LOS ANGELES - "Jeopardy!" writer Andrew Price lives in a modest home, makes mortgage and car payments and describes himself and fellow scribes as "meat and potatoes people."
Movie art director Sean Duggan, 38, rarely wears a tux and leads a life that's more regular than regal. "When they roll out the red carpet, they call me to do it," he says.
To most of the world, Hollywood is all about glitz and glamor and beautiful people — some behaving badly. But Price and Duggan belong to what might be called the real Hollywood: its industrial other half, where folks live paycheck to paycheck, drive Toyotas and stay out of trouble.
The current Writers Guild of America strike has cast a rare, international spotlight on this workaday culture of behind-the-camera jobs — known as "below the line" in production parlance.
Most WGA members lead far from glamorous lives, and seldom earn beyond five figures each year. Yet like their colleagues who build sets, apply makeup and lay cable, they're the ones who keep Hollywood cranking the content.
Or not.
Since it began Monday, the writers strike has shuttered nearly a dozen TV shows, including such popular series as "The Office," "Desperate Housewives" and "24." The feature-film pipeline could be next.
"The stars are who they are ... as a function of all those people who are unknown and keep the system going," said Elizabeth Currid, a professor at University of Southern California who studies art and culture in Los Angeles. "Stars wouldn't define Hollywood if there weren't these regular people doing their jobs behind the scenes, day in and day out."
The average salary for entertainment industry employees is $73,000 a year, a handsome income that's 80 percent higher than the national average, according to a 2006 study by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Yet most workers in Hollywood earn far less — when they even have jobs — because the MPAA's average includes multimillion dollar salaries paid to executives.
Most of the 6,000 carpenters, welders, set decorators and prop masters represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 44 earn $50,000 to $80,000 a year, said secretary-treasurer Elliot Jennings.
It's "decent money" that allows for a middle-class lifestyle, he said. But work is spotty and 10 to 15 percent of the membership are not regularly employed — a situation worsened by the increasing loss of film and television shoots to foreign locations, and now the writers strike.
"Most of our members work paycheck-to-paycheck. They get eight months of work in a 12-month period," he said. "The amount of money we make doesn't afford most members to keep their wives home from work. We're middle-class people who get up and go to work every day and can't afford not to."
Having a Screen Actors Guild card isn't necessarily a ticket to Hollywood success, either. Members can spend more time hustling gigs than working them. That's why so many have side jobs tending bar or waiting tables.
"They're not living in mansions," said USC business professor S. Mark Young. "They're probably living in modest apartments."
Writer Diana Ljungaeus was lured by the glamor of Tinseltown when she moved from her native Sweden. Yet she quickly learned Hollywood is a place where "everyone is something else."
"You take a cab and the taxi driver is really a director and the cashier is really an actor, just doing this to get over a poor stretch," said Ljungaeus, 48, who works two jobs to support her playwriting pursuits. "Very few people can live off the arts of TV, theater and film. It's a few that can and they live well. The rest of the hopeful are just struggling."
Glitz and glamor elude even those industry workers who do draw a reliable salary.
Bruce Grayson has been a Hollywood makeup artist for nearly 20 years. He lives in a condo, not a mansion. He has one car, not a fleet. And he wears some designer duds, "but the articles are few and far between."
After two decades in the business, Grayson said he's still "amazed" by the level of wealth and luxury the industry provides to the stars who put a face on Hollywood for the rest of the planet.
"It's not my world," he said. "It's their world."
And they know it.
"The difference between the upper echelon in our business and the lower echelon is so striking," actor William H. Macy said as he walked the picket line with writers this week. "It's tough for me when I'm on set. It makes me feel bad when (the studios) are being so stingy with craft services (catering) people and writers, when they're trying to cut costs on that level."
Ricky Blitt straddles both sides of Hollywood. A writer of television shows such as "Family Guy" and feature-length screenplays, he's successful enough that he doesn't have to look for jobs like many in the industry, but not so successful that he routinely rubs elbows with A-listers.
His lifestyle is "100 percent opposite from `Entourage,'" he said, referring to the HBO series about the entertainment business.
"This is my Hollywood glamor life: getting up early, writing, petting my two cats and watching NHL sports packages on TV," said Blitt, who works from an office at his Hollywood Hills home. "Nobody quite knows who you are or what you do. You can afford certain privileges, but there's nothing exciting about it."
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Glamor belongs to only part of Hollywood
Broadway strike may darken theaters
More than two dozen Broadway plays and musicals were set to go dark Saturday in the crucial run-up to the lucrative holiday season as stagehands prepared to strike, a person familiar with contract negotiations.
The work stoppage was to begin at 11 a.m., affecting an early matinee of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical," said the person, who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
A union spokesman declined comment. Lisa Linden, a spokeswoman for the League of American Theatres and Producers, said the group had not heard from Local One regarding the job action. "It would be shocking if they would hurt the theatergoing public by shutting down Broadway without notice," she said.
The League and Local One have been in negotiations for more than three months, wrangling over work rules and staffing requirements, particularly requirements governing the expensive process of setting up a show.
Local One, which has been working without a contract since the end of July, was told Friday by its parent union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, to begin the walkout on Saturday.
Eight Broadway shows will not be affected by the strike, as they are playing in theaters with separate Local One contracts. They are "Young Frankenstein," "Mary Poppins," "Xanadu," "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," "Mauritius," "Pygmalion," "The Ritz" and "Cymbeline." Off-Broadway shows will also keep running.
On Thursday, after two days of contentious negotiations, the local got its parent union's permission to strike.
November has been an exceptionally busy month for Broadway, with the opening of such plays as Tom Stoppard's "Rock 'n' Roll," "Cyrano," starring Kevin Kline, and "Young Frankenstein." Still to come before Christmas are such productions as "The Farnsworth Invention," by Aaron Sorkin, Disney's "Little Mermaid" and a revival of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming." Broadway traditionally does well in December, particularly in the week between Christmas and New Year's, normally the busiest of the year.
In March 2003, more than a dozen Broadway shows went dark after musicians went on a four-day strike, costing the city millions of dollars in lost revenue. Earlier this year, the musicians agreed to a new three-year contract.
The 3,000-member stagehands union, which has between 350 and 500 members working on Broadway at any given time, contends it could find employment for many of its people in television or film if a work stoppage occurs.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Hollywood writers set strike for Monday
Writers Guild of America board members voted unanimously Friday to begin the strike at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time (3:01 a.m. EST) unless studios offered a more lucrative deal with a bigger cut from video sales and shows sold or streamed over the Web.
"The studios made it clear that they would rather shut down this town than reach a fair and reasonable deal," Patric Verrone, president of the western chapter of the guild, said at a news conference.
The union said it would stage its first pickets in New York and Los Angeles after strike captains meet Saturday to finalize details.
Both sides agreed late Friday to meet with a federal mediator on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to avoid a strike. The meeting will take place at a neutral location to be determined, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said.
Earlier in the day, J. Nicholas Counter, president of the producers' group, called the writers' strike "precipitous and irresponsible" in a prepared statement.
Producers believe progress can be made on other issues but "it makes absolutely no sense to increase the burden of this additional compensation" involving DVDs and the Internet, he said.
Last year alone, members of the western chapter of the guild were paid $56 million in additional compensation from DVD residuals, he said.
Counter declined a request by The Associated Press for further comment.
Among other media giants, the alliance represents CBS Corp.; NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; and The Walt Disney Co., owner of the ABC network.
The negotiations began in July and were joined this week by a federal mediator.
"We are committed to seeing this through and are willing to engage in any further discussions if the studios so desire," Verrone said.
The first casualty of the strike would be late-night talk shows, which are dependent on current events to fuel monologues and other entertainment.
"The Tonight Show" on NBC will go into reruns starting Monday if last-ditch negotiations fail and a strike begins, according to a network official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person lacked authorization to comment publicly.
Garth Brooks and Tommy Lee Jones were the scheduled guests.
Comedy Central has said "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" would likely go into repeats as well.
A message left seeking CBS comment on plans for "The Late Show with David Letterman" in New York was not immediately returned Friday evening.
During the 1988 writers strike, Letterman, then host of NBC's "Late Night," and longtime "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson initially went off the air but later returned as the walkout dragged on for 22 weeks and cost the industry about $500 million.
Daytime TV, including live talk shows such as "The View" and soap operas, which typically tape about a week's worth of shows in advance, would be next to feel the impact.
The strike will not immediately impact production of movies or prime-time TV programs. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and TV shows have enough scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year.
There could be widespread disruptions in Hollywood as other unions support the writers.
Officials with the Screen Actors Guild have told members they must report for work but encouraged them to join picket lines during their off-time.
A similar message came from the head of a local Teamsters union. However, those workers were told they were protected by law from employer retribution if they honored strike lines.
John Bowman, chief negotiator for the writers guild and the producer on an upcoming TBS show "Frank, TV," said he would not cross picket lines, even if it cost his job.
"Unfortunately we have to inflict as much damage as we can as soon as possible in order to get this thing over," he said.
The economic impact of a strike is hard to estimate because not all production will be halted at once, economists said.
"There definitely will be pain," said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.
The entertainment industry contributes about $30 billion a year to the Los Angeles economy, or about $80 million a day, he said.
Talks between writers and producers will likely impact upcoming negotiations between the studios and unions representing actors and directors.
All those unions believe revenue from content offered on the Internet, cell phones and other platforms will grow tremendously in the years ahead, even though it's now minuscule compared to DVD sales.
Consumers are expected to spend $16.4 billion on DVDs this year, according to Adams Media Research.
By contrast, studios could generate about $158 million from selling movies online and about $194 million from selling TV shows over the Web.
The strike was first announced Thursday night at a meeting attended by 3,000 union members whose moods ranged from defiant to somber.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Stupidity Does Not Stop Britney Spears
Britney Spears doesn't go out in underwear because she "just doesn't like" the feel of it on her skin.
The Toxic singer - who has been frequently pictured in public without panties on - knows it is "stupid" to go out without underwear but just doesn't feel comfortable in it.
Jewellery designer Tuesday Knight, who has been friends with Britney since 2003, said: "Not wearing panties is ridiculous - and I've told her!
"I've said, 'You can't walk into a store wearing just a shirt with your underwear off, or get out of cars baring all.' I've told her that no one will take her seriously when she does this.
"Britney knows it's stupid, but says she just doesn't like to wear underwear. She doesn't feel comfortable with it on."
The 25-year-old mother-of-two, who has lost custody of sons Sean Preston, two and one-year-old Jayden James to ex-husband Kevin Federline, can't understand why people think she is a bad role model.
Tuesday added to In Touch Weekly magazine: "Britney has always been a good mother. I want people to know that she's the better parent - not Kevin!
"Britney asked me, 'Doesn't anybody get to see this part of me?' The answer is, no, they don't. People just read about her not wearing underwear.
"I knew Britney when she and Kevin first met. She remade her entire life so it was all about him. She didn't even want to sign a prenup. Since then, I've watched her spiral downward."
Saturday, October 13, 2007
JOLIE & CLOONEY: SEXIEST SUPERHEROES
Angelina Jolie and George Clooney are Hollywood's sexiest superheroes.
Jolie's sultry Lara Croft from "Tomb Raider" and Clooney's turn as Batman in the widely-panned "Batman and Robin" saw them crowned the most lusted after Superwoman and Superman by film fans.
Jolie won with 36 per cent of the vote, fighting off stiff competition from Jessica Alba's sexy Sue Storm from the "Fantastic Four" franchise, who polled 19 per cent.
Third and fourth saw a battle of the catwomen as Halle Berry's role in "Catwoman" took 11 per cent of the vote, narrowly beating Michelle Pfeiffer's leather-clad turn in "Batman Returns."
Clooney won by a landslide in the Superman section with a massive 73 per cent of voters lusting after his portrayal of the Caped Crusader.
Trailing behind the 46-year-old actor was the late Christopher Reeve, who won seven per cent of the vote for his performance as the Man of Steel in 1978 hit "Superman."
Latest Batman Christian Bale took third place with his performance in "Batman Begins."
Hugh Jackman's hairy Wolverine from the "X-Men" movies and Tobey Maguire's portrayal of Spider-Man in the trilogy rounded off the top five.
The poll was conducted to mark the DVD release of comic book adaptation "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer."
Top Ten Sexiest Superwomen:
1. Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in "Tomb Raider" - 36 per cent
2. Jessica Alba as Sue Storm in "Fantastic Four" - 19 per cent
3. Halle Berry as Catwoman in "Catwoman" - 11 per cent
4. Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman in "Batman Returns" - 10 per cent
5. Jane Fonda as Barbarella in "Barbarella" - 8 per cent
6. Lynda Carter as Wonderwoman in "Wonderwoman"
7. Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - 5 per cent
8. Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl in "Batman and Robin" - 3 per cent
9. Jennifer Garner as Elektra in "Elektra" - 1.5 per cent
10. Michelle Ryan as Bionic Woman in "Bionic Woman" - 1 per cent
Top Ten Sexiest Superman
1. George Clooney as Batman in "Batman and Robin" - 73 per cent
2. Christopher Reeve as Superman in "Superman" - 7 per cent
3. Christian Bale as Batman in "Batman Begins" - 4.5 per cent
4. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in "X-Men" - 4 percent
5. Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man in "Spider-Man" - 3.5 per cent
6. Ben Affleck as Daredevil in "Daredevil" - 3 per cent
7. Brandon Routh as Superman in "Superman Returns" - 2.5 per cent
8. Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk in "The Incredible Hulk" - 2.5 per cent
9. Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic in "The Fantastic Four" - 1 per cent
10. Val Kilmer as Batman in "Batman Forever" - 0.5 per cent
Source: BANG Showbiz
Orlando Bloom in Minor Fender Bender
'Pirates of the Caribbean' star Orlando Bloom was involved in a car accident early Friday morning.
Bloom was driving down a Hollywood street when another vehicle cut him off and he hit a parked Porsche Cayenne, according to TMZ.com.
The actor's rep issued this statement to TMZ:
"Orlando Bloom, who was in a minor car collision late last night, is grateful that no one was seriously injured. Bloom called for help immediately following the incident.
"He spent last night at the hospital to be with his childhood friend who sustained a minor neck injury. He is thankful that emergency services arrived so quickly and that the ER staff at Cedars Sinai took such good care of his friend."
The car Bloom was driving, a 2003 Toyota Matrix, is registered to Dariusz Wolski, the director of photography on the "Pirates" movies.
Police have confirmed the 30-year-old star was not under the influence. He believes he was being chased by the paparazzi after leaving a Hollywood lounge.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Snoop gets community service over airplane weapons rap
Rapper Snoop Dogg must serve 160 hours of community service following his arrest for carrying an illegal police baton in his luggage at an airport last year, reports said Friday.
The controversial singer will spend his sentence picking up litter at a Los Angeles area public park following a plea deal with prosecutors during a preliminary court hearing, several reports said.
The rapper -- whose real name is Calvin Broadus -- was arrested at John Wayne Airport in Long Beach, California in September last year after an outlawed collapsible baton was discovered in his hand luggage.
Broadus, 36, could have faced trial for the felony charge of knowingly possessing a deadly weapon but the offense will now be downgraded to a less serious misdemeanor, provided Broadus carries out community service and does not break the law again.
Broadus also agreed to donate 10,000 dollars to a children's charity and will pay more than 1,000 dollars in fines and court fees.
The sentence comes six months after Broadus was given a three-year suspended sentence and handed five years probation after pleading no contest to two charges of illegally possessing a gun and marijuana.
He was also ordered to perform 800 hours of community service by the court in Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles.
