Studio Briefing reports that 85 independent film producers have distanced themselves from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which is at the centre of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike in Hollywood. The WGA strike pertains to the issue of residuals from DVD sales and Internet downloads.
In a statement, the independent producers said that while the AMPTP has the name “Producers’ in its title, it is actually a group representing the major studios, television networks and multinational conglomerates. Quoting the statement, “Creative producers are not directly involved in this dispute… We do not dispute the need for residuals, including those from DVDs and new media’.
The strike, which is crippling production in Hollywood, is reportedly at a stalemate. Daily Variety has reported that some WGA members, all from network daytime soap operas, have crossed the picket line.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, East Coast writers demonstrated in Wall Street on 13 November, while in Hollywood, there has been a strong show of support for the WGA cause from some high profile sympathisers from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
