DGA Deal With Hollywood Studios Reaction: “WGA Takes A Stand, DGA Reaps Rewards”...
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Writers React To Directors Guild-AMPTP Contract Deal: “WGA Takes A Stand, DGA Reaps The Rewards”
The DGA and AMPTP reached a tentative contract deal late Saturday. Getty Images
UPDATED: Reaction is coming in after the Directors Guild and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached a tentative deal on a new three-year contract late Saturday night. Striking writers express some disappointment in their sister union while showing resolve in their own fight for a fair deal with the studios. And, with the Succession finale still fresh in everyone’s mind, many are using memes from the saga about corporate intrigue and backstabbing to illustrate their reactions on social media.
“I wasn’t around in ’08, but this feels like that from what I’ve heard,” a writer working on streaming series told Deadline Sunday. “The WGA takes a stand, the DGA reaps the rewards.”
A veteran showrunner assessed the impact of the DGA pact while also looking ahead to the SAG-AFTRA strike authorization vote which concludes Monday.
“The two guilds have a lot of different issues this year, that’s a fact, but no one can say this deal doesn’t change things, the momentum,” a veteran showrunner told Deadline today. “The outcome of that SAG-AFTRA vote is the next big hurdle. If they vote against a strike … well, I don’t know, it’ll be hard.”
Added another WGA member, “We went on strike because the studios were devaluing us. From what I read this morning, the DGA agreement only touches on residuals for us. Otherwise, I think its impact won’t be much.”
Another writer had a slightly different take on how the DGA deal would impact the WGA.
“I mean, I just want to get back to work. This is the DGA’s deal — sucks, but I get they did it,” the person said. “It’s not going to change much for us. Actually, it will change something for us: make us more determined to fight for a fair deal for us.”
Here’s a sampling of Twitter reaction from striking writers and their supporters talking about the DGA-AMPTP deal.
Veteran comedy showrunner brought up the fact that DGA had held “preliminary conversations” with AMPTP before ceding the tentpole negotiating position to WGA.
Veteran TV writer-producer Amy Berg posted a multi-tweet thread that began with, “Thrilled that the DGA was able to use the power of the WGA’s labor action to secure a deal that works for them.” She added: “We proposed a number of these terms… before the AMPTP cut off negotiations in order to hand a deal to the DGA. They will continue to not speak to us, offering them next to SAG. But we have needs in areas they don’t, and will secure a deal that works for us. This isn’t it.”
Oscar and Emmy winner Travor Free tweeted: “As a DGA member this deal looks great. As a WGA member, this deal is proof the AMPTP just doesn’t respect writers. The fact that you can make an historic deal with the people who can’t even do their jobs until writers do theirs screams all you need to know about the AMPTP.”
Earlier in the morning, veteran writer-director DeKnight (Spartacus, Daredevil) wrote about the DGA deal on Twitter, “We expected thus. Changes absolutely nothing,” followed by several clinched fist emojis.
There were quite a few Succession-themed reactions:
And the tweets kept comin’:
TV writer/IATSE member Amy Thurlow also posted a thread Sunday morning. It began with: “Just a reminder they made a deal with the DGA in hopes of pitting us against each other. Don’t fall for it. The enemy is not the DGA it’s the AMPTP.”
The Good Wife franchise and Evil co-creator Robert King was a little more optimistic about the DGA’s deal as it relates to the WGA:
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 6:53 pm
The DGA proudly standing with the blue collar labor force that truly powers our industry. Let’s get back to work and earn while we all can, because technology is unstoppable no matter how punny your picket sign is.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 4:49 pm
I hate to see this divide us, it’s exactly what the AMPTP wants. They’re the villains and we’re ALL out of work until the strike ends. I wish we could be more unified like the other unions are.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 5:09 pm
The reason we aren’t is you have two camps. One new and unemployed writes who think this strike is their golden ticket. And more experience writers who know how this industry works and realize that the demands of the WGA are ridiculous and myopic.
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The writing on the wall isn't hard to read on June 4, 2023 5:25 pm
Oh, Anonymous 1 and Anonymous 2 (aka Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee), you’re so wrong. As a WGA Member who moved over to unscripted when things got bad in scripted and food became mandatory to survival… I’m one of many who understands how the gig economy serves an immediate purpose but does not allow you to build a future in any way. You’re always hustling for your next thing. It’s feast or famine. Too much or not enough. No one thinks this strike is their golden ticket. You clearly aren’t a writer. The demands of the WGA are VERY realistic. They’re not even demands. They’re rational expectations for this day and age. Are you a CEO? You must be because no one who has to deal with this thinks they’re going to cash in. They just want to be able to sustain a living and build a career and future. How the corporate types have literally tried to stifle the livelihood of the creatives is just sad. One doesn’t exist without the other. It just doesn’t.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 6:37 pm
You sound kind of green as well. If you are truly over in unscripted all of this debate is outside your remit.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 6:18 pm
Scripted work is a gig economy by definition. Our demands for minimum staffing requirements are delusional. Nobody is guaranteed work in this town.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 5:19 pm
100% correct, it’s the old guard vs. the new guard, old guard wants more money and residuals the new guard think that one or two jobs makes a career and they want to the WGA to protect them and look after them. Good luck with that, it’s a grind every day, every month, ever year, unless you’re in the top 2% it never gets easier. 15 year WGA member.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 8:03 pm
Agreed. Hope priority is residuals and pay, and not mandatory staffing for tv rooms. Features is already gig work by definition.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 3:04 pm
The DGA has a training program for its members. Why doesn’t the WGA have its own WGA Training Program? Why is it up to the Studio / Production to be “responsible for their members to learn how to be a showrunner/producer”? This seems like something the WGA should establish, themselves, internally, and NOT expect the show/studios to be on the side of “Earn as you Learn”. The DGA Training Program is an effective way the Guild has established their AD pipeline. It seems like “minimum staffing” should be more along the lines of “WGA Training Program” status and not expect the Studios to act as “pipelines” for their talent. WGA should take the time and means to train their members.
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SRTP on June 4, 2023 7:54 pm
The WGA DOES have its own Showrunner Training Program (SRTP), established nearly two decades ago.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 3:39 pm
WGA does have that. It’s called the “Showrunner Training Program.” Been here long?
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WGA on June 4, 2023 6:42 pm
The “training program” is half a day. It’s pathetic. So I agree the WGA does need more show-running training and maybe it would lower the amount of drama in these writer’s rooms.
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SRTP on June 4, 2023 8:02 pm
The Showrunner Training Program is a multi-week program with numerous sessions – not sure what program you’re referring to, but it’s not the Guild’s SRTP.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 7:01 pm
Why did the WGA not allow the Writers Assistant and Script Coordinators to become part of their guild? Why are they in IATSE? It seems this would have been a reasonable way forward for training.
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Anon on June 4, 2023 4:12 pm
As a matter of fact, almost (30) years. DGA Trainees are on almost every show & EVERYONE knows they exist. They are brought on distant location, too. I don’t know anyone who has brought a “Showrunner Trainee” out of town or ever has them on staff. Pretty much no one outside the WGA has heard of their training program. Perhaps it needs to be expanded so they can train their guild members better and not expect the studios / Productions to do the heavy lifting for them. No need for a bad attitude just because the DGA was able to get a deal done. Channel your anger toward the negotiating team and the studios. Not those asking questions.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 5:08 pm
We don’t send “Showrunner Trainees” to set because we send Writers to set to produce their episodes. And every writer is a “Showrunner Trainee.” That’s why Writers have producer titles in tv. So they can, y’know, produce. In theory, those writer/producers would have earned their stripes on set and in post before being handed their own show to run. At least, that’s the system that was in place before streaming broke it.
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Raul Lopez-Albertino on June 4, 2023 3:49 pm
Oh, no worries, our now long-gone SAG union, currently just a corpse, string-animated by the strings of legendarily pant-dropping and body-snatching AFTRA, will be a happy camper with any kind of crumbs dropping from the table. No deal of any significance that change the course of any waters whatsoever.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 1:39 pm
Sounds like all these writers are saying, “Please join us on the picket line now that you’ve made your deal.”
DGA: We’ve been reading the comments section of Deadline, so kindly go fuck yourselves.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 3:07 pm
You won’t find work until the WGA strike is over anyway. You could at least get your steps in. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #1u
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 6:39 pm
DGA can direct reality shows. They have plenty of work, and if this goes on for too much longer, there will be another reality boom and they will have more work than they can handle. Discovery is the undisputed king of reality television.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 3:00 pm
If there’s such a mismatch between the WGA member comments on Twitter (with their names attached) and the Deadline comments (without any names attached), don’t you think you should be more skeptical of the Deadline comments? Astroturfing in comments sections is pretty normalized for corp comm teams and some of the PR firms.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 3:14 pm
Except that the Twitter comments from so many of the writers quoted above have also fallen in line with the stuff being written in the Deadline comments, so…
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 3:12 pm
I would be happy to tell you why. The WGA has engaged in more passive threats and harassment during this strike than in any other. Scab reporting pages, having their staff announce retribution for not standing with the Guild, and more. You can’t work unless you are a member of the Guild (which is bullshit) You absolutely cannot have a dissenting opinion about this strike with anyone inside the WGA. The only safe place is here and that darknet chatroom I’ve heard about but can’t find.
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WGA Member over the strike on June 4, 2023 5:26 pm
oo can someone link that chatroom?
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Writer/Director on June 4, 2023 2:14 pm
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 1:33 pm
SHOWRUNNERS: Hire a pilot director and then give all subsequent TV directing jobs to writers & actors. DPs & ADs are the ones actually doing the job episode-by-episode.
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thadec on June 4, 2023 7:12 pm
Good grief. SOMEONE was going to have to be the first to take a deal. And the DGA said from day one, even before the writers struck, that while they supported the WGA 100%, their interests and the WGA’s interests were (very) different and the WGA demands weren’t going to matter much to the DGA negotiations.
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DGA since 2010 on June 4, 2023 3:28 pm
This comment has zero merit and is insulting to directors.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 7:51 pm
Yeah your right. I was venting. :( I’m SAG and been picketing with WGA and it was frustrating feeling like we were abandoned but we all want a deal, its’ just really hard right now for everyone. Sorry to insult directors.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 1:18 pm
Why don’t all the unions negotiate and strike together? A complete standstill would result in an immediate deal.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 2:04 pm
We had this exact opportunity this time. That’s why SAG-AFTRA asked for a Strike Auth too. DGA did not. Unfortunate reality.
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DGA since 2010 on June 4, 2023 9:00 pm
First and foremost, the DGA doesn’t have a vote-for-strike-authorization. So it’s not apples to apples. SAG and WGA operate that way. We do not.
The DGA did not enter these talks with the intent to strike. They wanted to make a deal. Does the writers strike give them leverage? Yes of course. Anyone who says otherwise would be full of it. In the limited areas where there is overlap – wage increases and residuals – there is a template set now. The writers rightfully have other issues that they need addressed but everyone enters a negotiation with room to give.
But last I checked solidarity never only meant “hey let’s all strike together.” From one creative union to another we support doing what you have to for your membership. Which is exactly what the DGA did.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 2:57 pm
Too chaotic? A bunch of suits make hundreds of millions while writers, directors and actors eke out a living creating and making that product that has all the value. These suits aren’t transparent and their offers are insulting. Perhaps a little chaos is needed.
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Anonymous on June 4, 2023 4:31 pm
A bunch of writers make millions too. I’d be genuinely curious to see a comparison of the # of execs. who make millions v. the # or writers who make millions.
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