Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Hobbit Wars

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    So, Craig - the creative sector goes - where?
    (I pay dues to NZSA.)

    That's a fair point - I really doubt most working writers, musicians or artists would have the time, energy or expertise to start and manage a union from scratch. Let alone develop the contacts and expertise to deal with overseas publishers. But I thought the NZ Society of Authors had pretty good relations with similar organisations overseas, and am really sorry if that isn't the case.

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    You may also want to talk to people with online influence who should be natural allies such as Russell Brown.

    And it's a little rich of IrishBill to say that, when his response to Russell deciding he wasn't going to hang around to be abused for class treason was a snide little bitch about "refusing to engage". Wonder why...

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

  • Sacha,

    Media advisory re The Hobbit

    Thank you, Helen

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott,

    total threadjack, but what the hell - just nursing a lovely single malt after returning from Peter Hook's Joy Division tribute. Goddamn that rocked and not something I'd have ever expected to hear. I'd say everyone was left re-pining the loss of Ian Curtis. RIP matey.

    Still a rock and roll show with a handful of Warsaw tracks to boot and the obvious choice to finish...good, loud times were had by all. Die die die did the business as well, kind of like Bailter Space sped from 33 to 45, or maybe 78 even. Nice one.

    only couple of weeks till the modfather. it's looking quite the month really for an aging post-punk. huzzah.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Media advisory re The Hobbit
     
    Helen Kelly, CTU President has met with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh and we are hopeful that a meaningful dialogue between Equity, SPADA, and Three Foot Seven can be established.
     
    Ends.

    Hooray!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    And it's a little rich of IrishBill to say that, when his response to Russell deciding he wasn't going to hang around to be abused for class treason was a snide little bitch about "refusing to engage". Wonder why...

    Did he? Good grief.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Yes he did:

    I guess, it’s easy to leave in faux offence than engage in the argument. It’s a shame I’ll never get to know what you think about the employment issue at the heart of this dispute.

    IrishBill would have gotten some clue if he'd bothered reading (or accurately represented) the post he'd slagged off up thread, repeatedly. Still, I guess you should just accept the upgrade from class traitor to potential useful idiot, and leave the troll-farmers to their work.

    Meanwhile, The Standard's idea of "fairness and balance" is a You Tube video from Actor's Equity that is, shall we say, of dubious relevance to the Hobbit dispute and a link to the "excellent website" that repeated the claim that The Hobbit is a "non-union production" while a member was claiming nobody ever said any such thing.

    The Standard, like Kiwibog, is perfectly entitled to be a clearing house for partisan (and too often downright deceptive) hackery. Just don't expect me to ever take it seriously.

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

  • Peter Cox,

    aww... I liked the earlier version.

    Ending with

    Still, I guess you should just accept the upgrade from class traitor to potential useful idiot."

    actually made me hurt myself from laughing.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    aww... I liked the earlier version.

    David prefers I get the irritability of my system on-line. So does the neighbour's dog. :)

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

  • Samuel Scott,

    I really doubt most working writers, musicians or artists would have the time, energy or expertise to start and manage a union from scratch.

    There is a musicians union, it is part of the Service & Food Workers Union. I rang them once to see if I should join....they didn't seem too fussed either way! They were friendly but err exceedingly vague.

    YAY for

    dialogue between Equity, SPADA, and Three Foot Seven

    interesting to note its Three Foot Seven and not Wingnut. ie its the production company who are making The Hobbit in New Zealand not PJs company who will be Directing/writing/Producing the film no matter what country it is filmed in. That in itself seems like a victory for common sense.

    ...although maybe that was always going to be the case. Certainly, it seems very unlikely they will be dealing with Peter directly. It is much more likely there will be people in the room who work on a range of NZ films and can be realistic about not setting industry standards that your ole NZ Film Commission funded locals wouldn't possible be able to afford.

    South Wellington • Since Feb 2008 • 315 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Blake Monkley,

    Die die die did the business as well, kind of like Bailter Space sped from 33 to 45, or maybe 78 even. Nice one.

    The lads are certainly on form.

    Media advisory re The Hobbit

    Helen Kelly, CTU President has met with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh and we are hopeful that a meaningful dialogue between Equity, SPADA, and Three Foot Seven can be established.

    Ends.

    Hooray!

    Comrade, I'll second that.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 215 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I guess, it’s easy to leave in faux offence than engage in the argument. It’s a shame.

    It doesn't seem to have occurred to him that I was actually offended, and thus, sensibly I think, took my leave of the situation.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    That in itself seems like a victory for common sense.

    And judging from Ward-Lealand's performance on The Nation this morning, it looks like Equity is actually getting focused and closer to reality-based. Certainly from a sheer PR point of view, it was certainly more useful, and vastly helped by Sean Plunkett at least trying to get under the talking points. (BTW, Plunkett has made the transition to television rather smoothly.)

    But she's still pushing the absurd line that Three Foot Seven can negotiate a "standard contract in line with our colleagues overseas." She's also totally misrepresented the nature and effect of the members alert sent to members of SAG and its affiliates, over the signature of the MEAA's executive director. The simple fact is that any SAG/UK Equity member who inks a contract on a "non-union" shoot is looking down the barrel of very serious sanctions.

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

  • Kyle Matthews,

    and for Craig Parker to be plated in gold.

    I thought Peter Jackson took care of that with his costume in Fellowship of the Ring.

    There is no question that the Equity Organiser is getting paid, and its a legitimate question to ask where that money coming from

    Why? Seriously, it looks like the union have made a bit of a mess of this, but there's some standard things that have come out which are common to many union disputes:

    1. You're costing people jobs/the country money.
    2. Where's the union's money coming from?
    3. Here's a petition of people you're hurting who want you to stop.

    Playing the man not the ball.

    Would it be unreasonable to expect that most of the costs of the organiser are coming from the NZ members paying 8/week or so, like many unions? 150 members would pay a half decent full time salary, 100 more would pay the costs to support their work. Or should we go with speculation on the basis of no facts?

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Hobbit Battling on

    Worth a read. Found this bit interesting:

    NZ Actor's Equity organiser Frances Walsh said the union had been trying to negotiate a standard industry contract with Spada for 18 months, to replace current non-binding guidelines for actors, but the association had refused, offering only to renegotiate the guidelines. "There is no force in a guideline," said Walsh.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    NZ Actor's Equity organiser Frances Walsh said the union had been trying to negotiate a standard industry contract with Spada for 18 months, to replace current non-binding guidelines for actors, but the association had refused, offering only to renegotiate the guidelines. "There is no force in a guideline," said Walsh.

    Um, yes, and even more interesting Walsh seems a tad fuzzy on the Employment Relations Act. As I understand it, if actors have appointed agents as their bargaining agents then that's who producers have to deal with. Correct me if I'm wrong, but any employer who offered to negotiate directly with union members would be facing an immediate "cease and desist" from their legal bargaining agent.

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

  • nzlemming,

    It doesn't seem to have occurred to him that I was actually offended, and thus, sensibly I think, took my leave of the situation.

    That's because people like Irishbill tend to regard others' motivations as similar to their own.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Jonathan King,

    NZ Actor's Equity organiser Frances Walsh said the union had been trying to negotiate a standard industry contract with Spada for 18 months, to replace current non-binding guidelines for actors, but the association had refused, offering only to renegotiate the guidelines. "There is no force in a guideline," said Walsh.

    The NZFC's new Escalator scheme for new filmmakers is for $250,000 films. With film revenues crashing and NZ films simply not selling internationally established filmmakers are going to be more more looking at films around, or under, a million or two. Everything is changing because the film business and ALL its revenue streams are changing ...

    To say that guidelines are not acceptable and that there must be "forceable" standards is ... well, the polite word is 'unrealistic'.

    Someone has posted on my Facebook page that Spada and Equity have been sitting and talking all weekend -- an improvement on 'hoping dialogue can be established'. Interesting that talking to Spada is what PJ and others have been suggesting for some time that that is what they need to be doing.

    Since Sep 2010 • 185 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    The thing about that article, though, is it still refers to Jackson " threatening to take the production to Europe" a number of times. He didn't. He pointed out that the film's backers were considering it as an option, which was obliquely confirmed by a Warners comment. Consequently, I find it difficult to accept anything in the article as objective reporting.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Worth a read. Found this bit interesting:

    Well, yeah. But I don't think a complete reversal of the way the whole screen industry operates (with significant legal implications) is a useful condition for agreeing to talks.

    It screamed out for a constructive approach. First, actually do something for your members by negotiating an update to the PInk Book, like Spada has wanted to do.

    If there really are Spada members flouting the guidelines, have some documented examples. Put them in front of Spada, and the press, and say you'll be obliged to to press more strongly for hard contracts if shit's not sorted out. And, as Craig has noted, for goodness sake get your legal status together.

    The idea that they were going to get what they wanted by stonewalling was extremely misguided.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    hairy-toed ingrates...
    We can all relax, Michael 'Saruman' Laws has
    weighed in to the fray, with all gums bleeding...
    his remarkable insights were obviously created
    in a room without mirrors:

    GOD SAVE us from actors and artists! There are no sane actors – only varying degrees of personality disorders that some parlay into commercial gain.

    and this :

    But this is the corollary conceit of celebrity. Just because one is in films, on television, profiled in magazines and newspapers, there exists an expectation of intelligence. Wisdom, even.

    ...curiously omitting Radio hosts and mediocre Newspaper Columnists from the list, then from some alternate universe he presents this "fact":

    The argument of the actors is relatively simple. We want to share in the anticipated commercial success of this Rings prequel, The Hobbit. We missed out last time because we didn't expect this cinematic masterpiece to be, well, a cinematic masterpiece. Nor the runaway commercial success that it became.

    ...that's right all those actors on that multi-million dollar trilogy thought it was just some low budget throwaway with no hope of success...

    and ending with this volte-face gem:

    It is time that our actors were taught the appropriate lesson – that it really isn't about them. After all, anyone can play dress-up.

    ...so which is it Micky "anyone can act"
    or "only the insane can act" ?


    Holmes and away...
    An unrelated aside - listening to Paul Holmes blathering on ( Mediawatch about Delhi coverage) - is it just me, or is that whole verbal "Question" / "Answer" shtick getting a little tired now, he certainly gives it a very tiresome delivery...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    After all, anyone can play dress-up

    Eyeliner

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    And, as Craig has noted, for goodness sake get your legal status together.

    To be fair, JWL did say on The Nation that their registration should be sorted out by "the end of the week". But by Gimli's left nut, bitch, that it lapsed in the first place wasn't an "administrative error" but a bloody basic competence fail.

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

  • Jonathan King,

    Someone has posted on my Facebook page that Spada and Equity have been sitting and talking all weekend -- an improvement on 'hoping dialogue can be established'. Interesting that talking to Spada is what PJ and others have been suggesting for some time that that is what they need to be doing.

    Correction: I've just heard from a reliable source that SPADA extended an invitation to meet Friday evening and have heard nothing from Equity all weekend ...

    Ball is falling more and more roundly in their court ... and they won't play.

    Since Sep 2010 • 185 posts Report Reply

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