PeterDavid.net

Why the 26th? Why not Monday?

Why the 26th? Why not Monday?

Taking a guess (and it's purely a guess), the week of Thanksgiving everyone who's anyone tends to disappear from Los Angeles. So I'm assuming that key negotiators have already made travel plans that conflict or may have already left town. So they're simply reconvening after Thanksgiving.

PAD

Peter: Why a tuxedo? Because my evening gown would look ridiculous during the daytime.
Luigi Novi: Oh, stop it, girlfriend, you know you look good in it.

:-)

Oh right, Thanksgiving. I forgot all about that.

"Why a tuxedo? Because my evening gown would look ridiculous during the daytime."

Not if you carry a parasol with it!

You think somebody finally crunched the numbers and decided the writers are, I dunno, "worth it"?

I laughed my head off when one of the local radio jockeys said in a totally serious tone:"You see what these higher gas prices have done?! Now the writers are tryin' to get their gas money straightened out!"

It was his air of seriousness that cracked me up. He really meant it. I had to turn the radio off when he tried to connect the dots.

To quote Cheech: Things are tough all over man.

BTW PAD, I think you could pull off the evening gown as long as it's not open back.

It's just in the studios' best interest to straighten this out: Fair payment to the writers will not take that much out of their profits. I support the writers' right to picket and protest, but not to interfere with the production of scripts they have already sold - That's an entirely different thing.

"Fair payment to the writers will not take that much out of their profits."

On the other hand, actually listening to the requests and working out a fair compromise is akin to admitting that the writers are more than scum. That's a dangerous precedent.

Not to mention those stiletto heels of yours would be murder to march the picket line in.

Peter... I got 3 words for you

Little Black Dress....

Oh and maybe some pearls...lol

John

Fingers crossed, man. Hope the WGA and AMPTP can work out a deal.

And forget about that "little black dress" thing. If you're going to glam them, glam them to the 9's. We're talking ball gown, baby.

I just laughed a needed laugh, Peter. Stay playful like that. (And try to get pictures if you do wear a tux!) I hope these talks lead to something good.

Any more stories of note from the picket line?

but not to interfere with the production of scripts they have already sold - That's an entirely different thing.

Many of the writers are also producers. I suspect they find it difficult to separate the two jobs, and do one, while standing on the picket line for the other. They're multi-talented, I'm sure, but human cloning hasn't quite reached that stage yet.

>>BTW PAD, I think you could pull off the evening gown as long as it's not open back.

It worked for Jaime Farr
Just make sure you shave your back....

Bob A

I need my resumption of my favourite shows right now! Dear Lord, just agree to anything!! If they offer 5 cents a DVD and a cheese sandwhich, take it!!!

Seriously, post-playoff Football without a "24" premiere is going to be like, uhm, apple pie without the apples.

Because, you know it would just be pie crust.

...okay, that was a weak analogy, I admit.

This sounds like good news.

I think the studios may have underestimated how things may work in the new internet age. Buying positive articles in Variety ain't enough, not when a legion of bloggers can bypass the mainstream media and get the story out. Disney owns ABC? So what--who gets their news solely from ABC anyway?

I think the studios may have underestimated how things may work in the new internet age.

I think ALL the corporations have no clue how things may work in the internet age...

True that.

Because my evening gown would look ridiculous during the daytime.

I have a theory? You wanna hear my theory?

This "formal negotiations" stuff is just a ploy. They're COUNTING on some of you wearing evening gowns, and doing it in the evening, and doing it in New York City.

They know that insulated evening gowns are hard to come by, and they gleefully anticipate you succumbing to the frigid temperatures and, subsequently, death!

Now it is true that dead writers are, quite often, unable to write any more. This raises the question of how dying picketers would benefit them. This question is irrelevant; fish gotta fly, birds gotta swim, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers gotta be evil and murderous.

(That was originally a real mistake btw; I started typing "birds gotta swim" and then realized that I had it backwards. But I think it's funnier this way.)

Now it is true that dead writers are, quite often, unable to write any more.

I'm glad you put that qualifier on it since VC Andrews still seems to be going strong as do a number of dead writer.

And here I tought you'd look great in fuschia.

As for teh strike, maybe the studios are waking up to the fact that the technology exists to make them irrelevant to a degree. When fans can put out things such as STAR TREK THE HIDDEN FRONTIER with effects which would have been almost impossible twenty years ago, and YouTube gets tens of thousands (irf not more) hits on some offerings, people are realizing studios and networks might not be so indispensable after all. Just as some musicians are eschewing the big labels and just going stright to the Net to peddle their product. Maybe the producers are thinking it's time to play nice if they want to retain a fragmenting market share?

Starwolf--you really nailed it. Want an hour and a half of mindless entertainment? Go pay $7 for the latest Rob Shneider epic...or spend an hour and a half on youtube.

Or make your own stuff. I'm a huge proponent of no-budget movie making. The tools are increasingly affordable (the Red One camera may revolutionize the industry), the software makes almost anything possible, and, as you say, the effects are better than what most of us grew up on.

Making movies will be what having a garage band used to be.

Bill Mulligan and Rob Brown, I believe you're both overestimating the potential of the Internet to render studios and networks "irrelevant." Any individual with Internet access and a bunch of CDs can set up shop on the Internet, but that doesn't mean they'd pose a threat to Amazon. By the same token, amateur films aren't necessarily a threat to the studios and networks.

I've yet to see an amateur production equal the special effects of a big-budget Hollywood feature film or T.V. show. That's because the best special effects require high-end computers and software, and dedicated professionals who work full-time. Big studios can afford the resources, both technological and human, to pull that off. Amateurs can't.

With so damn many films on the Internet, it's going to be hard for amateurs to stand out. Studios and networks have the means to promote their product, but amateurs don't have those resources. Think about it this way: would the fan-made series "Star Trek: New Voyages" or "Star Trek: Hidden Frontier" have gotten so much attention if they weren't amateur knock-offs of an already commercially successful franchise?

Yeah, there is a lot of dross that comes out of Hollywood. But there's also a lot of dross coming from amateurs. I think "Star Trek: Hidden Frontier" is fantastic, although some of that has to do with the professional writers and actors that show has attracted. "Star Trek: Hidden Frontier," on the other hand, earns my admiration because of the passion and dedication of the writers, directors, cast, and crew. But the reality is that the writing on that show was mediocre for the most part, and the acting was what one would expect of an amateur production: amateurish. Given a choice between "Hidden Frontier" and, say, "Doctor Who," I'll take the latter.

I am NOT by any means attempting to discourage anyone from creating their own movies or Internet T.V. series. In fact, I am a huge proponent of it. Hell, I'm trying to write, draw, and publish my own comic. I may be heavily critical of "Hidden Frontier" but it is still an impressive accomplishment and the people involved in it should be proud. Moreover, they are gaining experience that they otherwise may not have been able to gain, and who knows -- one or more of the people involved with "Hidden Frontier" may graduate to the big leagues.

What I am saying, however, is that people who want to create their own entertainment should do so with realistic objectives and expectations. Don't expect to make big money or light the world on fire. Do it because you love it, because the work is intrinsically valuable to you. And if you want to go pro... well, you may have to, you know, work for a corporation. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Bill Myers: "That's because the best special effects require high-end computers and software, and dedicated professionals who work full-time. Big studios can afford the resources, both technological and human, to pull that off. Amateurs can't."

I think you're half right and half wrong. First time amateurs may not be able to do something huge, a truly exceptional talent may be able to build on their early, minor successes. Do something small but good, get some notice and maybe you can get enough profit off you works to do something a little bigger the next time. Rinse and repeat.

While it may have been harder to do before, and while the absolute tidal wave of "talent" that things like youtube crashes over our heads, I think that the opportunities for the smart and the talented are only going to increase with the expansion of internet opportunities and the availability of better and more affordable technologies. The truly PR savvy are just going to do that much better.

Timing and becoming associated with a niche first also counts for a lot.

There were a lot of talented film students who came after Kevin Smith, and no doubt before, but because he became the first to be associated with the public role of "undergrad who maxes out his credit cards to make a movie" they were denied opportunities they might have made better use of Smith was given.

Television is going through what's been described as a new golden age because stories are being tailored to niche interests, and not because programs continue to roll out variations of the same themes in an attempt to appeal to a general audience. Now we have universities inviting scholars for weekends devoted to the influence of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on popular culture and whatnot. TV critics are citing shows with 10-13 episode seasons as the best of the medium, with their stars earning the highest salaries of their peers.

I don't think the upstart creator will be a threat to the studios by trying to replace studio content, or even by lengthening the "tail" of what's available as we see with music made available online. But, unlike music, I think there is still unexplored territory in what interests film and tv audiences, and the niches the upstart filmmaker take and occupy before the studios can get to them are niches they can decide to keep away from the studios, isolating studios only to the markets they already own. The studios bought the independent film market because they controlled distribution but, with the opening of access to upstarts, controlling the airwaves and theaters won't be the leverage it used to be.

I've yet to see an amateur production equal the special effects of a big-budget Hollywood feature film or T.V. show. That's because the best special effects require high-end computers and software, and dedicated professionals who work full-time. Big studios can afford the resources, both technological and human, to pull that off. Amateurs can't.

Oh, no question. The big studios will always be ahead of the curve (though I expect our grandchildren will be able to todays hollywood standards. By then, of course, the standards will be higher).

I don't recommend anyone trying to do their own Transformers epic, though I would never underestimate the creativity of some of the amateurs I've spoken too. Do a documentary or a small My Dinner With Andre type film. Be more John Cassavetes than Jerry Bruckheimer.

Or make zombie movies. Follow your bliss.

Studios and networks have the means to promote their product, but amateurs don't have those resources.

I don't know. Foamy the Squirrel and any number of other internet phenoms have managed to get the word out. Promotion is easier than ever--one good mention on Aintitcool news or Instapundit and you're crashing down servers left and right. Word of mouth on the internet can be formidable.

Don't expect to make big money or light the world on fire. Do it because you love it, because the work is intrinsically valuable to you.

Absolutely. As I said, it's like having a garage band. You dream of being the next Nirvana but if all that happens is you make fun music with your friends...still not a bad thing. There are worse ways to waste a weekend.

Also, you can create and kill off characters based on your friend's names, as Dr. Phil Myers will one day discover...(his cadaver will be found by Officer Barry Chandler. Who also dies. Horribly.)

Some people around here know that I'm a video editor. Now, I'm always looking to show off my talents, which (I've been told) I have. Around here, Bill Meyers is the only one whose been subjected to my video work. Now, with this computer in front of me, combined with all my Adobe stuff, I could literally make my movie. My best friend is a digital animator, his former roommate is a lighting designer and make up artist, and we know enough acting people, myself included, to be dangerous. Films like Blair Witch show what can be done low-budget and low effects-wise.

As for the Trek fan films, there's good, there's better, and then there's, well, my, there's a lot of internet out there. New Voyages and Farragut(considering they use the same sets) are both pretty well done, but both take a LOT of money to produce. Intrepid is also really well done in terms of story and character, and their keying is pretty good. Hidden Frontier and Tales of the Seventh Fleet, well, they put their heart into it. Not really to my taste, but I'm not going to knock them too much considering the effort and time they're putting into it. I've even submitted a script to Farragut, so who knows? I might be boring you guys with more than just posting here soon. One of the things that I have noticed, with some of the films, Trek or otherwise, is they can get a little TOO self-congratulatory for my taste. But, as good as any of them are, they're building on work already done and none of them can make any money. How many self-produced films that AREN'T fanfilms do you see for free on the internet?

The big thing, it seems to me, that puts a studio-produced work into a different level than a self-produced work is the distribution possibilities. Am I right, Mr. Mulligan? I've submitted stuff to Ziddio and On The Lot for their contests, although I couldn't really even try out for On The Lot because we couldn't afford for me to not work for the eight weeks they would've required had I even gotten on. There are opportunities for filmmakers, contests and festivals, but I think the goal for all of these is to get noticed by a big studio and make some coin with this stuff. When I do a video, there are two parts. First, there's the artist in me, what can I say with this? Then, there's the practical side in me, am I going to get paid? I've DJ'd enough weddings and parties, filmed enough weddings and christenings and parties, under the "Well, we can't pay you but we'll feed you" conditions to know that while it might satisfy my stomach, it don't pay the bills. As much as I'd love to see the movie made, well, for one thing, I'd have to finish the script. But our credit's already maxed out, and I don't really have the time, money, or resources to put it together well enough for anyone to really notice. On the OTHER hand though, I do have Triangle, another screenplay that I'm working on, whose only real effects would be a couple car wrecks and some blood, and two people falling out a fourth story window. So, it CAN be done, there's just a lot of work involved.

To bring this back to the WGA strike: no, I don't think the Internet will render the networks or studios irrelevant. A lack of content, however, will. Writers are necessary, and they should fight for what they're worth.

And Peter David should stick with a tux. Please. I'm begging you.

Hey Sean, where do you live? I can whip up any kind of blood you want (yes, to those asking, there are actually many kinds of fake blood, depending on your needs!) and I know of several people I'd like to throw out a window. I keed! But only about the throwing people out a window. I'm serious about offering to help out any movie project if I can.

This is also one of the best parts of the internet age--the ability of like minded weirdos to find each other.

Holy crap...looking over the weekend B.O. I see a far bigger problem for the studios than little old me and a camcorder. FRED CLAUS cast 150 million dollars to make??? WTF? If this is some kind of special effects extravaganza they sure didn't sell it that way on the ads I saw. Yikes.

Definitely niche markets on the Net. One bunch of fans have been hard at work in coming up with their own Republic serial-style Rocketmen (as in KING OF and RADAR MEN etc) shorts which I very much look forward to. Don't hold your breath waiting for a major studio to go that route.

Yeah, Bill, Hollywood does have serious problems when it comes to movie budgets.

But the camcorders are easier to blame.

Starwolf, where could we find those folks? I'd be all over a well made serial. Very cool idea.

This is also one of the best parts of the internet age--the ability of like minded weirdos to find each other.

That's also one of the benefits of jail.