Exclusive: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon MGM Studios and NBCUniversal have come aboard as sponsors of this year’s Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program. The Writers Guild Foundation initiative aims to provide TV writers who are Bipoc, Lgbtqia+, writers with disabilities, and writers over the age of 50, with tools, education and opportunity to become writers’ assistant and script coordinators in the industry.
The deal means that along with financial support, the companies will be considering this year’s program graduates and alumni for available staffing slots on their series.
The program, originally launched in 2021 by writers and producers Tanya Saracho (Vida), Mike Royce (One Day at a Time) and Liz Hsiao Lan Alper (Day of the Dead), features a 12-week course taught by instructors and script coordinators Debbie Ezer (The Good Doctor) and Clay Lapari (Community). By the end, participants’ experience level is equivalent to working as a writers’ assistant...
The deal means that along with financial support, the companies will be considering this year’s program graduates and alumni for available staffing slots on their series.
The program, originally launched in 2021 by writers and producers Tanya Saracho (Vida), Mike Royce (One Day at a Time) and Liz Hsiao Lan Alper (Day of the Dead), features a 12-week course taught by instructors and script coordinators Debbie Ezer (The Good Doctor) and Clay Lapari (Community). By the end, participants’ experience level is equivalent to working as a writers’ assistant...
- 12/7/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, are the most recent celebrities to donate to the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strike funds.
Since May, the couple has given $1.5 million to support the writers and actors affected by the dual strike in Hollywood. The funds have gone to both the Entertainment Community Fund and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program.
The Ecf, previously called the Actors Fund, is a human services organization that addresses the needs of people who work in entertainment and performing arts. With Spielberg and Capshaw’s contributions, as well as those from other donors, the fund has been able to help film and TV workers cover basic living expenses. As of Sept. 8, the fund has donated more than $6.5 million, distributing about $400,000 to $700,000 per week.
Similarly, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation works to provide financial assistance and educational programming to people within the performers union. Due to the work stoppage,...
Since May, the couple has given $1.5 million to support the writers and actors affected by the dual strike in Hollywood. The funds have gone to both the Entertainment Community Fund and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program.
The Ecf, previously called the Actors Fund, is a human services organization that addresses the needs of people who work in entertainment and performing arts. With Spielberg and Capshaw’s contributions, as well as those from other donors, the fund has been able to help film and TV workers cover basic living expenses. As of Sept. 8, the fund has donated more than $6.5 million, distributing about $400,000 to $700,000 per week.
Similarly, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation works to provide financial assistance and educational programming to people within the performers union. Due to the work stoppage,...
- 9/11/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Updated with latest expected attendees: SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles Local and the Writers Guild of America will hold a “National Day of Solidarity” rally Tuesday outside Disney Studios.
“SAG-AFTRA and WGA will join forces with the AFL-CIO and its affiliates from across the nation and across industries for a National Day of Solidarity,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “In this ‘Summer of Strikes,’ working Americans everywhere are fighting for fair contracts, better compensation, safe working conditions and protections from encroaching technology. Together, we are showing corporate America that when we fight, we win!”
SAG-AFTRA has been on strike since July 14, and the Writers Guild since May 2. The rally will start Tuesday at 10 am Pt.
Among those scheduled to speak at the rally include SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer Joely Fisher, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Yvonne Wheeler.
Others scheduled to attend...
“SAG-AFTRA and WGA will join forces with the AFL-CIO and its affiliates from across the nation and across industries for a National Day of Solidarity,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “In this ‘Summer of Strikes,’ working Americans everywhere are fighting for fair contracts, better compensation, safe working conditions and protections from encroaching technology. Together, we are showing corporate America that when we fight, we win!”
SAG-AFTRA has been on strike since July 14, and the Writers Guild since May 2. The rally will start Tuesday at 10 am Pt.
Among those scheduled to speak at the rally include SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer Joely Fisher, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Yvonne Wheeler.
Others scheduled to attend...
- 8/22/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Writers Guild of America East leadership has touched down in Los Angeles for meetings to review the counter-offer by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers furnished on Aug. 11, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The WGA and the AMPTP are set to meet Tuesday, Aug. 15.
On Friday, the AMPTP presented its latest counter-proposal to the writers’ union. The guild told its members that night that it would “evaluate their offer” and present their response this week.
It’s not unusual for leaders of the eastern branch to join their West Coast counterparts during a strike — president Michael Winship has previously told THR that during the 2007-08 writers’ strike, as president of the eastern branch of the union, he flew out to L.A. every few weeks — but it does suggest that the talks have gotten more serious in recent days.
Neither branch of the Writers Guild of America responded...
On Friday, the AMPTP presented its latest counter-proposal to the writers’ union. The guild told its members that night that it would “evaluate their offer” and present their response this week.
It’s not unusual for leaders of the eastern branch to join their West Coast counterparts during a strike — president Michael Winship has previously told THR that during the 2007-08 writers’ strike, as president of the eastern branch of the union, he flew out to L.A. every few weeks — but it does suggest that the talks have gotten more serious in recent days.
Neither branch of the Writers Guild of America responded...
- 8/15/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny and Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: The Writers Guild Foundation has announced the participants for the 2023 session of the Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program.
Out of the nearly 2,100 applications received, 18 candidates were selected: Archana Shinde, Ashley Obinwanne, Del Potter, Filipa Ioannou, J. Gabriel Ware, Jazmyn Edmonds, Jon-Alexander Genson, Khadijah Iman, Kyle Harris, Maaman Rezaee, Madonna Diaz-Refugia, Rodrigo Carvalhedo, Saira Umar, Samuel Christopher Spitale, Stephanie Leke, Stephen Ra-Choi, Xuan Mai and Yeon Jin Lee.
Applications were reviewed by a committee of over 30 television creators, executive producers, showrunners, and writers who previously worked as writers’ assistants and script coordinators, including program founders Tanya Saracho (Vida), Mike Royce (One Day at a Time) and Liz Hsiao Lan Alper (Day of the Dead), along with showrunners Gloria Calderon Kellett (With Love), Sera Gamble (You), Glen Mazzara (The Rookie), Latoya Morgan (Duster) and Steven Canals (Pose).
The 12-week course begins in mid-August and will be taught by instructors Debbie Ezer...
Out of the nearly 2,100 applications received, 18 candidates were selected: Archana Shinde, Ashley Obinwanne, Del Potter, Filipa Ioannou, J. Gabriel Ware, Jazmyn Edmonds, Jon-Alexander Genson, Khadijah Iman, Kyle Harris, Maaman Rezaee, Madonna Diaz-Refugia, Rodrigo Carvalhedo, Saira Umar, Samuel Christopher Spitale, Stephanie Leke, Stephen Ra-Choi, Xuan Mai and Yeon Jin Lee.
Applications were reviewed by a committee of over 30 television creators, executive producers, showrunners, and writers who previously worked as writers’ assistants and script coordinators, including program founders Tanya Saracho (Vida), Mike Royce (One Day at a Time) and Liz Hsiao Lan Alper (Day of the Dead), along with showrunners Gloria Calderon Kellett (With Love), Sera Gamble (You), Glen Mazzara (The Rookie), Latoya Morgan (Duster) and Steven Canals (Pose).
The 12-week course begins in mid-August and will be taught by instructors Debbie Ezer...
- 7/31/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Teamsters Union has been supporting the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for the last 75 days across Hollywood and the scribes have returned the favor.
Deadline understands that a group of WGA members, around 50 writers, joined a picket line at an Amazon warehouse in Santa Clarita, California, to support the Amazon drivers and dispatchers in their own dispute.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represent over 1M workers in the U.S. have been picketing Amazon warehouses across the U.S. since June 24 including at locations in California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Michigan.
The union is fighting against low pay and dangerous working conditions and the Teamsters Local 396 have been bargaining with Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner and Battle-Tested Strategies to recognize and honor the union contract since April. However, they say that Amazon has engaged in unfair labor practices in violation of federal labor law, including terminating...
Deadline understands that a group of WGA members, around 50 writers, joined a picket line at an Amazon warehouse in Santa Clarita, California, to support the Amazon drivers and dispatchers in their own dispute.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represent over 1M workers in the U.S. have been picketing Amazon warehouses across the U.S. since June 24 including at locations in California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Michigan.
The union is fighting against low pay and dangerous working conditions and the Teamsters Local 396 have been bargaining with Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner and Battle-Tested Strategies to recognize and honor the union contract since April. However, they say that Amazon has engaged in unfair labor practices in violation of federal labor law, including terminating...
- 7/15/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
“The. Fucking. Nanny.” That’s how Writers Guild of America West board member Liz Alper effectively summed up how members of the striking union felt about SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher’s impassioned comments Thursday afternoon when the guild formally announced plans to strike after contract talks with the studios and streamers broke down after four weeks of negotiations.
SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who joined Drescher at the podium at SAG’s Miracle Mile headquarters, said the national board “unanimously voted to issue a strike order” Thursday morning. The 160,000-member performers union will join the 11,000-plus members of the WGA on the picket lines starting Friday, marking the first dual strike in Hollywood in more than six decades.
“They’ve recognized, as writers have, that the studios have broken the business and are calling the studios to account,” one showrunner told The Hollywood Reporter following the SAG-AFTRA news conference.
SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who joined Drescher at the podium at SAG’s Miracle Mile headquarters, said the national board “unanimously voted to issue a strike order” Thursday morning. The 160,000-member performers union will join the 11,000-plus members of the WGA on the picket lines starting Friday, marking the first dual strike in Hollywood in more than six decades.
“They’ve recognized, as writers have, that the studios have broken the business and are calling the studios to account,” one showrunner told The Hollywood Reporter following the SAG-AFTRA news conference.
- 7/13/2023
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There’s a festival feel at the La Brea Tar Pits with live performances from Aloe Blacc and Boots Riley.
Blacc said that he was there to sing for the writers and that he wishes “there was more I could do for you” but that he stands in “solidarity”, while Riley performed an acapella song called Everything after saying “the whole world is looking at us and we can’t let them down” (see clips below).
But while there’s live music, the sense of injustice from the thousand-plus writers attending the WGA Strong March and Rally for a Fair Contract was even louder.
Adam Conover, the Wgaw Board and Negotiating Committee Member who organized the event, drew large cheers when he pointed out that the writers were being supported by a slew of other unions, including actors, directors, drivers, janitors and strippers.
“Corporate greed” has been the main message...
Blacc said that he was there to sing for the writers and that he wishes “there was more I could do for you” but that he stands in “solidarity”, while Riley performed an acapella song called Everything after saying “the whole world is looking at us and we can’t let them down” (see clips below).
But while there’s live music, the sense of injustice from the thousand-plus writers attending the WGA Strong March and Rally for a Fair Contract was even louder.
Adam Conover, the Wgaw Board and Negotiating Committee Member who organized the event, drew large cheers when he pointed out that the writers were being supported by a slew of other unions, including actors, directors, drivers, janitors and strippers.
“Corporate greed” has been the main message...
- 6/21/2023
- by Katie Campione, Rosy Cordero and Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The WGA Strong March and Rally for a Fair Contract has kicked off in LA with thousands of members of the guild including Damon Lindelof and Boots Riley taking to the parks and streets.
Damon Lindelof (Deadline)
Mrs. Davis exec producer Lindelof and Riley, whose Amazon series I’m A Virgo, starring Jharrel Jerome comes out this week, were joined by WGA leadership including WGA West President Meredith Stiehm, former President David Goodman, Vice President Michele Mulroney, Secretary-Treasurer Betsy Thomas and WGA board member Liz Alper as the group assembled in Pan Pacific Park.
Stiehm told Deadline that the writers are “motivated”. “Showing solidarity and energy and fight on day 51 of the strike… We’re certainly making the best of it,” she said, adding that the WGA is “open every day” for the AMPTP to get back to the negotiating table.
The march will then head west along along 3rd Street,...
Damon Lindelof (Deadline)
Mrs. Davis exec producer Lindelof and Riley, whose Amazon series I’m A Virgo, starring Jharrel Jerome comes out this week, were joined by WGA leadership including WGA West President Meredith Stiehm, former President David Goodman, Vice President Michele Mulroney, Secretary-Treasurer Betsy Thomas and WGA board member Liz Alper as the group assembled in Pan Pacific Park.
Stiehm told Deadline that the writers are “motivated”. “Showing solidarity and energy and fight on day 51 of the strike… We’re certainly making the best of it,” she said, adding that the WGA is “open every day” for the AMPTP to get back to the negotiating table.
The march will then head west along along 3rd Street,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Peter White, Katie Campione and Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Boots Riley brought the fire. Lindsay Dougherty brought the Teamsters. And top leaders of SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, American Federation of Musicians and other area unions gathered by the hundreds Wednesday to show solidarity with striking writers at the WGA Strong March and Rally for a Fair Contract held at the La Brea Tar Pits.
Riley, the auteur behind 2018’s “Sorry to Bother You” and the upcoming Amazon Prime series “I’m a Virgo,” noted that he was once a member of the Teamsters during his days working for Ups.
“We’re not just fighting for us right now. In the last three years there’s been over 2,900 strikes in the U.S.,” Riley told the cheering crowd. “They’re scared of what’s going on,” Riley said of American corporations. “They’re scared of how militant, how ready to fight we’ve become.”
Supporters walk past WGA West headquarters.
Dougherty,...
Riley, the auteur behind 2018’s “Sorry to Bother You” and the upcoming Amazon Prime series “I’m a Virgo,” noted that he was once a member of the Teamsters during his days working for Ups.
“We’re not just fighting for us right now. In the last three years there’s been over 2,900 strikes in the U.S.,” Riley told the cheering crowd. “They’re scared of what’s going on,” Riley said of American corporations. “They’re scared of how militant, how ready to fight we’ve become.”
Supporters walk past WGA West headquarters.
Dougherty,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Cynthia Littleton, Gene Maddaus, Selome Hailu and Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
As the WGA strike continues on, a fund is being relaunched to aid support staff, like writers’ room assistants and production assistants, affected by the continued work stoppage.
TV writer and producer Liz Hsiao Lan Alper’s Pay Up Hollywood, which has long advocated for the financial needs of support staff, is relaunching its Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund. The fund was originally launched at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic to aid support staff, who are often at the very beginning of their careers, with help in the wake of shuttered sets and writers’ rooms. That effort resulted in $500,000 of aid.
Led by Alper, a Writers Guild of America West board member, and support staffer Alex Rubin, the fund is being launched in collaboration with Entertainment Community Fund and Women In Film, the latter of which donated $10,000 to the fund. According to today’s announcement, the fund will provide...
TV writer and producer Liz Hsiao Lan Alper’s Pay Up Hollywood, which has long advocated for the financial needs of support staff, is relaunching its Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund. The fund was originally launched at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic to aid support staff, who are often at the very beginning of their careers, with help in the wake of shuttered sets and writers’ rooms. That effort resulted in $500,000 of aid.
Led by Alper, a Writers Guild of America West board member, and support staffer Alex Rubin, the fund is being launched in collaboration with Entertainment Community Fund and Women In Film, the latter of which donated $10,000 to the fund. According to today’s announcement, the fund will provide...
- 6/7/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
#PayUpHollywood, the organization founded in 2019 to promote pay equity for Hollywood’s assistants, said Wednesday that it has relaunched its Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund as a permanent emergency fund to aid film and TV support staff impacted by the ongoing Writers Guild strike and any other industry work stoppages in the future.
In collaboration with the Entertainment Community Fund – formerly the Actors Fund of America – and Women in Film, the relief fund, which is led by WGA West board member Liz Hsiao Lan Alper and support staffer Alex Rubin, will provide onetime grants to assistants and support staff who have less than three years of industry experience and have lost employment due to an industry work stoppage.
Debuting in its relaunch with a $10,000 donation from Wif, the relief fund was originally created in March of 2020 in response to the Covid pandemic and provided more than $500,000 in aid to support staffers in need.
In collaboration with the Entertainment Community Fund – formerly the Actors Fund of America – and Women in Film, the relief fund, which is led by WGA West board member Liz Hsiao Lan Alper and support staffer Alex Rubin, will provide onetime grants to assistants and support staff who have less than three years of industry experience and have lost employment due to an industry work stoppage.
Debuting in its relaunch with a $10,000 donation from Wif, the relief fund was originally created in March of 2020 in response to the Covid pandemic and provided more than $500,000 in aid to support staffers in need.
- 6/7/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Minutes after the Writers Guild of America declared it was on strike, members lit up social media with vows to stay strong as they prepare to hit the picket lines on Tuesday.
News of the strike, which takes effect later this evening, came late Monday after the guild’s negotiations with the AMPTP failed to reach an agreement on a new film and scripted TV contract. It’s the WGA’s first strike since the 100-day walkout of 2007-08.
Reaction on Twitter was swift. “Here we go,” wrote David Simon. “See you all on the pavement, my brothers and sisters.” He followed it with the hashtag #WGAstrong.
Some expressed fear but that was quickly replaced by resolve, as scribes encouraged fellow members to ignore the spin “that’s already coming out.”
Related: WGA Strike Picket Line Locations List For Los Angeles & New York
“We’re on strike,...
News of the strike, which takes effect later this evening, came late Monday after the guild’s negotiations with the AMPTP failed to reach an agreement on a new film and scripted TV contract. It’s the WGA’s first strike since the 100-day walkout of 2007-08.
Reaction on Twitter was swift. “Here we go,” wrote David Simon. “See you all on the pavement, my brothers and sisters.” He followed it with the hashtag #WGAstrong.
Some expressed fear but that was quickly replaced by resolve, as scribes encouraged fellow members to ignore the spin “that’s already coming out.”
Related: WGA Strike Picket Line Locations List For Los Angeles & New York
“We’re on strike,...
- 5/2/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Over half of entertainment industry support staffers that responded to a new survey made 40,000 or less in 2021, while over one quarter made less than 30,000.
The number of respondents who made 50,000 or less increased between 2020 and 2021, from 79.11 percent in 2020 to 91.05 percent in 2021, the latest annual pay and work conditions survey from advocacy organization #PayUpHollywood also finds. Five hundred and twenty-three support staffers — current or former assistants at studios, production and development companies, talent agencies and in production and postproduction departments — took part in the latest report, which was open between Nov. 16, 2021 and Jan. 1, 2022 and whose results were published on Thursday.
The survey highlights that, according to California Housing Partnership’s 2021 Affordable Housing Needs Report for Los Angeles County, renters need to earn more than 79,524 a year to avoid being “cost burdened,” or using more than 30 percent of their annual income on housing expenses. By this metric,...
Over half of entertainment industry support staffers that responded to a new survey made 40,000 or less in 2021, while over one quarter made less than 30,000.
The number of respondents who made 50,000 or less increased between 2020 and 2021, from 79.11 percent in 2020 to 91.05 percent in 2021, the latest annual pay and work conditions survey from advocacy organization #PayUpHollywood also finds. Five hundred and twenty-three support staffers — current or former assistants at studios, production and development companies, talent agencies and in production and postproduction departments — took part in the latest report, which was open between Nov. 16, 2021 and Jan. 1, 2022 and whose results were published on Thursday.
The survey highlights that, according to California Housing Partnership’s 2021 Affordable Housing Needs Report for Los Angeles County, renters need to earn more than 79,524 a year to avoid being “cost burdened,” or using more than 30 percent of their annual income on housing expenses. By this metric,...
- 9/8/2022
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: The Writers Guild Foundation has revealed the participants for the 2022 session of the Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program.
The program’s mission is to provide writers who are Bipoc, LGBTQ+, writers with disabilities, and writers over the age of 50, with tools and education to become writers’ assistants and script coordinators, ultimately resulting in meaningful employment opportunities.
Out of the 1,205 applications received, 16 candidates were selected: Anpa’o Locke, Christian Mejia, Da Eun Kim, Diarra McCormick, Isabel Meza-Roquebert, Jewel Powell, Lydia Caradine, Malaika Jules, Michelle Driscoll, Olivia Woodward, Peter Lee, Rachel Yang, Reed Tsuda, Renee Ross, Shanice Williamson, and Sherin Shetty.
The 12-week course, set to kick off in late August, will be taught by instructors Debbie Ezer (The Good Doctor) and Clay Lapari (Community), who have extensive experience as writers’ assistants and script coordinators for television. The program is sponsored by Warner Bros. Television.
Applications were reviewed by a committee of television creators,...
The program’s mission is to provide writers who are Bipoc, LGBTQ+, writers with disabilities, and writers over the age of 50, with tools and education to become writers’ assistants and script coordinators, ultimately resulting in meaningful employment opportunities.
Out of the 1,205 applications received, 16 candidates were selected: Anpa’o Locke, Christian Mejia, Da Eun Kim, Diarra McCormick, Isabel Meza-Roquebert, Jewel Powell, Lydia Caradine, Malaika Jules, Michelle Driscoll, Olivia Woodward, Peter Lee, Rachel Yang, Reed Tsuda, Renee Ross, Shanice Williamson, and Sherin Shetty.
The 12-week course, set to kick off in late August, will be taught by instructors Debbie Ezer (The Good Doctor) and Clay Lapari (Community), who have extensive experience as writers’ assistants and script coordinators for television. The program is sponsored by Warner Bros. Television.
Applications were reviewed by a committee of television creators,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Greetings from Variety Awards Headquarters! Today is June 20, 2022, which means it’s now 7 days until Emmy nomination round voting ends on June 27. From there, it’s 22 days until Emmy nominations are announced on July 12; then 53 days until final round voting begins on August 12, followed by 69 days until final round voting ends on August 22. Then comes the finales: It’s 75 days until the Creative Arts Emmys kicks off its two-night event on September 3; and then it’s 84 days until the 74th Emmy Awards takes place, live on NBC, September 12.
Let’s begin today by recognizing Juneteenth, now a national holiday and an opportunity to reflect on the history of the Black community in America and not just sweep it under the rug, like so many are trying to do by deriding history as “critical race theory,” and trying to stop schools and educators from exploring the truth of systemic racism in...
Let’s begin today by recognizing Juneteenth, now a national holiday and an opportunity to reflect on the history of the Black community in America and not just sweep it under the rug, like so many are trying to do by deriding history as “critical race theory,” and trying to stop schools and educators from exploring the truth of systemic racism in...
- 6/21/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Writers Guild Foundation has set the application window for the next cycle of their Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program. Submissions to the 2022 Fall session will be accepted between May 5 and June 6, 2022.
Overall, 16 applicants will be chosen for the upcoming cycle, which begins in mid-August. Those accepted will participate in an updated 12-week session taught by instructors Debbie Ezer (The Good Doctor) and Clay Lapari (Community), who have extensive experience as writers’ assistants and script coordinators for TV. The program will continue to be hosted virtually and will feature a variety of showrunner lecturers to discuss what they look for in support staff.
Last year, Tanya Saracho (Vida), Mike Royce (One Day at a Time), and Liz Hsiao Lan Alper (Day of the Dead), along with the Writers Guild Foundation, partnered to launch this first-of-its-kind initiative to support the full inclusion and employment of underrepresented groups in the television industry.
Overall, 16 applicants will be chosen for the upcoming cycle, which begins in mid-August. Those accepted will participate in an updated 12-week session taught by instructors Debbie Ezer (The Good Doctor) and Clay Lapari (Community), who have extensive experience as writers’ assistants and script coordinators for TV. The program will continue to be hosted virtually and will feature a variety of showrunner lecturers to discuss what they look for in support staff.
Last year, Tanya Saracho (Vida), Mike Royce (One Day at a Time), and Liz Hsiao Lan Alper (Day of the Dead), along with the Writers Guild Foundation, partnered to launch this first-of-its-kind initiative to support the full inclusion and employment of underrepresented groups in the television industry.
- 4/25/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
More than 50 prominent showrunners, including J.J. Abrams, Shonda Rhimes and Mike Schur, have signed the WGA West’s Safe and Inclusive Workplace Pledge, committing to “partner with the guild in developing best practices proven to drive change, alongside support programs for the wider show-running community that ensure every leader has the tools and understanding necessary to create workplaces in which all members can thrive.”
The guild’s Showrunner Initiative Committee said in a message to the guild’s members, “As a writer community, we can help create a new culture, one in which abuse and discrimination cannot thrive.”
The pledge states: “As union members, mistreatment of one of us is a problem for all of us. For the last four years, there has been an evolving conversation about addressing sexism, racism, discrimination, and bullying in our industry. As showrunners, we believe this behavior should not be tolerated. And while the...
The guild’s Showrunner Initiative Committee said in a message to the guild’s members, “As a writer community, we can help create a new culture, one in which abuse and discrimination cannot thrive.”
The pledge states: “As union members, mistreatment of one of us is a problem for all of us. For the last four years, there has been an evolving conversation about addressing sexism, racism, discrimination, and bullying in our industry. As showrunners, we believe this behavior should not be tolerated. And while the...
- 11/22/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
TV writers/producers Tanya Saracho (Vida), Mike Royce (One Day at a Time), and Liz Hsiao Lan Alper (Day of the Dead), along with the Writers Guild Foundation, have announced graduates of the inaugural class of the Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program.
Launched in March by Saracho, Royce and Alper in partnership with Wgf, the program’s mission is to provide writers who are Bipoc, LGBTQ+, writers with disabilities, and writers over the age of 50, with tools and education to become a writers’ assistant and script coordinator, ultimately resulting in meaningful employment opportunities.
Forty-eight participants were chosen out of over 2,200 applications which were reviewed by a committee of TV writers and showrunners, many of whom previously worked in support staff roles. The 48 participants are being split into two eight-week virtual sessions.
This summer’s first session, consisting of 24 participants, was led by instructors Debbie Ezer (The Good Doctor) and...
Launched in March by Saracho, Royce and Alper in partnership with Wgf, the program’s mission is to provide writers who are Bipoc, LGBTQ+, writers with disabilities, and writers over the age of 50, with tools and education to become a writers’ assistant and script coordinator, ultimately resulting in meaningful employment opportunities.
Forty-eight participants were chosen out of over 2,200 applications which were reviewed by a committee of TV writers and showrunners, many of whom previously worked in support staff roles. The 48 participants are being split into two eight-week virtual sessions.
This summer’s first session, consisting of 24 participants, was led by instructors Debbie Ezer (The Good Doctor) and...
- 9/10/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Almost a year after inking a development deal with UCP, Tanya Saracho is turning up the volume for Latinx voices in Hollywood, as promised.
The Vida creator and the studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, launched the Ojalá Ignition Lab on Monday. Under the umbrella of Saracho’s deal, the 26-week long incubator program will provide five writers and their own proposed projects with mentoring from experienced showrunners and EPs, including self-described “den mother” Saracho and an extended network to draw on for the future.
Putting real money where most merely put just good intentions and checked boxes, the aim of Ojalá is to foster a pilot script to completion with a commission by UCP at the end.
Applications for the program run from today until July 19. Interested parties should submitted a one-page TV pilot proposal, as well as an existing example of their writing. Find more information here.
The Vida creator and the studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, launched the Ojalá Ignition Lab on Monday. Under the umbrella of Saracho’s deal, the 26-week long incubator program will provide five writers and their own proposed projects with mentoring from experienced showrunners and EPs, including self-described “den mother” Saracho and an extended network to draw on for the future.
Putting real money where most merely put just good intentions and checked boxes, the aim of Ojalá is to foster a pilot script to completion with a commission by UCP at the end.
Applications for the program run from today until July 19. Interested parties should submitted a one-page TV pilot proposal, as well as an existing example of their writing. Find more information here.
- 6/21/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Last month, producer Andrew Coles spoke out against Scott Rudin, bringing to light disturbing allegations of workplace abuse.
Once a development executive for Scott Rudin Productions, Coles, who is now a producer on projects like “Queen & Slim,” went on the record in the bombshell report that led to Rudin’s downfall, following decades of bullying and workplace harassment, which has been regarded as one of Hollywood’s long-running open secrets.
After he accused Rudin of workplace abuse, Coles says he believes he was targeted in a possible effort to scare him into silence.
Cole agreed to go on the record for the Hollywood Reporter’s Rudin report on April 5, which he says was set to be published two days later on April 7 — but by April 6, Cole says, news of the article leaked and word of the story started getting around town.
“On April 6, someone called the mental health crisis...
Once a development executive for Scott Rudin Productions, Coles, who is now a producer on projects like “Queen & Slim,” went on the record in the bombshell report that led to Rudin’s downfall, following decades of bullying and workplace harassment, which has been regarded as one of Hollywood’s long-running open secrets.
After he accused Rudin of workplace abuse, Coles says he believes he was targeted in a possible effort to scare him into silence.
Cole agreed to go on the record for the Hollywood Reporter’s Rudin report on April 5, which he says was set to be published two days later on April 7 — but by April 6, Cole says, news of the article leaked and word of the story started getting around town.
“On April 6, someone called the mental health crisis...
- 5/21/2021
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
The Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission on Friday announced a series of free panels and industry training sessions with the aim to curb bullying in the entertainment business.
The panels feature speakers such as Steven Soderbergh, Amy Baer, Liz Alper, Andrew Coles and others and will run throughout the end of May. Hill says that the reports of abuse surrounding Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin are “not outliers” in the industry, and the commission has recommended steps industry leaders can take to address rampant bullying.
“Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin may have been the most boldface examples of abuse of power in Hollywood, but they are not outliers. Hollywood has systematically recruited and mistreated a vulnerable class of workers out in the open, in the name of ‘paying dues,’” Anita Hill, chair of the Hollywood Commission, said in a statement. “For there to be real and lasting culture change across Hollywood’s businesses and ranks,...
The panels feature speakers such as Steven Soderbergh, Amy Baer, Liz Alper, Andrew Coles and others and will run throughout the end of May. Hill says that the reports of abuse surrounding Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin are “not outliers” in the industry, and the commission has recommended steps industry leaders can take to address rampant bullying.
“Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin may have been the most boldface examples of abuse of power in Hollywood, but they are not outliers. Hollywood has systematically recruited and mistreated a vulnerable class of workers out in the open, in the name of ‘paying dues,’” Anita Hill, chair of the Hollywood Commission, said in a statement. “For there to be real and lasting culture change across Hollywood’s businesses and ranks,...
- 5/14/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
ICM Partners has been quite public about trying to reform its own workplace culture. But according to a story published in the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, working at the high-powered agency can still be a traumatic experience for many lower-level employees.
The article documented a workplace where agents and other supervisors felt free to take out their frustrations on their assistants, screaming at them, demeaning them and making them feel worthless. The story also cited two examples of alleged sexual harassment against non-employees. The overall picture is one that is fairly common in Hollywood — a place where low-status employees are expected to bear the brunt of their bosses’ tirades without complaint.
“What goes on in these agencies, you don’t see in any other industry,” said employment attorney Carney Shegerian. “You don’t see other employers trying to get away with what they do in entertainment.”
Around Hollywood, many...
The article documented a workplace where agents and other supervisors felt free to take out their frustrations on their assistants, screaming at them, demeaning them and making them feel worthless. The story also cited two examples of alleged sexual harassment against non-employees. The overall picture is one that is fairly common in Hollywood — a place where low-status employees are expected to bear the brunt of their bosses’ tirades without complaint.
“What goes on in these agencies, you don’t see in any other industry,” said employment attorney Carney Shegerian. “You don’t see other employers trying to get away with what they do in entertainment.”
Around Hollywood, many...
- 5/5/2021
- by Gene Maddaus and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The CW’s Two Sentence Horror Stories is adding to its ranks.
Queen Sugar writer and producer Lisa Morales is joining the anthology horror series for its third season as showrunner and exec producer.
Morales (left) joins creator and exec producer Vera Miao and exec producer Liz Levine, who ran season two. This comes as the series, which comes from Warner Bros.’ Stage 13 gears up for its third run after the second season premiered in January.
A number of other creatives are also joining the show, which features an all-female, diverse filmmaking team. Liz Alper, a writer on The Rookie and story editor of Chicago Fire, joins as producer, Stephanie Adams-Santos and Sehaj Sethi are story editors alongside Lekethia Dalcoe, a playwright and actor.
Two Sentence Horror Stories, which is inspired by the viral fan fiction, features a different sub-genre of horror in each episode. Designed to subvert classic...
Queen Sugar writer and producer Lisa Morales is joining the anthology horror series for its third season as showrunner and exec producer.
Morales (left) joins creator and exec producer Vera Miao and exec producer Liz Levine, who ran season two. This comes as the series, which comes from Warner Bros.’ Stage 13 gears up for its third run after the second season premiered in January.
A number of other creatives are also joining the show, which features an all-female, diverse filmmaking team. Liz Alper, a writer on The Rookie and story editor of Chicago Fire, joins as producer, Stephanie Adams-Santos and Sehaj Sethi are story editors alongside Lekethia Dalcoe, a playwright and actor.
Two Sentence Horror Stories, which is inspired by the viral fan fiction, features a different sub-genre of horror in each episode. Designed to subvert classic...
- 3/16/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic poses a major obstacle in progress for increased pay and better conditions for Hollywood assistants, a new survey from #PayUpHollywood revealed.
The annual survey, which was released on Monday, shows that nearly 80% of Hollywood assistants are making $50,000 or less, placing them in the “burdened” category in Los Angeles. Around 37% of the respondents shared that they are relying on friends or family for financial support to cover living expenses.
#PayUpHollywood also found that over 50% of assistants who took the survey are covering their own costs for work-from-home setups, and 58.67% receiving no offers of compensation for additional expenses.
“We have seen reports of companies ending the Covid pandemic pay cuts for their top earning executives while continuing to cut hours, transfer work expenses, and increase the workload of the assistants and support staff of this industry, if not lay them off entirely. What steps are studios and companies...
The annual survey, which was released on Monday, shows that nearly 80% of Hollywood assistants are making $50,000 or less, placing them in the “burdened” category in Los Angeles. Around 37% of the respondents shared that they are relying on friends or family for financial support to cover living expenses.
#PayUpHollywood also found that over 50% of assistants who took the survey are covering their own costs for work-from-home setups, and 58.67% receiving no offers of compensation for additional expenses.
“We have seen reports of companies ending the Covid pandemic pay cuts for their top earning executives while continuing to cut hours, transfer work expenses, and increase the workload of the assistants and support staff of this industry, if not lay them off entirely. What steps are studios and companies...
- 2/2/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Being a Hollywood assistant has always been a tough gig, but the Covid-19 pandemic has only made it tougher on the industry’s thousands of support staffers.
According to the second annual #PayUpHollywood survey, which polled over a thousand support staffers, nearly 80% of respondents reported earning less than $50,000 in 2020, a 14.7% increase from the prior year. And over a third of respondents reported less than $30,000 in income in 2020 — a marked increase from the 11% who made that much in 2019.
Earning less than $53,600 a year in Los Angeles qualifies as being “cost-burdened” by U.S. Department of Housing and Development, which defines it as paying “more than
30 percent of their income for housing” and potentially having “difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing,
transportation, and medical care.”
Notably, about 37.5% of survey takers are financially supported by friends or family to cover living expenses, and over 19% have had to move in with family, friends...
According to the second annual #PayUpHollywood survey, which polled over a thousand support staffers, nearly 80% of respondents reported earning less than $50,000 in 2020, a 14.7% increase from the prior year. And over a third of respondents reported less than $30,000 in income in 2020 — a marked increase from the 11% who made that much in 2019.
Earning less than $53,600 a year in Los Angeles qualifies as being “cost-burdened” by U.S. Department of Housing and Development, which defines it as paying “more than
30 percent of their income for housing” and potentially having “difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing,
transportation, and medical care.”
Notably, about 37.5% of survey takers are financially supported by friends or family to cover living expenses, and over 19% have had to move in with family, friends...
- 2/2/2021
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
The WGA West board of directors sent a letter to its members today that updates writers on the union’s latest efforts in the wake of its new film and TV contract. Read it in full below.
The missive comes less than a week after WGA members voted overwhelmingly to ratify with the new film and TV deal worked out with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Sent under the header, “How Agency Information Sharing Is Paying Off,” the letter notes that “a key objective of our agency campaign is timely information from the agencies to assist Mba enforcement of late pay and free work violations, and enhance the Guild’s analysis of compensation and other employment trends.”
Here is the letter in full:
Dear Members,
A key objective of our agency campaign is timely information from the agencies to assist Mba enforcement of late pay and free work violations,...
The missive comes less than a week after WGA members voted overwhelmingly to ratify with the new film and TV deal worked out with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Sent under the header, “How Agency Information Sharing Is Paying Off,” the letter notes that “a key objective of our agency campaign is timely information from the agencies to assist Mba enforcement of late pay and free work violations, and enhance the Guild’s analysis of compensation and other employment trends.”
Here is the letter in full:
Dear Members,
A key objective of our agency campaign is timely information from the agencies to assist Mba enforcement of late pay and free work violations,...
- 8/5/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Writers Guild of America leaders have endorsed the union’s tentative deal negotiated this week with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. In an email message this morning (read it below), union leaders said that “both the Wgaw Board and Wgae Council voted unanimously to recommend the contract.”
Earlier this week, the WGA and the AMPTP secured a tentative three-year deal that bring labor stability to an industry hobbled by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. In a marathon bargaining session that stretched into the early hours Wednesday, negotiators secured an agreement to take to the guild’s membership for ratification.
In today’s email, the leadership said that, upon certification by the WGA’s chief negotiator of the final contract language, the guilds will conduct a ratification vote among eligible members later this month.
“As soon as the confirmed draft is in place,” wrote the Wgaw Board of Directors,...
Earlier this week, the WGA and the AMPTP secured a tentative three-year deal that bring labor stability to an industry hobbled by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. In a marathon bargaining session that stretched into the early hours Wednesday, negotiators secured an agreement to take to the guild’s membership for ratification.
In today’s email, the leadership said that, upon certification by the WGA’s chief negotiator of the final contract language, the guilds will conduct a ratification vote among eligible members later this month.
“As soon as the confirmed draft is in place,” wrote the Wgaw Board of Directors,...
- 7/3/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The recently launched Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund, aimed at providing assistants and support staffers financial aid amid the coronavirus-induced production shutdown, is now shutting down its GoFundMe and merging with the Actors Fund. It will continue raising funds under that banner.
“Despite its name, the Actors Fund was created to assist all industry members with financial, medical and emotional struggles year-round,” wrote fund co-creator and #PayUpHollywood movement founder Liz Alper in a Medium post Friday. “Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, they’ve issued over $2 million in relief funds to qualified entertainment workers in need. Not only will this partnership expedite payment to qualified support staffers in a speedy and thorough manner, but will give qualified applicants access to other Actors Fund resources like mental health or career assistance.”
Both union and non-union workers in the industry can apply for relief at: https://actorsfund.org/am-i-eligible-help. Those applying...
“Despite its name, the Actors Fund was created to assist all industry members with financial, medical and emotional struggles year-round,” wrote fund co-creator and #PayUpHollywood movement founder Liz Alper in a Medium post Friday. “Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, they’ve issued over $2 million in relief funds to qualified entertainment workers in need. Not only will this partnership expedite payment to qualified support staffers in a speedy and thorough manner, but will give qualified applicants access to other Actors Fund resources like mental health or career assistance.”
Both union and non-union workers in the industry can apply for relief at: https://actorsfund.org/am-i-eligible-help. Those applying...
- 4/11/2020
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
The Hollywood Support Staff Covid-19 Relief Fund has raised more than $500,000 to help assistants, coordinators, PAs and other industry support staffers who have been laid off or whose hours have been cut due to the coronavirus shutdown. The fund was created by the #PayUpHollywood organization, the ScriptNotes podcast and the nonprofit Yea!
The first issue of Connect, a new WGA West digital publication, notes that the relief fund’s co-founder, Liz Alper, originally projected on March 20 that $100,000 “could provide relief from between 111-222 La-based support staffers. Now, we project we can help between 500-800 qualified applicants while still increasing the stipend amounts for everyone.” Alper, a member of the guild’s board of directors, was the co-founder of #PayUpHollywood and coiner of the hashtag.
More from DeadlineGreg Berlanti, Shonda Rhimes, Julie Plec And More Contribute To #PayUpHollywood's Relief Fund For Support Staff Affected By CoronavirusWGA West Donates $590,000 To The Actors...
The first issue of Connect, a new WGA West digital publication, notes that the relief fund’s co-founder, Liz Alper, originally projected on March 20 that $100,000 “could provide relief from between 111-222 La-based support staffers. Now, we project we can help between 500-800 qualified applicants while still increasing the stipend amounts for everyone.” Alper, a member of the guild’s board of directors, was the co-founder of #PayUpHollywood and coiner of the hashtag.
More from DeadlineGreg Berlanti, Shonda Rhimes, Julie Plec And More Contribute To #PayUpHollywood's Relief Fund For Support Staff Affected By CoronavirusWGA West Donates $590,000 To The Actors...
- 3/28/2020
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Leaders of the Writers Guild of America have told members that they may need to extend to current contract beyond its current May 1 expiration due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Members received the message on Tuesday afternoon, a day after Variety reported that the WGA was evaluating its options for conducting contract talks with Hollywood’s major studios that were to have started on March 23. The coronavirus prevention measures appear to have made it untenable for the sides to hold a face-to-face bargaining session.
The WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are trying to come to terms on an extension date for the guild’s existing Minimum Basic Agreement that covers most film and TV work. The current pact is set to expire May 1. But given the upheaval to regular business brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the sides need more time to negotiate what is sure to...
Members received the message on Tuesday afternoon, a day after Variety reported that the WGA was evaluating its options for conducting contract talks with Hollywood’s major studios that were to have started on March 23. The coronavirus prevention measures appear to have made it untenable for the sides to hold a face-to-face bargaining session.
The WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are trying to come to terms on an extension date for the guild’s existing Minimum Basic Agreement that covers most film and TV work. The current pact is set to expire May 1. But given the upheaval to regular business brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the sides need more time to negotiate what is sure to...
- 3/24/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
As Hollywood’s guilds begin to petition the U.S. government for aid to unemployed workers, many guild and grassroots efforts are springing up to help in the meantime.
Netflix was the first major company to make a commitment, pledging $1 million to assist out-of-work crew members across the industry, organizations that support entertainment workers and workers on Netflix-produced shows.
Here are some of the other guild efforts and funds that aim to aid workers in the entertainment industry:
SAG-aftra Covid-19 Disaster Fund
SAG-aftra has an online application for members affected by coronavirus-related shutdowns to request funds for rent, utilities, medical bills and other necessities, administered through the Actor’s Fund. It’s available to full-fledged members whose dues are paid through Oct. 2019. The guild is also asking for donations to the fund from those able to give financial assistance.
Actor’s Fund
The Actor’s Fund is partnering with SAG-aftra, Aea Curtin Up Fund,...
Netflix was the first major company to make a commitment, pledging $1 million to assist out-of-work crew members across the industry, organizations that support entertainment workers and workers on Netflix-produced shows.
Here are some of the other guild efforts and funds that aim to aid workers in the entertainment industry:
SAG-aftra Covid-19 Disaster Fund
SAG-aftra has an online application for members affected by coronavirus-related shutdowns to request funds for rent, utilities, medical bills and other necessities, administered through the Actor’s Fund. It’s available to full-fledged members whose dues are paid through Oct. 2019. The guild is also asking for donations to the fund from those able to give financial assistance.
Actor’s Fund
The Actor’s Fund is partnering with SAG-aftra, Aea Curtin Up Fund,...
- 3/21/2020
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year’s broadcast staffing season is all but over before it began.
Most of the shows in contention for series pickups for the 2020-2021 season, and even those that had already been ordered to series, had shot virtually nothing before the major studios and networks began shutting productions down to prevent a further spread of the virus. That means that almost none of the 60 shows on deck for next season will be assembling full writers’ rooms any time in the near future if at all.
The development throws yet another roadblock into the path of Hollywood’s writers, who are already grappling with the fact the WGA and the Ata remain engaged in a bitter standoff over packaging fees and other issues, while a potential writers strike looms at the end of April.
According to multiple broadcast network insiders, the networks are still...
Most of the shows in contention for series pickups for the 2020-2021 season, and even those that had already been ordered to series, had shot virtually nothing before the major studios and networks began shutting productions down to prevent a further spread of the virus. That means that almost none of the 60 shows on deck for next season will be assembling full writers’ rooms any time in the near future if at all.
The development throws yet another roadblock into the path of Hollywood’s writers, who are already grappling with the fact the WGA and the Ata remain engaged in a bitter standoff over packaging fees and other issues, while a potential writers strike looms at the end of April.
According to multiple broadcast network insiders, the networks are still...
- 3/19/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
In the wake of coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is set to have on the financial state of the world, Liz Alper and Deirdre Mangan’s #PayUpHollywood has teamed with Scriptnotes, Junior Hollywood Radio & Television Society and Yea! to launch the Hollywood Support Staff Covid-19 Relief Fund via GoFundMe which will help Los Angeles-based support staff members in entertainment.
It wasn’t long before some of the industry’s most notable showrunners came through including Chernobyl creator Craig Marzin who, along with Scriptnotes’ John August announced that they would match contributions up to $50,000. Marzin started to give updates via Twitter on who contributed. This includes Shonda Rhimes, David Benioff, Damon Lindelof, Greg Berlanti, Mike Schur, Marti Noxon, Julie Plec, Aline Brosh McKenna, Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan.
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It wasn’t long before some of the industry’s most notable showrunners came through including Chernobyl creator Craig Marzin who, along with Scriptnotes’ John August announced that they would match contributions up to $50,000. Marzin started to give updates via Twitter on who contributed. This includes Shonda Rhimes, David Benioff, Damon Lindelof, Greg Berlanti, Mike Schur, Marti Noxon, Julie Plec, Aline Brosh McKenna, Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan.
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- 3/18/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
In the wake of dozens of film and television productions abruptly shutting down amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, several organizations and high-profile showrunners — Greg Berlanti, Shonda Rhimes, David Benioff, Julie Plec, Damon Lindelof, Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan — have come together to fund a relief effort for Hollywood’s support staffers, a low-paid group that often goes overlooked. Of the nearly dozen assistants who spoke with Variety in recent days, many expressed fear and uncertainty about their financial future.
The Hollywood Support Staff Covid-19 Relief Fund is the brainchild of PayUpHollywood, Scriptnotes, Junior Hollywood Radio & Television Society and Yea!, and aims to help Los Angeles-based support staff remain financially stable during these weeks that productions have gone dark, doling out stipends in the amount of $450 or $900. The group’s goal is to raise at least $100,000, which would be able to support 111-222 support staffers to “help cover the cost of things like rent,...
The Hollywood Support Staff Covid-19 Relief Fund is the brainchild of PayUpHollywood, Scriptnotes, Junior Hollywood Radio & Television Society and Yea!, and aims to help Los Angeles-based support staff remain financially stable during these weeks that productions have gone dark, doling out stipends in the amount of $450 or $900. The group’s goal is to raise at least $100,000, which would be able to support 111-222 support staffers to “help cover the cost of things like rent,...
- 3/17/2020
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
CAA assistants will now get $18 per hour, as the talent agency has decided to grant a blanket raise from $15 to its support staff.
Additionally, hourly employees at CAA who used to see raises at the end of the year now can get pay increases as they move up. The so-called “progressive pay model” means that hourly employees receive increases upon certain job changes.
CAA is also introducing a Student Loan wellness program available to all employees. Features include assistance in finding better interest rates. Assistants already receive medical coverage at no cost.
All of the moves were announced at a monthly staff meeting on Jan. 9.
The raises follow a similar move by the Verve agency last month, and continues the industry conversation about living wags for assistants and their working conditions. Those talks began based on a podcast that raised the issue, which prompted WGA board member and ABC producer...
Additionally, hourly employees at CAA who used to see raises at the end of the year now can get pay increases as they move up. The so-called “progressive pay model” means that hourly employees receive increases upon certain job changes.
CAA is also introducing a Student Loan wellness program available to all employees. Features include assistance in finding better interest rates. Assistants already receive medical coverage at no cost.
All of the moves were announced at a monthly staff meeting on Jan. 9.
The raises follow a similar move by the Verve agency last month, and continues the industry conversation about living wags for assistants and their working conditions. Those talks began based on a podcast that raised the issue, which prompted WGA board member and ABC producer...
- 1/16/2020
- by Bruce Haring and Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
As part of greater changes to CAA’s salary policy, the agency has raised the starting wage for assistants from $15 to $18 an hour. The revisions were announced at the agency at the start of the year on Jan. 9, a source familiar with the matter tells Variety. Minimum wage for other hourly positions has also been raised.
In addition, the agency is restructuring the way that it grants pay raises to hourly employees. CAA has traditionally doled out raises at the end of the year. Among the changes announced Wednesday was a shift to what the agency characterizes as a more “progressive pay” model for wage increases tied to job changes that indicate progression within the company. Raises will now be handed out throughout the year in accordance with the new policy.
CAA also introduced a student loan wellness program that allows participants to find better interest rates, among other things...
In addition, the agency is restructuring the way that it grants pay raises to hourly employees. CAA has traditionally doled out raises at the end of the year. Among the changes announced Wednesday was a shift to what the agency characterizes as a more “progressive pay” model for wage increases tied to job changes that indicate progression within the company. Raises will now be handed out throughout the year in accordance with the new policy.
CAA also introduced a student loan wellness program that allows participants to find better interest rates, among other things...
- 1/16/2020
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
Last year was one for the movie-history books: 2019 gave us the highest grossing movie ever in “Avengers: Endgame,” Netflix continued to cement itself as a corporate patron of original storytelling with awards movies like “The Irishman,” and Disney’s purchase of Fox further solidified the company as the Hollywood power to be reckoned with as its movies accounted for nearly 40% of domestic grosses.
While these milestones mark success for powerhouses Disney and Netflix, dig beneath the surface and you’ll find plenty of questions about what they mean for the future health of the film industry. If “Endgame” can make $2.8 billion, why would any studio ever want to take a gamble on something that might only make a modest few million at best? If Netflix continues to grow as a go-to distributor for original prestige titles that play for just a short time in limited release, what does that mean for moviegoing’s future?...
While these milestones mark success for powerhouses Disney and Netflix, dig beneath the surface and you’ll find plenty of questions about what they mean for the future health of the film industry. If “Endgame” can make $2.8 billion, why would any studio ever want to take a gamble on something that might only make a modest few million at best? If Netflix continues to grow as a go-to distributor for original prestige titles that play for just a short time in limited release, what does that mean for moviegoing’s future?...
- 1/7/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Verve, which earlier this week became the first talent agency to respond to the #PayUpHollywood movement by pledging to boost pay of assistants and mailroom employees, has signed writer/activist Liz Alper, who is behind the initiative.
Alper, is a member of the WGA West board of directors and of the guild’s 2020 Mba Negotiating committee, co-founded #PayUpHollywood. She most recently served as writer-producer on ABC’s The Rookie. Her writing credits also include Hawaii Five-0 and Chicago Fire.
Like most TV writers, Alper started off as a writers assistant. Back in October, she started sharing her more than decade-long harrowing experience of an overworked, underpaid assistant in a series of tweets that got the #PayUpHollywood hashtag trending. The tweets ignited a campaign that has shed light on the plight of Hollywood assistants and is starting to bring change.
In addition to giving its assistants and mailroom employees a 25%-...
Alper, is a member of the WGA West board of directors and of the guild’s 2020 Mba Negotiating committee, co-founded #PayUpHollywood. She most recently served as writer-producer on ABC’s The Rookie. Her writing credits also include Hawaii Five-0 and Chicago Fire.
Like most TV writers, Alper started off as a writers assistant. Back in October, she started sharing her more than decade-long harrowing experience of an overworked, underpaid assistant in a series of tweets that got the #PayUpHollywood hashtag trending. The tweets ignited a campaign that has shed light on the plight of Hollywood assistants and is starting to bring change.
In addition to giving its assistants and mailroom employees a 25%-...
- 12/12/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Verve is giving its assistants and mailroom employees a 25%-40% pay raise in response to #PayUpHollywood – the first known pay hikes tied directly to the movement since it was launched in October. Verve’s move comes after it conducted an internal survey last month, which also prompted the talent agency to shorten working hours, effective January 1.
“Verve conducted an internal survey last month in response to the #PayUpHollywood hashtag that went viral in October,” the talent agency said. “As a result of the survey, Verve announced a series of changes designed to recognize valuable work contribution while helping to meet the financial standard necessary to live in today’s Los Angeles. The series of changes includes a pay increase for all mailroom employees and assistants. Depending on the position, hourly rates will increase between 25%-40%. Verve is also adjusting its working hours as the survey resulted in an overwhelm response...
“Verve conducted an internal survey last month in response to the #PayUpHollywood hashtag that went viral in October,” the talent agency said. “As a result of the survey, Verve announced a series of changes designed to recognize valuable work contribution while helping to meet the financial standard necessary to live in today’s Los Angeles. The series of changes includes a pay increase for all mailroom employees and assistants. Depending on the position, hourly rates will increase between 25%-40%. Verve is also adjusting its working hours as the survey resulted in an overwhelm response...
- 12/9/2019
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Verve has announced a 25-40% pay increase for its assistants and mailroom employees in response to the #PayUpHollywood movement which has been shining a spotlight on the issue of assistant pay in the industry.
The agency, which represents #PayUpHollywood co-founder Liz Alper and regular advocate John August, is also changing its hours to shorten the work day by one hour, as well as introducing business casual Fridays and a subsidized, in-office dry cleaning program.
The news was announced via a memo from partners to the entire agency obtained by Variety, and comes less than a week after #PayUpHollywood released the results of a survey of over 1,500 assistants across the biz, which raised concerns not only about assistant pay, but also representation, workplace abuse, and lack of career mobility. Verve reportedly conducted an internal survey of its own in response to the viral Twitter hashtag, and the results prompted the agency to make these adjustments.
The agency, which represents #PayUpHollywood co-founder Liz Alper and regular advocate John August, is also changing its hours to shorten the work day by one hour, as well as introducing business casual Fridays and a subsidized, in-office dry cleaning program.
The news was announced via a memo from partners to the entire agency obtained by Variety, and comes less than a week after #PayUpHollywood released the results of a survey of over 1,500 assistants across the biz, which raised concerns not only about assistant pay, but also representation, workplace abuse, and lack of career mobility. Verve reportedly conducted an internal survey of its own in response to the viral Twitter hashtag, and the results prompted the agency to make these adjustments.
- 12/9/2019
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
A survey of Hollywood assistants, led by the #PayUpHollywood movement, found that a majority of respondents make between $500 and $900 a week after taxes and experience depression and anxiety because of their work.
The results, released on Tuesday, were taken from the responses of 1,516 current or former assistants across the entertainment industry. About 69 percent of the respondents identified as women and 78 percent were white.
Almost 73 percent of assistants reported making between $500 and $900 a week after taxes, and 90 percent of assistants said they were “rent-burdened” because of their salary or pay rate. As for yearly salary, roughly 64 percent of respondents said they make less than $50,000 and 68 percent reported having to work a second job “to make ends meet while working as an assistant,” according to the results released on Tuesday.
Also Read: #PayUpHollywood: Former 'Walking Dead' Showrunner Offers Tips on How to Support Underpaid Assistants
Ninety-two percent of respondents said they have...
The results, released on Tuesday, were taken from the responses of 1,516 current or former assistants across the entertainment industry. About 69 percent of the respondents identified as women and 78 percent were white.
Almost 73 percent of assistants reported making between $500 and $900 a week after taxes, and 90 percent of assistants said they were “rent-burdened” because of their salary or pay rate. As for yearly salary, roughly 64 percent of respondents said they make less than $50,000 and 68 percent reported having to work a second job “to make ends meet while working as an assistant,” according to the results released on Tuesday.
Also Read: #PayUpHollywood: Former 'Walking Dead' Showrunner Offers Tips on How to Support Underpaid Assistants
Ninety-two percent of respondents said they have...
- 12/3/2019
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Wrap
Around one in four assistants said the entertainment industry’s working conditions have prompted them to increasingly use drugs, alcohol and other substances, according to a #PayUpHollywood survey of over 1,500 support staffers shared exclusively with Variety.
Beyond the already significant burdens of long hours, low pay, and sky-rocketing living costs in Los Angeles, the pressures of the job are weighing on the mental health of many at the lowest, most vulnerable rung of the entertainment ladder.
According to the poll — which surveyed assistants at studios, agencies, production and development companies, in-house production and post-production departments — 93% of those who responded reported that their job has led to an increase in anxiety, and 66% said they have been experiencing increased feelings of depression as a result of their work experiences.
Some of the survey’s findings point to gender and racial disparities within the industry. Meanwhile, other statistics point to issues which haven’t been as widely discussed.
Beyond the already significant burdens of long hours, low pay, and sky-rocketing living costs in Los Angeles, the pressures of the job are weighing on the mental health of many at the lowest, most vulnerable rung of the entertainment ladder.
According to the poll — which surveyed assistants at studios, agencies, production and development companies, in-house production and post-production departments — 93% of those who responded reported that their job has led to an increase in anxiety, and 66% said they have been experiencing increased feelings of depression as a result of their work experiences.
Some of the survey’s findings point to gender and racial disparities within the industry. Meanwhile, other statistics point to issues which haven’t been as widely discussed.
- 12/3/2019
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
On top of anxiety, financial insecurity, brutal hours and barely minimum wages, some Hollywood support staff have to contend with other horrors in the workplace. In fact, 72 assistants reported having had an object thrown at them by their boss or supervisor at work, according to a #PayUpHollywood survey of about 1,100 assistants that was shared at a cathartic town hall on Sunday.
Around 120 entertainment industry support staff gathered to discuss the issue of low pay at the first meeting organized by #PayUpHollywood, the hashtag-turned-movement that advocates for bosses in the biz to pay their assistants a living wage. Several assistants present shared experiences of asking their superiors for a raise, but being “put in their place” and labeled “ungrateful. Others brought up issues of being forced to do work above their pay grade in order to “prove themselves,” only for there to be “no carrot at the end of the stick.
Around 120 entertainment industry support staff gathered to discuss the issue of low pay at the first meeting organized by #PayUpHollywood, the hashtag-turned-movement that advocates for bosses in the biz to pay their assistants a living wage. Several assistants present shared experiences of asking their superiors for a raise, but being “put in their place” and labeled “ungrateful. Others brought up issues of being forced to do work above their pay grade in order to “prove themselves,” only for there to be “no carrot at the end of the stick.
- 11/25/2019
- by Will Thorne and Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
The Writers Guild of America on Friday tapped more than 30 members to serve on the guild’s negotiating committee for the upcoming contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
The current three-year collective bargaining agreement, which covers most of the work done by WGA writers, is set to expire on May 1, 2020.
The looming contract negotiations have been a source of much anxiety in Hollywood as fears of a potential strike have bubbled in recent months. The negotiations are especially interesting for the WGA, which is still in a stand off with Hollywood talent agencies over how they are represented and the packaging fees agents collect for bundling talent together for networks and studios.
Also Read: How Hollywood's Guilds Are Bracing for Crucial Negotiations in 2020
Prominent names appointed to the WGA’s negotiating committee include “Aladdin” screenwriter John August, Patti Carr, Adele Lim (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Meredith Stiehm...
The current three-year collective bargaining agreement, which covers most of the work done by WGA writers, is set to expire on May 1, 2020.
The looming contract negotiations have been a source of much anxiety in Hollywood as fears of a potential strike have bubbled in recent months. The negotiations are especially interesting for the WGA, which is still in a stand off with Hollywood talent agencies over how they are represented and the packaging fees agents collect for bundling talent together for networks and studios.
Also Read: How Hollywood's Guilds Are Bracing for Crucial Negotiations in 2020
Prominent names appointed to the WGA’s negotiating committee include “Aladdin” screenwriter John August, Patti Carr, Adele Lim (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Meredith Stiehm...
- 11/8/2019
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
The WGA has appointed the members to its negotiating committee in the run-up to its talks with management’s Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for a new film and TV contract. See the list below.
The current pact expires on May 1. No date has been set for the talks to begin, and it’s not clear whether the WGA will begin bargaining before the Directors Guild, whose contract doesn’t expire until two months later. In years past, the DGA has gone first, reaching deals that have set the pattern of bargaining for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA to follow.
In the upcoming WGA talks, WGA West executive director David Young will serve as the guild’s chief negotiator, with Michele Mulroney, Shawn Ryan and Betsy Thomas serving as co-chairs. Ex-officio members of the negotiating committee include WGA West president David A. Goodman, WGA East president Beau Willimon,...
The current pact expires on May 1. No date has been set for the talks to begin, and it’s not clear whether the WGA will begin bargaining before the Directors Guild, whose contract doesn’t expire until two months later. In years past, the DGA has gone first, reaching deals that have set the pattern of bargaining for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA to follow.
In the upcoming WGA talks, WGA West executive director David Young will serve as the guild’s chief negotiator, with Michele Mulroney, Shawn Ryan and Betsy Thomas serving as co-chairs. Ex-officio members of the negotiating committee include WGA West president David A. Goodman, WGA East president Beau Willimon,...
- 11/8/2019
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
With Hollywood already fearing a strike, the Writers Guild of America has appointed more than two dozen members to serve on its negotiating committee for upcoming negotiations on its master contract.
The current three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) expires on May 1. The guild’s seven-month standoff with agencies has heightened worries that the WGA will go on strike after the contract expires.
The WGA is required to seek approval of its “pattern of demands” before meeting with the companies. WGA West executive director David Young, who orchestrated the bitter 2007-08 strike, will serve as chief negotiator. Michele Mulroney, Shawn Ryan and Betsy Thomas are the co-chairs.
Notable names on the committee include “Crazy Rich Asians” writer Adele Lim; Meredith Stiehm, one of the plaintiffs in the WGA’s suit over the legality of CAA, UTA and Wme charging packaging fees; Patric Verrone, who...
The current three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) expires on May 1. The guild’s seven-month standoff with agencies has heightened worries that the WGA will go on strike after the contract expires.
The WGA is required to seek approval of its “pattern of demands” before meeting with the companies. WGA West executive director David Young, who orchestrated the bitter 2007-08 strike, will serve as chief negotiator. Michele Mulroney, Shawn Ryan and Betsy Thomas are the co-chairs.
Notable names on the committee include “Crazy Rich Asians” writer Adele Lim; Meredith Stiehm, one of the plaintiffs in the WGA’s suit over the legality of CAA, UTA and Wme charging packaging fees; Patric Verrone, who...
- 11/8/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
#PayUpHollywood: Former ‘Walking Dead’ Showrunner Offers Tips on How to Support Underpaid Assistants
As Hollywood assistants have been speaking out through the growing #PayUpHollywood movement against their working conditions and low wages, former “The Walking Dead” showrunner Glen Mazzara chimed in on Sunday to share a list of actions he has individually taken to better support his assistants.
Included in the list was buying lunch and coffee for assistants, which “saves them hundreds per month”; reading scripts and providing “detailed feedback”; letting assistants observe the filmmaking process step-by-step; offering additional pay for those who help out with personal projects; and hiring assistants into staff positions.
Some thoughts on #PayUpHollywood: Yes, showrunners need to advocate for higher pay for assistants but very often the studios will just give you a flat no. Here are a few other ways to make a difference that may be not have been mentioned yet.
— Glen Mazzara (@glenmazzara) November 4, 2019
Mazzara also criticized a culture in which writers and showrunners...
Included in the list was buying lunch and coffee for assistants, which “saves them hundreds per month”; reading scripts and providing “detailed feedback”; letting assistants observe the filmmaking process step-by-step; offering additional pay for those who help out with personal projects; and hiring assistants into staff positions.
Some thoughts on #PayUpHollywood: Yes, showrunners need to advocate for higher pay for assistants but very often the studios will just give you a flat no. Here are a few other ways to make a difference that may be not have been mentioned yet.
— Glen Mazzara (@glenmazzara) November 4, 2019
Mazzara also criticized a culture in which writers and showrunners...
- 11/4/2019
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Wrap
It’s no secret that many assistants in Hollywood bear heavy workloads for low pay. But the entertainment industry’s labor practices when it comes to those workers have now become the subject of intense social-media scrutiny.
TV writer and WGA board member Liz Alper shone a light on the issue Monday with the creation of the Twitter hashtag #PayUpHollywood, sharing truths about what it’s like to be an assistant in the biz and asking others to do the same. As of Monday afternoon, #PayUpHollywood was trending in the United States and had racked up more than 3,700 tweets to date.
“I thought someone needs to stir sh-t up first and I decided well, I might as well do it,” Alper tells Variety. “I’ve received so many stories and they were all just going to be sheets in the wind, but now you can see the magnitude of what...
TV writer and WGA board member Liz Alper shone a light on the issue Monday with the creation of the Twitter hashtag #PayUpHollywood, sharing truths about what it’s like to be an assistant in the biz and asking others to do the same. As of Monday afternoon, #PayUpHollywood was trending in the United States and had racked up more than 3,700 tweets to date.
“I thought someone needs to stir sh-t up first and I decided well, I might as well do it,” Alper tells Variety. “I’ve received so many stories and they were all just going to be sheets in the wind, but now you can see the magnitude of what...
- 10/15/2019
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Updated with Goodman and Nagy reaction: David A. Goodman has been re-elected president of the WGA West, defeating opposition candidate Phyllis Nagy in a landslide. His re-election, in a record turnout, is a solid endorsement of the guild’s five-month-long agency campaign, which was the main issue in the race. It could also strengthens the guild’s hand going into next year’s negotiations with management’s AMPTP for a new film and TV contract.
Goodman received 4,395 votes (77.3%) to Nagy’s 1,292 (22.7%). All of Goodman’s running mates were also elected. Marjorie David, running unopposed – after Craig Mazin and Carl Gottlieb dropped out of the race – was elected vice president, and Michele Mulroney was elected secretary-treasurer. She defeated Nick Jones, Jr., who received 1,256 votes, and Evette Vargas, who got 203.
A total of 5,809 valid ballots were cast. Representing 58% of eligible voters, it represents the largest turnout in guild history and more than...
Goodman received 4,395 votes (77.3%) to Nagy’s 1,292 (22.7%). All of Goodman’s running mates were also elected. Marjorie David, running unopposed – after Craig Mazin and Carl Gottlieb dropped out of the race – was elected vice president, and Michele Mulroney was elected secretary-treasurer. She defeated Nick Jones, Jr., who received 1,256 votes, and Evette Vargas, who got 203.
A total of 5,809 valid ballots were cast. Representing 58% of eligible voters, it represents the largest turnout in guild history and more than...
- 9/17/2019
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
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