Posts by Dan Slevin
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In my opinion, Simon Whipp has been grooming Jennifer Ward'Lealand and the rest of the NZAE leadership for this fight, for a long time. Whipp and Ward-Lealand presented the NZ situation to the FIA conference in Marrakech in 2008; Ward-Lealand and Tandi Wright talk about NZ actors being on inferior contracts in the 2009 Annual Report etc.
I think all the actors in AE have been gearing up for a scrap for a while. I recall sitting around a BBQ two Christmases ago as actor friends discussed the need for more clout and told me that (as an example) the day rate for performers on Legend of the Seeker was $1000. Ten years earlier on Xena it had been $1200. So the terms were getting worse over time not better.
And I sympathise greatly with the feeling that they had no option but to just take whatever was being offered and that eventually something snaps.
And I also realise that you can't go to ordinary New Zealanders and complain about only being paid $1000 a day so the argument becomes about less tangible (but equally painful) developments like the new market for Outrageous Fortune DVDs and ringtones which actors didn't get a cut of. Which ordinary New Zealanders also don't really have much sympathy for.
As I've said privately and publicly to actor friends, I don't have a problem with the goals. I just think that this campaign was the wrong battle, fought at the wrong time, led by the wrong people.
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It's probably worth noting that MEAA has previously employed eye-watering bad strategy in trying to get more money for Outrageous Fortune actors.
And it was over things like ringtones - exploitation of likeness and performance in new, previously unforeseen, media. All reasonable things to ask for.
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Also, are you suggesting that actors are being cheeky worldwide, demanding residuals?
Many creative contractors restrict the use of their work and negotiate further payment for further (often unforeseen) uses. It's entirely reasonable to expect further payments when a work is used in future editions or formats (or territories if specified).
I know a book designer who gets a fresh cheque every new edition of a book with that cover (hardback, paperback, international edition, e-book).
Crumbs, my mother still gets the odd cheque for acting work she did thirty years ago (Rumpole of the Bailey released on DVD - another payment). Perfectly reasonable.
Interestingly, I understand that John Barnett is partially responsible for the lack of residuals in NZ as they were traded away in favour of increased up front fees back in the early 90s when actors were negotiating with SPP. They used to be standard in NZ contracts (which is why no Gloss on DVD by the way).
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I know a number of actors on LOTR who took part in a class action to get a cut of the merchandise revenue - specifically those where their likeness featured on an action figure or some such - so this may well be behind part of it.
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My girlfriend bought an iPad for her parents and we set it up for them this weekend. They were unenthusiastic web and email users and have taken to it really well.
Now they have a web and email (and music playing, YouTube surfing, family photo showing) device that isn't tied to a single room of the house and doesn't crash all the time or prompt them to smash the mouse - which has been known to happen.
They can sit around it at the kitchen table, pass it around easily, use it in bed or on the couch. And from our point of view, technical support has been really easy so far.
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Tragic that an African team didn't progress further - that poor guy from Ghana who missed the penalty probably still can't sleep.
Rumour is he might be signing for West Ham which might explain the sleep problems.
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I didn't include this due to space, but I also wanted to acknowledge that FIFA really knows to how to organise an event - and that South Africa played their part in a hugely succesful World Cup.
Here's the New York Times talking to Chief Executive, Danny Jordaan.
And not everyone enjoyed watching it. Here's my favourite comic strip, Get Fuzzy, with some suggested improvements to the rules.
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Who he?
oh Ryan Nelsen!
:- )My mistake, but Hadyn will have to correct it...
Sorry.
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Peter Jackson may have stayed to help build an NZ industry, but he seems to have forgotten to use the local actors to help make it work.
I don't really want to get into that but I will say that I have many actor friends who had a great deal of work from Jackson and his productions - a lot more than they would have had otherwise. Several are working for him right now, in fact.
Can we go back to talking about the football, now?
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Couldn't have got that prediction more wrong if I tried.
Well done Germany. Impressive all over the park.