By Nellie Andreeva, David Robb
January 17, 2020 11:24am

UPDATED with more details: A major development in the standoff between the WGA and the agencies: Gersh has become the first major full-service talent agency to sign a franchise agreement with the WGA. It will immediately resume representation of writers.

The agreement comes after months of negotiations between Gersh and the guild. It is one of two major members of the Association of Talent Agents, along with Paradigm, that have been rumored to be in discussions with the WGA.

Gersh is the latest ATA member to break ranks and sign the guild’s new franchise agreement. The other four association members to sign make WGA deals are Buchwald, which also is a full-service agency; literary boutiques the Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston agency and the Kaplan Stahler Agency; and Pantheon. Non-ATA member Verve, also lit-focused, was the first mid-size agency to reach an agreement with the WGA last May.

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“Writers are vital to our industry, and Gersh has a long and proud history representing them,” said Gersh co-presidents David and Bob Gersh. “We are deeply committed to our writers and their interests, and appreciate their patience. We enthusiastically look forward to resuming our work on their behalf.”

In a message to their writer clients, they said: “Thank you for your patience. Gersh has represented writers for over 70 years, helping to build and nurture some of the industry’s top literary talent. We are deeply committed to you and your interests and are eager to resume our work on your behalf.”

A spokesperson for the agency declined to discuss the specifics of its agreement with the WGA. Gersh’s agreement was expected to include provisions similar to the ones introduced in the guild’s deal with Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston, which allows small- and mid-size agencies who sign it to continue packaging for the foreseeable future, until two of the Big Four — CAA, WME, UTA or ICM Partners — sign deals with the guild, as well as partial ownership in affiliated production entities. Like with all other agencies that have made pacts with the WGA, any favorable terms made by others down the road would be applicable to Gersh too.

The WGA has not responded to a request for comment to today’s news. The ATA in response rereleased a statement it made in November after Rothman Brecher signed with the guild.

“Writers who agree with the WGA leadership are of course free to join the agencies that have signed with WGA, and writers who care most about other issues should be free to join agencies that offer services that meet their needs,” it said at the time. “There is no reason for WGA to continue to restrict the freedom of writers. Writers should be able to decide which issues are most important to them and then freely decide which agent to hire.”

The WGA and the ATA have been at loggerheads since last April, when the guild ordered all of its members to fire their agents who refuse to sign a Code of Conduct that banned packaging fees and agency affiliations with corporately related production entities. Since then, the guild has modified its franchise agreement.

None of the major packaging agencies have signed, however, and the guild is currently locked in a legal battle with WME, CAA and UTA over packaging fees.

The WGA and the ATA haven’t met at the bargaining table since June 7.

https://deadline.com/2020/01/gersh-deal-with-the-wga-1202834120/

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Stay Tuned!

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo featured in Deadline article

By Bruce Haring  Deadline

More than 300 people will benefit from CNN’s settlement of a long-running dispute with unionized camera operators in what’s called the “largest monetary remedy” in the National Labor Relations Board’s histor

CNN agreed to pay $76 million in back pay stemming from its termination of the contracts of unionized camera operators in 2003.

“The settlement demonstrates the Board’s continued commitment to enforcing the law and ensuring employees who were treated unfairly obtain the monetary relief ordered by the Board,” General Counsel Peter B. Robb said in the federal board statement.

CNN ended its contract with a unionized subcontractor, Team Video Services, replacing its workers with new employees “without recognizing or bargaining with the two unions that had represented the TVS employees,” the NLRB said.

The network issued its own statement. “After more than a decade of litigation, negotiation and appeals we are pleased to have resolved a longstanding legal matter,” a CNN spokesperson said.

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https://deadline.com/2020/01/cnn-settles-76-million-backpay-dispute-with-unioned-camera-operators-1202827497/https://deadline.com/2020/01/cnn-settles-76-million-backpay-dispute-with-unioned-camera-operators-1202827497/

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Okay!  Stay tuned!  We’ll be Back!

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo featured in the Deadline article

By David Robb  Deadline                                                                                                                                    January 8, 2020 5:00am

Women made “unprecedented gains” as protagonists in the top-grossing films of 2019, according to the latest installment of “It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World,” an annual report out of San Diego State University, which found that women achieved “recent historic highs” as lead characters in last year’s biggest hits.
Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film

The report, which examined the 100 domestic top-grossing feature films, found that the percentage of female protagonists rose from 31% in 2018, to 40% in 2019, “reaching a recent historic high.” Females also accounted for 37% of major characters in last year’s top films – an increase of 1 percentage point from 36% in 2018. Males comprised 63% of major characters, and 66% of all speaking roles. Females made up 34% of all speaking roles, a decrease of 1 percentage point from 35% in 2018. In speaking roles, men outnumbered women 2-to-1.

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“We have now seen two consecutive years of substantial gains for female protagonists, indicating the beginning of a positive shift in representation,” said Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, the report’s author and executive director of SDSU’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film. “That said, it is important to note that moviegoers are still almost twice as likely to see a male character as a female character in a speaking role.”

The release of the study comes a week after Lauzen released her annual “Celluloid Ceiling” report, which found that women directors had also achieved “recent historic highs” on top-grossing films.
Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film

In her latest report, which surveyed more than 2,300 characters, Lauzen and her researchers found that women actors also made significant gains last year on “studio features,” with 45% of sole female protagonists appearing in studio feature, compared to 55% in indie films. That’s compared to 2018, when females were more than twice as likely to appear in independent features than in studio features (68% vs. 32%). In comparison, sole male protagonists were more likely to appear in studio features (57%) than in independent features (43%) in 2019.

Racially, female roles were slightly more diverse. The report found that “68% of all female characters with speaking roles were White, 20% were Black, 5% were Latina, 7% were Asian, and 1% were of some other race or ethnicity.” It found that “71% of all male characters were White, 15% were Black, 5% were Latino, 6% were Asian, and 3% were of some other race or ethnicity.” It did not include data on Native Americans.

The report also found that women are much more likely to find roles in films with at least one female director and/or writer. According to the report, women accounted for 58% of protagonists in those films, but only 30% with exclusive male writers and directors. In her report last week, Lauzen found that films with female directors are far more likely to employ women in key behind-the-scenes jobs than are films directed exclusively by men.
Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film

Not surprisingly, the report also found that female characters tend to be considerably younger than their male co-stars. The majority of female characters were in their 20s (22%) and 30s (31%), while the majority of male characters were in their 30s (32%) and 40s (26%). Males 40 and over accounted for 47% of all male characters. Females 40 and over made up only 30% of all female roles. Actresses over 60 got only 6% of the female roles, compared to 9% for men of the same age. “Female characters experience a precipitous drop from their 30s to their 40s, and few women age into their 60s,” the report found.

Among the other findings:
• Male characters were more likely than females to be seen in primarily work-related roles (60% vs. 40%). Female characters were more likely than males to be seen in primarily personal life-related roles (52% vs. 34%).
• Female characters were more likely than male characters to have a known marital status. 46% of female characters but 34% of male characters had a known marital status.
• A larger proportion of male than female characters were seen in their work setting, actually working (59% vs. 43%).
• Females comprised 26% of leaders, while males accounted for 74% of leaders.
• Females were least likely to be portrayed as political leaders or leaders of criminal groups. Females were most likely to be leaders in professional jobs (67% vs. males 33%)
• Female protagonists were most likely to appear in horror films (26%), followed by dramas (24%), comedies (21%), action features (16%), science fiction (8%), and animated features (5%).
• Male protagonists were most likely to appear in action features (26%), followed by dramas (24%), animated features (21%), comedies (14%), horror features (12%), and science fiction features (2%)

The report notes that “For the purposes of the study, protagonists are the characters from whose perspective the story is told. Major characters appear in more than one scene and are instrumental to the narrative of the story. Characters classified as leaders are those individuals who occupy a leadership position in an organization, government or group and whose instructions and/or behaviors are followed by two or more other characters.”

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For various charts relating to this Deadline article go to:

https://deadline.com/2020/01/top-grossing-films-2019-female-leads-1202824172/

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Stay Tuned.

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo featured in Mr. Robb’s Deadline article

By David Robb  Deadline                                                                                                                                     January 3, 2020 5:30am

Time’s Up Entertainment on Friday released a new resource guide to prevent and report workplace misconduct including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, unwanted touching, sexual assault and rape.

“Too many people in the entertainment industry are facing physical, emotional, and financial harm. We know because we unfortunately hear about it all the time,” said Tina Tchen, president and CEO of the Time’s Up Foundation. “This resource is one of many ways Time’s Up is working to ensure everyone is treated with safety, respect, and dignity in the workplace, no matter what work you take on.”

“The entertainment industry is not a typical workplace, so figuring out your rights and options around workplace harassment, discrimination, and misconduct can be confusing,” said actor and activist Alyssa Milano, who consulted on the project. “As a community, we came together to develop these resources to help people in entertainment understand that no matter your situation, you do have the right to be safe and respected on the job.”

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Relying heavily on the groundwork laid by the SAG-AFTRA Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment and on the nudity provisions of the union’s basic contract, the new three-volume Time’s Up Guide to Working in Entertainment (read it here) offers “resources for people in the entertainment industry who find themselves in situations that are at best awkward, or at worst, dangerous. These resources cover specific circumstances where people have historically been preyed upon, such as auditions and nude, intimate, and simulated sex scenes, as well as general guidance about your options and rights.”

Despite all the attention sexual harassment and assault have received in the press and in the courts since the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke more than two years ago, misconduct is still present on and off-set. “Actors participating in nude, intimate, and simulated sex scenes are extremely vulnerable,” the guide notes. “Unfortunately, the entertainment industry has done little to protect them from abuse. Actors have reported: being the only woman on-set and not being given a robe to cover up between takes; being asked ‘to have actual sex’ instead of simulated sex; having members of the crew film sensitive scenes on their smartphones and publicly post the material; having their nude images used in marketing campaigns without their approval; and experiencing sexual assault mid-shoot.”

The guide notes that under SAG-AFTRA’s rules, the set must be closed during productions involving nudity or sex scenes to anyone without a business purpose in connection with the production; that no still photography of nudity or sex acts will be authorized by the producer without the prior written consent of the performer; that the appearance of a performer in a nude or sex scene or the doubling of a performer in such a scene requires the performer’s prior written consent; that consent can be given in writing prior to signing a contract; that the consent must include a general description of the extent of the nudity and the type of physical contact required in the scene; and that even if a performer has signed a nudity rider, the performer may withdraw their consent at any time before filming the scene.

The guide suggest that “Before casting, ask yourself if you are willing to perform a nude, intimate, or simulated sex scene. If you are, knowing and communicating your boundaries is an important part of your artistry and safety as a performer.”

Auditions are another continuing source of problems. “Historically, the ‘casting couch’ has been a terrible reality in the entertainment industry,” the guide states. “Sexual predators have used auditions as an opportunity to exercise their power over auditioning actors. Many performers have had their personal and physical boundaries compromised because the wrong person was in charge of casting – or worse, wasn’t casting a legitimate project at all. Whether you’re taking part in an audition, accompanying someone else to an audition, or part of the audition process, our guide will help you understand: your rights when auditioning, including your rights around sexual harassment and discrimination during auditions; how to prepare for requests for physical intimacy between auditioning actors and nudity during auditions, and how to address potentially dangerous situations you might encounter while auditioning.”

“No matter your union status,” the guide states, “you can say ‘no’ to a casting if the location makes you uncomfortable. SAG-AFTRA opposes auditions, interviews, and similar professional meetings from taking place in private hotel rooms or at private residences. These are high-risk locations, and you don’t have to agree to meet in them.”

So-called “chemistry reads,” in which a performer is asked to interact with another performer being considered for the role opposite them, can also be problematic. “Sometimes during chemistry reads, performers are asked to perform intimate acts, such as kissing or nudity,” the guide notes. “If you have been asked to do a chemistry read or be involved in any situation that involves physical touch or nudity, know that you have rights” – and ways to prepare to ensure that your rights are honored.

Before arriving at the audition, the guide suggests: confirming the extent of intimacy the casting director would like to see (including costume) and that it is relevant to the role; evaluating your boundaries, and communicating those boundaries in writing via email with the casting director.

“Your body is your own,” the guide states. “You have the right to determine what nudity and intimate acts, if any, you will engage in during a chemistry read. Be upfront, proactive, and advocate for yourself. Never assume others will take care of your boundaries. Create and communicate them, and, if they are compromised, you can stop immediately.”

The guide also provides numerous helplines and hotlines for those who have been subjected to sexual harassment, abuse or discrimination, noting that “The decision of whether to report workplace misconduct is personal and rests with the person who was harmed. If you were sexually harassed or discriminated against, or are a survivor of workplace abuse and want to report what happened to you, we can guide you through the process. If you’ve witnessed harassment and want to help, you may be feeling out of your depth as to how to proceed. We hope our guide can help you navigate those delicate situations.”

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https://deadline.com/2020/01/times-up-guide-to-working-in-entertainment-nudity-sex-scenes-auditions-plan-1202819844/

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Stay Tuned.

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo from Mister Robb’s Deadline artic

By David Robb  Deadline                                                                                                                                January 2, 2020 12:00pm

Female filmmakers had a banner year in 2019, “reaching recent historic highs,” according to the latest “Celluloid Ceiling” report out of San Diego State University. The annual study, now in its 22nd year, found that women comprised 20% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 100 domestic grossing films released last year – up from 16% in 2018. Women accounted for 21% of those jobs on the top 250 films last year, up slightly from 20% in 2018, and held steady at 23% of these roles on the top 500 films.
San Diego State universuty

“While the numbers moved in a positive direction this year, men continue to outnumber women 4 to 1 in key behind-the-scenes roles. It’s odd to talk about reaching historic highs when women remain so far from parity,” said the study’s author, Dr. Martha Lauzen, executive director of the school’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film.

Related Story
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See the full report titled “The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on the Top 100, 250, and 500 Films of 2019” here.

Women accounted for 12% of directors working on the top 100 grossing films released in 2019 – a recent historic high that was up from 4% in 2018, and 8% in 2017. Women directed 13% of the top 250 films last year – another recent historic high that was up from 8% in 2018, and up two percentage points from the previous high of 11% in 2017. The percentage of women directors of the top 500 films declined slightly, however, from 15% in 2018 to 14% last year.

Women comprised 20% of writers working on the top 100 films of 2019 – an increase of 5 percentage points from 15% in 2018, and another recent historic high.

“It will be tempting to look at the increase of women directing top 100 and top 250 films and conclude that 2019 was a major turning point for women’s employment,” Lauzen said. “That may be true, but we won’t know if 2019 was a single good year or the beginning of an upward trend until we see the numbers for 2020 and 2021.”

According to the report, women accounted for 27% of producers, 23% of editors, 23% of production designers, 21% of executive producers, and 19% of writers working on the top 250 films, but only 9% of the supervising sound editors; 6% of the composers; 6% of the visual effects supervisors; 5% of cinematographers, and just 4% of special effects supervisors and 4% of sound designers. Women came closest to parity with men as music supervisors (40%) and art directors (31%).

The report also found that films with female directors are far more likely to employ women in key roles than are films directed exclusively by men. Of the 500 top grossing films last year, 59% of those directed by women employed female writers, while on films with exclusively male directors, women accounted for only 13% of their writers. On films with at least one female director, women comprised 43% of editors, but on films with exclusively male directors, women accounted for only 19% of editors. On films with at least one female director, women accounted for 21% of cinematographers, while on those with exclusively male directors, women accounted for only 2% of cinematographers. And on films with at least one female director, women made up 16% of composers, but only 6% on films with exclusively male directors.

The report also found that of the top 250 grossing films last year, 85% had no women directors; 73% had no women writers; 44% had no women executive producers; 31% had no women producers; 71% had no women editors, and 95% had no women cinematographers, with 31% having no women or only one woman working in any of those roles.

The Celluloid Ceiling has tracked women’s employment on top grossing films since 1998, monitoring more than 6,700 credits this year.

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https://deadline.com/2020/01/female-filmmakers-reached-recent-historic-highs-in-2019-celluloid-ceiling-report-san-diego-state-1202819647/

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Take!

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo was featured in Mr.Robb’s Deadline article