Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. Looks like the AMPTP have pulled out of negotiations with SAG. It actually reads like a replay of what they did to the Writers. SAG has taken DVD off the table in order to avoid a strike and the producers have just dropped them.

It was easier for them to snub the writers. There are literally hundreds of thousands of unmade scripts sitting at the studios. They could pull damn near anything off the shelf and have material. However, actors drive the marketing of all films, from cartoons to independent to big studio tentpoles. They need actors to convince their money guys to put a film into production, to sell foreign rights, to raise interest in films with the general movie going populace.

So I don't think they have as much freedom to fuck the actors like they did the writers. We'll see how things play out, but for now it looks like we're in for another strike. Here's the heads up we got from a reader calling himself "Brother of Bateman," including the letter from SAG sent to all its members:

Hi Harry,

You probably already know about this, but in case you don't, here's the email that was sent out to all the sag members today. This strike is pretty much a guarantee at this point. The question is, for how long. If you use this, call me Brother of Bateman.

Screen Actors Guild released the following statement today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMPTP Suspends Negotiations with Screen Actors Guild

Guild Offers to Continue and Negotiate "Around the Clock" to Complete Deal

Los Angeles, May 6, 2008 -The AMPTP suspended negotiations with Screen Actors Guild today over the objections of SAG's negotiating committee. The committee had urged that the AMPTP continue discussion and had offered to negotiate around the clock if necessary in order to secure an agreement.

The AMPTP declined to continue negotiations with SAG claiming that it was necessary to turn their attention to negotiating with American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).

Screen Actors Guild National President Alan Rosenberg said, "It is unfortunate and deeply troubling that the AMPTP would suspend our negotiations at this critical juncture. We have modified our proposals over the last three weeks in effort to bargain a fair contract for our members. We are committed to preserving rights that have been in place for decades and not giving the studios the right to use excerpts of our work in new media without our consent and negotiation. Our negotiating team is prepared to work around the clock for as long as it takes to get a fair deal. We want to keep the town working."

Over the last four weeks Screen Actors Guild negotiated in good faith and modified many of its proposals to the AMPTP. To date, the AMPTP has offered only a few modifications to its new media proposal which was submitted to SAG in three documents containing 36 provisions that differed from the deals agreed to with the WGA and DGA.

SAG's National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen stated, "We were hopeful that we could continue negotiations with the AMPTP and reach a tentative agreement. We modified our proposals in effort to narrow the gap between us and now we need the AMPTP do the same. SAG's objective is to keep the town working and get a fair contract, so we are gravely disappointed that we will now have to delay to a process that we started over three weeks ago. We are willing to work for as long as it takes to negotiate a good agreement for our members."

The AMPTP put forward a proposal that differed substantially from the deals signed with the DGA and WGA. Management's clip demand would gut existing provisions regarding actors' consent to use of their clips and would allow studios and networks to use or sell clips - going forward and from their libraries - in any way they choose and without consent.