Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles

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  • Andre Alessi,

    And another thing, I love the LOTR trilogy, and it saddens me that those people who made those brilliant backdrop were paid less than the minimum wage

    I'm not privy to precisely who was paid what on the set of the original films for backdrop painting, etc, but knowing folks who worked in the costume department I can categorically say that they were paid what they believe to be a fair wage. I also know that people who worked on sets and backdrops for subsequent productions that were driven by LOTR's success here were paid pretty well indeed by local standards.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Hat-tip to Lyndon Hood:

    The MEAA is a registered New Zealand trade union.

    As of, er, last Thursday.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    AND WHAT A COINCIDENCE (if coincidence it was) that Jackson’s vicious display of anti-union fury should occur within 24 hours of 22,000 workers turning out to demonstrate their opposition to the National Government’s Employment Relations Amendment Bill.

    I like that subtle way he says it's a coincidence, and then hints that it might not actually be one. Oh Chris.

    I hope Helen Kelly is able to release the email correspondance btwn the union and studio over the ban lifting notification very soon.

    someone is spinning greviously here.

    Hear hear. One or the other is not telling the truth and I'd like to see evidence either way. It would say a lot about either side of this dispute.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • rodgerd,

    But here's one thing I've noticed: people somehow getting the idea that Lucy Lawless is also involved in the Equity action (and cursing her name).

    I do remember that Lawless did an interview with, IIRC North and South, that was extrememly hostile to Jackson when both Xena and LotR were active; the gist of it, as I remember, was that she felt Rob Tappert hadn't been given his dues as a great guy for New Zealand, that Jackson was a johnny-come-lately, that she was angry the work being done around Tappert's shows wasn't getting the same level of attention and respect, and so on.

    One does wonder if Lawless's advocacy for Tappert and hostility to Jackson at the time has created the impression that Tappert's crowd (Hurst, Ward-Leland, and the various others who've picked up a bit of work through Spartacus, Brisco, Xena, et al) don't like Jackson for whatever reason.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic,

    But here's one thing I've noticed: people somehow getting the idea that Lucy Lawless is also involved in the Equity action (and cursing her name).

    Did the mining protests - which involved both Robyn Malcolm and Lucy Lawless - have something to do with it? Possibly guilt by association, I suspect.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • DexterX,

    It is time to remove the rotten fruit from the bowl.

    Having regard to Russell's statement:

    "The global boycott was enacted without a meeting or a vote from New Zealand members.

    It was authorised by the Australian MEAA executive Simon Whipp and it's unclear how many NZ Equity members even knew about it."

    The union executive should not be able to committ to industrial action, blacklisting or otherwise, without a resolution from the members concerned.

    The problem with the law - The Employment Relations Act - is that union executive who are selling your labour on your behalf don't actually have to consult you about how they do this and that is where the law needs to change.

    Presently in NZ when you jion a union you cede your right to be bargain and be consulted to the union executive. Under the present law the only part of the process that requires input from the worker is ratification.

    NZAE - should hold an all up meeting and see what the members want to do and that could be return to the table without the CTU and without MEAA and have someone act as their bargaining agent who will consult them and do a decent job of it and pull it all together.

    If this happens then I would hope that the other "party" iis open to working to solve the problem with the maturity and professionalism that it deserves.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1224 posts Report

  • Jonathan King,

    And another thing, I love the LOTR trilogy, and it saddens me that those people who made those brilliant backdrop were paid less than the minimum wage

    This whole 'paid minimum wage' thing has come about by the, at best, mischievous spin put about by Equity at the beginning of all this, when they said that the contracts for actors on The Hobbit had "no set minimum" ... implying that they could be paid below minimum wage ... where, in fact, they would, of course, be paid far in excess of that.

    Since Sep 2010 • 185 posts Report

  • dyan campbell,

    I know of a flat, where the piles of dishes got so insane they decidde to reduce the need by drawing plate size circles on the table and just giving it a good wipe after eating ones spag bol straight off it.

    I've been told of an unlucky pair of children (from Timaru, of course) who, when visiting relatives with family, as a huge group dreaded dinner time - dinner plates being scarce -and were presented with the dog and cat's dishes "given a quick rinse".

    To be fair to Timaru, the auntie lived somewhere else.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Carol Stewart,

    Hear hear. One or the other is not telling the truth and I'd like to see evidence either way. It would say a lot about either side of this dispute.

    Well, I guess. It will probably say quite a lot about the level of exasperation of Warners towards Equity and co by that late stage in the piece.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report

  • Jacqui Dunn,

    is in any position to be throwing rocks at far less well-off technical staff for their concern at being thrown under the bus in a moronic shambles of a campaign

    See, rogerd, that's really OTT stuff right there. "Throwing rocks"? "Thrown under the bus..."?
    And for your information, Robyn M is no longer "pulling $XXX". Outrageous Fortune has finished.

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report

  • Jonathan King,

    See, rogerd, that's really OTT stuff right there. "Throwing rocks"? "Thrown under the bus..."?

    Glad to see you don't have a problem with "moronic shambles of a campaign" though! ;-)

    Since Sep 2010 • 185 posts Report

  • Ross Mason,

    Heh

    Under Milk Wood is fabulous reading ain't it?

    If pissing into your helmet and getting a wet head is your thing..;-)

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report

  • Andre Alessi,

    One does wonder if Lawless's advocacy for Tappert and hostility to Jackson at the time has created the impression that Tappert's crowd (Hurst, Ward-Leland, and the various others who've picked up a bit of work through Spartacus, Brisco, Xena, et al) don't like Jackson for whatever reason.

    I'd be cautious about interpreting any of this as a "personality clash" or rival cliques, or whatever. The industry here is very small, and on any given week you might find some of the people involved having had morning tea with each other, and possibly even washing each other's dishes. The level of intermarriage (when you take into account lower-profile siblings and parents and children, etc) is quite startling.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report

  • Andre Alessi,

    Also, I can't believe I missed this opportunity earlier, but one does not simply boycott into Mordor.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report

  • SodaPop,

    "And another thing, I love the LOTR trilogy, and it saddens me that those people who made those brilliant backdrop were paid less than the minimum wage"

    This is just a blatantly untrue comment which shouldn't even be graced with a reply. Find me one person who was paid less than minimum wage on LOTR. I know of hundreds who were happy with their wages and still rate LOTR as the best project they have ever worked on. Most of them are now working on this production and were also on the march on Wednesday night.

    Since Oct 2010 • 4 posts Report

  • Andre Alessi,

    Presently in NZ when you jion a union you cede your right to be bargain and be consulted to the union executive. Under the present law the only part of the process that requires input from the worker is ratification.

    You keep using that word, "union". I do not think it means what you think it means.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report

  • Alan Perrott,

    really Carol? is that all it will sayl?

    if the studio did know the dispute was over yet pretended otherwise while convincing the union that it was acting in good faith, that wouldn't ring any bells for you?

    there is an emerging taint of opportunism here - not least from the government - but conclusions can't be made until details such as emails become known.

    all the same, I find it hard to believe Kelly would be flatout lying when she knows the studio also has copies of those emails.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    Also, given the length at which nudity was discussed by AE talking heads, alongside pay rates for international productions, I'm surprised action hasn't been taken against Sparticus. I'd love to see the question put to Ms Ward-Leland.

    Yes, I'm thinking particularly of the scene recently with the guy with the huge dick (which we see), who at the end has it cut off, and is hoisted onto a crucifix, the severed organ spurting blood. I can't think of a more risque scene I've ever seen on television, much less an actual NZ production.

    I loved it, btw. It struck me as exactly the kind of bastardly thing that would happen in Ancient Rome. But if anything even remotely in that ball park happens in The Hobbit I'll be scandalized.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • David Hood,

    then tasted a full spoon of the dishwash

    the spirit of Newton lives on

    I tooke a bodkine gh & put it betwixt my eye & [the] bone as neare to [the] backside of my eye as I could: & pressing my eye [with the] end of it (soe as to make [the] curvature a, bcdef in my eye) there appeared severall white darke & coloured circles r, s, t, &c. Which circles were plainest when I continued to rub my eye [with the] point of [the] bodkine, but if I held my eye & [the] bodkin still, though I continued to presse my eye [with] it yet [the] circles would grow faint & often disappeare untill I removed [them] by moving my eye or [the] bodkin.

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    One does wonder if Lawless's advocacy for Tappert and hostility to Jackson at the time has created the impression that Tappert's crowd (Hurst, Ward-Leland, and the various others who've picked up a bit of work through Spartacus, Brisco, Xena, et al) don't like Jackson for whatever reason.

    Tapert certainly wasn't hostile to Jackson when One News asked him to comment when the Hobbit thing blew up:

    According to American film producer Rob Tapert, the man behind Xena Warrior Princess, the drama will be hurting Sir Peter.

    "I know some of the people that he's helped turn into superstars and worked with in the past have been vocal in this particular dispute and if I was him I certainly would feel hurt."

    The video is here.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Jacqui Dunn,

    Glad to see you don't have a problem with "moronic shambles of a campaign" though! ;-)

    Actually, I do, but thought two examples were sufficient to make the point:)

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report

  • FletcherB,

    Just an aside on rinsing after washing....

    In general, I'm on Ben's side and have only tasted soap later if it was a ridiculously strong soap/water mix.... (I'm also lazy).

    But ALWAYS rinse your beer glasses... unless you like flat beer.

    A soapy residue glass kills off the foamy head and makes the beer flatter faster...

    You can definitely notice the difference.

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report

  • Carol Stewart,

    really Carol? is that all it will sayl?

    That's not quite what I said, Alan.
    I take the point that there are conflicting versions of events here and only one of them can be right, but you could forgive Warners for being dubious about Equity/MEAA's assurance that 'the dispute was over' after so many weeks of being dicked around.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Tapert certainly wasn't hostile to Jackson when One News asked him to comment when the Hobbit thing blew up:

    And to be honest, I think Tapert has had more than enough shit of his own to deal with on the casting front. Re-casting your very popular and critically well-received lead is a risky move at the best of times, but the circumstances of Andy Whitfield's departure just makes it that much worse. I know people who work on Spartacus and for once the cliché "absolutely gutted" is apt.

    I'd love to see the question put to Ms Ward-Leland.

    I'd much rather the question be put to Lucy Lawless -- did her freaking husband bully or coerce her into taking her top off? If so, she not only needs to get a good divorce lawyer on the speed dial but go shopping for a new agent.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Bleached as...

    I was raised and educated in Hawera and bleach was never part of this. Peroxide was, however.

    Peroxide (or peroxide-releasing compounds) is a major component in many Bleaches

    Many bleaches have strong bactericidal properties, and are used for disinfecting and sterilizing.

    but sadly

    Bleach is highly toxic to fish and invertebrates.

    so that greywater may not be great
    flowing into an estuary...

    Ya might have to be careful what you are washing and mixing with peroxides though, with the prevalence of acetones and phenols (think of the smell of Islay Scotch Whisky) and ketones in everyday life you might accidentally create Acetone peroxide and then TATP (Triacetone triperoxide ) a favoured terrorist explosive compound
    ... aaah, the chemystery of life....


    we will fight them on the bleaches...
    ...as to how doing the dishes and The Hobbit debacle connect - well I think it's that sinking feeling we've been left out to dry, and all the drips, and how it's hard to know who is towelling the truth and what's a load of crockery - some serious spooning is called for on both sides!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

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