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WGA membership approves credit proposals

The WGA announced this afternoon that all three proposed revisions to the Screen Credits Manual passed handily, ranging from 83 to 90 percent yes votes.

5 Responses to “WGA membership approves credit proposals”

1. Johnny
   August 2nd, 2008 at 8:26 am

   Big backflippin whoop. Seeing that the dude who refills red licorice gets screen credit, how about a proposal to give the gal who did the eleventh hour rewrite and whose words and ideas are ON THE SCREEN get credit?? Then we’re talkin.

2. Carrie
   August 2nd, 2008 at 11:52 am

   Re: Eliminate the 60% rule: “The current manual states that where a subsequent writer…” Does this refer to rewrites only?

   A friend and I are co-producing an adaptation of a novel we’ve optioned, working with a writer who will get “Screenplay by” credit. The co-producer and I developed the (entirely reworked) story, with the writer’s participation. We are submitting the script with shared “Screen story” credit. I know that if we sell to a studio these decisions will ultimately be taken out of our hands, but for now — I’m still unclear as to what our percentage participation needs to be in order to merit the shared story credit.

3. John
   August 2nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm

   @Johnny:

   As noted throughout, these were minor but important fixes to the system. Crediting all participating writers is a complicated, controversial objective — one I’d support — that extends beyond what the WGA can do without studio agreement.

   @Carrie:

   Your situation is complicated by the fact that it’s an adaptation, you’re producers, and you hope to share story credit with the screenwriter. That’s ambitious. Producers often take a strong hand in helping develop the story (or approach to the story), but rarely try to get story credit.

4. Johnny
   August 2nd, 2008 at 6:45 pm

   @John

   I hearya…. But while I have no objection to the latest amendments, they seem a little…feckless in regards to the bigger issue at hand. All proposals would become pretty much redundant if the credit-for-all issue were addressed and resolved in accordance with the studios (who’d fight tooth and nail to not pay out more residuals, but hey, that’s why it’s the REAL issue, isn’t it). Anyhow, tiny steps in the right direction I guess. Now that the Credits Committee succeeded with flying colors, maybe they can use the vigor of their triumphant victory to address the bigger picture…

5. Sarah
   August 3rd, 2008 at 11:46 pm

   Hey John, stopping by to wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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