John August

Search Results for: residuals

LA Times story on DVD sales

Film Industry

The Los Angeles Times recently ran a good piece about the studios’ reluctance to disclose exactly how much money they really make on DVDs. They’re happy to tell you that home video is absolutely crucial to profitability, particularly when it comes to the threat of piracy. But ask how much money they made from DVDs on, say, [Shrek](http://imdb.com/title/tt0126029/combined?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8dHQ9b258ZmI9dXxwbj0wfHE9c2hyZWt8aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=1;ft=21;fm=1), and they whistle a tune while rocking back and forth on their heels.

Of course, knowing a precise figure is not idle curiosity. Peter Jackson, for instance, is suing over [Lord of the Rings](http://imdb.com/title/tt0120737/combined), suspecting he was shortchanged somewhere in the tens of millions of dollars for DVD payments.

You can read the whole story [here](http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-et-dvdmoney17apr17,1,213056.story?ctrack=1&cset=true). (Free registration required.)

See also:

[Glossary: Residuals](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2004/glossary-residuals)
[Big Fish sells 2 million DVDs in first week](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2004/big-fish-sells-2-million-dvds-in-its-first-week)

Big Green Envelopes

Film Industry, Projects

One of the less-documented joys of being a working screenwriter is when you open the mailbox to find a big green envelope. It’s a very distinctive shade of green…

…which is only used for one purpose: a WGA [residual](http://johnaugust.com/site/glossary#residuals) check.

You never know quite when these envelopes are coming, or how much will be inside. Half the fun is guessing before you rip it open. If a successful movie you wrote has recently come out on DVD, the check could be for tens of thousands of dollars. Or for a movie like Go, it could be a few hundred, for showing on Cinemax. Regardless, it’s found money, and cause for jubilation.

Recently, I’ve been getting a bunch of little checks, on the order of $425.60. They’re payments for D.C., the staggeringly unsuccessful show I created for the WB in 2000. Although it only ran three episodes in the U.S., apparently all seven episodes ran in Europe.

Unbeknownst to me, the WGA did an investigation, and figured out that I was owed residuals for this. So they got Universal to pay me.

It’s not a lot of money, but strictly on principle I’m very grateful for it. Accountants are rarely lauded as heroes. So here’s a shout-out to the WGA collections department, and David DelVecchio in particular, for tracking down every last cent writers are owed.

Writers Guild agreement reached

Film Industry, News

Suddenly, the five-month pause in negotiations between the Writers Guild and the studios has ended, with a [tentative agreement announced today](http://www.wga.org/pr/1004/pr101304.html).

For those who haven’t been following the situation, film and television writers have been working without a contract since June 2nd. The Writers Guild walked away from the studios “last, best offer” because it didn’t address the principal concerns:

1. Health plan funding
2. DVD residuals
3. Late payments
4. Other creative issues, such as reality television writing

The idea was to wait until the Directors Guild started their negotiations, and piggyback on any advances they were able to make. (This isn’t as unfair as it sounds; the DGA traditionally goes last in the cycle after WGA and SAG, and benefits from increases the first two guilds win.) However, the DGA made their deal really quickly, and didn’t make any progress on DVD residuals. So there wasn’t a lot for the WGA Negotiating Committee to build on.

What did the writers get in this tentative agreement? Well, the health plan is the biggest thing, with about $37 million more pumped in to keep the fund solvent. There are also increases in pension and minimum writing fees. DVD residuals stay where they are, but there’s at least some token attention to late payments and reality television, which uses writers but calls them producers.

Also on the television front, there will be a new training program for educating writers about the business side of running a TV show. And to encourage wider viewing, networks can repeat the intial episodes of a series during the first two months without paying residuals. Both make sense to me.

Is it a good deal? Well, it doesn’t address the [awful state of DVD residuals](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2004/big-fish-sells-2-million-dvds-in-its-first-week), but I really didn’t expect it would. You know how when something bad happens, people always say, “At least you have your health?” In this case, at least we have our health plan, which is certainly something to be happy about.

How do I find out who represents a given actor?

Film Industry, QandA

I was wondering if it’s possible for you to tell me what agency Freddie Highmore is represented by.

–Jessi

No. And not only because your question was posted in the comments section of a random, unrelated topic.

However, I can tell you how to find out Freddie Highmore’s agent — or any actor’s agent. All film actors belong to some film acting union or guild — that’s how they get paid residuals when movies come out on video and television. In the U.S., that means SAG (Screen Actors Guild); the closest U.K. equivalent is probably Equity, but I trust an experienced U.K. reader will correct me if I’m wrong. For whichever guild, look up the phone number, call them, and ask for agent contact information. Voila.

The same basic process can be applied to directors or screenwriters.

Now for the more difficult question: why would you need to know who represents Freddie Highmore? Unless you’re calling to offer him gainful employment, an agent is not the one to help you. If you simply admire Highmore’s work — and why not, he’s a remarkable young actor — you’re much better off visiting a fan site where you can bond with others who feel likewise.