Lost - News and Appearances/FAQs #2: We've never been this lost - Page 8

janeway1390 · 11-16-2007, 01:57 PM

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Whatever you think about the writers' strike, ya gotta feel for guys like Lost writer-producer Carlton Cuse. As a writer, he's on strike. But as a producer... mmm, not so much. So even though he's a member of the WGA's negotiating committee, he's returning to work, at least to do some postproduction on the eight episodes that have already been shot. "We feel we owe that to our fans," he tells the New York Times. "We would harm our franchise if we didn't do it ourselves."

Elms · 11-16-2007, 09:41 PM

Hollywood Reporter

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Writers Guild, studios to resume talks

By Carl DiOrio

Nov 17, 2007

STRIKE ZONE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES

The Writers Guild and studios plan to resume talks on Nov. 26, officials said Friday night.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers issued a brief statement: "Leaders from the AMPTP and the WGA have mutually agreed to resume formal negotiations on November 26. No other details or press statements will be issued."

The Writers Guild of America has been on strike since Nov. 5 after contract negotiations broke down. There was no immediate indication if picketing would continue.

**no limits** · 11-16-2007, 09:42 PM

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"We feel we owe that to our fans," he tells the New York Times. "We would harm our franchise if we didn't do it ourselves."

Thank God for that!

**-Katie-** · 11-17-2007, 06:42 PM

MSNBC is reporting that Lost is going to air the first 8 episodes.

MethodicWays · 11-19-2007, 12:34 PM

Although I know it's hard as Lost fans I would encourage people NOT to watch the mobisodes ABC.com will be putting on their website. That is exactly what the writers are fighting against (their created content being put on the internet and cell phones without them being compensated) and exactly what the studios are hoping for (that fans will be so eager they will want the content despite the fact that it only serves to make the studios more money).

It's funny though because if the fans do download/stream these episodes it will ironically prove the writers' point that there is money to be made/being made from new media.

Elms · 11-20-2007, 09:11 AM

Actually the writers (and actors) are being paid for the mobisodes: Webisodes of 'Lost': Model Deal for Writers?

Honolulu Star Bulletin

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‘Lost’ set picketed by writers
They want to be paid when the popular TV show is downloaded

By Katherine Nichols
knichols@starbulletin.com

Members of the Writers Guild of America picketed yesterday in front of the Hawaii Film Studio, which houses the interior set for "Lost," in a display of solidarity with striking writers on the mainland.

Some of the approximately 20 active WGA members residing on Oahu held signs reading "ABC.com = LO$T WGA residuals." Formal negotiations between writers and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are scheduled to resume Monday.

"'Lost' is one of the most downloaded shows on television," said screenwriter Judd Klinger, who recently moved to Hawaii from Los Angeles. "It's a prototype for using new media, and it completely gets around paying writers, and that's exactly what the strike is about."

Though "Lost" producers and actors filming at the Diamond Head location avoided the small, well-behaved group, visibility has not been a problem on the mainland, where presidential candidate John Edwards spoke to picketers and media in Burbank, Calif., about preventing "big corporate conglomerates from taking over."

One of the key issues revolves around residuals. Writers are supposed to be paid every time their show airs. But circumventing traditional media outlets -- downloading to an iPod, for instance -- has obliterated a major source of income.

"Now with this alternate media, writers are paid nothing," said Neal Israel, a veteran member of the WGA since 1979, with a long list of hit movies and television favorites such as "Lizzy McGuire," "Even Stevens" and "The Wonder Years" to his credit.

Though studios have minimized the potential of online profits, "we're just asking for a percentage, if there's a profit -- with some fair determination of when a movie is actually in profit," explained Klinger, who noted that studios claimed during 1988 negotiations that people would never purchase a machine to watch videos at home.

Serial shows like "Lost," which people prefer to view in chronological order, are especially popular on DVD and the Internet. Currently, writers earn about 4 cents per DVD sold, against an alleged profit of $25 for the studio. They would like that to rise to 8 cents.

But "Lost" appears to be breaking ground with its new miniepisodes currently available on ABC.com. Led by executive producer Carlton Cuse (also a writer and key negotiator for the WGA), the writers of "Lost: Missing Pieces" earned a specific amount of money for each two- to three-minute short, and will make about 2 percent on residual sales, according to the New York Times. For writers willing to compromise, it certainly looks like progress.

"We are essentially a middle-class union," said Israel. "The average writer makes $60,000 a year. It's very difficult for us to make a living. We just want a fair contract."

MethodicWays · 11-20-2007, 12:21 PM

That's great. I'm so glad that Lost was able to broker this deal and I'll actually watch them now to prove how profitable this "interweb" can be.

Elms · 11-28-2007, 03:37 PM

Watch with Kristin - Lost Ads Coming to the Big Screen

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Lost Ads Coming to the Big Screen

This just in: Lost is coming to the big screen!

Oh, how I wish I could tell you our beloved Evie, Matthew and Josh are starring in a movie version of the show we so adore, but this is pretty much the next best thing: Sources tell me ABC has secured a deal to air promos for the upcoming fourth season of Lost (with new footage!) before all movies rated PG and above in Screenvision and NCM chains in December.

Hear that? It's the sound of this die-hard couch potato running out to buy my tickets!

And by the way, this also means ABC thinks the new season of Lost is so good, it warrants such play. I've heard from Alphabet-net insiders that the upcoming eight episodes filmed so far are "crazy good" and will "even satisfy the haters." So, if you're already starting to feel the fourth-season fever, sound off below, will ya?

And if you're headed for the aforementioned theaters, don't you dare think about hitting the bathroom before the show...

Woo hoo, promotion is starting.

Carlie06 · 11-28-2007, 04:45 PM

This is the greatest news I've heard all day.

**-Katie-** · 11-28-2007, 07:36 PM

Very exciting. This new season needs to move a bit more faster.

Jasonsgurl310 · 11-28-2007, 11:13 PM

Sry...didn't mean to post!

kate204 · 11-29-2007, 08:50 PM

69 days till Lost start

kate204 · 11-29-2007, 08:53 PM

I just want to say that.

kate204 · 11-29-2007, 08:55 PM

No it would not be good if Lost was a move.

Carlie06 · 11-30-2007, 01:22 PM

From TVGuide.com:

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Well, that didn't take long. The WGA has swiftly dismissed the "New Economic Partnership" put forth by the AMPTP on Thursday, saying in a statement that "for the first three days of this week, the companies presented in essence their November 4 [pre-strike] package with not an iota of movement on any of the issues that matter to writers. Thursday morning, the first new proposal was finally presented to us. It dealt only with streaming and made-for-Internet jurisdiction, and it amounts to a massive rollback."

The WGA reports that with regards to Internet streaming, they were offered "a single fixed payment of less than $250 for a year's reuse of an hour-long program (compared to over $20,000 payable for a network rerun)." For made-for-Internet material, the AMPTP "continued to refuse to grant jurisdiction," "they made absolutely no move on the download formula" and "continue to assert that they can deem any reuse 'promotional' and pay no residual (even if they replay the entire film or TV episode, and even if they make money)."

Talks are scheduled to resume on Tuesday. Says the WGA, "We must fight on, returning to the lines... in force to make it clear that we will not back down, that we will not accept a bad deal, and that we are all in this together."

argh!