NYC Indie Films Cos Sign WGA Side Deals

Some of New York City’s independent film companies reached interim agreements with the WGAE and WGAW. They resume business immediately. wga-side-deals.JPGAgreements have been signed with GreeneStreet Films, Killer Films, Open City Films, and This Is That corporation. Other side deals have been signed with: The Film Department, Intermedia, RKO Productions Inc, Lionsgate, Marvel Studios, Yari Film Group, Anonymous Content/Overt Operations, The Weinstein Company, United Artists, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Spyglass Entertainment, MRC, Jackson Bites, Mandate Films, and Worldwide Pants.

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11 Comments »

  1. It seems so many companies have side deals. Where is the big story exposing the many high level writers who are writing and getting paid to do so. I bet the rank and file of the WGA would appreciate knowing that.

    Comment by scissorcritic — February 3, 2008 @ 3:42 pm

  2. Not really, Scissorcritic. We all soooooo wealthy we really don’t need to work. We just staged this strike to piss off morons like you.

    Comment by jake Hollywood — February 3, 2008 @ 4:43 pm

  3. Many of the higher level writers are continuing to write, that is for sure. As well, ho is writing the Soaps? How can they still be airing new episodes if scabs are not writing…..

    Comment by Phil Dale — February 3, 2008 @ 6:14 pm

  4. What happens when all of these independent productions companies sell their finished films to studios for distribution? Will their deals still be honored?

    Comment by treeboy — February 3, 2008 @ 7:59 pm

  5. What happens when the companies who have signed side deals with the WGA sell their finished films to studios? Will the studios honor these deals?

    Comment by treeboy — February 3, 2008 @ 8:20 pm

  6. I don’t understand what scissorcritic’s rancor is about — that side deals are being made and every time a small company says they are happy to agree to the reasonable, original WGA proposal, it makes the studios and moguls look more ridiculous and greedy? Or that writers and accepting deals and working for these companies? I thought the goal is to get our reasonable demands met and support those companies that eagerly come on board by letting them have first crack at the best writers they can afford.

    Jennifer Glickman, TV writer

    Comment by Jennifer Glickman — February 3, 2008 @ 8:40 pm

  7. scissorcritic: You’re likely correct, but I’m sure the corporations who control media outlets would prefer that the WGA rank and file NOT know about this story, and since they cut the paychecks, they have final say over what stories get covered.

    Comment by Gil — February 3, 2008 @ 9:06 pm

  8. Welcome aboard Christine Vachon! Thank you for signing an interim with the WGA.

    Love your books!!! Even quoted a story from one to a screenwriter friend of mine today.

    Comment by mheister — February 4, 2008 @ 1:37 am

  9. Maybe I’m missing something, but it doesn’t seem like scissorcritic was being rancorous or derisive. I think he/she was curious, as was I.

    That being said, here’s an article that shows that some of the work is starting:

    http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-lionsgate1feb01,1,7224236.story

    Comment by Fun Joel — February 4, 2008 @ 8:41 am

  10. I work for a company doing one of these deals. It is strictly propaganda for the guilds. There is a clause in every one of the deals which has a favored nations clause with the majors deal. This means that when the majors finally do sign with the WGA, these interim arrangements are superceded.

    So basically, these companies can agree to anything, knowing that the majors will cut a deal that makes sense for them. Also, most of the comapnies on the list (especially the last New York batch), don’t have the money to really pay writers anyway.

    Comment by Prodco — February 4, 2008 @ 10:15 am

  11. Everyone knows that the side deals are a complete joke - the only reason that companies are willing to do them is because they know they can throw them out the door when the real deal is made. Above and beyond that, these deals have zero meaning - the major distributors are not going to take them seriously. The AMPTP should force these production companies to abide by the ridiculous agreements that they signed - all of them would dry up in a year. On a daily basis I’m amazed by how little the “writers” on this site understand the business of the industry. Literally, all you know is you want more money - you have no idea where the money comes from, what the cost is involved in creating tv & movies, how many millions of dollars are wasted paying writers for crap that isn’t even worthy of lining a bird cage. Your union is a mess from it’s leadership to the majority of it’s members.

    Comment by Pathetic — February 4, 2008 @ 12:21 pm

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