Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit
1304 Responses
First ←Older Page 1 … 12 13 14 15 16 … 53 Newer→ Last
-
These industries have matured commercially. Jesus,I didn't make this up, it's common knowledge.
Common knowledge amongst whom? Also, you do realise that there is a global and catastrophic economic crisis, yes? How many sectors do you know that are thriving? Entertainment does better than most.
-
Maybe Key and Brownlie can tackle another corner of the Knowledge Economy next - the research sector. It's just like the film industry - the work is very much project based and you're only as good as your last pitch for funding. IIRC perma-temps in the CRIs had to be taken onto the payroll once their contracts had been rolled over too often. Maybe these people would also be happier as self-employed contractors, paying minimal tax and keeping their specialist skills up-to-date on their own time?
"Why should senior CRI staff, whose career is a project to project existence, be at risk from a contractor taking them to court to be re-classified as an employee, simply because the CRI was successful at securing one project after another, and loyal enough to keep re-hiring the contractor from one project to another?"
-
@ craig
this is where Idiot/Savant blew an otherwise gold medal winning shark jump by dismounting on his head.
I can't even begin to articulate the ugly dog being whistled for there -- you're not only an anti-union scab and tool of a foreign multi-national corporate you're enabling rape.
{Very very angry rant pre-redacted before it's even written}Makes more sense if you read Maia’s full piece which addresses power imbalance between industry and AE.
-
When an industry dumps half its revenue in one decade the Boston Consulting Group types like to tell you (for a big fee) that you better start making some last big cash until it collapses.
C.D prices were outrageous a few years ago, couple with online downloading and the rise of newer forms of entetainment the market has shed jobs like you wouldn't believe.
The Movie Industry has all the same attributes.
-
Well then, it must be about to collapse, what can I tell you? People have been predicting it since Hello, Dolly, it's bound to come true sooner or later.
-
Maybe these people would also be happier as self-employed contractors, paying minimal tax and keeping their specialist skills up-to-date on their own time?
It's only minimal tax in-so-far as what you can claim to be expenses related to having to do your job. You have to way that up with the benefits of holiday pay, etc.
-
I'm a screenwriter, Jonathan is a director (also Michael D), in case you were confused about us. The only producers I know who've commented have been Simon Bennett.
I'm a director who also produces. And an independant contractor!
-
"Why should senior CRI staff, whose career is a project to project existence, be at risk from a contractor taking them to court to be re-classified as an employee, simply because the CRI was successful at securing one project after another, and loyal enough to keep re-hiring the contractor from one project to another?"
I'm conflicted on this one. It is an issue that has been raised with govt as well.
Assume a short term grant that gets refunded. So initial funding was say 3 years with no promise of repeat funding, so a new scientist gets hired on a 3 year fixed term contract. Then lab gets new funding for an additional 3 years but if they hire a different scientist they get taken to employment court and lose. If they rehire the same scientist for another fixed term contract they get taken to employment court and lose. So they essentially have to take on the scientist as an employee but what happens if they then lose funding ... theoretically they can let the scientist go but it isn't usually that straightforward.
This is one area I am conflicted because really they shouldn't be able to boot the employee unless the employee isn't performing and if that is the case they should go through the process and remove them for poor performance.
BUT
And this is where science is a bit weird. There is a tradition of having scientists spend some time after they get their PhD working in different labs around the world to build networks and gain different experience. It's called a post-doc. They are typically about 2-3 years in any one place. So having 2-3 year fixed term positions that rotate people in and out of an ongoing research project is considered normal and good for everyone involved. And there isn't really any room in NZs employment law for such a role.
BUT
Some people abuse the system by exploiting post-docs as cheap(ish) labour which they get rid of before they start to want pay rises or benefits like holidays. And our law should protect employees from such arseholes.
As you can see this stuff isn't simple. But no worries, urgency will fix it.
-
Just for the record:
There are other amendments to the Employment Relations Act in progress. For example the ER (Amendment 2) bill currently with the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee. Trigger date from memory is 1 April 2011 so too late for contracts being signed now.
-
Nah. It's all down to where you start digging.
Middle Earth?
I'm back on page 9. geez ,go out for a few hours... pages! pages I tell you. Does nobody go to work around here? And if you are working, what are you all doing on here eh? Eh? -
Makes more sense if you read Maia’s full piece which addresses power imbalance between industry and AE.
Nope, it's still loathsome and while I was far from convinced by Maia's argument -- some really dodgy assumptions and weak chains of reasoning didn't help -- at least there was one to engage with. "OMG - groping 16 year old girls on the casting couch!" wasn't illuminating.
I read No Right Turn because I/S usually leaves the tabloid shock and awful tosh to the usual suspects. Never mind - we all have off days and subjects we get irrationally cranky about.
-
Contracting is such a flexible thing, Sofie ;-)
-
When an industry dumps half its revenue in one decade the Boston Consulting Group types like to tell you (for a big fee) that you better start making some last big cash until it collapses.
C.D prices were outrageous a few years ago, couple with online downloading and the rise of newer forms of entetainment the market has shed jobs like you wouldn't believe.
Jeremy, you keep talking about the "music industry" but you've only discussed the recording industry. What about live music? For example, in 2008 in the UK sales of recorded music fell 6%. You would no doubt use this fact to support your position. But concert ticket sales grew by 13% and overall spending on music was up 3% (source). I don't think you're looking at the big picture.
-
As you can see this stuff isn't simple. But no worries, urgency will fix it.
Lol.
-
Does nobody go to work around here? And if you are working, what are you all doing on here eh? Eh?
Sofie: well, my excuse is that I am avoiding marking student essays...
-
Does nobody go to work around here?
I'm a New Zealand film director -- I got plenty of time on my hands!
-
The way Peter Jackson was targeted?
It's not like the head of the CTU called him a spoiled brat, or he's been described as a slave-owner, a feudal lord, a crap director, a shame on New Zealand's cultural landscape. And it's not like he's been targeted to try and gain leverage over industry-wide agreements he has no power to negotiate.
Spoiled brat, I heard, but none of your other examples have reached me - possibly because this is the only on-line discussion I look at. In the main media, I witnessed a bit of a tsunami coming in the other direction.
Strangely, when Helen Kelly said that it was all about tax relief and that the actor's ban had been lifted some days before, Fran Walsh called her a liar. It turned out Helen was right, on both counts.
-
More Trotter, if anyone's feeling masochistic enough...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4286985/For-worst-supporting-role-I-nominate-Phil-Goff
-
And if you are working, what are you all doing on here eh? Eh?
I'm preparing for my future career as an independent screenwriter. The groundwork for becoming a corporate running dog takes much preparation.
-
Strangely, when Helen Kelly said that it was all about tax relief and that the actor's ban had been lifted some days before, Fran Walsh called her a liar. It turned out Helen was right, on both counts.
On tax relief: it might have been required to keep the production here, but it's not what it was all about. If Helen was right about this she should be able to point to Warners asking for tax relief before the boycott. She can't because they didn't.
On the boycott: the notices lifting the boycott when up on the unions' sites on the 20th. This is when the actors knew they could sign contracts for The Hobbit. That's when the boycott was lifted. Helen was right in that there were discussions about it being lifted on the 17th but it was actually lifted on the 20th.
So I don't agree that she was right on either count.
-
Warner Brothers- "What the fuck are we going to do when we run out of hobbit books."
If that's the extent of their imagination, who knows what the fuck they would do?
-
If Helen was right about this she should be able to point to Warners asking for tax relief before the boycott. She can't because they didn't.
They didn't need to. The constant stream of histrionic threats, and the mass hysteria that resulted, was quite enough to do it.
-
And Sofie - I have to admit I've done stuff-all all day except walk the dog and hang out a bit of washing. I resolve to do better tomorrow.
-
Jan, you're allowed. I'd even give you a lunch break. ;-)
-
Warner Brothers- "What the fuck are we going to do when we run out of hobbit books."
Thanks to The Silmarillion that won't happen for about 200 years.
Post your response…
This topic is closed.