May 8, 2008

TV networks still testing new production cycles
More television series than ever are staying in continuous production after wrapping their current seasons or starting production on their next season's orders early this year. At the same time many pilots for new shows have yet to be shot. All of this follows the writers strike, which brought production to a halt for two months during the middle of the shooting cycle. Full story

May 7, 2008

AFTRA meets with AMPTP
A last ditch effort by SAG to keep the negotiations alive between it and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers has been shuttered by sister union AFTRA, which refused to postpone for a third time its scheduled talks with the producers. Full story


May 6, 2008

AFTRA, AMPTP to begin talks
After two delays at the request of SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, AFTRA comes to the negotiating table and formally starts talks Wednesday on its three-year primetime/TV contract with the producers. Full story

May 4, 2008

SAG backs off on DVDs
SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers will return once again to the bargaining table Monday for what will likely be two days of intense negotiations on the actors' contract, which expires June 30. Full story

May 2, 2008

Actors, producers to continue negotiations
SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers have agreed to continue their formal talks on the actors contract through Tuesday. Full story

April 30, 2008

AMPTP splashes cold water on SAG
Any chance that SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers will ink a new contract by Friday is all but gone. Full story

April 27, 2008

SAG, AMPTP make little progress
SAG's contract talks with Hollywood studio reps enter their third week today amid a growing sense that progress has been meager behind closed doors. Full story

April 25, 2008

In L.A., no shelter from strike fallout
The 100-day writers strike left quite a bruise, as it turns out. Production tracker FilmLA said Thursday that on-location film, TV, commercial and other shoots fell 23% in the first quarter, the sharpest quarterly decline ever recorded. Full story

April 24, 2008

SAG outlines new-media value
As SAG continued its negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers on Thursday, the actors union sent its second report to membership, outlining their position on new media and why it is important to actors. Full story

AFTRA keeps the window open
AFTRA is giving SAG an extra week. Whether that's more time to hang itself or to produce an upbeat Hollywood ending to the town's long-running labor drama remains to be seen.
Full story

Strike's effect still stings
The 100-day writers strike left quite a bruise, as it turns out. Production tracker FilmLA said Thursday that on-location film, TV, commercials and other shoots fell 23% in the first quarter, the sharpest quarterly decline ever recorded. Full story

April 23, 2008

AFTRA postpones AMPTP negotiations
AFTRA is giving SAG an extra week. Whether that's more time to hang itself or to produce an upbeat Hollywood ending to the town's long-running labor drama remains to be seen.
Full story

April 22, 2008

SAG details 'the squeeze' on members
As SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers entered their seventh day of formal negotiations Tuesday, the union sent its first update to members since talks began April 15. Full story

April 21, 2008

SAG talks in second week as AFTRA ponders options
As SAG and the majors enter their second week of talks, there are a lot of questions and not too many answers about what has happened behind the closed doors at the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers headquarters in Sherman Oaks. Full story

No-strike pacts on Yari agenda
At least two indie film projects starring A-listers likely won't be disrupted if there's an actors strike in the summer. On Monday, producer Bob Yari said he plans to get SAG no-strike pacts for "Killing Pablo" and "The Governess." Full story

April 19, 2008

SAG, AMPTP to resume talks Monday
As SAG and the majors enter their second week of talks, there are a lot of questions and not too many answers about what has happened behind the closed doors at the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers headquarters in Sherman Oaks. Full story

April 18, 2008

Sides huddle up before Day 4
SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers will reconvene this morning in separate caucuses before entering the fourth day of talks in the afternoon, the two sides said Thursday. Full story

April 17, 2008

SAG, Film Dept. ink first deal
If there is an actors strike, at least one indie film company won't be affected. The Film Department said Wednesday that it has inked completion agreements with SAG for nine pictures that are gearing up for production in the spring and summer. Full story

April 16, 2008

SAG, AMPTP talks kick off
Negotiators for SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers sat down for the first time Tuesday to begin what is expected to be two weeks of intense talks on the actors union contract, which expires June 30. Full story



April 14, 2008

SAG, studios head to table
After months of industrywide angst, SAG will sit down at the bargaining table Tuesday with Hollywood studios and the networks. Full story

Ahead of talks, SAG axes petition
SAG's national board has sidelined attempts by a faction of members that would have limited voting on the upcoming TV/film contract, as well as any strike authorization. Full story

April 9, 2008

IATSE, AMPTP agree to break
IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers have agreed to continue at a later date their "opening round" of contract talks to make way for the upcoming separate negotiations the producers have with SAG and AFTRA. Full story

April 7, 2008

AMPTP: Share revenue 'fairly'
The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers on Monday issued an "open letter" indicating its desire to "share fairly" the revenue generated from new media and other areas with the industry's talent. Full story

April 3, 2008

AFTRA leaving a window open
SAG will have less than two weeks to negotiate its film and TV contract before its sister performers union AFTRA sits down to negotiate its own pact. Full story

April 2, 2008

SAG has first line in talks
SAG has beaten AFTRA to the bargaining table. On April 15, SAG plans to sit down with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers to begin formal negotiations on a new contract. Full story

AFTRA sets date with AMPTP
SAG will have less than two weeks to negotiate its film and TV contract before its sister performers union AFTRA sits down to negotiate its own pact. Full story

April 1, 2008

Actors rush to get in first word
As the waters receded Monday from the labor tsunami that hit Hollywood two days earlier, leaders of SAG and AFTRA began moving forward in preparations to sit down with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. Full story

March 31, 2008

SAG, AFTRA face a race to the table
The feud between SAG and AFTRA is nothing new. But the decision Saturday by AFTRA's national board to suspend its joint bargaining agreement with SAG has heightened the bad blood between the actors unions to Hatfield and McCoy status. Full story

March 30, 2008

Actors unions butt heads over negotiations
The feud between SAG and AFTRA is nothing new. But the critical decision Saturday by AFTRA's national board to suspend its joint bargaining agreement with SAG, known as Phase One, has heightened the bad blood between the actors unions to Hatfield and McCoy levels. Full story