Will producers turn to U.K. writers? (Variety)

[katty]

Will producers turn to U.K. writers?
London grapevine is abuzz with gossip

By ADAM DAWTREY 8/11/07

excerpt: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117975626.html?categoryid=2821&cs=1

The Writers Guild of Great Britain has pitched in with its own opinion. "We are contacting the major U.K. broadcasters and producers, and the U.K. Film Council, asking them not to dump U.K. material into the U.S. market and not to dress up American projects to look as though they are British," said general secretary Bernie Corbett. "Strike-breaking would at best be a short-term payday but would have a devastating long-term effect on a writer's U.S. career."

That depends, of course, on the attitude of WGA. As one London-based studio exec said, "It's still legitimate for us to be working on non-WGA contracts if the writer is rendering services in the U.K. But some people are freaking out that if you cross a picket line, and you are not WGA already, it may affect your ability to join the union in future."

Brit-based productions are almost always non-WGA -- even the biggest ones developed by the U.K. arms of the studios or produced by companies with studio relationships such as Working Title (Universal), DNA Films (Fox), Marv Films (Sony) and Heyday Films (Warner). None is a WGA signatory, and some have their own independent local financing, so technically they shouldn't be directly affected by the strike, even if they are working on projects written by British members of the WGA.

The London grapevine is abuzz with gossip that marquee American producers have been scouting for non-WGA writers for film or TV projects they would funnel through British production companies.

[robinlynne]

1. no. The stars (actors) are not going to break the strike. imho

[angstlessk]

2. fawlty towers was funny for BRITISH humor..but most americans

do not like their humor...

[Democrats_win]

3. Shows to what extremes big business will go to screw American workers.

[Me.]

4. Why Don't Producers Just Pay Writers Fairly

instead of trying to come up with ways to weasel out of it? And, as the dollar is not doing well against the pound they'll have to pay more than they think.

[kimmylavin]

5. I know!

In one of the many articles I'd been reading about this, it says that because the writers believed that "oh, its a new, untested market" bullshit when they were negotiating for VHS residuals back in '85 or so, they now make about 1 TENTH of what the box manufacturers make! That's just ridiculous.

[Me.]

6. Miser's Would Rather Lose A Million Dollars Rather Than Pay Writers An Extra Dime

Which is what they going to try to do. For all their big, macho talk they're going to lose big and this nonsense of British writers show them up. As pointed out upthread translation is needed to transform Brit shows into American. The American office is very different that the original as an example. Plus there will be start up time lost if you can even get American actors to cooperate. Just like with all the other ideas the big boys have had, this one hasn't been fully thought out. Just ask the banks how that bankruptcy bill is doing for them now that people are paying their credit card debt but walking away from their mortgages.