I believe some of us in this space are gonna rewrite the rules in this format. Not every model has to be as exploitative. Good work can happen in any format.
Great comprehensive look at this new phenomenon. It's good to have an entirely self-sufficient ecosystem that competes with traditional Hollywood. We urgently need to break up the crusted up old ways of doing things and verticals, while not my thing, are welcome in that regard. However, the question of unions and incentives is complex and I wish that we weren't in a situation (created by incompetent politicians and greedy CEOs) where Hollywood workers are pitted against each other and have to accept more and more eroding working conditions to just make ends meet. I'm sure this will be an ongoing debate in the years to come...
SAG-AFTRA is so far behind it's very sad to even see. The Canadian Union (UBCP/ACTRA) has passed a trial union agreement to use with verticals, and the first actor union one ever is being produced now in BC
interesting perspective and as always thought-provoking! only one quibble- any actor who turns down a 10M studio offer to do a vertical would need to have a CT scan immediately
This was a great article. Verticals are here to stay, and you can track how it's going to work because anytime there is a disruption in the industry, a new format emerges that everyone first scoffs at and then begrudgingly accepts (see: reality tv with the writers strike). My guess is LA will try to shun verticals when it competes with television and film work (which is supposedly coming.... I don't know, Film LA office still kind of sucks....), in essence 'make them union' and the verticals will be like eff you and move to New Mexico or something where the rebate is ridiculous...(see: the past 5 years or so). Also, Studio heads (Hi Eisner) made it clear they were going to try to starve the creatives out as well.
I believe some of us in this space are gonna rewrite the rules in this format. Not every model has to be as exploitative. Good work can happen in any format.
Great comprehensive look at this new phenomenon. It's good to have an entirely self-sufficient ecosystem that competes with traditional Hollywood. We urgently need to break up the crusted up old ways of doing things and verticals, while not my thing, are welcome in that regard. However, the question of unions and incentives is complex and I wish that we weren't in a situation (created by incompetent politicians and greedy CEOs) where Hollywood workers are pitted against each other and have to accept more and more eroding working conditions to just make ends meet. I'm sure this will be an ongoing debate in the years to come...
SAG-AFTRA is so far behind it's very sad to even see. The Canadian Union (UBCP/ACTRA) has passed a trial union agreement to use with verticals, and the first actor union one ever is being produced now in BC
interesting perspective and as always thought-provoking! only one quibble- any actor who turns down a 10M studio offer to do a vertical would need to have a CT scan immediately
Great pov.
This was a great article. Verticals are here to stay, and you can track how it's going to work because anytime there is a disruption in the industry, a new format emerges that everyone first scoffs at and then begrudgingly accepts (see: reality tv with the writers strike). My guess is LA will try to shun verticals when it competes with television and film work (which is supposedly coming.... I don't know, Film LA office still kind of sucks....), in essence 'make them union' and the verticals will be like eff you and move to New Mexico or something where the rebate is ridiculous...(see: the past 5 years or so). Also, Studio heads (Hi Eisner) made it clear they were going to try to starve the creatives out as well.