Thursday, March 14, 2019
Writers Guild Blasts Talent Agencies Over Packaging Fees
Variety: A Writers Guild of America negotiator has blasted Hollywood agencies over how they have characterized what would happen if packaging fees are eliminated.
David Shore, co-chair of the guild’s negotiating committee, said in a message Thursday to WGA members that he strongly disagreed with the agents’ contention that eliminating packaging fees won’t result in more money going to writers, and that it will just go back to the studio.
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2 comments:
After reading this article, I’m still not exactly sure what packaging fees are. From what I can tell, they are fees that bind the agencies with the artists and clients, making it so that studios have to pay for the person and the agency. These fees are just another hidden expense that add to the craziness of the industry. I think that the packaging fees are beneficial if they help the individual over the studios. Studios are corporations/companies and have a little more leeway when it comes to budget and money, while writers and artists are usually freelance and rely heavily on every penny they make. Still, I feel that I am underqualified to voice an opinion here, but its always interesting to learn about the backend of the business and what goes into production. Someday, I’d love to learn what packaging fees are for myself and possibly get into the business. Then I’ll be able to discuss to a fuller extent my opinions on the matter.
It is reasonable that theatrical productions have cultivated the culture of the whole packaging system. As far as I understand, packaging agencies serve as the buff zone between the true creative team and the individuals that joining the team. The whole thing that Writers Guild is blasting is that if the packaging fee is eliminated, the studios who is responsible for the actually design and developing a show would have more financial resource to spend on the show, rather than paying to the agencies. However, the agents who's jobs were originally dealing with the contract and finding studios will now be replaced by the studios it self, causing more expense on the managing level of each show. In my opinion, the argument lies on how much money is the agency worth? Does the amount match the current situation? Open the new stage of dealing with personal payment versus standard commission is the first step, and I don't know if the total cancellation of the packaging fee is real, how much will the relationship between studios and writers go.
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