http://btlnews.com/blog A BTL weblog. Thu, 08 May 2008 10:37:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Sure! The economy's in the crapper, along with the dollar, and Hollywood has barely recovered from the writer's strike! Let's have another! We won't need to worry whether the film biz is "recession proof" -- we'll just keep having shutdowns during the recession! Or does this simply mean that AFTRA will ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/158 The latest word - aside from glum forecasts that a strike nobody wants might yet happen -- is that there is no "word." Which, at the moment, is a good thing. A good synopsis of the present moment: Raising hopes that some progress is being made in talks between members of the ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/157 As we head to summer tentpole season -- a.k.a. "VFX season" -- we expand our online repertoire beyond the dwindling economy, latest strike threats/negotiation moves, etc, in order to bring you some "lighter" reading... Of Tubes and Pipelines: Overseeing FX work in "Prince Caspian" by Mark London Williams For a visual effects supervisor, Dean ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/156 Smaller Actors Union Delays Contract Talks to May 5 LOS ANGELES — The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said Wednesday it would delay the start of its contract talks with Hollywood studios for a week to give the ongoing Screen Actors Guild negotiations a better chance to succeed. The move ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/155 From the current print edition of Below the Line: by Mark London Williams And in the better-late-than-never department, we have L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa jumping in to avert a Hollywood strike! Well, to be fair, it's not quite "jumping in" -- more like sober-minded meetings and the releasing of statements. And the mayor has ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/154 In a bit of surprise, Counterpunch, the very leftward news & commentary pub & website started by columnist Alexander Cockburn, takes its attention away from its usual Mideast concerns, to run a trenchant commentary on the AFTRA-SAG split, by writer David Macaray. A goodly chunk of his observations ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/153 Comes this announcement from the DGA today, on retroactively trying to soothe some of the miseries of Hollywood's "strike days." A snippet from the press release: DGA Members receive extension of healthcare benefits Starting April 1, DGA Members Affected By WGA Strike Eligible For 3 Months Premium-Free COBRA Coverage The Directors Guild ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/152 So much for that A-lister squad that wanted to get things wrapped early! Still, it's dubious SAG will be able to pull of a strike of their own, with the writers having gone out "early." SAG Negotiations Will Have To Wait LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Screen Actors Guild says it ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/151 New Hollywood labor disputes, new sources, eh? Here's a big tidbit we've received about SAG's pre-game, pre-showdown state of affairs. Note the observation about yet another de facto strike happening as we speak: "Last week's A-lister meeting with Alan Rosenberg, Doug Allen and SAG board members was at times incredibly contentious, ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/150 DGA honcho Michael Apted released the following statement on the guild's overwhelming approval vote for their new contract. It contains some interesting views of the "road ahead," in terms of internet, streaming, and attendant revenue sources: LOS ANGELES - It is my great pleasure to announce that the DGA membership has ... http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/149