Historic Win For The WGA Could Alter How Agencies Do Business

Just this week we have seen the final holdout, WME, agree to the WGA’s proposed working terms. Aimed to address both packaging fees and the commercial interest of talent agencies in production companies, this historic (and long-drawn-out) dispute/agreement returns the agency industry to a place it has not been for decades- and could have intriguing knock-on effects down the line. BLAKE & WANG P.A entertainment lawyer San Francisco analyze the situation.

It’s possible that the DGA’s recent coming-out in favor of the WGA argument was an influencing party in WME finally dropping its antitrust suit and returning to the negotiation table with the WGA. Or perhaps the argument and court posturing have simply run their course, with even the courts suggesting they would prefer to see mediation over litigation. With both threatened court actions finally put to bed and a productive agreement reached, this represents the culmination of an action begun in the far-back mists of April 2018. While it’s been frighteningly close to 3 years coming, now it has finally arrived, what does this mean for the talent agency industry as a whole?

Firstly, we return to a 10% commission structure that hasn’t been in play for many years. As was always the intent behind the WGA’s campaign, they wish for writer’s agents to ‘only make money when (their) client does.’ With the juicy allure of packaging fees and incentives created by owning in-house production entities gone, it will certainly be a different world for talent and the agencies that represent them.

Hopefully, we will also see relations between the WGA and the Association of Talent Agents return to normal. The forerunners for WGA ire in April 2018, the ATA refused to negotiate with the WGA, which in turn led to the individual agreements reached between agencies and the WGA. We may even see SAG-AFTRA, who haven’t dealt with the ATA since a similar, earlier, dispute, return to the table with them.

It’s not rare for strikes and disputes to have a long-term impact on the industry, of course. Yet this is a major defanging of some critical conflicts of interest in the industry, and will undoubtedly have a profound impact on things to come. BLAKE & WANG P.A entertainment lawyer San Francisco will be watching carefully.

Brandon Blake– Managing Director Blake & Wang P.A.- Entertainment Attorney

How we progressed through the year of COVID-19, according to our Netflix accounts

With social isolation being the predominant theme of 2020, there was a concurrent spike in demand for streaming services. As a bit of festive fun from BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Lawyer Los Angeles, we’re taking a look at what shows trended when during this tumultuous year of lockdowns, restrictions, and more- and what it says about ourselves as a whole, too.

Firstly, and as a positive, Netflix would see a boom in foreign-language dramas throughout the year as it opened itself to a wider subscriber base. This was accessed by viewers willing to use subtitles as well as native speakers. Romance and action would also remain key parts of the 2020 landscape no matter what happened- indicative, perhaps, of an urge to escape a lonely year with something escapist.

A very surprising boom would come at the start, however- baking shows! Perhaps accompanying the social media ‘banana bread’ challenge (or causing it), many anchor programs revolving around the soothing art of creating comfort food would see an uptick- well over 50% extra demand!

The euphoria would not last long, however. As lockdown stretched into April and beyond, we would instead see a 30% uptick in demand for sad content and tearjerkers, alongside a greater interest in true crime documentaries and, of course, the phenomenon that was Tiger King. Alongside it would come a demand for stand-up comedy in all its forms. Dating shows and other ‘fluffy’ unscripted reality would also stay strong throughout the year.

In a move that can be seen as positive for humanity as a whole, in the three weeks following the controversial murder of Geroge Floyd, there was a peak in demand for content focusing on the experiences of people of color. This would be the push behind Netflix’s launch of their Black Lives Matter collection.

All in all, it’s a telling look into the mood of a year that’s been like no other, especially for the entertainment industry. The trends we see here will doubtless shape the 2021 orders Netflix places, which means it could also be an interesting knock-on effect for the industry as a whole. BLAKE & WANG P.A will continue to watch (pun intended) with interest.

Will changes to the ‘Best Picture’ qualifying criteria make actual change in the industry?

With new changes tabled as to how the American Motion Picture Academy determines if a production qualifies for Best Picture, opinions are divided. Today BLAKE & WANG P.A takes a look at some of the key issues.

Have the changes gone over well?

To date, the only fair description is ‘mixed’. This would possibly have gone better if the new changes weren’t leaving people completely confused about when and where they apply. Of course, not every AMPAS voter has actually given the matter the thought it needs- some have just seen the word ‘diversity’ and let a knee-jerk reaction take over. Some have catastrophized that dream projects and creativity will grind to a halt. Others have taken the time to look at the matter in depth. While many are still considering all implications, it seems they’re viewing the changes with optimism for the industry.

In short, it’s probably too early to tell. Once the immediate feelings of excessive control and ‘false diversity’ have settled, however, cooler heads are likely to see this as an overall positive move forward for the film industry as a whole and the Academy and Oscars in particular.

Will these new regulations make a difference?

There’s no way we can tell at the moment. It’s certainly good that we’re seeing some movement towards these goals, and the intentions are excellent. It’s a forward-looking strategy that not only attempts to address diversity, but also ‘future-proof’ the Oscars to stay relevant as times (and audiences) change.

Nor are the changes just about race. Women, for example, and the LGBTQ+ community have been drastically underrepresented in both the industry and the awards ceremony, and the ‘underrepresented communities’ part of these rules seeks to address this. It’s difficult to know how to reach into the systemic societal mess around these issues and create change, but at least this is trying to make a difference.

There will be no real indication of what wider effects this new ruling has until we’ve seen it in action. With the changes not due to go into effect until the 2024 Oscar season, it will be a while before we fully understand how this pans out. In the meantime, it seems like an interesting step forward.

ROKU- A Streaming Service to Watch?

Steaming has certainly seen it’s already-rising prominence in the entertainment industry rocket during the tumultuous year that has been 2020. Super-streaming video platform ROKU is not alone in seeing huge growth, but it’s one that’s well worth watching. Generally seen as an ‘onramp’ to full internet TV services for consumers, it has boomed during the global health crisis.

The company has humble beginnings. Based in California, it was a unit of Netflix, primarily producing the company’s first set-top boxes. They parted ways in 2007, however, when the more famous streaming partner moved away from hardware. That didn’t slow the company down much. Continuing to make their set-top boxes, they diversified into streaming sticks so they could offer internet video services like Hulu, Amazon Prime and, of course, Netflix, as a third-party ‘super streamer’. It would also go on to license an OEM operating system for Smart TVs, too.

ROKU’s revenue generation model hinges on advertising through the platform and ad-supported services like its own ROKU channel. It also takes a chunk of all pay-per-view and subscription revenue for third-party services it hosts on the platform. In turn, customers are offered convenience as all these niche streaming platforms are compressed into one product.

It’s a model that may well serve the platform well. We’re seeing a rising trend of consumers turning away from subscription streaming to free, but ad-supported internet video networks. Especially as consumers face pressure to tighten budgets and trim the fat from their entertainment allowances.
In short, ROKU has proven able to weather huge revolutions in its business structure and show smart predictive sense regarding trends. While they remain a smaller player in the streaming market, they’re certainly one it’s worth watching.

Nowadays, due to complicated entertainment law policy not easy for every media house to comply with them. You could take the services of an Entertainment Lawyer If you are feeling difficulties in publishing content, contracting, licensing and taxation.

What caused the demise of North Carolina as a Popular Filming Venue?

Entertainment Lawyers

North Carolina has seen a resurgence as a location shooting venue in recent years. After a boom in popularity in the early 2010’s, changing tax legislation and other restrictions saw the area lose popularity as a filming location. With 2019 and 2020 figures suggesting a strong new upswing in the state’s popularity as a film and TV hub, what setbacks occurred to kill the industry here in the first place?

2014 saw the state end legislation providing incentive funding to film crews shooting in the area. This included the Film Tax incentive, offering 25% reduction and tax credits up to $20,000,000 to productions. This was the primary cause of death for North Carolina’s reputation as ‘Hollywood on the East Coast’. It was claimed the incentive did little to benefit the state, but the jury is out on the exact figures.

The introduction of HB2, the ‘bathroom bill’, in 2016 was also seen as an unattractive rollback of diversity and equality, plunging the state into the dogbox among many industries. Estimates as high as 4 billion dollars lost to the bill over time have been floated. The bill is finally set to repeal at the end of 2020, although some argue the floated repeal is still not good enough.

So what’s bringing business back? While the devastation of the Coronavirus is not to be ignored, the way North Carolina has chosen to handle the crisis has created a space where production can continue fairly easily. Whilst urban enough to remain relevant, big cities like Charlotte are also less crowded than other production centers like NYC and Chicago, keeping crews safer. Additionally, they’ve recreated some grants and incentives that, while not quite as appealing as the original offerings, and a little more select in who they choose, have also set the stage to ensure a resurgence in the state’s popularity as a filming venue.

Blake & Wang P.A.

Blake & Wang P.A well-renowned entertainment lawyers are assisting award-winning producers and directors in various phases from production to distribution. If you are looking for the best entertainment attorney services then you could visit the Blake & Wang P.A website.