Posts by Jonathan King
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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.
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I thought this "third world conditions" thing had been put to bed when Peter Jackson revealed they were being offered around $5000 a week.
And the actors said it wasn't about money. What are the third world conditions then? Catering that doesn't have an ovo-lacto option?
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You know what's morally indefensible about this actors thing?
They're all still at work, while other NZ film workers have been stood down directly because of their threats. People working the week before last didn't work last week - or won't next week - because of the uncertainty of the project ... while actors on Spartacus, Shortland St, Go Girls etc bank their paychecks.
If the actors want to put their money where their mouth is and strike then they should knock themselves out ... but inflicting real pain without being prepared to take any is bullshit.
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NZ Equity's membership is estimated at between 100 and 200 people. In less than 24 hours more than 500 people have signed this petition asking them to call off this international boycott.
Equity say they are a democratic organisation; they say they are in support of workers. Will they acknowledge the voices of their brothers and sisters who work in the film industry who will be affected (some devastatingly, certainly more than the actors will -- given how long crew work on a film compared to actors in smaller roles) if this film is jeopardised?
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If I hurt Jonathon King, I apologise
I wasn't hurt ... till you spelled my name wrong ... ;-)
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Maybe cross off the name Rocky Douche, though (No. 118 on the petition).
Rocky is a pioneer of sound post-production in NZ -- founder of Marmalade Studios.
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Robyn and Jennifer are adamant its not about money (apart from the clause that if the movie doesn't go ahead the actors still want their money).
Hang on, what? Day players want pay or play?!?
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Building is miniatures studio, apparently.
sabotage.
That's a strong word.I just though of a stronger one.
Terrifying, if this is not a coincidence.
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Jonathan, yes exactly my point.
But the long-standing 'Pink Book' already covers agreement on all those things.
And if it needs renegotiating, why don't the actors (and / or their reps) meet SPADA and negotiate it?
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Conditions (not that I'm entirely sure what 'conditions' means -- but I'm thinking of my experience of conditions on a film: hours worked, overtime, turnaround, health & safety, meals) tend to be standard. Certainly I don't believe for a second -- as Peter Jackson has said today -- that they will be sub-standard on The Hobbit.
Pay scales / residuals / profit share VERY different.