Our future in "New Media"

[Jeffrey S. Wexler]

I am posting some food for thought on the heels of the ratification of our new I.A. contract. These comments from a very active and concerned member of the Camera Guild:

What I don't fully understand in this corporate paradigm is how PEOPLE get away with immoral, nation-destroying, middle-class-killing policies by hiding behind The Corporation. Well, although it's been said that "corporations have no ethics, they are amoral entities," the fact is that corporations are run by PEOPLE. PEOPLE make these decisions. PEOPLE decide the fate of thousands. There is no such thing as a corporation bereft of the PEOPLE that run it and dictate its corporate policies.

These policies shredded the feature film business over the last eleven years. They are in the process of shredding the TV business, which will take off in earnest on August 1. Los Angeles in particular became a "TV Town" once features all but disappeared. Well, I guess we're about to become a "New Media" town once the TV business follows the features. We are about to be replaced by twenty-somethings with camcorders-in-hand, all hoping to catch on with the corporations to get the chance to make feature films wherever in the world the biggest public handout can be found.

Brothers and Sisters: I haven't surrendered yet. I just want you all to know how much pride I have in being in the trenches with all of you to fight this entire culture of mass destruction over the last 5 years and more. Thank you all for all of your hard work.

Scott

- and a description of one of the "New Media" jobs:

I really don’t understand the short-sighted view of so many TV crew members. How many of you have worked on a new media project? From the amount of voices I hear screaming, “we can’t afford not to work right now” I suspect it’s a lot fewer than those that will be in the near future. I had the (dis)pleasure of line producing a “webisode” series a few months ago. My series ended at an unusual time of the year so, to stay busy, I picked up an internet project. Keep in mind my experience detailed below was for a UNION project at a MAJOR studio.

I was thoroughly shocked by the rates I was told I could pay the crew. The studio mandated that the general crew was to be paid $115/12hr day. Yes, minimum wage. Department heads were to be paid a maximum of $200/12hr day. You think it was only the regular rank and file that got screwed? Guess again. Series regulars: $500/ep, AFTRA day players: $150/day. DGA 1st AD: $200/day, 2nd AD: $165/day. Bottom line, there are no minimum rates for ANY positions (unless you consider state mandated minimum wage a rate). “But my crew is too experienced for these rates”, I said. The response was, “then find a crew that is young and hungry”. “You get what you pay for”, I said. Response, “If they want a shot at it if it goes to series (on a network) they will do it.” Guess what? Nearly my entire crew did it. Some as a favor, but mostly because our regular series will likely be cancelled. And what if these webisodes don’t get turned into a network series? I can rehire them all at minimum wage again when it gets picked up for another 13 webisodes. It is not an exaggeration when people complain we will soon be working for PA rates. Actually, PAs will take home slightly more since they earn mileage.

An exec friend I spoke to at a competing studio told me that this is the new evolving business model for TV pilots. Why spend 3 million on a pilot when you can do a new media project for anywhere between $200k to $500k? Of course there will still be traditional pilots done every season, albeit fewer and fewer, but the studios are excited to be able to get nearly 10 for 1 for their money with new media. What better model for “creative” execs that can’t tell if they like an idea until they actually see it on film (er, digital files). The more spaghetti you throw at the wall the better chance something will stick. Not only are they spending less money for more shows, but even the failed ones are still content for their new media outlets. You know, the outlets that are too new to determine if they are profitable.

[Jamie Gambell]

With the UK being all non-union, and new media being a not so new shooting world, I've done a few "Webisodes" "virals" what ever term is being used to take these shoots away from the agreed upon basic commercial rates - still, the rates were a lot better than what seems to be offered here, not as good as commercial, but not as low as non-union gigs.

Also, pilots aren't really used in the UK, but a practice that I saw increasing was the shooting of a "test" (five or six scenes) especially for comedies, so that the pitchers had something to show.

Drama's being shot with a little voice over and some "historical" significance under the docu-drama heading was another practice.

I think if the doors fly open and producers start to try and use new names and models to do the same old work, then a professional standard approach amongst us all, union and non-union, should be agreed upon - even if totally unofficial - we have a much better chance of navigating the new media world and setting a good standard if we do the tough thing now.

[Landon Johnson]

Having only graduated from USC in the last 6 months, I'm only now beginning to see what guys like this are talking about. Everything I work on is $150-200/12hr day, and that's all flying solo with my own gear. I thought that was just typical for the greenhorns (and maybe it was even 15 years ago), but seeing that this is the way Hollywood treats the veterans...I sure hope something changes for the better.