Who's afraid of the DGA?

Wednesday's Los Angeles Times had a front-page story reporting what you've already heard if you read America Wants To Know (see "The painful politics of the Writers Guild"): working writers are angry at Writers Guild of America, West, president Patric Verrone and chief negotiator David Young over their decision to allow negotiations to "drift into less important issues" like WGA jurisdiction over reality TV shows.

"There is a growing group of writers who are burning up over this," said one writer who asked not to be identified.

The Times also reports that writers are very worried the Directors Guild of America will begin negotiations on its own contract and strike a deal on new-media revenue, a deal that will undercut the WGA's position.

The directors "are expected to be more flexible on terms and more sympathetic to studio arguments," the Times said. "In contrast to the writers, directors and studios have historically enjoyed a more cordial relationship and far less contentious labor negotiations."

Cordiality is nice, but it's not the reason the DGA is more flexible.

The DGA is more flexible because the directors are never going to walk out on strike and shut down Hollywood the way writers and actors do.

Why not, you ask?

Well, it's like this.

How many people can take a stack of blank white paper and turn it into an entertaining script?

Not too many.

How many people can stand in front of a camera and deliver an audience that will pay ten dollars a ticket, or sit through commercials, to watch them on a screen?

Very, very few.

How many people can direct?

Millions of people.

Cinematographers can do it. Editors can do it. Actors can do it. Producers and producers' girlfriends and financiers and financiers' girlfriends and studio executives and their college-age children and countless other people can do it, or think they're doing it while the cinematographers and editors and actors quietly carry them.

Only once, in the 71-year history of the DGA, did the directors go on strike.

They were on strike exactly five minutes before settling.

The Writers Guild is pleading with the DGA not to cut a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers until after the writers have a new contract, but the WGA is dreaming. The directors like to have their contract negotiations finished up early, before anyone starts making contingency plans to replace them.

You saw "All About Eve," right?


Copyright 2007

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