WGA West 2011 Elections

WGA Candidate Questionnaire 2011

 

Today’s date: 8/17/11

Name: John Aboud

Specify WGA East or WGA West: West

Position that you’re running for: Vice President

Current officer or Board/Council position, if any:

Your website(s), if any: wga.johnaboud.com

Website(s) for your slate, group, party or alliance, if any:

 

Background

• Please describe yourself in a sentence or two.

I am a working writer with experience in live action and animated features, network and cable television and new media.  I have a writing partner and work primarily in comedy, so I’m used to arguing all the time.

• What's your background as a writer: how did you come to writing, what do you like about it, what are some key credits, and can you share any interesting experiences or an anecdote or two?

In 1999, my writing partner and I began our careers in entertainment by founding a new media company in New York. We became screenwriters in 2003. Our first feature credit was a sports spoof called “The Comebacks” in 2007. We have staffed on Fox’s “Sit Down, Shut Up” and “Allen Gregory,” and TNT’s “Leverage.” More information than you want is available at http://bit.ly/aboudbio.

• What guilds or unions (including the WGA, of course) are you a member of, and when did you join?

WGA (2003), The Animation Guild: IATSE Local 839 (2008)

• What other entertainment industry organizations, if any, are you a member of? (Motion Picture Academy, TV Academy, BAFTA, professional associations, etc.)

 

• Please list your WGA service experience (boards, committees, etc.), if any. Also, list any awards or honors you’ve received from the WGA that relate to service to the Guild. Feel free to also list service experience and service awards or honors relating to other unions, guilds or entertainment industry organizations. Please omit awards for writing work, such as WGA Awards, Oscars, Emmys, etc. (see below for these).

Contract/Strike Captain 2007-2008, Board Nominating Committee 2011. Unofficial Guild service includes co-founding United Hollywood during the 2007 contract negotiations.

• What WGA contracts and in what media do you frequently work: theatrical, network TV, pay TV, basic cable, daytime dramas (soap operas), new media, animation, nonfiction/documentary/reality, other?

Theatrical, network TV, basic cable, new media and animation.

• What kind(s) of work do you frequently do – original screenplays/teleplays, adapted screenplays/teleplays, assignments, rewrites, staff writer, other?

Originals, assignments, rewrites, staff writer

• Do you frequently (or ever) act, direct, produce or play other roles in theatrical, television, new media or other projects?

My writing partner and I have appeared as comedic commentators on several cable networks and on news programs. You have probably seen us on a television suspended from the ceiling of your gym.

• Are there other aspects of your life you’d like to share with voters – political involvement, community or charitable service, teaching, other creative endeavors, other employment experience, educational background, hobbies, etc.?

 

• Please list any awards or honors for writing work, such as WGA Awards, Oscars, Emmys, etc. Please specify the project and type (TV, theatrical, etc.) and indicate the type of award, such as original screenplay, adapted screenplay, etc. Please list any other awards or honors, such as for community or charitable service.

 

Candidacy

• Why are you running?

I am running for one reason: to raise the issue of member involvement. Starting the conversation is even more important to me than winning this race.  Members and leaders alike must focus on making the guild more responsive and more relevant.

• Are you running as part of a slate, group, party or alliance? Why or why not? If so, which one(s)?

Alliances are for reality shows. Related, I didn’t come here to make friends.

• Have you previously run as part of any slates, groups, parties or alliance? Which ones, and when?

No.

• (a) If you’ve previously run as part of any slates, groups, parties or alliance at any time from 2005 onward, and are now running as part of a different slate, group, party or alliance or as an independent, why the change? (b) If you’ve previously run as an independent at any time from 2005 onward and are now running as part of any slates, groups, parties or alliance, why the change? (c) Otherwise, just write “Not applicable.”

Not applicable.

• Has your candidacy been endorsed by anyone (other than your slate, group, party or alliance, if any)?

A list of WGA members who endorsed me in time for inclusion in the election booklet is available at wga.johnaboud.com.

• Who, if anyone, is financing your candidacy? How much money do you anticipate raising or spending on your campaign?

Self-financed.

• If you’re running as part of a slate, group, party or alliance, who, if anyone, is financing its activities? How much money does it anticipate raising or spending on its activities in 2011?

Not applicable.

• How can voters learn more about you (in addition to the website(s) you listed on p. 1)? Feel free to provide an email address if you’d like, but remember that this document will be publicly available and will be posted on the Internet.

I have set up a special election email address: jaboud@wga.org.

Wages, Working Conditions and Contracts

• What forms, if any, of downward pressure on writers’ wages are prevalent, if any? If any, why did this happen, and what can or should the Guild do about it?

There are fewer opportunities for traditional MBA-covered work. The big six employers are able to depress wages as they expand the production of uncovered forms of work. We must therefore expand jurisdiction where possible -- including more coverage of animation, video games and new media -- ensuring our relevance in the future.

• Are there fewer jobs now (compared to the past) in various areas? Which areas? If so, why did this happen, and what can or should the Guild do about it?

Both anecdotally and statistically, there are fewer covered jobs in features and in network television. While the WGA cannot magically create work, it can expand jurisdiction and fight for parity in cable television.

• Are theatrical writing deals more likely today to be single-step rather than multi-step deals? If so, why did this happen, and what can or should the Guild do about it?

Yes, because development budgets have been reduced. The Committee on the Professional Status of Writers has discussed the negative consequences of this practice with the studios. Though at first glance, one-step deals may seem cost-effective, in fact they often lead to development drift, necessitate bringing on multiple writers and end up costing the studios much more.

• Are there fewer TV writer-producer deals (overall/housekeeping/development deals) than in years past? If so, why did this happen, and what can or should the Guild do about it?

There are fewer overall deals. This is an area where the WGA can collaborate with the agencies to stay abreast of the market. But it is not the Guild’s role to lift the ceiling on upfront, over-scale compensation. That’s what a great agent does.

• Are residuals checks paid and processed quickly enough? If not, who is responsible for the delay, and what can or should the Guild do about it?

Enforcement of the MBA in all respects is the Guild’s greatest service to members. I would like to see more inter-union collaboration to make the collections process timely and transparent.

• How can or should the Guild help members better understand how their particular TV, theatrical or other residuals were calculated, so that members will have more ability to determine whether they’ve been paid properly and on time? Should the Guild create a web page, accessible only to members (and perhaps their agents and lawyers) that will allow members to see the calculation in a step by step, explanatory fashion?

The technology exists to modernize the collection process, and we should use it. Again, this is an area where inter-union coordination could be beneficial.

• Is it appropriate that the Guild is collecting and disbursing foreign royalties? Why or why not? (DGA, SAG and WGA are doing this. On behalf of members and non-members. Foreign royalties are different from residuals, and are not mentioned in the collective bargaining agreements.) Is the Guild doing a good job at this? Why or why not? What if any improvement is needed?

My personal experience with foreign levies is limited but positive. The unions are best equipped to handle this process, so it’s definitely appropriate. The collection and disbursement process should be evaluated during non-contract cycles to assess its efficiency.

• Apart from wage and residuals issues, what are the key problems that members face on the job and how can or should the Guild reduce the frequency of these issues?

Employers can be very creative when asking writers to bend the rules of the MBA. We must do a better job of educating the membership as to what the MBA actually says, because it is the cornerstone of our professional rights. Then, members need to know they can and should notify the Guild of infractions.

• What are some key concerns of specific categories of members – theatrical, network TV, pay TV, basic cable, daytime dramas (soap operas), animation, nonfiction/documentary/reality, other? How well is the Guild addressing those issues and what changes, if any, are needed?

Every segment you mention has unique and specific concerns. What unites all writers is a need for clear Guild priorities and consensus strategies. I think we have to do a better job of publicizing the work of the committees. And we must encourage writers to participate in formulating the strategies that will affect them.

• How well is the Guild addressing issues of non-discrimination, equal opportunity and diversity for women, people of color, LGBT people, people with disabilities, older writers, and others? What changes, if any, are needed?

The Writers Access Project, which I am proud to be involved with, is a step in the right direction. One idea I have heard, and that I endorse, is a counterpart to the Showrunner Training Program tentatively called the Staff Writer Program. There won’t be more diversity at the top of the industry if it is not nurtured at the bottom. 

• What is your opinion of the current WGA Basic Agreement – strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement, etc.? (Omit new media provisions; these are addressed in the next section.)

The MBA is breathtaking in its scope and complexity. I believe the current contract is one we can be proud of. But we must make sure that it is a forward-looking document that anticipates possible futures, so that it never becomes a relic of the industry’s past.

• Should WGA make it a priority to obtain a larger residual in physical home video (DVD / Blu-ray)? Why or why not?

No, this should not be a priority. Studio revenue from physical home video, while still sizable, does not represent the future of our business. Unfortunately, the time to win a better share of physical home video was in the 1980s.

• Theatrical and television residuals are complex. Do you think any kind of large-scale changes to the residuals formulas/structure are necessary or desirable? (Please omit (or just briefly summarize) new media residuals, because this is addressed in the next section.)

The rates in cable television are antiquated and do not reflect the reality of that business.

• What is your opinion about other WGA contracts that you’ve worked or are particularly familiar with – strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement, etc.?

I am a relatively new member and did not become familiar with the MBA until the 2007-2008 negotiations.

New Media

• Do you have any new media credits? If so, what kinds of projects were they, and what was the experience of working in new media like?

I am currently working on my first two new media projects. One is live-action and MBA-covered, the other is animated and covered under IA 839.

• How significant a revenue source for studios and producers today are (a) original made for new media productions and (b) move-over new media (i.e., reuse of traditional product on new media platforms)? How significant do you think they’ll be in 3 years? Do you think that new media as a studio/producer revenue source will eclipse television or physical home video in the next 5 or 10 years?

The revenues are small but growing. I certainly hope that new media will eclipse physical home video as a revenue source. But that is largely in the hands of the studios. I can say with some confidence that new media viewership will eclipse physical home video viewership in ten years. Employers and talent alike have a stake in making sure that revenue follows the viewers.

• The studios say that they currently don't make much money from new media, whether original, derivative (i.e., based on an existing move or TV show), or move over. Do you believe them?

Yes.

• The salaries being offered to writers in original new media are generally low. Should writers accept these jobs even if they're low paying, or decline them – i.e., withhold their services in order to try to increase new media salaries?

They should accept and then go write a massive hit. Salaries will follow revenue for talented writers who deliver the goods. I see no good in withholding services and thus passing up the opportunity to create a game-changing property. As with the earlier question about television overall deals, you are asking about over-scale compensation, which is not the Guild’s purview.

• Are the existing new media provisions (including but not limited to the residuals provisions) in the WGA Basic Agreement acceptable, or do they need modification? In what way?

I think there is general consensus that the ad-supported “free streaming window” should be shortened. The other new media formulas for electronic sell-through, rentals and subscription streaming are acceptable.

Organizing, Collective Bargaining and Strikes

• What types of organizing efforts does or should WGA do with respect to (a) existing members, (b) new media, (c) other types of work that is already covered under the existing agreements and (d) new types of work (please specify) that are not covered under any of the existing contracts?

My fixation is (a), internal organizing. The below question deals with this. New media organizing should establish more do-it-yourself tools that make it easy for new media entrepreneurs to become signatories. The studio side of new media is covered by the MBA, but I think the real potential boom in new media production will not be driven by the big six companies.

• What can WGA do to increase its leverage at the bargaining table?

First and foremost, engage its own membership. I cannot stress this enough. An informed and mobilized membership is the most powerful asset in a negotiation. We have proven that if we are forced into a strike, we are not afraid to sacrifice for our priorities. Expanding jurisdiction is important and enforcing the current MBA is vital. Inter-union coordination must also be improved.

• The threat of a strike may be a union's ultimate leverage, yet a strike is costly (at least in the short term) for members as well as management. That makes a strike a painful tool for a union to use. But, if a union never strikes, that may blunt the effectiveness of the strike threat. How should WGA balance these two competing factors? Do you think the Guild has been achieving the right balance in the last few years? Why or why not?

We should balance those competing factors as all unions must, with common sense, business savvy and careful calculation of our priorities. I don’t see anyone in Guild leadership who takes the risks of striking lightly.

• Should WGA seek a strike authorization vote from members as a standard procedure at the beginning of (or at another point during) each TV/theatrical contract negotiation? Why or why not?

There is no reason to take a strike authorization vote if the leadership is not recommending a strike. Far more important than pre-authorizing a strike is internal organizing. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. An engaged and mobilized membership will authorize and execute a strike if it comes to that. An apathetic and unorganized membership won’t even know negotiations are taking place.

• Was the 2007-2008 strike a success? Why or why not? In what ways was it a success or not a success?

I believe it was successful, because it established precedent-setting formulas for new media compensation and thwarted devastating proposed rollbacks. I believe it was a necessary strike, that the AMPTP’s aggressive posture forced our hand. Remember that a CEO of one of the major companies publicly proposed scrapping our residuals system. Entirely. Everyone in the industry suffered during the strike, but I think the AMPTP wanted to inflict that pain. We will not be able to quantify the long-term value of our new media formulas for some time, but I think the necessity of fighting for them was clear.

• Did the Guild agree to inappropriate or unnecessary concessions in the 2011 negotiations? What were they?

No, I feel that our negotiators got the best deal they could. Not having been in the negotiation room, I can’t say for sure, but I’ve seen nothing that convinces me we left much on the table.

• Were the 2011 negotiations handled well? Why or why not? In what ways were they handled well or not handled well? How can this be improved, if improvement is needed?

My criticisms of the last negotiation are actually criticisms of internal organizing efforts. I wish the current leadership had taken creative steps to engage us. The pattern of demands process was pro forma. But in fairness, membership didn’t want to be engaged. I think the 2011 negotiations were bound to be quiet, as most writers weren’t psychologically prepared for another conflict so soon. But we can’t let the status quo of the past two years become entrenched. It’s time to reenergize our Guild to confront the massive changes and challenges we face.

• Every negotiation involves compromise, since both sides have to agree to a deal. However, did the Guild agree to any inappropriate or unnecessary compromises in the 2010 TV/theatrical negotiations? If so, what were they, and why do you believe the compromises were inappropriate or unnecessary?

See above answer.

• Should the WGA strike in the next round of negotiations if the studios are not willing to make significant improvements in various areas or make significant rollbacks? Why or why not? Which areas or rollbacks, if any, are important enough to trigger a strike under those circumstances?

This question involves too many hypotheticals. But I think your use of the word “significant” is interesting. I would use the word “appropriate.” If the studios don’t make appropriate improvements in the face of verified revenue improvements, yes, that leads to a strike. If verified revenue gains are modest, why would we call for significant improvements? As for rollbacks, if the companies propose rollbacks on the scale of the proposals from 2007, we would need to strike. Some rollbacks reflect the state of the industry (first-class tickets are expensive!) and some are existential threats to our financial well-being.

Relations with/between Members, Producers, Unions and Agents

• How well is the current elected leadership and top staff representing the members and handling the Guild’s affairs? Please explain, and indicate what sorts of improvements or changes are needed, if any.

I am very impressed by the talent of our top staff. The current elected leaders have been admirable stewards of the Guild. I hope that the next round of leaders takes the next two years to set a more ambitious agenda and to set a more inspirational tone. 

• Have you had any experiences where you needed to call on the WGA for help? Please describe. Feel free to omit company or project names if desired, but if possible please give at least the approximate year or time period and some indication of the type of project.

I was involved in a walk-out in 2008 to secure Guild coverage for a prime-time animated show. While we did not achieve WGA coverage, we did achieve a financially-equivalent deal. 

• In what areas does the WGA currently do a good job in helping members and addressing their concerns? In what areas does the WGA need to improve, and how should it do so?

I want to single out the work of the New Members Committee. Their efforts to inform and inspire are exactly what we need. We need to have an internal evaluation of member satisfaction to really know what areas need improvement. I know that we need to have another discussion of the credits system.

• Various matters and decisions are handled jointly by the WGA West and WGA East. Do either of the two unions have too much or too little influence in joint matters and decisions, or is the balance about right? Please explain.

That’s a level of insider politics I’m not privy to. Sorry!

• What is the state of relations between the WGA West and WGA East? Is improvement necessary and, if so, how can it be achieved?

My impression is that relations are good. I know in the past, they were not, and we should be vigilant that we don’t return to that.

• In what ways, if at all, do the concerns of WGA West members and WGA East members differ?

 

• Should the WGA West and WGA East merge? Why or why not?

If that is possible, yes.

• A small number of WGA members are fairly wealthy. Does this make WGA politics more contentious or create other difficulties?

No. But there is always the possibility of conflict between the steadily-working and the infrequently-working. We can avoid this by engaging all members and setting clear agendas.

• Does the Guild provide any real benefit to the small segment of writers who make a few million dollars per year or more? Why should they care about the Guild? Do they?

Creative rights apply to all writers, no matter how well-compensated.

 

• What is the state of relations between TV showrunners and the Guild? What is the state of relations between TV showrunners and other TV writers? TV showrunners hire, fire and manage other TV writers. Does this create tensions within the Guild?

My impression is that relations are good. Several top showrunners are active in Guild politics. They don’t create tensions, I think they provide vital leadership.

• How can WGA be more responsive to studios and production companies where appropriate, or is no change needed or appropriate here? Why?

See next question.

• Should WGA take a confrontational approach to studios and producers or a collaborative one, or some in-between approach? Why?

One size doesn’t fit all. Default approaches don’t make sense.

• How can the Guild improve the professional status of writers, particularly including but not limited to screenwriters?

By enforcing the MBA. Jeff Lowell has articulated this well in his candidate statement.

• In theatrical films, should the Guild allow or perhaps require end credits such as “Additional Writing By” for participating writers who did not receive main title credit? Why or why not? If so, should such writers receive residuals? Why or why not?

I am personally opposed to “credit creep.” While the credit arbitration system is not perfect, its goal of establishing meaningful thresholds of written material is the right one.

• In what ways, if any, does the Guild need to improve its relationship with agents or help writers in their relationships with agents?

My impression is that relations with the agency community are currently good. Let’s improve them further. Unions and agents have different functions, but together they see the whole of the industry and help writers more efficiently.

• Does the Guild need to improve relations with the DGA? If so, how can it do so?

Absolutely. We can start by finding  small-scale strategic projects where close coordination would benefit both of our memberships. We can talk about being better allies all we want.  It’s only when we demonstrate small-scale success that we can achieve large-scale collaboration.

• In what ways, if any, does WGA need to improve its relationship with any of the other entertainment unions and guilds in addition to the DGA?

Even the Guild’s closest relationships with other unions are not productive enough. There should be constant collaboration and innovation with our sister unions to benefit all of our members. We should be seeking bold new ways to reinforce one another’s efforts and ensure labor’s relevance no matter what the industry of the future looks like.

Voting

• WGA (and other entertainment union) participation in voting (elections, strike authorization vote, contract approval) is usually quite low. How can it be increased?

Members vote when they are engaged. It’s vital that the Guild communicate clearly, frequently and in a relatable manner.

• Should writers who own production entities be allowed to vote on WGA contracts, strike authorization votes or in elections, or serve on the WGA boards?

Yes, of course.

Other

• What major issues not already covered above, if any, face the Guild today? How should these issues be addressed or resolved?

 

• Is there anything else you'd like voters to know?