The Sound of Quotes Dropping
More bad news for the A-list. Star power appears to be fading.
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Ed Asner’s movie “UP” is the biggest grossing movie so far this year.
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Mod. Comment: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will overtake it momentarily. Star Trek is just behind it. The point is, “bankable” stars like Will Ferrell or Eddie Murphy did not salvage the expensive pictures they fronted.
And if Larry Cedar was drawing the jurisdictional lines, AFTRA would have covered one of the two biggest grossing films of the season. Somehow I suspect Mr. Cedar hadn’t considered this result when he allocated animation to AFTRA.
The thing is, it’s still about the script. As proven now, and often, a bad film will tank no matter who the star is. It all begins with a good script. Too much emphasis has been placed on A-list names…
Independent filmmakers make a film because the script matters to them, and they try to get the best actor for the role that fits their budget. Studios build the project off the actor appeal.
time to rethink studio models….
Who is Larry Cedar?
I work a lot of indie films and your right the script is what matters. The break down and discussion of what’s on the page makes for a more satisfying production experience. I’m at the point that if it has a green screen in it I don’t want to do it.
Mike,
Cedar was quoted here (the merger thread) by Matthew as making a “good case” on SAG Actor for a jurisdictional split with everything captured by lens being SAG and everything captured by microphone (expressly including animation) being AFTRA. That would make UP an AFTRA production, and also the upcoming Ice Age 3, which would give AFTRA probably two of the top five movies of the summer. I doubt Matthew or Mr. Cedar thought that part of it through; kinda like that “fair representation” argument before AFTRA took a big bite out of the TV pilot season.
Given that you’ve personally come out in favor of marching toward 2002 to decide on what jurisdiction divisions should be made today, I would think you would keep up with alternatives that challenge your progressive idea. Glad to have filled in the blanks here for you.
So, Fred, I guess now you are saying that such a plan would be better for AFTRA than SAG since potentially two of the highest-grossing picures are animation? It seems that you said before that AFTRA would never agree to this because SAG taking almost all of television would be unfair in their view. Which is it?
As for big stars’ quotes dropping, you won’t hear complaints from me. For most of that money, SAG dues are not even paid. What I’d like to see is that money chanelled towards supporting players, day players and background.
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Ed. Comment: On the first, whether Fred’s saying it or not, that’s nuts. Merger isn’t better for one union or another. It’s better for performers, of all types. The only group that benefits from the current situation is the AMPTP.
On the second: if you think the money is going to go anywhere other than the producers and the companies…you’re even nuttier.
Fred,
To be clear, a hypothetical question was asked on the merger thread, The questions was; How would you divide TV jurisdiction? My two cents was, AFTRA sitcoms, SAG all other scripted TV. Incidentally, in the L.A Times today, on the third page of the business section, the number one and two scripted prime-time TV shows–viewers 18 to 39, were two SAG sitcoms. “Two and 1/2 Men” and “The Big Bang Theory”. Under my hypothetical plan these shows would be AFTRA shows. Considering many actors would like AFTRA out of scripted TV entirely, I think my hypothetical plan was quite generous to AFTRA.
Realistically, what I’d like to happen, is for SAG and AFTRA, to jointly negotiate all shared jurisdiction under the Phase I agreement.
Matthew,
I’m saying that the transparent attempt to justify a jurisdictional division based on an irrelevancy tends to make fools out of those who make the division.
I’m not saying Cedar’s division was good for anyone. I’m saying the division was a transparent attempt to give SAG an edge, like the “fair representation” cry in the TV negotiations, which was also based on a temporary situation. The situation changed, exposing the lack of logic behind the suggestion.
Cedar’s division failed to take into account animated films, which would give AFTRA legitimate entry into theatricals. You think he had that in mind?
Mike,
This is what you said:
“I think returning to the pre-2002 status quo would be the best option for actors. It is the actors that should decide. AFTRA would only be relinquishing current contracts that are outside its historic “live manner†jurisdiction. Perhaps they could be grandfathered.”
What you just offered up is smoke, mirros and a lot of spin.
big names may be moving off the big screen but shows like Damages, Breaking Bad, Rescue Me are still well written and very good. Some of the names are moving to the small screen. Let’s face it. Most movies are being made for the 13 to 16 yr olds. They have to be either loud, destructive and full of action, or silly with a kid or an animal. How do you suppose “Now Voyager” or “Lawrence of Arabia” would play now?
i think that there is a lot of talk about SAG ending up the number one actors union. lots of talking and no actual work being done on it. AFTRA is quiet, doing the union stuff it is supposed to do. finding work for members, having signed contracts to find work for the members and not wasting time stirring up the members into a frenzy. why would any sane organization {AFTRA} want to even think about having such a disruptive organization{SAG} associated with it?
Larry Cedar (born 6 March 1955) is an American actor and a voice actor best known as one of the players of the highly-acclaimed Children’s Television Workshop mathematics show, Square One TV on PBS from 1987 to 1994. Cedar is also known for playing “Leon”, the opium addicted thief and faro dealer in the internationally acclaimed HBO series, Deadwood.
http://www.larrycedar.com
V.