In order to negotiate with the major trade unions, the American film companies and television companies formed a film and television producers' alliance, and the rights in it were mainly controlled by the communication group set up by the six Hollywood giants.

Prior to that, the league and the Writers Guild had signed a "base agreement", which was a contract that needed to be renewed every three years.

The content of the Basic Agreement is very detailed, including the minimum wage standard for screenwriters, the signature agreement, the dispute arbitration procedure, the replay of film and television dramas and other revenue sharing, pension and welfare, etc.

Now, three years have come and new negotiations are taking place.

For the specific meeting negotiations, Donn did not attend, and sent Shirley Lansing and Amy Pascal as representatives.

In the film and television producers alliance, New Universal, Time Warner, and Disney are the three giants with the most important voice.

At the end of the meeting, there was an additional meeting report on Donn's desk.

The Screenwriters Guild has put forward a lot of requirements for the renewal of the contract.

First, it is required to increase the income of screenwriters, especially those screenwriters whose salaries have not yet reached the welfare line;

second, to require a reasonable family leave policy;

third, to solve the long-term low salary situation of comedy variety show screenwriters;

Fourth, the residual remuneration standard for high-budget video-on-demand services comparable to the industry level will be increased by at least three percentage points;

Fifth, to make a solution to the problem of declining salaries encountered by screenwriters in a relatively short TV season;

Sixth, further solve the problem of script fees for screenwriters, and pay them in full the copyright fees for their works broadcast on cable television, DVDs, and the Internet;

Seventh, improve the status of screenwriters and cancel the eye-catching big words that appear at the beginning of the film, "This is a film shot by so-and-so director", because this is a disregard for the screenwriting work......

In addition, there are many types of requirements for medical insurance, pensions, etc.

Summed up, the Writers Guild wants to broker a $300 million benefit contract, while the producers will only offer $120 million.

There is a huge disagreement of $180 million!

This amount of money is really nothing to Don.

However, Tang En will not agree to any of these ridiculous conditions!

It's not a matter of money, it's a matter of principle!

It's a lion's mouth!

The total value of the contract signed in 2001 was only $1.1. This time, the producer took the initiative to raise the offer by $10 million, but the Writers Guild was really red-eyed and directly raised the offer by $190 million!

Do you use Hollywood as a welfare home?

In the past few years, affected by the economic crisis and the "lipstick effect", the film and television entertainment market has developed very well, and the appetite of screenwriters has naturally increased.

In fact, the average annual salary in the Los Angeles area is only $54,000. But the average salary of screenwriters is $200,000 a year, far more than the income of ordinary people.

Hollywood's remuneration for screenwriters is much higher than expected.

The Writers Guild has a total of 12,000 members, and even if they really sign a three-year $300 million welfare contract, the average annual welfare guarantee for each person is $8,500.

It can be seen that the main group of strikes threatened are those low-level screenwriters who cannot eat, and they do not hesitate to strike and cause billions of dollars in economic losses in order to be able to increase the welfare security of $5,000 per person per year.

Anyway, they are already at the bottom, and no matter how big the losses are, the impact on their living conditions will not be too great.

So, Donn was very resistant to the threat of such a strike. This kind of table-flipping behavior is tantamount to destroying the overall situation for one's own selfishness.

In today's world, the fastest growing country...... They are all countries where there are no unions and no strikes.

The economic slowdown in Europe and North America is largely due to the fact that trade unions have too much power, which makes it impossible to implement macroeconomic policies.

Don is interested in improving the screenwriter's salary, but he's not interested in donating money to some lazy guys, even if he doesn't care about the little money.

"Jonathan, what do you think about this?"

Donn called Jonathan Nolan into his office.

The New Globe Group has a screenwriting department, and although the young Jonathan Nolan is not the lead screenwriter, his prestige and fame have grown with the success of films such as "Memory Fragments", "Daredevil", "Ghost Rider", and "Deadly Magic".

"I don't want to strike, no one wants to strike, it's a very serious consequence that all the writers have to bear. Jonathan Nolan shrugged, "The two strikes of the Writers Guild in history have caused too much negative impact. ”

Don believed that this was what he was saying.

Jonathan Nolan's income at New Globe, including the base annual salary and dividends, is more than $4 million, more than many executives.

Those who have the ability do not need to fight for their rights by flipping the table.

Tang En held a pen in his hand, "In your opinion, what aspects should be used to protect the rights and interests of screenwriters? Don't look at the proposals of the Screenwriters Guild, those are too ridiculous." ”

Jonathan Nolan glanced at Donn, hesitated and said, "The screenwriting industry ...... The main thing is that there are too many overlord clauses. ”

Don En smiled: "Don't forget, I'm also a screenwriter, you just say it, I'll understand the situation." ”

Jonathan Nolan said: "The screenwriter basically has no say, and is at the mercy of the producer and the director, and the script must be revised until it meets the standards required by the investor." You know, screenwriters are the group of people who know the script best, but they don't have the right to speak. In the selection of actors, you can only obey the arrangements of the producer and director, and have no right to speak. ”

Tang En pondered for a moment and said: "It is true that the screenwriter knows the script best, but the screenwriter may not understand the market and the audience's tastes. Giving up the right to speak to producers and directors is the core of Hollywood's business system. For example, the controversial "Pirate League 2: Soul Coffin", many filmmakers are criticizing the movie for its bad story and poor screenwriting skills. But the market response has been very good. ”

Jonathan Nolan was convinced of this reason.

This year, two of his films as a screenwriter were released, "Ghost Rider" by Zack Snyder and "Deadly Magic" by his brother Christopher Nolan.

Both films have achieved a very good reputation, and the stories are brilliantly written.

Jonathan Nolan has also become a well-known screenwriter within the New Globe Group because of these two movies, and his basic annual salary has also risen from $300,000 to $650,000.

However, the box office results are far from being comparable to "Pirate League 2: Soul Coffin", which has a "bad story" and "poor movie language".

"Ghost Rider" grossed $600 million worldwide.

"Deadly Magic" cost $40 million, gathered stars such as Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Kane, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, and the global box office was only $110 million.

Compared with "Pirate League 2: Soul Coffin", which won $1.08 billion at the box office, there is a big gap.

Jonathan Nolan said: "Some time ago, when I was filming "Daredevil 2", there were three Korean filmmakers in the crew who came to study, and I had an exchange with them. In South Korea, in addition to being paid a lot of money, screenwriters also have a very high status! Even above the director! The director cannot change the screenwriter's script without authorization, and it is also a great disrespect to the writer for the actor to change the lines. ”

Don smiled, "I know the situation in South Korea, it's true. However, it is only a temporary situation, as the cooperation with Hollywood deepens, Korean films will definitely learn from Hollywood's production model, and the status of screenwriters will become lower and lower. However, your words did remind me that TV series and movies should be treated differently. ”

Driven by the screenwriter's core system, Korean films are not qualified now, the story is very good, and the film language, special effects production and market judgment are not enough. But the TV drama market has dominated Asia.

"Da Chang Jin", which was broadcast last year, has become the most popular phenomenal TV series in Asia. Not to mention the mass market such as Japan and China, even Iran, which is closed off from the rest of the country, has introduced broadcasts, and it has also formed a shocking scene of thousands of empty alleys.

Movies, especially commercial films, are to constantly impact the audience's attention in a limited time, and capture the audience's hearts through wave after wave.

Here, there are many means that can be used, such as wonderful stories, such as stunning special effects, such as large-scale shots, such as close-ups of big stars, such as superb acting performances, such as interesting visual compositions......

TV series are different, TV series are longer and can express more content. Because of the hardware limitations of TV sets and the atmosphere of home viewing conditions, it is difficult for TV dramas to continuously secrete hormones from the audience like movies.

This gives screenwriters enough living environment and development space, they don't need to rack their brains to explore the audience's ideas like filmmakers, they just need to focus all their energy on their own stories.

As long as there is a good story, generally speaking, the TV series will have a very good result.

Starz's "Six Feet Under", "The Walking Dead" and "Vice President" are three popular American dramas.

Tang En recorded something, and said very seriously: "I don't mention the film market, but the TV drama market, it is indeed necessary to improve the status of screenwriters." Tampering with the script should be controlled. ”

Jonathan Nolan was pleasantly surprised.

Although the current New Universal is not the company that produces the most TV shows, it is definitely the company with the highest quality and the highest revenue!

No matter what the outside world is, if New Universal can take the lead and elevate the status of screenwriters from the production of TV dramas, then with the influence of New Universal, it can gradually radiate out.

That's a good thing!

"Also, there is the issue of treatment. ”

"Welfare?"

The corners of Tang En's mouth hooked, and he was a little sarcastic, "It is right for the company to provide its employees with medical insurance and pension insurance, but how many of those screenwriters in the Screenwriters Guild work in film companies? Just because they have participated in the writing of several movies or TV series, they want to get huge benefits from film companies, which is unrealistic." The target of the welfare package is the Writers Guild, not the film company. ”

Jonathan Nolan shook his head and said, "Only those screenwriters who don't have a job will fight for welfare recklessly." I'm talking about normal screenwriting pay. ”

"Oh, tell me about it!"

"A project, a movie, a TV series. If filming does not start, the screenwriter will not be paid after-tax remuneration, which is tantamount to arrears of remuneration in disguise. ”

Don raised his eyebrows, "Don't pay a third in advance?"

Jonathan Nolan shook his head, "No!"

Don frowned deeply.

That's not right!

Installment payments are a big way for Hollywood to avoid risks.

For example, the basic salary of producers, directors, and actors is paid in three installments.

Sign a contract and pay the first one-third of the remuneration;

The film was launched, and the second one-third of the remuneration was issued;

The movie is finished, and the rest of the remuneration is settled.

If there is an accident during the project establishment or filming of the film, resulting in the abortion of the film, the payment of the remaining remuneration can be terminated to reduce the loss of the producer.

However, the status of screenwriters is too low, and there is no treatment for producers, directors and actors.

Jonathan Nolan continued: "If it's a TV series, the screenwriter's salary is calculated by episodes, and 10 episodes have to be signed exclusively. If a series lasts for several months, then the screenwriter has to be bound to the series for several months, which causes the screenwriter's salary to drop by 60%. If a TV series is cut during the broadcast, 70%-80% of the salary is lost. ”

Don is a professional, and he understands it as soon as he hears it.

In order to avoid risks, many TV dramas are broadcast while filming, and if the effect is good, they will continue to be filmed, and if the effect is not good, they will be cut.

In order to allow the screenwriter to better devote himself to creation, the producer will sign an exclusive agreement with the screenwriter, requiring the screenwriter not to sign contracts with other producers to create new scripts during the production of this TV series.

This delay is several months. The screenwriter can't take on other jobs, so he can only wait for the TV series to finish filming, which is a waste of time.

If the TV series is not played well and is cut by the TV station or producer, then the screenwriter will not be able to get the full salary. If you shoot a few episodes, you will earn even less.

Tang En said in a deep voice: "This situation is too much, and it must be changed! In the cost of a film and television work, the screenwriter's expenditure only accounts for about 6%, which is not high." You can't over-squeeze just because the screenwriter is the person behind the scenes. How remuneration is paid...... Regardless of whether the TV series is cut or not, as long as the screenwriter's script is a recognized finished product, the remuneration must be paid according to the standard of the finished product. ”

Jonathan Nolan said happily: "If that's the case, that's great! I'm also a member of the Screenwriters Guild, and I have a lot of screenwriter friends, if I promote such a plan, this negotiation will definitely go very smoothly." I'm afraid of other film companies......"

"Leave them alone!"

Tang En waved his hand and said lightly: "If you can't allow its dignity, you have to allow it money." Otherwise, something will happen sooner or later! If other production companies have opinions, I'll talk about them. I'd like to see how many of them are blind. ”

In the past, the 2004 negotiations did not trigger a strike, but the resentment was deep.

It wasn't until 2007 that it finally caused a catastrophe and set off a huge wave of strikes, which lasted until the spring of 2008, when even the Golden Globes were forced to cancel and the Oscars almost closed.

The direct economic losses amounted to $3 billion.

Under the circumstances of the economic crisis at that time, the whole of Hollywood was plunged into a crisis, and a large number of companies went bankrupt, including the platter rights of commercial blockbusters such as "Transformers 2", "Special Forces", and "Alice in Wonderland", which were constantly reselling.

In Hollywood in this life, since Don has appeared, he must take into account the overall situation and make changes. ()

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