I have been asked to post the following press release this morning:
On Thanksgiving Day (November 22), a group of Writers Guild Of America members will begin posting Public Service Announcements featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent as part of an independent WGA membership's "Speechless" campaign conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors will be taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet -- the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers.
The spots will begin appearing on Thursday morning which will begin posting Thanksgiving Day and run exclusively on DeadlineHollywood.com through Sunday night. Beginning Monday, they can be found on SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com with links on UnitedHollywood.com and every day thereafter during the duration of the strike.
Included are SAG talent such as Sean Penn, Holly Hunter, Laura Linney, Alan Cumming, Jay Leno, Harvey Keitel, Kate Beckinsale, Tina Fey, Tim Robbins, Gary Marshall, David Schwimmer, Patricia Clarkson, James Franco, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Martin Sheen, Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon, Andre 3000, Chazz Palminteri, Jason Bateman, Christine Lahti, Patricia Arquette, Jenna Elfman, Olivia Wilde, Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Eva Longoria, Justine Bateman, Joshua Jackson, Rosanna Arquette, Diane Ladd, Rebecca Romjin, Minnie Driver, Nicollette Sheridan, Robert Patrick, Matthew Perry, Ed Asner, and America Ferrera and the cast of Ugly Betty. Arrangements have been made to also shoot Woody Allen, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jane Fonda, Marisa Tomei, Ethan Hawke, Jason Alexander, Charlize Therone, Minnie Driver, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Many, many more are also in the works.
Here's how the PSAs came about: During the first day of the strike, director/writer George Hickenlooper (Factory Girl) and writer Alan Sereboff (The Red House) were struck by the talent surrounding them on the picket line. Hickenlooper suggested to Sereboff that they focus their energies on a creative campaign. That night, they met at WGA Headquarters with writers Ian Deitchman (Life As We Know It), Justin Zakham (The Bucket List) and director Josh Marston (Maria Full of Grace). After conferring, the team came to an agreement: What better way to bring attention to the issues regarding the Internet then to use the Internet itself?
Hickenlooper, evoking the style of Factory Girl, suggested shooting Warhol-esque screen tests of major SAG talent not saying anything on camera, thus showing their solidarity with the WGA. And Sereboff offered the concept "Speechless," where prominent SAG actors stood silently in front of the camera, ultimately writing and holding up a sign that simply read, "Speechless". Campaigns combined under one name, Hickenlooper and Sereboff joined with WGA/SAG member Kamala Lopez (I Heart Huckabees) and began reaching out to fellow creatives. Within a few days, Hickenlooper/Sereboff had recruited fellow DGA members Wayne Kramer (The Cooler), Paul Haggis (The Valley of Ellah), Rod Lurie (The Contender), WGA writers Steve Pink (Gross Pointe Blank), Jordan Mechner (Prince of Persia), two-time Emmy winning writer Jill Kushner (Ellen), Chic Eglee (Executive Producer, The Shield) in addition to the writing staff of The Tonight Show. SAG board member/actress Justine Bateman became involved and was instrumental in recruiting many of her fellow SAG actors to participate.
The "Speechless" idea quickly took off and, after a single day of filming, the team learned that the support of major A-list SAG talent was so overwhelming that many wanted to do more than just a screen test. After extensive conversations with various actors, it was decided that the screen tests might be expanded to improvisational scene work that would be done to entertain those of the public who might not be aware of the importance of the writer, and at the same time create mystery and intrigue surrounding the UnitedHollywood.com website.
On the second day of filming, the screen tests quickly evolved into actual short moments and sometimes full-fledged scenes. The result is a unique series of PSAs bringing together talent in solidarity. The "Speechless" campaign has thus far stockpiled several dozen very creative and innovative spots in black & white, ranging in length from 15 seconds to 4 minutes long.
The "Speechless" campaign support team includes music composer Anthony Marinelli, who is dedicating his time to scoring the spots; Clint Bennett, sound engineer; Joel Marshall, technical advisor; Jill Kushner production manager; Kamala Lopez and Melissa Cochran, editors; Mical shemesh, editor; Justin Schumacher, production sound; and Ian Deitchman who is putting together the website.
For more information regarding the "Speechless" campaign contact SpeechlessWithoutWriters@gmail.com.
In the interest of fairness and objectivity, I would be more than pleased to announce and initially host a similar campaign conceived by members of AMPTP. But, as a journalist with a journalism outlet, I couldn't pass up any opportunity to have an exclusive.
This makes my heart smile…If everyone sticks together —-the support alone will help settle this strike….
Comment by Laurie — November 20, 2007 @ 10:11 am
AMPTP, you need to wake up and smell the coffee. This strike is like no other before it. If you don’t make a deal soon, you’ll lose your relationships with the WGA, SAG and DGA. Patrick Goldstein nailed it:
Give us a good deal or we’ll weave our yarns directly to the public. We don’t need you anymore. Hollywood as we once knew it will be left for tentpoles and sequels that demand a huge screen. And you can have ‘em.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-gold20nov20,0,372891.story?coll=la-home-entertainment
Comment by writer — November 20, 2007 @ 10:36 am
Where is George Clooney in all this? The guy has something to say publicly about almost everything under the sun — except for the strike that’s rocked his industry. Is anybody looking for the rock that Clooney is hiding under?
What about Nicholas Cage? Matt Damon (he’s wga)? Will Smith?
Comment by someone wondering... — November 20, 2007 @ 10:50 am
That is hella cool!
Comment by Editrix — November 20, 2007 @ 10:50 am
They should charge to view the PSA to see how much they are worth to consumers! That would prove to the AMPTP there is money to be made on internet downloading!
Comment by Flopamatic — November 20, 2007 @ 10:50 am
Strike Has Cash-Back Clock Ticking
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003674078
Highlights include:
“In the next three weeks, if there is no settlement in the writers’ strike, and prime-time ratings continue to fall, we will start looking for serious adjustments and even for cash back. That’s going to be awkward and hard for the networks to deal with.”
“But buyers, likening that attitude to Nero fiddling while Rome burned, believe the networks are wrong if they think viewers will be retained with repeats and some new reality programming.”
“If a large majority of the original reality shows the networks plan to put on during the strike don’t hit a chord with viewers, the entire ratings and makegoods situation could spiral out of control.”
“One buyer said that Fox’s announcement that it will not air drama 24 (because all the episodes have not been completed) is a problem for some clients: “Even if Fox offers them units in American Idol, it might not be the same target audience they are looking for. And putting them in a House repeat is not the same as a first-run House.”
“media buyers warn that if they [cable networks] get greedy and ask for exorbitant rates, the agencies will balk”
Comment by PoloneGetYourRealEstateLicense — November 20, 2007 @ 10:51 am
Cool idea, but to maximize exposure they should also run these PSA’s on free TV and cable…..
Uhhh, never mind.
Comment by Mad Hatter — November 20, 2007 @ 10:52 am
whatever deal they ultimately work out regarding Internet jurisdiction, it better not prohibit making exactly these kinds of projects for personal/non-signatory purposes.
Just sayin’.
Comment by Another Writer — November 20, 2007 @ 10:54 am
well done. I’m a little confused thought about the “improv” psa’s. How does that show the importance of the writer?
Comment by confused — November 20, 2007 @ 11:04 am
Keep challenging the AMPTP to post their own videos, Nikki. Formally invite them. Engrave it on vellum. An eager public awaits their creative efforts.
Comment by a writer on the line — November 20, 2007 @ 11:12 am
This is wonderful! The studios and execs need to realize that without the writers, they have nothing.
Comment by Lisa — November 20, 2007 @ 11:16 am
IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE STUDIO SYSTEM. TAKE YOUR CREATIVITY INTO YOUR OWN HANDS ON THE INTERNET. LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE DOING IT.
Comment by Thomas — November 20, 2007 @ 11:20 am
Awesome idea. Way to go, Alan! (And everyone else involved.)
The longer this strike goes, the stronger and more creative we writers seem to get.
Comment by Andrew G — November 20, 2007 @ 11:27 am
Not a bad idea. One problem:
Not ONE actor on this list can open a movie. Where’s Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Harrison Ford, or Reese Witherspoon?
I seriously doubt anybody is going to care that Justine Bateman and Matthew Perry are going to go mute in protest.
Comment by tom — November 20, 2007 @ 11:27 am
I really enjoyed Goldstein’s article. Pretty much sums up what I’ve been thinking. I am making a internet show now, with a non-struck company. It just seems the only answer.
This speechless campaign is great. Smart and creative, two things the AMPTP seems to be sorely lacking. They just don’t get the internet and the power it now has over the media. A large percentage of Americans now get their news from the web.
Comment by DA in LA — November 20, 2007 @ 11:30 am
I agree with ‘writer’. The first truly galvanizing thing to come from this strike was the ‘Voices of Uncertainty’ clip. Patrick Goldstein’s piece in the L.A Times is the second. Read it, folks and think on.
Comment by another writer — November 20, 2007 @ 11:47 am
It’s about time this A-listers such as Penn, Asner and among others, made their faces known and their voices heard in support of WGA and its writers. Go WGA!
Comment by goldenbean — November 20, 2007 @ 11:52 am
Hmmmmm……
A counter-site featuring AMPTP members (who, of course CAN speak)?
Each vignette would have to begin with the words
“Bless me Father, for I have sinned….”
Comment by anotherWGAmember — November 20, 2007 @ 11:59 am
Great stuff! I really believe that some don’t realize how powerful the net is as an organizing tool. Fans know and its great to see how people are cluing in to its usefulness. Everyone from the anti-globalization movement, to Free Tibet to fan campaigns have used the net for promotions. Brilliant and creative!
Comment by Joe — November 20, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
This is fantastic news. I suggested early on that we should use the internet more creatively as a Guild, since it’s the best way to reach a wide public and since it’s what the fight is about. And SAG’s support in this strike has been phenomenal. Let’s hope the DGA is equally supportive and refuses to hold talks with the AMPTP until this strike is settled.
But United Hollywood’s website yesterday drew attention to a parallel fight that we should all be concerned about: to stop Big Media controlling not only our sources of news and entertainment, but to prevent them, or anyone else, from compromising the freedom we currently enjoy on the internet. Think about how much less of a voice we would have now without the internet - if the companies we are striking against could prevent us from getting our message out. Check out:
http://www.savetheinternet.com/
Internet freedom might just be THE critical battle of the future!
Comment by Alexander Chow-Stuart — November 20, 2007 @ 12:14 pm
Unbelievable! In one fell swoop, the creative community has demonstrated that the old way of doing business in Hollywood is Dead! Bypass the Execs and go straight to the people! Once the genie’s out of the bottle, you can’t put it back.
Comment by mla28 — November 20, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Getting stars to finally shut up - how I wish I thought of it!
Now for an AMPTP counterstrike how ’bout FansCanWrite - let the fans compete to write an ep of their favorite show with a commitment that its to be aired during one of those holiday nights - Xmas, New Years Eve - when some rehash would be on the slate - way for the fans who really control what gets on the air to throw down the gauntlet to writers and producers both.
Comment by novelista — November 20, 2007 @ 12:38 pm
How about another series of shorts — ‘homeless without people who pay us”?
If I’m the studios, I wouldn’t resume negotiations until after the New Year, let the Wga members, like me, toast the strike on New Year’s Eve.
Comment by richard hertz — November 20, 2007 @ 1:25 pm
It’s all bull. If either side cared to get this resolved, they wouldn’t be meeting 10 days after annnouncing they’d return to the table. They’d have sat down right away. Holiday or no holiday… The truth is the alliance needs 6 weeks of this strike to lay off costly writers contracts via force majeur. So until the six weeks are up, don’t look for any movement. And with the new season already over, there’s no rush. Development is the least of their problems… And the biggest for us. D.
Comment by David G. — November 20, 2007 @ 1:39 pm
Great idea, but should these really be called Public Service Announcements?? It seems like their motive is to profit a union and it’s members and that doesn’t qualify as a PSA to me.
Comment by John Ertel — November 20, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
Clooney has definitely been visible. He just gave $25000 to a fund to help people in the industry (non-writers) who are out of work because of the strike.
Comment by mike — November 20, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
I bet these actors won’t be speechless when they cross the picket lines to work on movies and collect their paychecks in the next few months.
Comment by Arthur — November 20, 2007 @ 3:00 pm
Nikki, you are far and away my favorite industry reporter, but you have really lost all sense of context with your strike coverage lately. The fact that you continually allow, if not encourage, the WGA to couch their strike in terms of the broader labor movement provides a huge disservice to both your readers and, more importantly, the millions of people who stand to gain from that dying movement. As much as the shameless attempts to portray it as such, this is not some garment workers’ strike where people are trying to protect a living wage. My fear is that it is doing damage to those efforts by being misconstrued as such.
While there are undoubtedly benefits to middle and lower class writers receiving residuals, their well-being is obviously not the focus of THIS strike. This strike is quite clearly about greedy people negotiating with other greedy people over money. Now I mostly agree with the WGA’s positions, but have serious issues with their tactics. If the WGA really wanted to help middle and lower class writers, there are about a hundred better ways they could do it other than what they are currently proposing. Writers keep saying using the $200,00 average salary of working writers is unfair since the actual median income is $5,000. But it is also unfair to point the finger at the AMPTP for that inequity, when the WGA is in a much better position to reduce the disparity. These writers (and actors and directors) are operating in a free market; there is no inherent cap on the amount they can earn for their services (only a minimum). Unless you are claiming collusion (which may only be one or two FCC rulings away), the market dictates the aggregate amount paid to writers, residuals or no residuals. Why not have the WGA tax the biggest earners 25% and put it into the health fund so that all those $5,000 a year writers can get adequate health care? Could it be…I don’t know…greed? And what exactly is the difference between Peter Chernin making $34m a year and Matt Groening making $34m a year other than the fact that they are both ridiculously overpaid, somewhat talented people that seem to have had a few lucky breaks?
Trust me, if there ever is a strike to reduce the growing income disparity in this country, I will be first on the picket line, but it would look pretty funny to be standing next to Larry David. So please, enough with the rhetoric over showrunners, etc. being “brave” for acting in ways that mainly benefit themselves (if anything, some hyphenates in both TV and film are borderline unethical since they often allow the studios to pay them in ways that minimize the WGA fringe) and please mention to actors that if they really want to help fight greedy corporations, they should call their agents and tell them they plan on helping organize Walmart workers. Now that would be a conversation worth reporting.
Comment by You're losing me... — November 20, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
Dear, “You’re losing me”
Uh, we can’t lose you because you were never on board. Classic message board tactic. Act like you are a member of a group who is criticizing from the inside, then post something that is so obviously biased from the other side.
Using the term “free market” will give you away every time. Isn’t there a Ron Paul board for you to post on somewhere?
Comment by A poor writer who benefits greatly from residuals — November 20, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
Solidarity. It really works!
Comment by Bonnie — November 20, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
I think this is a wonderful effort. Im also thinking maybe it would be more effective if 10-20 of the biggest stars got together (dont they talk to each other ever?) you know, Jack, 2 Toms, Leo, Julia, and make a little video of their own initiative, without necessarily being backed by an organization. Wouldnt that be more direct and powerful?
Comment by mae — November 20, 2007 @ 7:15 pm
Yes, “You’re losing me…,” you do seem to be lost here. This is very much an issue of worker minimums, not worker maximums. Those writers with power can already negotiate much of what the WGA is designing for the broader membership into their contracts. The point is that this is a fight for maintaining a middle-ground, whereby creative talent can emerge and prosper, and yes, make a living above the poverty- level. That is actually very congruous with the labor movement, and should be supported at every level. If they could, an AMPTP-alligned studio would pay an A-lister $5 for a script instead of $5 million (and yes, Matt Groening makes a lot more than Peter Chernin) — if studios had their way, there’d be 4-percent of writers making outstanding livings, while the remaining pool of talent would be treated as day-players, fighting for $1000-a-year jobs, temping at Walmart. This is exactly why SAG supports this strike — they see in their membership very talented artists struggling for a living wage, when an ideal would be to support the broader base. The fact that powerful show-runners and notable actors are supporting this shows to the public that artists are unified and willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary for that goal.
Comment by thom taylor — November 20, 2007 @ 8:35 pm
You are worried that you are not giving the AMPTP equal time…but you already have…because without the producers and the crews of camera operators, set audio mixers, lighting people, post production teams, office staff, PA’s, etc., nothing would be filmed, recorded, seen or heard… therefore, “nothing” is a fitting representation.
Comment by Rob R. Schicken — November 21, 2007 @ 8:25 am
I think you writers should just go straight to the internet. Start your own production companies, pay for your bandwidth, pay for your servers, pay for you online advertisements, and post YOUR shows on the internet.
After doing that maybe you will see why the studios keep so much of their money and why they fight you all tooth and nail to keep it. You may write a script, but that is no different than an architect designing a house. Once I buy that plan, that architect is useless I incur all the cost to make the house, my ass is on the line.
Maybe if you all stopped being so short sighted an selfish you could see that.
Comment by DavidMac — November 21, 2007 @ 9:52 am
Judging from the quality of DavidMac’s post (run-on sentence, “an” for “and”), I’d say he’s just proved the importance of writers.
Comment by Lee — November 21, 2007 @ 6:23 pm
David G. wrote; “It’s all bull. If either side cared to get this resolved, they wouldn’t be meeting 10 days after annnouncing they’d return to the table.”
But he’s wrong about the “either side.” When the AMPTP said they would come back to the negotations, our team said, fine, how about tomorrow? They balked and said, “no, no, we need some time.” What they need is time to organize their collective thoughts. They are not as well oiled a machine as some would think.
Comment by Steven Paul Leiva — November 21, 2007 @ 7:49 pm
I was actually walking (marching) directly in front of Larry David on the picket line on Tuesday. He was there and looking inconspicuous and pretty, pretty good! In fact there were plenty of A listers on the line just being everyday people. Where are the A-listers? Probably waiting for the SAG strike - what they need to know is, as we say at Legendary Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s on Wednesday nights - IT’S ON!!! Come out of the closet A-Listers and strike a resounding chord for your status as WGA members and/or your commitment to the WGA. We are truly from the A-lister to the BTLers all being screwed by the MONOPOLIZERS!
Let’s end this MONDAY afternoon and go back to work on Tuesday!
SEMPER FI
Comment by Semper Fi — November 21, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
Comment by Alan Sereboff — November 21, 2007 @ 11:17 pm
What the hell does opening a movie have anything to do with supporting the WGA? These actors are doing nothing but supporting the writers who don’t get enough money for thier work. Who cares if reese or whoever isn’t doing it! these actors are doing what they feel is the right to do. Back off and stop being superficial.
Comment by Lippyloo — November 22, 2007 @ 6:29 am
I don’t understand why this can’t be done in a way that promises them more as time goes on. For example how about 8 cents now for dvds or hell 10 cents now and a small deal this year for online media and next year re-negotiate and the following year re-negotiate. They don’t have to decide now an end all be all, just decide to keep upping their pay yearly because the writers deserve it!
Comment by bubbaincal — November 28, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
Home Entertainment Center is nothing less than one of the most amazing one- man variety shows of all time. Besides being hysterically funny, Banks in the course of an hour, sings and plays banjo, flute, bass, drums, harmonica, and both electric and acoustic guitar. He’s not an impersonator, but that doesn’t stop him from doing brief tributes to Elvis, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Van Morrison.
Comment by Facts about New York City — May 23, 2008 @ 1:06 pm