Making Our Presence Felt Audiences Don’T Know Somebody Sits Down and Writes a Picture; They Think the Actors Make It up As They Go Along

Home , Larry Gelbart, Robert Benton, Robert Towne

Writers of some of the 101 Greatest Screenplays at a gala in April 2006.

Making Our Presence Felt Audiences don’t know somebody sits down and writes a picture; they think the actors make it up as they go along. —Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder, Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Who We Are—Recognizing the Writers negotiations, the WGAW Public Affairs Depart- Behind the TV Shows and Movies ment will once again take the lead on press One of the objectives of the Guild is to make the communications. Fielding well over 1,000 press public aware of the writers behind their favorite inquiries each year, the Public Affairs office films and television shows. works closely with publishers, editors and writers to field, pitch and place a myriad of Guild- and During the Guild’s upcoming Contract 2007 member-driven stories—from feature articles to issue-focused columns to on-air interviews and late-breaking news reports—always with the goal of promoting television and film writers, their craft, the Guild and issues important to writers everywhere. Collaborating with other Guild departments, including Organizing, Public Policy, Diversity and Member Services, Public Affairs acts as the primary media contact to address and promote vital issues, ranging from recent organizing

10 efforts in reality television, ners and staff writers for animation and non-fiction new and returning televi- programming to creative sion series. concerns about the rise Other events included: of product integration, Publicity 101, a how-to media consolidation and panel to assist writers in governmental regulation. promoting their work and During the past year, the themselves; a thought- department coordinated provoking, second-annual press conferences and The Write Influence II diversity forum, hosted in other media events, including announcement conjunction with the Guild’s Diversity Depart- of the latest findings from the 2007 Hollywood ment; last fall’s Candidates Night, which drew Writers Report, which spotlights concerns faced SRO attendance; and a spirited 2006 Member by writers from diverse backgrounds. Holiday Party hosted at Memphis in the heart of The Public Affairs Department is also a full-ser- Hollywood. vice press office available 24/7 to print, TV, radio and online media outlets. The Public Affairs Advocating on Behalf of Writers team also produces a wide range of writer-centric The Public Policy and Government Affairs events throughout the year to celebrate writers Department of the WGAW was recently cre- and their work, including the WGAW’s annual ated to advocate for the rights of writers before Writers Guild Awards. policymakers at the federal, state and local levels and to provide a voice of leadership on issues The Public Affairs office regularly generates of importance to our members, the talent com- media coverage in major outlets such as Daily munity, and the entertainment industry at large. Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, the Los Angeles The Guild’s policy agenda centers on the eco- Times, Associated Press, Reuters, The New York nomic and creative rights of writers, including Times, the Wall Street Journal, Broadcasting & critical areas such as film piracy and copyright Cable, Television Week, KCRW, NPR, local, protection, media consolidation and independent regional and national TV, radio and online news content, product integration, and runaway pro- stations and online news websites. duction. Throughout the year, the Public Affairs Depart- In the last year, WGAW President Patric Verrone ment produces member-focused events designed testified before the FCC against the prolifera- to foster a higher media profile for writers and tion of media consolidation and its threat to increased press opportunities for WGAW mem- independent content and member Phil Rosen- bers. Events this past year included: Sublime thal testified on behalf of both the WGAW and Primetime (a special evening with Emmy-nomi- SAG before the U.S. House of Representatives nated writers), Beyond Words: The Writers Talk Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the (a panel featuring WGA- and Oscar-nominated Internet on the dangers of product integration screenwriters), screenwriters receptions in the to the creative process and to the consumer. The summer and winter organized to fete members’ Guild’s government affairs department also lob- seasonal films in release, the annual Television bied in support of the Employee Free Choice Critics Association press reception for showrun-

11 Act and joined with a coalition of organizations with a posthu- in filing a friend of the court brief in support of mous Morgan Fox, NBC and CBS urging the Second Circuit Cox Award. Court of Appeals to overturn an FCC ruling that The show imposed new standards for censoring indecency. drew a sold- In June of this year, the appeals court ruled in out crowd favor of the broadcasters and overturned the new and received FCC policy. extensive Honoring Our Best media cover- and Brightest age, including WGA-themed The 59th Annual Writers Guild Awards special issues The red carpet rolled out, the lights shone of both Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. brightly and the writers were on display, paying tribute to their own. Partnering with executive 101 Greatest Screenplays producers Conor McAnally and Bart Peters of The Godfather, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Chi- Blaze Television, the Public Affairs team pro- natown, Schindler’s List. The greatest films of all duced the 2007 Writers Guild Awards held in time have one thing in common: each began as February at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza the vision of a writer. Long before the parts were Hotel. cast and the cameras rolled, a writer gazed upon a blank page and set in motion a classic story. In In addition to the many talented writers who 2006, the Guild celebrated the best screenwriters received awards for their work in current films and their timeless works with the release of the and television programs, the Guild presented 101 Greatest Screenplays list. special honors to writers who have brought dig- nity to the profession. Robert Benton received 101 Greatest Screenplays compiled the finest the Screen Laurel Award and John Wells the achievements in film writing, as voted upon by Paddy Chayef- members of the Guild, who were asked to list up sky Laurel to 10 of their favorite produced screenplays. Any Award for film, past or present, English or foreign language, Television. was eligible. The resulting list is a compendium Larry Gelbart of the greatest films of the century, with all was presented decades from the 1930s forward represented with the Val- among the rankings. entine Davies On April 6, 2006, the Guild held a gala at the Award for his Writers Guild Theater to honor the writers of humanitarian the 101 Greatest Screenplays. Many of the living efforts and the writers of the 101 screenplays attended the red late Daryl G. carpet event, along with family members of those Nickens was no longer living. remembered Winner of this year's Writers for his service Guild Awards. Left: Robert Benton. Above: Steve Carell to the Guild

12 Putting the Writer’s Face relationship with Newmarket Press in New York. on the Cover When Newmarket published Eric Roth’s screen- play in book form as The Good Shepherd: The Written By Magazine Shooting Script, the introduction was a reprint The range and influence from the December 2006 issue of Written By, of Written By, the Guild’s and the magazine’s cover was reproduced in the magazine, grows ever wider book. in the entertainment industry. January’s exclusive story The last couple of years have been a financial on the writing staff behind boom for the magazine; advertising sales have the box office smash Borat increased by a whopping 500 percent. revealed for the first time And finally, awards keep coming to the Guild’s that the pseudo-documen- magazine. Two prestigious Eddies, the publish- tary wasn’t improvised—it ing world’s Oscar®, were presented at the Folio was written. Suddenly, the publications gala in New York to Written By for media realized that Borat had been written by achievement in editorial and art. WGA writers. With his cover blown by Written By, Sacha Baron Cohen publicly acknowledged You Heard It Here his co-writers for the first time. WGAWest Member NewS AND The magazine’s evolving importance was also Member Communications evident when the annual summer issue of As the Guild heads into its 2007 contract nego- unproduced scripts led to Dava Saval’s Avery tiations, the WGAWest Member News continues House series going into development—it will air to publish vital information of importance to this fall. In addition, the magazine continues to Guild members, providing them with the latest celebrate writers and their craft. Robert Towne business, legal and legislative news. The WGAW gazed out from the cover for the comprehensive publication of record, the monthly Member News 101 Greatest Screenplays issue, a members-only covers all Guild news, from negotiating efforts competition that generated international public- and other Guild business to committee activi- ity. The writers’ room of Lost was found to be ties and outreach efforts. The newsletter recently as exotic as the hit series. John Milius shared created a new column called POV, which gives his reborn passion for labor unions. Gore Vidal WGAW members a forum for their opinions. voiced his opinions in a special film noir issue. A The most popular magazine contributor even traveled to Greece to section of this interview the legendary blacklisted writer Jules publication is Dassin, while another correspondent located BUZZ, which Jorge Semprun in Paris. And, just to prove that chronicles the Written By has a sense of humor, Diane English, extra-curricular creator of Murphy Brown, was photographed in a activities of mem- field of cows. The annual Writers Guild Awards bers—awards issue served as the program guide at the awards won, books gala. published, plays This year, the magazine began a publications produced, etc.

13 WGAWest Member News is available monthly in the Schedule of Minimums and the 2004 Mini- pdf format at WGA.org. In addition to the print mum Basic Agreement. Other writing tools and version, the monthly events calendar and BUZZ resources include online script registration, RSVP are also sent by email to all members who have online, Ask the Expert listings, links to member provided email addresses—currently more than and research web sites, and the Guild’s Signatory two-thirds of the Guild’s active membership. The Agency List. WGA.org also features exclusive email list is also used to inform members about web-only content from award-nominated stories updated news as needed. and interviews to free audio Q&As and video podcasts. WGA.org The Guild’s website is a crucial link in promoting writers to the industry and the public. It has evolved into an integral part of the Guild’s daily business. As the Guild’s online face to the world, WGA.org strives to serve both its members and all those with an interest in the art and craft of film and television writing. For members, the site includes access to residu- als lookup, dues payments online, the Late Pay and Free Rewrite Help Desks, the Guild calen- Mardik Martin and James L. Brooks, two of the writers dar, and access to the Guild’s many documents, of the 101 Greatest Screenplays, teach younger writ- booklets, pamphlets and publications including ers at the Writers Salon II event.