[B5JMS] Need early B5 scripts for Captioning (re-send)

[b5jms-admin at cs.columbia.edu]

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From: Robert Perkins <rob_perkins at hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 04:39:11 GMT
Lines: 33

On 10 Jun 2002 19:30:03 GMT, jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:

>No.  It's WB's policy that they don't pay to have people do commentaries. [...]
>  But their response was
>that if it wasn't done for free, across the board, they'd just deliver a
>foreshortened version, little to no extras, no publicity, little to nothing
>without my commentary, which they feel is essential to the set.  Rather than
>have a lesser version go out to the fans, I figured I'd just bite the bullet
>and do it.

Your doing it is just another example of the attention and loyalty
you've always expressed to your fans and viewers. But it still feels
like WB is getting away with "something for nothing."

I wonder: is there money for writers in DVD releases like this, some
kind of residual? Is there a residual for any of the original
production people, the actors, directors, producers?

If not, well, why not? CD's cost less than a buck to press and label,
and not terribly much more to distribute. We still pay up to $20 at
the music store for them, and we've been told the artists don't see
all that much of that. Is it the same for video productions, when they
get moved to video/DVD?

Finally, what could we, as viewers and consumers, do to support
writers other producers of the good stuff we want, in order to see you
get paid properly, so there's none of this holding the spectre of a
botch job over your head the next time they want work from you for
nothing? Could we, for example, write to someone during contract
negotiations, or something? 

Rob


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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 12 Jun 2002 04:49:58 GMT
Lines: 23

>I wonder: is there money for writers in DVD releases like this, some
>kind of residual? Is there a residual for any of the original
>production people, the actors, directors, producers?

Writers, actors and directors get residuals on DVDs based on the VHS residuals
formula which was put into place a number of years ago before the videotape
boom and the Writers Guild didn't think there was any money in it. 
Consequently, the studios got a deal wherein basically the writers get
something on the order of a penny a copy (or nothing, since it's based on net
profits).

The guild, gotta love 'em....

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
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