Actors Agree on Talk Extensions; SAG Drops DVD Residual Rate Demands
This story was written by Rafat Ali.
The Screen Actors Guild has agreed to extend the ongoing contract talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers until Tuesday next week, after the first three weeks of talks expired today. No specific reason was given, but LAT reports that SAG's dropped its proposal to double residuals from DVD sales, which had been a key stumbling block. SAG is now asking for what would effectively be a 15 percent hike in DVD pay.
The current contract expires June 30th. Among the points of contention, still, are the length of time film and TV shows can be streamed online before residuals can be paid to actors for their work, and what kind of programs created for the Internet should be covered under the union's contract.
Variety: A SAG strike would immediately halt movie production and inject even more uncertainty into the entertainment business, still reeing from the writers strike. Major studios are no longer greenlighting new features until a SAG agreement's in place.
By Rafat Ali