Studios, Directors in Sync

Jan 18, 05:00 AM

LOS ANGELES -- The DGA has a deal, which is giving Hollywood hope that writers, who have been on strike for 11 weeks, will get one, too. And soon.

The Directors Guild of America's tentative three-year deal with networks and studios came after six days of formal negotiations and provides a roughly 3% raise for its members and a royalty increase for movies and shows streamed over the Internet.

Though the deal isn't as generous as the one writers seek, it raises hopes that writers and producers can get back to the bargaining table. The groups last negotiated formally Dec. 7, hitting a roadblock primarily on revenue from digital entertainment. The strike has derailed TV and some film production and the awards season, canceling some shows and leaving next month's Oscars in question.

George Clooney, a staunch supporter of the writers, is among those looking for more movement. "I'm very pleased with the new agreement, and I hope it helps speed up the negotiations with the WGA," he said.

Jerry Bruckheimer, who produces films and TV shows including the CSI franchise, told the Los Angeles Times: "I think there is enormous pressure on everybody to settle this and move on."

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, in a statement, expressed a similar sentiment: "We hope that this agreement with the DGA will signal the beginning of the end of this extremely difficult period for our industry. We invite the Writers Guild of America to engage with us in a series of informal discussions similar to the productive process that led us to a deal with the DGA to determine whether there is a reasonable basis for returning to formal bargaining.

"We look forward to these discussions, and to the day when our entire industry gets back to work."

The Writers Guild, which has enjoyed support from the Screen Actors Guild, issued a statement that it would examine the agreement, though the guild has said it won't be pressured into an accord.

"For over a month, we have been urging the conglomerates to return to the table and bargain in good faith," the statement reads. "They have chosen to negotiate with the DGA instead. Now that those negotiations are completed, the AMPTP must return to the process of bargaining with the WGA. We hope that the DGA's tentative agreement will be a step forward in our effort to negotiate an agreement that is in the best interests of all writers."

The Directors Guild has a history of swift labor agreements with the studios, and its members still have to approve the agreement. The current contract expires June 30. (c) Copyright 2005 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Studios, Directors in Sync
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