The WGA sent this email today:
To Our Fellow Members:
We’re pleased to inform you that ballots have been tabulated, and members of the Writers Guilds East and West have overwhelmingly approved all three proposed amendments to the Screen Credits Manual. A total of 1,619 ballots were cast with the following results:Proposal #1 -- Arbiter Teleconference – 90% in favor of adopting the amendment (1,455 yes; 154 no).
Proposal #2 -- Elimination of Relaxed Standard – Percentage Requirements to Receive Screenplay Credit – 86% in favor of adopting the amendment (1,387 yes; 219 no).
Proposal #3 -- Rules for Production Executive Teams – Elimination of 60% Rule – 83% in favor of adopting the amendment (1,344 yes; 268 no).
The amendments are effective immediately, and will apply to any project for which a Notice of Tentative Writing Credits is submitted on or after August 1, 2008. The text of the amendments may be found on each Guild's website at www.wga.org and www.wgaeast.org.
Thanks to all of you who participated in this important referendum, yet another indication of our continued, growing solidarity. Special thanks to the members of the Credits Review Committee for their patience, commitment, and hard work.
Patric M. Verrone, President, WGAW
Michael Winship, President, WGAE
I am curious to see what if anything the WGA will do now re: the George Clooney/Leatherheads situation. Is it possible that if these rules had been place a few months ago, Clooney would have gotten his credit and would never have gone Fi-Core? If so, can they go back and fix this now? I know it’s too late for the theatrical and initial DVD releases, but future DVD releases, pay/free TV, and the IMDB could certainly be fixed, as could the WGA’s relationship with a very cool actor.
Comment by mheister — August 1, 2008 @ 8:08 pm
That is very good news to all the WGA members.
I just wish they would slow down the scroll speed so I could read them.
~ Gary Watts ~
Vote for a Independent candidate, elect Gary Watts in 2008
Comment by Gary Watts — August 1, 2008 @ 9:24 pm
mheister -
I assume you would know that such a thing would not occur. Understand that the production company and/or studio would not be paying to reshoot the credits (many thousands of dollars) or to redo the box art which has clearly already been prepared [search for the DVD]. Such extreme measures are rarely even the results of a lost credit arbitration, much less from the properly honoring of the WGA’s final credit determination.
There’s certainly no way the WGA could force it (the new rules aren’t even in effect for that picture) and swapping out a writer rarely increases a film’s cachet. Clooney as a credited writer will not do anything more for the sale/rental of this picture that Clooney as an actor does or doesn’t already do.
Comment by WhyDoYouThinkThatWouldWork — August 2, 2008 @ 7:47 am
mheister, get a life
maybe you should put a poster of clooney on your bedroom wall so you can talk to him every night
Comment by Exec — August 2, 2008 @ 8:01 am
“Clooney as a credited writer will not do anything more for the sale/rental of this picture that Clooney as an actor does or doesn’t already do.”
IF THAT’S THE CASE, IT’S BETTER HE NOT BE A CREDITED WRITER, OTHERWISE HE’D DOUBLE TANK IT.
Comment by abc's — August 2, 2008 @ 12:43 pm
What actually ARE the changes? I can’t find them on either WGA site
Comment by Somebody — August 2, 2008 @ 2:26 pm