A commenter suggests:
Let's take back our history rather than subordinate it to market forces. That classic shrug-of-the-shoulders "Oh, well, that's just the way Hollywood and the economy works, kids, here's your six months of insurance, good luck to you." is old and tired. ... It doesn't speak to what is unique and special about animation and why people continue to inspire others with it. Although I wince to say it, we could take a tip from the WGA in that regard.
I know this is difficult, but I'll try anyway.
Neither Kevin nor I shrug our shoulders. Nobody is resigned, and we don't advocate "rolling over." We file grievances, we push the envelope within the template in which we find ourselves and strive to enlarge that envelope.
And we're happy to report on the cartoon biz -- including its uglier actualities -- on a daily basis and invite comments. You don't like that ... well, you're free to go elsewhere for your daily dose of working-person uplift.
This is, whatever else it is, a labor blog. We do labor and business stuff, along with everything else.
But it doesn't do anyone any good to pretend that reality is something other than what it actually is ... which, unfortunately, is sometimes the practice of the WGA. And I don't think the WGA does itself any favors going that route.
Like for instance, the fact that the WGA bows to reality by negotiating concessionary contracts without residuals for animation writers, yet never (or seldom) mentions that fact. It might behoove the Guild to acknowledge The Way Things Are (especially when the Guild president is working under a concessionary contract.)
To do otherwise leads to false expectations, and then anger. I'm just not interested in going to that place. Neither is Kevin.
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5 comments:
I must have missed something. Exactly what actions and/or comments by the WGA is the commenter referring to? Nobody who puts up with the ups and downs of he animation business needs to be sold on the art form itself.
I donno.
You'd have to ask Anonymous.
As I've written earlier, the Hollywood guilds and unions are where they are because of circumstances, jurisdictional dividing lines and negotiating histories long ago baked into their respective cakes.
The WGA has plenty of their own problems. For one, they fight for a lot of benefits, win them, and don't enforce them well. When a writer's residual checks are late, it'll take a lot of complaining and moaning to get the WGA to file a grievance.
One day I got to meet one of the Class of 3000 writers. Despite the lack of residuals and lower minimums, this person still got WGA pension and health benefits from the show, which was good enough for him.
If the WGA wants animation on cable, it'll have a tough time leveraging it under its blanket MBA. Same thing goes for reality programs. Sit Down, Shut Up's writing team was able to negotiate a great deal under an IATSE contract, which goes to show that maybe it's not the union, but the landscape and budgets of primetime vs. cable.
You think?
Yes. Yes I do.
Another point I'd like to make. The WGAw has neglected to mention this for some reason, since it's an achievement for them. Media Rights Capital's upcoming ABC animated series, The Goode Family, was successfully signed to a Writers Guild of America contract. The subsidiary, aptly titled Goode Family Productions, LLC, is WGAw signatory.
However, this is not the only animated show under MRC's belt. It also has an upcoming HBO series titled The Life and Times of Tim. The show is also under its own subsidiary employment company, which is the show's title with LLC on the end. Guess who the writers (and animators) are represented by in this show?
That's right.
NOBODY!
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