An increasing number of high-profile on camera talent lawsuits alleging breach of contract is resulting in scrutiny of the business practices of Netflix and Disney. Carole Baskin vs Netflix and Royal Goode Productions Carole Baskin and her husband, recently sued Netflix and “Tiger King 2” production company Royal Goode Productions for breach of contract. In…
In our last blog post, “Streaming Has Created a Showrunner Problem,” we discussed how the streaming of motion picture content and the binge-watching model of dropping all series episodes at once has not only changed the way Hollywood writers typically create. It has also negatively impacted other workers in the entertainment and media industries. Among…
The motion picture industry provides abundant opportunity for creative professionals to put their unique skills to work, because in no other industry can you find job roles that are more unique. Showrunners Disrupted One of these distinctive roles is that of the TV series showrunner, a position that combines the creative writer role with the…
Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney for what she claims is a breach of her contract to play the Black Widow character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie franchise. Just three months after Johansson signed an amendment to her contract to play the role, Disney’s then CEO announced on a conference call with Wall Street analysts…
The California state legislature is determined to boost the construction of new soundstages in Hollywood, increasing the number of productions filmed there and ultimately creating more jobs. A new bill was recently announced that stands to gift the film and TV tax credit program an extra $330 million. The credit would allocate $180m over two…
Did you know that, behind the scenes, Disney and its stars have been battling it out over streaming revenue for the past few years? Through a very convenient loophole, Disney has been keeping 80% of the revenue earned from older shows that it now distributes on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. How…
When it passed in 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act failed to renew a provision contained in 2004’s Jobs Creation Act, known as Internal Revenue Code Section 181, which allowed film, television and media producers to immediately expense costs that would otherwise need to be capitalized and deducted over the course of ten years.…
Video Games Soar During Pandemic While the Movie Industry Navigates It. The pandemic has had an undeniable cooling effect on live-action motion picture production, and both film creators and decision makers in the theatrical exhibition industry are still looking for ways to bring the in-theater movie experience back on track safely. But in the meantime,…
AMPTP Strikes New Deals with Major Motion Picture & Television Union Groups In spite of the unique negotiating circumstances stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has recently reached new agreements with each of The Directors Guild of America, The Writers Guild of America, and The Screen Actors Guild-American…
Television network and studio executives, and major producers for existing programs are about to make some strategic hiring decisions, according to industry commentary, like this article from Deadline. As the WGA (Writers Guild of America) faces the end of its current contract with television and film production companies this spring, television networks and studios are…