19 November, 2007
Tomorrow: Labor Solidarity with Writers March and Rally
Hey there... the good news: I got booked to do background on a commercial tomorrow. The bad news: I'll miss the rally (see below) and will be unable to cover it. I'll proly be hitting the picket lines before my call time (2:00 p.m. in downtown) so if you see me, step up to the mike and let's have a chat.
Labor Solidarity with Writers
March and Rally on Tuesday, Nov. 20Help write a new chapter in Hollywood history. Join thousands of members of the Writers Guild of America as the WGA begins week three of its strike against the media conglomerates of the AMPTP. March down Hollywood Boulevard with film and TV writers, actors, musicians, Teamsters, Service Employees and other unions in this fight for justice.
More than 10,000 writers are on the front lines of the fight to preserve decent working standards against corporate power.
1:00 pm: Assemble at Hollywood Blvd. and Ivar Ave.
1:30 pm: March down Hollywood Blvd.For more information, contact the WGA at (323) 782-4574.
Bill Moyers Journal
The latest from Bill Moyers Journal.
We blogged about Bill Moyers earlier this month. Check it here.
More importantly: Stop Big Media Now!
Now Available on iTunes!
Yo, all you Writers' Strike Chronicles readers, just a shout to say that accompanying podcast is now available in iTunes for FREE. Just go to the store, search for the "Writers' Strike Chronicles" and subscribe. It really is that simple. Please be sure to leave us some positive reviews!
But, on the back end, it wasn't that simple for me to set up. Consequently I had to resubmit the first two episodes, so those of you who have already subscribed and downloaded them again, you're not crazy. I had some issues on my end.
But it's all good now. Enjoy!
But, on the back end, it wasn't that simple for me to set up. Consequently I had to resubmit the first two episodes, so those of you who have already subscribed and downloaded them again, you're not crazy. I had some issues on my end.
But it's all good now. Enjoy!
WSC # 12 - Interview with Jill Condon
In today’s episode I speak with writer Jill Condon and her son Owen Wadsworth -- the WGA's youngest striker -- down on the picket lines at NBC about how the strike is affecting the families of writers. Recorded Monday, 12 November 2007.
18 November, 2007
Now On Crackle.com
From Crackle:
What, never heard of Crackle?
Tsk. Check it:
Crackle, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company formerly known as Grouper, is a multi-platform video entertainment network and studio that distributes the hottest emerging talent on the web and beyond. Crackle's addictive channels and shows reach a global audience across the Internet, in the living room, and on devices including a broad range of Sony electronics. Crackle, in on-going collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment and other leading partners, discovers and promotes the stars of tomorrow.
What, never heard of Crackle?
Tsk. Check it:
Crackle, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company formerly known as Grouper, is a multi-platform video entertainment network and studio that distributes the hottest emerging talent on the web and beyond. Crackle's addictive channels and shows reach a global audience across the Internet, in the living room, and on devices including a broad range of Sony electronics. Crackle, in on-going collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment and other leading partners, discovers and promotes the stars of tomorrow.WGA Strike Memes
Scrivener's Error is a blog by LawShark. In a recent posting, he talks about memes coming out of the writers' strike.
A quote:
A quote:
The current dispute between the WGA and the studio/production system is based on a number of memes that are not getting much, if any, attention. These memes all have implications for writers in all media and forms, so pay attention!I got your memes right here, buddy.
Web 2.0, New Media and Social Networking
OK...been you've reading this blog, but still don't get the concept of web 2.0? Here's a viral video from Nokia. It's...it's...meh...it's okay...
But I think the video below that came out earlier this year. I think it explains it mucho better...
But I think the video below that came out earlier this year. I think it explains it mucho better...
WSC # 11: Interview with Takara Ketton
powered by ODEO
In today’s episode I speak to Takara Ketton, a graduate student at Emerson College Los Angeles. Takara voices her thoughts on the writers strike from the perspective of an aspiring future member of the WGA. Recorded Monday, 12 November 2007.
17 November, 2007
WGA Writers Strike - Jump Parties - iProduction Blow-up
As the host wraps it up, he says "you probably cut off half way through this" and yeah, I almost did because his pre-amble was a little belabored. But then he got my attention with jump parties and asking questions like who moved my cheese (cuz like I read that book) and he wrapped it up pretty well in the end. Worth slogging through. You might learn something here.
From MusicTalkBiz.
WSC #10 - Interview with Maria Elena Rodriguez
In today’s episode I speak to writer Maria Elena Rodriguez on the picket lines at the rally in front of NBC studios. While I was there, I run into comedy writer Marvin Silbermintz of the Tonight Show. Recorded Friday, 16 November 2007.
NBC picks up 'quarterlife' series
From the Hollywood Reporter:
NBC has picked up Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick's critically praised Internet and social network series "quarterlife." The network will premiere the show as an hour-long drama series midseason after it concludes its run on the Internet early in 2008 and will also stream it on nbc.com.
Read the entire article here.
16 November, 2007
Joost in the news
Yesterday in CNET, Joost announced it was launching new widgets with Coca Cola. Here's a snippet:
Online video start-up Joost, which focuses on ad-supported professional content, made a few headlines (and raised a few eyebrows) for inking some big advertising deals with major corporations before the downloadable software was even open to the public. Until this point, most of those advertisements were traditional video advertisements that popped up before and in between clips on Joost.
That's no longer the case. On Thursday, Joost announced that Coca-Cola's European division has created the first "commercial widget" for the software. Called "Coke Bubbles," the downloadable advertising widget lets you choose a clip on Joost and then send it to fellow Joost users, appended with a note in the form of a "bubble."
Read the entire article here.
There's More To The Internet Than Just YouTube (Part 2) - Metacafe
In attempt to school folks on alternate sources of new media other than YouTube, I blogged about the internet TV distribution site called Joost.
Today we're going to talk about Metacafe. So now you can add another new media outlet to the list. Metacafe differs slightly from Joost in that it, like YouTube, strives to create an on-line community by implementing social networking concepts and Web 2.0 innovations. It's the kinds of ideas that drive sites MySpace and Facebook and makes them so popular.
Here's what Metacafe is all about, Alfie. Cut and pasted right from their little website:
About Us
Metacafe is one of the world's largest video sites, attracting more than 25 million unique viewers each month (comScore Media Metrix). We specialize in short-form original content - from new, emerging talents and established Hollywood heavyweights alike. We're committed to delivering an exceptional entertainment experience, and we do so by engaging and empowering our audience every step of the way.
Since 2003 Metacafe has been one of the top independent online video sites, and we're a leader in the evolution of digital entertainment. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with offices in Tel Aviv and New York. Metacafe is privately held and investors include Accel Partners, Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures and Highland Capital Partners.
How is Metacafe different?
Metacafe is not a video sharing and hosting site that allows any and every video to be posted. Instead, Metacafe is a video entertainment site that focuses on:
Short-form - Metacafe specializes in short-form original video - content that is made for the interactive Internet medium. We don't have full-length television episodes or movies chopped into pieces. The average video on our site is just over 90 seconds long. People come to Metacafe looking for an entertainment break in their day - and we deliver.
Entertainment - We're all about entertaining a large audience by featuring only those videos that amaze, inspire and make viewers laugh. This means you won't find hard news stories, personal videos or webcam chatter on Metacafe.
Audience-driven - The Metacafe experience is determined entirely by our community. Videos are user-generated, user-selected, user-reviewed and user-rewarded. At Metacafe, we put the audience in the driver's seat, empowering viewers in a much more meaningful way than other video sites.
Community Auditions - A community review panel of more than 80,000 volunteers takes a first look at each of the thousands of videos submitted to the site every day.
Community Rankings - Our VideoRank™ system identifies and exposes the most popular videos by automatically gauging every interaction each viewer has with a video.
Community Rewards - Our Producer Rewards™ program pays video creators for their best original work, as determined by the viewers.
What does this all add up to? A better entertainment experience. We consistently hear from our viewers that it's easier to find videos they like on our site as compared to others - and that keeps them coming back for more.
WSC Show #9 - Interview with Steve Chivers and Amy Meek
Today I joined the picket lines in front of NBC Studios and spoke to writer Steve Chivers. I also spoke to a television-viewing fan Amy Meek who was walking the picket lines with her girlfriends. And finally, we’ll hear a little bit of the audio I was able to capture when presidential candidate John Edwards spoke. Recorded Friday, 16 November 2007.
WGA And AMPTP Agree To Come Back To The Table
This official press release from UnitedHollywood:
AMPTP PROMISES TO COME BACK TO THE TABLE
AMPTP PROMISES TO COME BACK TO THE TABLE
(Breaking news from the WGA - the AMPTP has agreed to come back to the table on November 26th. Now, let's hope they are prepared to make a fair deal. This is progress. Everyone wants to go back to work. Everyone wants fair compensation for their work.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 2007
CONTRACT 2007 NEGOTIATIONS STATEMENT
LOS ANGELES – The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have issued the following statement today:
Leaders from the WGA and the AMPTP have mutually agreed to resume formal negotiations on November 26. No other details or press statements will be issued.
For more information about the Writers Guild of America, West, please visit www.wga.org. For more information about the Writers Guild of America, East, please visit: www.wgaeast.org.
The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) represent writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable, and new media industries in both entertainment and news. The unions conduct numerous programs, seminars, and events throughout the world on issues of interest to, and on behalf of, writers.
(Also, this message just sent to our strike captains:)
The effort and energy and resolve of the strike captains and teams, on the line, in headquarters, on location, and out in the community including the blogosphere has had a tremendous impact, and been instrumental in bringing the companies back to the bargaining table. Congratulations! Of course, going back to the table is an important step; but we must not allow our effort and creativity to wane. The strike must continue and we must continue to increase our impact and message to get the best possible deal for writers and for others who will benefit from our struggle, including actors, directors, drivers, crew, etc.
Cross-posted from Daily Kos
The Daily Kos is weblog with political analysis on US current events from a liberal perspective. Earlier this fall, on September 4, 2007, the Federal Election Commission announced that it has unanimously resolved two complaints alleging that Internet blog activity is subject to Commission regulation, finding that the activity is exempt from regulation under the media or volunteer exemption. The Daily Kos was one of those blogs filed against in the complaint.
Today on Daily Kos came a blog post I thought was worth cross-posting.
Writers Strike Continues by MissLaura
Fri Nov 16, 2007 at 04:22:34 PM PSTAs the second week of the WGA strike comes to a close, United Hollywood has a post explaining when the strike will end. When is that? When it is in the financial interest of the studios for it to do so:
The studios have forecasted how much they will lose, how much they will save, what offer they will come back to the table with and what date that offer will be presented.
This strike comes down to a pro forma income statement, and clearly the majority of studios or at least the most powerful studios have decided that from a financial standpoint, it is not yet time to end this strike.
But we can be making it hurt them. We can make them watch people across the country come to a greater understanding of the way corporations work to amass their own profits by denying their employees a fair share. And Jonathan Tasini has information on how to help:
Anne Sweeney, President, Disney-ABC Television Group: 818-560-1000
Kevin Reilly, President, Fox Entertainment: 310-369-1000
The Walt Disney Company, 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank CA 91521
Fox Broadcasting, 10201 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064Bruce Rosenblum, President, Warner Bros. Television Group: 818-954-6000
Philippe Dauman, President/CEO, Viacom: 212-258-6000
Warner Bros Studios, 3400 Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91505
1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036Leslie Moonves, President/CEO, CBS Corporation: 212-975-4321
Jeff Zucker, President/CEO, NBC Universal: 818-777-1000
CBS, 51 West 52nd St. New York, NY 10019
100 Universal City PlazaUniversal City, CA 91608And after you've made the calls, SEND THIS LIST TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
Points to make:
- Writers are asking for fair compensation when content is streamed or downloaded on the Internet. Right now, writers are getting ZERO. Publishers claims that everything on-line is only promotional are just bogus--they are selling advertising on-line!!!
- The media business is healthy. CEOs brag to Wall Street that they are making money from new media--all the better to raise money and keep the share price going up (which helps CEOs profit from generous stock options they are given) but they are hypocritically crying poverty when it comes to paying writers.
- If you need to, you can use these statistics to show how profitable media companies are and how well the CEOs are being compensated.
If you need more background, you can go to the website of either the Writers Guild of America west or the Writers Guild of America east.
WGA Day 11: New Shane Audio, NBC Rally Preview
From the blog of Shane's proud papa, Lee, comes the following post:
WGA Strike on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Shane did a great new interview with Tonight Show Head Writer Joe Medeiros today. I think he does a great job of covering some new ground in this nearly two week old strike and Shane’s production chops are improving, too. It’s about five minutes long.
Shane will also be covering tomorrow’s rally at NBC since it’s walking distance for him. There could be video involved, too. It was also just announced that Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards will be there…
The WGA just announced that Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will join striking writers on the poicket line Friday. ” Following his public statement of solidarity with the Writers Guild of America last week, former U.S. Senator John Edwards will join striking writers on the picket line tomorrow to support the WGA in its ongoing fight to secure a fair and reasonable deal.” He will join the picket line at 2 PM at NBC Entertainment, 3000 W. Alameda Avenue in Burbank at the NBC sign on the corner. This absolutely one-ups all previous political activity on the line where Barack Obama’s LA staff and volunteers joined the strikers but not the candidate himself.
Deadline Hollywood Daily » Bring On The Pols: Edwards To Picket
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
15 November, 2007
WSC Show #8 - Interview with Ted Lang and Marvin Silbermintz
In today’s episode we talk to was Ted Lang and Marvin Silbermintz, a coupla writers on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno at the picket lines of NBC Studios. Recorded Monday, 12 November 2007.
There's More To The Internet Than Just YouTube
As I walk the picket lines with the writers, the number one question I ask is: "what type of new media do you consume?". After a bunch of stammering, the number one answer from you striking writers -- our survey says -- "YouTube".
As if YouTube is the end all and be all of new media. As if.
So, class is now in session for alternate media channels on the Internet.
Today we're going to learn about Joost.
Ever heard of it?
Joost is a system for distributing TV shows and other forms of video over the Web using peer-to-peer TV technology, created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis (founders of Skype and Kazaa). It boasts over 15,000+ TV shows and 250+ channels. You remember the term "peer-to-peer" or "p2p"? Yeah, that was the same technology that put Napster in the news a few years ago.
Here's the official word about Joost:
"What's Joost? It's free TV, with the choice to watch alone or with friends. Joost is packed with internet tools such as instant messaging and channel chat, allowing people to really share the TV experience. It's a completely secure platform for content owners that respects their rights, while protecting and enhancing their brands. And it's an incredibly flexible way for advertisers to reach a truly global audience, in ways that really work. Joost isn't just video on the internet – it's the next generation of television for viewers, content owners and advertisers everywhere."
Click image for more info.Joost is free, supported by highly targeted ads based on people's actual watching habits, their friends' viewing patterns, and information they volunteer. Ad revenue is split between Joost and the content owners. Kinda like network TV was like back in the days of "I Love Lucy".
Any questions?
Your homework tonight: sign-up for Joost, choose your Joost name and create a channel. Play around with the platform. Be sure to socially network and make friends.
Class dismissed.
Shane Stranahan: I Walk The Line
Shane Stranahan does it again!
As blogged and podcasted previously in the WSC, 15 year-old homeschooler and citizen journalist spent four hours walking the WGA picket lines in front of NBC studios on Monday. Shane also got an interview with hyphenate and strike captain Brian Hartt where they discussed the effect the strike is having on below the line people in the industry.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
As blogged and podcasted previously in the WSC, 15 year-old homeschooler and citizen journalist spent four hours walking the WGA picket lines in front of NBC studios on Monday. Shane also got an interview with hyphenate and strike captain Brian Hartt where they discussed the effect the strike is having on below the line people in the industry.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
14 November, 2007
WSC Show #7 - Interview with Tom Astle
It’s day 10 of the Writers’ Strike. In today’s episode of the Writers’ Strike Chronicles, Alicyn and I talk to writer-producer Tom Astle in front of the picket lines at NBC studios. Recorded Monday, 12 November 2007.
WGA Strike gets violent!
Posted by okaplan
Starring Seth Menachem & Avi Rothman
Written by a striking writer (before the strike, actually)
Directed by Oren Kaplan
WGA Strike & New Technologies
As posted on YouTube by wgadotorg, Phil Robinson (Sneakers, Field of Dreams) speaks on the history of the WGA and the confluence of new technologies and the entertainment industry.
Photo of the Day on Flickr
A picture paints a thousand words, but what about this photo? Talk about nickle and diming it. I *heart* the fact those are Canadian pennies. Woot!
Just my two cents. Your mileage may vary.
Upcoming Event (LA): Tonight! Drinks are on Matt Sherman!
Tonight, tonight,
Won't be just any night...
Attention all WGA members. Drown your sorrows tonight at Vice, compliments of Matt Sherman. Here's the dealio as reported in UnitedHollywood:
Won't be just any night...
Attention all WGA members. Drown your sorrows tonight at Vice, compliments of Matt Sherman. Here's the dealio as reported in UnitedHollywood:
"Matt Sherman Management has invited all WGA members to enjoy drinks on the house. Wednesday November 14th from 7 pm to 9:30 pm at VICE, 6364 Hollywood Blvd. between Ivar and Cahuenga. Please bring your WGA card for admittance. [Well played, Matt Sherman, well played.]"
Upcoming Event (SF): Video Salon Redux
Now on Upcoming.com comes Video Salon Redux, a new monthly series focusing on online video and internet based visual media.
To sign up or sign in, click here.
To sign up or sign in, click here.
In the coming months, VSR will showcase a range of diverse subjects such as machinima, lifecasting, episodic content, mashups, distributed collaboration, personal storytelling, copyright and licensing as well as reality hacking.
VSR is co-produced by Michael O'Rourke (D7TV.com) and Eddie Codel (Geekentertainment.tv) and is kindly hosted at Dimension 7 Studios in downtown San Francisco. If you are interested in presenting at a future VSR, please contact one of us.
6:30-7:30 cocktails/refreshments/happy hour
7:30-8:30 Introduction & curated presentations from
>> Michael O'Rourke: D7 TV
D7TV is a production company creating original content for internet television and mobile devices. D7TV will be showcasing its original short content ranging from news to comedy to lifestyle programming and discussing its future plans for creating branded entertainment.
>> Eddie Codel & Irina Slutsky: Geek Entertainment TV
Geek Entertainment TV reports from deep inside the bubble as it re-inflates. Eddie & Irina will give a quick history & overview of GETV and show a few favorite episodes. Irina is organizing The Winnies in LA at the end of the month and will have some announcements.
>> Nick Douglas: LookShiny / Goggle Burn:
Nick Douglas is starting a site named Goggle Burn, a VH1 for the web. He'll show his favorite online series to show why movies on the Internet don't have to be "America's Funniest Home Videos."
8:30-9:00 open salon: 5 minutes to show your stuff
9:30-11:00 salon/networking/ambient lounge
WGA Strike: Unionizing the Web
The U.C. Berkeley Digital Media & Entertainment blog asks:
Check it here.
"As the industry loses “share of attention” (and revenues) to web video, where does independent film-making fit into all this? Does a union still serve a purpose? Seeing as any video can find its way onto the unlimited shelf space of the internet (and our mail from Netflix), can working with producers willing to fairly compensate writers provide an attractive alternative to union bargaining with studios?"
Check it here.
13 November, 2007
WSC Show #6 - Interview with Matt Ember
It's day 9 of the Writer’s Strike. In today’s episode, Alicyn and I take to the picket lines in front of NBC studios and meet with writer-producer Matt Ember. Recorded Monday, 12 November 2007.
I’m a little late in getting today’s show up and that’s because I was working on a commercial production today. There I learned that commercial writers aren’t covered under the WGA. (Since I don’t know enough about this, I won’t comment). Perhaps it was impossible to know I was on the job by all the moblog posts I made from the set.
Bill Moyers on Democracy Now
Bill Moyers was on Democracy Now earlier this year when he spoke to 3,500 activists, journalists and concerned citizens gathered in Memphis, Tennessee for the third National Conference on Media Reform. Speakers called for the preservation of a free and open Internet, the end of media consolidation and a more democratic and diverse media system. Moyers opened the conference with a stirring address.
Cue the slider to about 07:15 to begin the coverage of Moyers speech.
Moyers:
"A few huge corporations now dominate the media landscape in America. Almost all the networks carried by most cable systems are owned by one of the major media common conglomerates. Two-thirds of today's newspapers are monopolies.'"As ownership gets more and more concentrated, fewer and fewer independent sources of information have survived in the marketplace; and those few significant alternatives that do survive, such as PBS and NPR, are undergoing financial and political pressure to reduce critical news content and to shift their focus in a mainstream direction, which means being more attentive to establishment views than to the bleak realities of powerlessness that shape the lives of ordinary people.'
"What does today's media system mean for the notion of an informed public cherished by democratic theory? Quite literally, it means that virtually everything the average person sees or hears, outside of her own personal communications, is determined by the interests of private, unaccountable executives and investors whose primary goal is increasing profits and raising the share prices. More insidiously, this small group of elites determines what ordinary people do not see or hear."
Read the transcript here.
It's also worth checking out this blog post about entitled "Media Solidarity" on the Hullabaloo blog by digby. Here's a snippet:
Atrios and Matt Stoller make a good point about how the press is covering the WGA strike. And it just proves how corporate values rule the media. After all, the strikers in this case are fellow members of the media themselves, and yet they're getting hostile coverage. And likewise, many of the news people who are covering them are in unions too. There can be no reasons other than corporate pressure to explain the hostility or the fact the strike is being virtually blacked out in the local press despite stars and political activists showing up to picket along with ordinary Americans.
And now a word from the other side.
The UPI reports "Peter Chernin, president of Fox parent News Corp., said the Writers Guild of America strike will probably save his company money."
Check it here.
The Death of Television
Gizmodo, the on-line gadget guide blog, says "TV is not disappearing anytime soon, but clearly, it's going to be replaced by either the internet or some TV/internet hybrid."
Read the entire article "The WGA strike and the death of television" here.
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