JMS on CompuServe (Jul 22, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

[bbarrett at speedlink.com]

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 [ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
    Sb: #686413-Script Smart
    Sb: #686324-#Claudia C fired!
    Sb: #686397-#Claudia C fired!


 #: 686413 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Jul-97  20:39:05
Sb: #683652-#Script Smart
Fm: SHANE S. SHELLENBARGER

Joe,
     Today I was talking to a friend who works for the Phoenix Public Library
System.  He told me that one of the two copies of the revised scriptwriting
book has already been lost.  We both agreed that stolen is more likely.  It's
hell being popular, ain't it?

Best,
       Shane


 #: 686444 S5/Babylon 5: General
    22-Jul-97  01:54:32
Sb: #686413-Script Smart
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Finally I'm popular....

                                                                    jms



 #: 686324 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Jul-97  16:01:00
Sb: #685980-#Claudia C fired!
Fm: FUGAZI

I'd just like to echo the general opinion that we are all behind you in your
decisions on this matter.  Otoh, I would like to echo the opinion that Claudia
will be sadly missed.

I do think she was out of order getting into this bickering to save her
reputation (if that is the reason), but what's done is done, it cannot be
changed now.

I do have a question though.  Why did you opt for a new character, instead of
simply promoting Corwin?  Was this simply to save changing Corwin's role in S5
or is there another reason?

Cheers, Fug.
OYLERS


 #: 686446 S5/Babylon 5: General
    22-Jul-97  01:54:35
Sb: #686324-#Claudia C fired!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

"I do have a question though.  Why did you opt for a new character, instead of
simply promoting Corwin?  Was this simply to save changing Corwin's role in S5
or is there another reason?"

      It involves some things that happen later this season that require a
certain grade officer in place in S5, and would require Corwin to jump several
ranks.  He's too young and inexperienced for that job.

                                                                    jms



 #: 686397 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Jul-97  19:30:50
Sb: #685980-#Claudia C fired!
Fm: CARL CANTARELLA

>>You must understand that Claudia is one of 10 or so actors on the show.  The
other actors understood and understand that we cannot renegotiate contracts in
mid-stream, and they are *supportive of the show*, and gave us extensions on
their contracts so that WB could have time to make the TNT deal work.<<

Joe,
        There's one thing that really bugs me about this statement, and that is
that WB went to the cast asking for an extension, and also telling them that
they'd have to give up fifth season residuals if they wanted to be in on the
fifth season. Now granted, I'm terribly naive when it comes to such matters
since I'm not in the business, but somehow *that* strikes me as being a form of
*renegotiation* on the part of the Studio --"Please give us a 30 day
extension(which almost everyone did in good faith), and if you want in you must
give up your season 5 residuals."
        In short, WB changed the terms and dictated new ones, and I can't
condemn Claudia for her decision here. It seems as though there are legitimate
issues on both your side and hers, and it would seem to me that the popular
support fell heavily in your favor --fortunately. After all, you only lost
*one* actor when you could easily have lost half the cast, or everyone.


 #: 686447 S5/Babylon 5: General
    22-Jul-97  01:54:39
Sb: #686397-#Claudia C fired!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      The information on residuals is not correct.  NO ONE was aske to give up
residuals on season 5 forever.  That simply never took place.

      To explain:

      There are different residuals formulas for the various forms of TV. The
best one is for network, where the fee paid per rerun is quite high; then you
have syndication, which starts at a much lower level; then there is the basic
cable residual, which is lowest of all.  In year 5, B5 is going from
syndication to basic cable.  That means it must now use the basic cable
residuals formula.  But the cast had to be informed of this, and agree to it,
otherwise there could not BE a fifth season.

      The basic cable deal is spelled out very clearly in the Screen Actors
Guild (SAG) agreement, which is standard for all parts of the Industry.  The
rule is that the amount paid to an actor over double-scale is *credited
against* residuals.  Once that amount is earned out, the residuals come again.
That is standard for basic cable.  (The closest parallel would be a print
author, who is paid an advance against royalties; once that advance is earned
out, the royalties come to the author.)

      So to make it clearer: let's say for the sake of argument that scale is
$5,000 per episode.  (It isn't that exact figure, but I don't have the SAG book
in front of me; still, that's close.)  Double scale would be $10,000 per
episode.  So if an actor is paid, let's say, $12,000 per episode, then $2,000
over double scale per episode is credited against residuals, for a total of
$44,000.  That amount would get burned through pretty fast, and then the actor
would again start getting residuals.

      That was the situation explained to *all* the actors.  NO ONE was asked
to permanently give up S5 residuals.  That simply never happened, and *could
not* happen under SAG rules.  And the rule as specified above can be verified
in the SAG agreement.

      BTW...it was stated to Claudia's people that WB *could* drop her down to
18 episodes if she wanted to be paid for only those 18 episodes, but her reps
demanded that she should be paid for all 22 regardless, and didn't take that
deal.

      You must understand that this sort of thing is common.  For instance,
when Stephen Furst wanted to do fewer episodes so that he could appear as a
regular in the sitcom "Misery Loves Company," he said, "Look, I really want to
do this, so if you could cut me down to, say, 8 episodes, and just pay me for
those 8 instead of the contracted 13, that'd be great."  And that deal was
made, and made quickly.  If an actor wants to be reduced in the number of
episodes, but still be paid for the full number, that makes things difficult
for a studio to go along with.

      And as of now, it's a moot point.  The boat has left the pier.  This is
no longer an issue that can be altered.  She opted out, for her own reasons.
Heck, that was announced in the trades long before we knew what was going on.
We have had no choice but to move on.

                                                                    jms



[END]

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