Improved working conditions during the pandemic may have stalled union negotiations

This week we see IATSE and AMPTP fall into an awkward hiatus with no resolution in sight. While talks will resume on July 6th, far in advance of the 31st July contract expiration, it’s still a strained situation. BLAKE & WANG P.A entertainment law firms Los Angeles examines one potential factor behind the failure to meet common ground.

Union reps have stated that there seems to be no meeting in the middle on key aspects they wish to address, hence the reason for the deadlock. Our industry contacts suggest some of this could well be linked to the swift and decisive response to the pandemic that allowed many sets to reopen and continue working throughout the troubled past year.

This, it is claimed, demonstrated that safe and thoughtful workplace management is possible, and thus the union feels that key changes to what it claims are ‘dangerous working conditions’ can easily be made. Think meal breaks and rest periods, as well as better handling of ‘Fraturdays’, long shoots that extend late in the night on Friday and Saturday.

Brandon Blake– Managing Partner at Entertainment Attorney Blake & Wang P.A.

The news isn’t all gloomy, however. IATSE leaders have told members that good progress has been made on diversity and inclusion matters. The primary hitch seems to lie in economic matters, including funding for the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan. Companies want greater cost-sharing from workers, while the union is pushing for funding from streaming residuals.

Overall, it’s not been looking good, and it’s easy to see why the talks have stalled to the extent they have. Let’s hope that with the break until July 6th, cooler heads can come back to the negotiating table and a better set of compromises can be found. As the contracts in question expire on July 31st, there will be time pressure to consider when talks resume. BLAKE & WANG P.A one of the best entertainment lawyers in Los Angeles will, of course, be watching the situation carefully.

The Oscar Race for Beast Picture Hots Up

In a year like no other, who will take the ultimate Oscars crown? That’s the question that BLAKE & WANG P.A one of the top entertainment law firms Los Angeles alongside everyone else in the entertainment industry, is asking. After all, even this close to the ceremony, it’s near impossible to tell. Have we ever seen an Oscar race so hotly contested, yet with so little indication of who will reach the shortlist? It’s certainly a fascinating phenomenon to watch.

Tenet was an undeniable big splash in a difficult year, yet we see it actively avoided for the AMPAS site shortlists. Warner doesn’t seem to be campaigning for it, either- at least not as hard as The Way Back, The Little Things, and Judas and the Black Messiah. Are they hoping for a last-minute theatrical release to blast it to prominence?

Or will it be left off the list? No one seems sure. In a year we have Borat Subsequent Moviefilm as a serious contender, how likely are our guesses to be valid at all? Mank, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Promising Young Woman, Da 5 Bloods, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Soul, Nomadland, Minari… the list of potential hopefuls goes on, with no clear contender yet emerging. Nomadland is currently occupying a lot of attention, but that seems to shift almost weekly. Will it pay off with a spot on the list?

This may be a first for the industry, with the ceremony date almost on us. While each of these unique films is definitely worthy of consideration, the fact the field remains this wide opened is an Oscar first. With that in mind, we’re still perched on the edge of an ever-fluctuating sea of potential. Even Academy voters don’t seem sure where to cast their nets.

If nothing else, it’s a fascinating time to be watching the Oscar Race. Which is your favorite pick?

How Detective Chinatown 3 Helped Rally the Chinese Box Office

Just this week we’ve seen immensely positive news from the Chinese Box Office. With a Box Office totaling over $1.2 billion for the Lunar New Year, a record-busting stat that pushes past 2019 peaks, it’s hard not to hope we’ll see a similar rally in the U.S. The anticipated release of Detective Chinatown 3 has had a huge hand in these successes. BLAKE & WANG P.A one of the best entertainment lawyers in Los Angeles crunches the numbers on this exceptional performer.

We saw the hit crack records for opening day and opening weekend both over the Feb12th-14th period. To date, it’s grossed over $551 million. This places it as the top movie of the year, not just in China but globally. This also puts it a meaty 20% ahead of China’s The Eight Hundred, 2020’s top title worldwide.

Did we mention this is just 6 days into opening?

It’s not the only hit to carve out a notable spot over the New Year, however, with Hi, Mom, a time-travel comedy, managed to top the charts from Monday to midweek. It’s taken $423 million to date. This is expected to double by the end of the run. If accurate, this would make it the second top movie ever to hit their market. Despite overtaking Hi, Mom for its opening weekend, Detective Chinatown 3 is expected to peak at around $700 million- a good third again ahead of the previous installment in the series.

Overall, seven strong releases (of which Detective Chinatown 3 and Hi, Mom were the pillars) over the Lunar New Year season have created a resounding Box Office Boom it’s hoped will carry over worldwide. Despite running with capacity restrictions, this weekend’s takings represent a record-breaking attendance, fuelled in part by people’s inability to travel to family over the holiday period. All in all, it’s a positive global trend BLAKE & WANG P.A one of the top entertainment law firms Los Angeles hopes to see continue.

California Theaters Finally Set To Reopen

With harsh COVID-19 pandemic restrictions still in place, California has been one of the very last states to see its beleaguered exhibition industry return to business. Finally, we are seeing an increasing number of Santa Clara and San Francisco theater locations owned by Cinemark reopen, albeit with a revised way of doing business designed to still cater to local lock down restrictions.

That’s not to say all will be back to normal. A key part of these restrictions involves the 25% occupancy limit placed on movie theaters. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the total occupancy limit remains at a 100 person total occupancy limit and concessions cannot be sold at all in key markets like Santa Clara and San Francisco.

While reopening under these restrictions has, in fact, been an option in the state since late September, it’s no surprise that we’ve seen an across-the-board delay in any movement to get the screens up and running. With concessions off the table in some areas, and such harsh bums-on-seats restrictions, many theater owners are reluctant to open the doors at all, seeing it as less expensive to simply stay shuttered. Yet they will need to reopen to prove to studios that exhibition is still a relevant market, creating an interesting catch-22 situation.

We’ve finally seen Cinemark opt to reopen as of late October, however. With a San Francisco multiplex, several San Francisco Bay locations, Alameda County, and many locations in Santa Clara County all on the table to reopen, this is perhaps the biggest development in state-wide reopening we’ve seen in recent weeks.
Blake & Wang P.A.
We may not see a huge buy-in from other theater chains while concession sales stay off the table, but at least this move towards reopening the state can be seen as a positive step forward for the exhibition industry overall. BLAKE & WANG P.A one of the top entertainment law firms Los Angeles hopes they see a rapid return of the theater-going public and plenty of state-wide support.