Friday, November 9, 2007

So, I get this call from NBC/Universal Studios...

Well, at least, I figured it was NBC. I don't know that anyone I know has a '212' area code.

'Cause I don't know anyone that lives in New York City. I think.

Anyway. On Monday, Noel, David, Stephanie, and I were supposed to go to Rockerfeller Center in New York City to see Late Night With Conan O'Brien. Obviously, I was excited. Little school girl excited. This would be only the second time I went to see Conan. The first time I got to go, with Krissy and some of her cousins, I had a good time. I never experienced that sort of thing. It was a good experience. Even if the guests were P. Diddy and I don't remember. I guess Richard Gere and maybe Straylight Run. Some group involving a piano.

I don't remember.

Well, I think you know where I might be going with this.

If you haven't been buried ten-feet deep in a coffin with a bag over your head, then you must know that the entertainment industry is in a bit of a tuffle. Whatever a tuffle is. The Writer's Guild of America is officially on strike, and I believe that the guild has been on strike now for several days. Cast members from programs like The Office are joining the picket lines and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane announced that the November 11th episode is the last fully-produced episode and that he's not crossing the picket lines.

Brian K. Vaughan, a comic book writer and now a writer and co-producer on Lost illustrates the entire situation best:

Because writers believe we deserve a fair share of the revenue generated by the stuff we helped to create, crazy as that sounds.

There’s an excellent summary of what I consider to be our very reasonable demands at this blog, which has been a consistently dependable source of good information about the strike: http://www.unitedhollywood.com/

But basically, writers are looking to negotiate modest residuals and protections for use of our TV shows and movies on the internet, where most of us will likely be getting the majority of our entertainment from in the not-too-distant future.

We’re are also asking for a share of about 8 cents--that’s eight stinkin’ pennies--for every DVD of our work sold, as opposed to the criminally insane 4 cents we receive today.

I read that Warren Ellis was concerned about possibly being barred from writing for animation (which is largely outside the jurisdiction of the WGA) during the strike, and while I think his concerns were absolutely valid (the strike rules have since been amended), I believe those initial guidelines were born out of the fact that this negotiation is also about fighting to extend the same health benefits, pension, and other protections that writers like I enjoy to our equally important colleagues in animation (as well as those in “reality” television, which employs more writers than you can imagine).

I got to hear firsthand how hard the Writers Guild worked to negotiate a fair deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, but after more than three months of talks, the AMPTP still hasn’t come close to even meeting the WGA halfway on its most important proposals.

It sucks.

For more on BKV's detailing of the Writer's Strike, go.
Ultimately, I felt the writer's strike in full force today, when I listened to a voicemail detailing the cancellation of the Late Night with Conan O'Brien show I was s'posed to attend.

As a creative person, I think we should support the writers, even though most of them have sold their souls to Hollywood. Because, if we don't, how are we going to get to watch The Office?

Seacrest out, true believers.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Silly Hollywood.

I don't know if I'm just going to be commenting on some topics that most nerds would be concerned with. I do have a lot of problems with myself and the world.

Well, the title of this blog is called Nerdcore...


Bad box office sales blamed on Halo 3

It's been the worst October for North American movie ticket sales in years, and industry executives are pointing the finger at Master Chief.

Total cinema ticket sales in North America for the weekend of October 5 were a relatively meager $80 million--the worst results for an October weekend since 1999, reports Advertising Age.

Industry executives are wagging the finger at blockbuster game Halo 3, which was released in the US on September 26, made $170 million in its first day on sale, and at the last count, had made its creators Bungie and Microsoft more than $300 million.

But Bungie's gain is apparently the movie theatres' loss. Mike Hickey, an analyst at Janco Partners, commented, "The audience on this game is the 18-to-34 demographic, similar to what you'd see in cinemas. This could last for several weeks."

The Advertising Age article continues to warn that another box office drought may be ahead, as the release of Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV looms in the distance--current ETA the first quarter of 2008.




Don't blame the Chief.

Not a lot of movies were good, Hollywood. Across the Universe was a beautiful musical film, imho.

The game is so good.
Seacrest out.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Oh man. Here come the Fanboy Wars.

Yesterday, which I believe was Thursday, October 11, 2007, Marvel Comics released an image.

A couple of images, actually.









Sorry, folks. Steve Rogers is still dead.

This is someone different, which could reflect the new design. I'm sure that Steve might not alter his uniform.






I'm sure someone has something to say.
Seacrest out.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Bungie Leaves Microsoft.

Among other things, I should be writing a term paper comparing the film Alpha Dog and Kafka's The Trial, but I'm here. I'm actually blogging.

For now anyway.

(Because I'm tired from work--I need new shoes. At least I have a vacation this week. Hopefully there's a whopping vacation check, 'cause the manager's a dumbass.)

Working on cartooning homework during the weekend. Hopefully I can start writing something for that term paper.

So, I just read that Bungie, developer of the widely known Halo trilogy, is leaving Microsoft. Not too much of a shocker. I wonder if anyone else really cares.

Here's hoping for a Halo DS. (HAH!)














Wow. This post is all over the place.

Seacrest out.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Sigh. Another blog.

I haven't really held a good blog in two years. I'm going to say I held it really well on Xanga before I graduated from high school. I don't know if I really miss blogging. I don't know if I didn't like doing it anymore or, if I didn't have time for it.

I think I do like the idea of blogging, but if I go back to Xanga, no one really listens, which makes it more of a diary if anything. At least, for me.

Maybe I can get into it again. Blogging.

Maybe not.

I'd like to know how I can get into Area 221. Unless, there's a No Narciso's thing going on.
(You know. Like No Homers.)

I will keep one quirk I had on Xanga.


Seacrest out, true believers.