Picketing on Tuesday - 4000 strong


by Paul William Tenny

Variety has a write-up about Tuesday's picketing that supposedly drew another 4,000 members to a single place, allowing everyone else to continue working as if nothing was happening at other lots, and noted the letters the networks are sending around to their employees assuring them that their bosses are trying as hard as they can to screw those filthy writers get a fair deal done.

I think from this point forward, writers only need to make a single point to win this strike: Warner Bros. and I think it was Paramount started selling DVDs for $3 each in China this year to combat piracy where counterfeit disks sell for about $1.50. Not second-run crap flicks, the good stuff is what I'm talking about. Since they are still legally obligated to pay residuals on that stuff, you can assume one of two things.

  1. They have cut out their profit entirely so that the disc is selling for all costs involved.
  2. They are selling it at a loss.
We already know that above-the-line talent accounts for only about 40 cents for disc, while manufacturing costs account for another 50 cents. Other than that, I guess it's all profit for the studio. That they are willing to sacrifice so much of their own profit - all the way down to a $3 brand new DVD - tells you everything you need to know about how easily they can afford to give the creative talent a bump in pay.

Pray for rain at the 26th confab - we all want this over as soon as possible.
in Labor

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