-based residuals, defer all Internet compensation in favor of a study, forever eliminate "distributor's gross" valuations, and enforce 39 pages of rollbacks to compensation, pension and health benefits, reacquisition, and separated rights. Today, thanks to three months of physical resolve, determination, and perseverance, we have a contract that includes WGA jurisdiction and separated rights in new media, residuals for Internet reuse, enforcement and auditing tools, expansion of fair market value and distributor's gross language, improvements to other traditional elements of the MBA, and no rollbacks.

Over these three difficult months, we shut down production of nearly all scripted content in TV and film and had a serious impact on the business of our employers in ways they did not expect and were hard pressed to deflect. Nevertheless, an ongoing struggle against seven, multinational media conglomerates, no matter how successful, is exhausting, taking an enormous personal toll on our members and countless others. As such, we believe that continuing to strike now will not bring sufficient gains to outweigh the potential risks and that the time has come to accept this contract and settle the strike.

Much has been achieved, and while this agreement is neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve for the countless hours of hard work and sacrifice, our strike has been a success. We activated, engaged, and involved the membership of our Guilds with a solidarity that has never before occurred. We developed a captains system and a communications structure that used the Internet to build bonds within our membership and beyond. We earned the backing of other unions and their members worldwide, the respect of elected leaders and politicians throughout the nation, and the overwhelming support of fans and the general public. Our thanks to all of them, and to the staffs at both Guilds who have worked so long and patiently to help us all.

There is much yet to be done and we intend to use all the techniques and relationships we've developed in this strike to make it happen. We must support our brothers and sisters in SAG who, as their contract expires in less than five months, will be facing many of the same challenges we have just endured. We must further pursue new relationships we have established in Washington and in state and local governments so that we can maintain leverage against the consolidated multinational conglomerates with whom we bargain. We must be vigilant in monitoring the deals that are made in new media so that in the years ahead we can enforce and expand our contract. We must fight to get decent working conditions and benefits for writers of reality TV, animation, and any other genre in which writers do not have a WGA contract.

Most important, however, is to continue to use the new collective power we have generated for our collective benefit. More than ever, now and beyond, we are all in this together.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW

Michael Winship
President, WGAE

The next step: meetings today in New York and Los Angeles to present the deal to the WGA membership. Cross your fingers that this is it folks!

Have your say...

Via my livejournalist friend and BSG fan sabaceanbabe, here's a Hey!Nielsen survey where you can show your support for the striking writers and say how your entertainment habits have been effected during the strike.

(Nielsen is the largest entertainment related market survey group in the USA, by the way.)

More Sci Fi Channel Day coverage

IESB has more photos and reportage from the Sci Fi Channel strike day...does anyone else find it interesting that Joss Whedon was there? Or is it just me? Regardless, it always fills me with happiness when the makers of my favorite stuff totally, like, hang out together. Tee hee.


Speaking of folks spotted in these photos - Michael Trucco and Kate Vernon were also on the picket at NBC-Uni that day, as you can see in the IESB shots below. Nice "frakking cylon" shirt, Trucco!

Friend of the show Mexichick has also posted a bunch of photos from the picket line over in this skiffy forum thread...some highlights below:

Trucco looks like he's very well recovered from his accident...

L to R: EUREKA's showrunner Jamie Paglia,
Joss Whedon and RDM...

BSG writer/producers David Weddle (left) and Bradley Thompson (right), being interviewed for Canadian SpaceTV...

Group discussion, with Michael Taylor (writer of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RAZOR) almost visible on the left:

It'll be over soon... maybe

Ron Moore,at NBC with Mark Verheiden in the upper left background.

It appears that this weekend the WGA will present whatever they've agreed to with the Studios to the full WGA membership. The expectation is that the WGA could call off the strike as soon as Monday, depending on how things go. Keep in mind that just because the WGA leadership calls off the picketing, it doesn't mean all is settled. The full WGA membership will still have to vote on the new contract. Will it pass a majority vote of the membership? If for some reason it doesn't pass, well, then everything is up in the air again. But, once the picketing stops, everyone can go back to work. (And teamsters can make deliveries.)

Since no one has actually seen the new contract proposal yet, it's all just speculation at this point. But, the general expectation appears to be that this is wrapping up. Yet, one can't really know what's going on until everyone examines the deal in detail.

Meanwhile, it was Sci-Fi Channel Day at NBC in Burbank on Wednesday, and Mark Verheiden and Charlie Craig of Eureka along with Ron Moore and Joss Whedon were all attending.

Ron Moore, WGA organizer, as the AMPTP refers to writers.

Hollywood Waits

Deadline Hollywood Daily has the latest insider news on the state of the WGA strike. The WGA leadership is gathering together the membership this weekend to discuss any possible agreement.

So, it looks like picketing will continue, at the very least for the rest of this week, along with several benefits and events, including Sci-Fi Channel day for fans and writers at NBC in Burbank, California.

New Details

The L.A. Times reports more new details on the nature of the proposed strike settlement.

The tentative deal came after two weeks of talks that culminated in a marathon bargaining session Friday that was attended by News Corp. President Peter Chernin, Walt Disney Chief Executive Robert A. Iger and Writers Guild of America negotiators David Young, Patrick M. Verrone and John F. Bowman.

Progress had been made in previous meetings on payment for work sold online, but Friday's session saw a breakthrough on the most contentious issue: compensation for the free streaming of films and TV programs over the Internet.

Representatives of the Writers Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, declined to comment, citing a media blackout.

Attorneys from the studios and the guild were meeting over the weekend to discuss contract language for the proposed agreement, which would need to be ratified by the union's 10,500 members. Even before a vote by members, the strike would probably be called off if board members strongly endorse the deal.

There are some issues that have yet to be resolved, including defining what qualifies as promotion on the Internet. The debate centers on the extent to which networks can run video clips and other materials on their websites to promote TV programs before paying writers.

The directors Guild deal, however, stirred a debate among striking writers. Many complained that the directors' contract offered meager residuals on shows that were streamed free on advertising-supported websites. Another criticism was that the directors' deal limited the union's jurisdiction over shows created for the Web at a time when online entertainment is burgeoning.

That complaint was echoed a few days ago by the Screen Actors Guild, whose leaders publicly disparaged the directors' contract.

On Friday, however, studios offered some key concessions to ease those concerns and keep the talks on track. Those included more favorable pay terms for streaming than those offered to directors. Studios also offered "separated rights" provisions for shows created for the Web, ensuring, for example, that writers would receive extra compensation and credit for online shows that spawn TV pilots, two people close to the talks said.

The agreement was negotiated on the studio side by Chernin and Iger, who had been designated by the heads of the other studios to negotiate on their behalf.

That stood in contrast to previous sessions with the writers in which top media executives weren't at the bargaining table and were led instead by Nick Counter, president of the producers association, and labor relations executives from the major studios.

Having done the heavy lifting, Chernin and Iger will now step back and rely on labor relations executives to formalize contract language this week.

Guild negotiators Young, Verrone and Bowman on Monday are expected to brief the union's 17-member negotiating committee and board of directors on the proposed contract.

So, it looks like once the incompetent Nick Counter of the AMPTP was sidelined by Iger and Chernin progress was able to be made.

I wonder how quickly Battlestar Galactica could get back in production once everyone can go back to work?

Breaking News

The New York Times reports that the WGA and the media moguls are this weekend finalizing a deal. Details on language still need to be worked out, and of course the WGA membership will vote on the contract, but it certainly feels like the strike will be over very soon.

Is it too much to ask, to be treated fairly?

Hmm...looks like they have some writers helping out with these latest SPEECHLESS strike vids. Featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Brian Cox, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Speechless #34


Speechless #33

Negotiations in progress

Completely off topic. NSFW. Funny as hell. Everyone needs a laugh when times are vague.



[via ohnotheydidnt]

Optimism

Nikki Finke reports on good positive progress on the informal talks between the WGA and AMPTP. Meanwhile the WGA has signed a few more interim deals with companies.

Maybe if this is solved soon the BSG team can get back to shooting the final 9 episodes of the series.

Blackout

With the news blackout on the ongoing talks between the WGA and AMPTP there isn't much news on the strike, but My Second Strike relates a few rumors that the strike could be over soon.

United Hollywood reports on new interim deals the WGA has signed with Lionsgate and Marvel studios, putting more writers back to work.

And Stephen Colbert's writers had some fun in Washington.

Messages

Ronald D. Moore writes in his blog in support of the WGA leadership. Ron notes:

This is a moment of trust.

Trust in the people we elected to represent our interests, to fight for our rights and to safeguard our interests for the future.

The Guild leadership and the members of the Negotiating Committee have put themselves out in front, taken the ill-informed knocks from the media, the calculated slander from the studios, and the cajoling, bickering, and Monday-morning quarterbacking of some elements within the membership itself and yet they’ve never wavered from their goals of trying to achieve the best deal for all of us and for the writers who will follow in our footsteps. The sheer number of arrows these people take on a daily basis on the internet alone rival the incoming fire at the Little Bighorn and it’s something of a miracle that not a single one of them has simply let loose in a tirade of vitriol and bile at their tormentors in some public forum. I’ve heard them accused of everything from seeking personal political gain to seeking to foment communist revolution over the course of the strike, but time and again they just keep coming back to the basic issues of fairness and justice in what they’re seeking for all of us.

They deserve our trust. And they damned well have earned it.

Composer Bear McCreary on his blog responds to those who steal music. Mark Verheiden concurs with Bear's point.

And Bear's point is simple. For all of history art has been supported by patrons of the arts. Today, we who purchase CDs, DVDs, or iTunes downloads are the modern day patrons of the arts. As Bear wrote:

If Battlestar means something to you, if the show has done anything at all to brighten your life, to bring clarity to moments of confusion, then support it. Support the people who have dedicated their lives to their art, to giving something back to society that is worthwhile.

My music is an integral part of Battlestar. It is one of the many reasons that this series resonates with audiences. And I spend every waking moment bringing it to life. If the result of my work affects you emotionally… support it.

Unlike the radio and television audiences of the past, our relationship is symbiotic. Like all artist / patron relationships, ours has the potential to be incredibly rewarding for all involved. But, if you download the show illegally, you sacrifice your role in the relationship. You’re no longer a patron of influence, but a spectator from the sidelines, a political pundit who doesn’t vote.

Plus, Bear has no control over the fact that BSG music doesn't get sold on iTunes as Bear has noted in his FAQ:

Unfortunately, that decision rests entirely with NBC Universal, not with myself or the record label. Hopefully someday… in the meantime, pick up a trusty ol’ Compact Disc.

So once again, put pressure on NBC/U if you want Bear's Battlestar music on iTunes.