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Post by monkeypretzel on Oct 9, 2021 13:00:10 GMT -5
I'm not thrilled by sponsors, considering how poorly I feel the whole Totino's Pizza Rolls sponsorship was handled in the comic books, but I feel it's inevitable given the self-funding nature of the show now. Commercials always were part and parcel of the old show viewing experience (and a lot of fans, including myself, love the broadcast editions on YouTube), but built into the very fabric of the show? Meh.
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Post by mylungswereaching on Oct 9, 2021 15:48:17 GMT -5
I wouldn't mind commercials in the show if they were allowed to riff on them.
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Post by dudehitscar on Oct 13, 2021 12:50:36 GMT -5
I'm not thrilled by sponsors, considering how poorly I feel the whole Totino's Pizza Rolls sponsorship was handled in the comic books, but I feel it's inevitable given the self-funding nature of the show now. Commercials always were part and parcel of the old show viewing experience (and a lot of fans, including myself, love the broadcast editions on YouTube), but built into the very fabric of the show? Meh. did you actually buy the comic books? Or is there a place online where I can see them? I wasn't interested in the idea but am curious to see what you are talking about. For me I am good with a 'tonight live premiere is brought to you by blank and blank' and I like having a mid show break in the live events to use the restroom and would have no problem with a brief ad there as well. but there are a lot of ways to incorporate sponsorship without it being an issue. I remember the shoutout to the Dino hotel in Season 11 that I thought was decently done. I also didn't have an issue with Rifftrax showing the trailer for Sharknado 2 during the Sharknado rifftrax live event (I think I remember them doing that?... can anyone confirm?).
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Post by dudehitscar on Oct 13, 2021 12:54:01 GMT -5
I came here to comment on the newest updates, but I notices there isn't really a thread for that and we've just been using other threads, so I thought I'd start one.So, with the newest updates, it's pretty much all but confirmed that this one ep at a time thing means nothing beyond the release schedule. The writing is done...even though not a single ep has been made yet. Even the wording leaves me sad ... "with our writers submitting their final riffs". There was no writers room. This season looks to be shaping up the same as the last. I did the virtual visit and can confirm there was a writer's room process... with all the writers going through the scenes and submitting their riffs. That was done virtual but it felt natural and good chemistry between everyone.. lots of giggling and tack on jokes.
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Post by monkeypretzel on Oct 13, 2021 16:14:20 GMT -5
IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) has called for a nationwide strike starting next Monday, October 18th, over the studios failing to meet their demands for fair wages, rest periods, and meal breaks among others. The IATSE represents the behind-the-scenes workers; per the AP article, "It would be the first nationwide strike in the 128-year history of IATSE, whose members include cinematographers, camera operators, set designers, carpenters, hair and makeup artists, animators and many others." apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-hollywood-north-america-arts-and-entertainment-19f0f96c3847d7efe47dc5d9c3d375cdSeasons 11 and 12 of MST3K were made under the auspices of IATSE, the logo can be viewed at the end of the credits along with that of the Teamsters. IATSE has locals all over the country, including in Philadelphia, where filming is underway on Season 13. It's possible that if the strike occurs, production could cease or be slowed significantly, which could present a problem with the live tour cast having a hard deadline of actually going out on tour and having to have some rehearsal time ahead of doing so. This is a big IF, and hopefully an agreement can be reached before the strike deadline, but this could potentially delay the release of Season 13 episodes down the road. I asked a question about any potential impacts of a strike a few weeks ago on Kickstarter, but I didn't get an answer, and honestly, I wasn't expecting one. I'll try again on their new forum.
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Post by kracker on Oct 14, 2021 5:59:14 GMT -5
i would ask again, these are the kind of questions we want answered in the updates. When it comes to these strikes, they shouldn't be affecting those who are compliant to the fair and safe working conditions they are asking for, not to mention indie productions and those outside the AMPTP and this whole situation. Sure, this applied when they were working for Netflix, who is named in the article as an offender of unfair practices, but now they are an indie startup beholden to a laid-out schedule promised to backers, not one of these big production studios targeted by the strike. If they aren't answering, i'd assume their situation is far removed from the strike and isn't a concern.
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Post by BoB3K on Oct 14, 2021 11:41:40 GMT -5
When it comes to these strikes, they shouldn't be affecting those who are compliant to the fair and safe working conditions they are asking for, not to mention indie productions and those outside the AMPTP and this whole situation. Sure, this applied when they were working for Netflix, who is named in the article as an offender of unfair practices, but now they are an indie startup beholden to a laid-out schedule promised to backers, not one of these big production studios targeted by the strike. That's not usually how strikes go though. The point is to have EVERYONE walk out to show solidarity and to force action on their demands.
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Post by Diet Kolos on Oct 14, 2021 12:29:56 GMT -5
Thinking about the last update in regards to studio space.
They've mentioned a few times that studio rental time is quite expensive and they have short windows for studio shoots.
If this is a reoccurring issue and they plan doing this show for X number of years, wouldn't it behoove them to buy or more likely lease space somewhere near their production offices in Philly that they can either convert into a studio or is already an existing studio-type space so they don't have to have these tight, expensive production schedules? Production is a sunk cost either way, and they're already spending the money on a production office lease. Why not lease a larger space you can divvy up into offices and a production studio; build something a little bit more semi-permanent that you can shoot any old time you want?
That where you don't have to pay some third-party every single time you want to shoot a bunch of episodes. It would probably save money in the long term.
Edit: Plus, a private studio space would prob circumvent the problem of NEEDING the IATSE and Teamsters during your shoot. Just a thought.
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Post by mylungswereaching on Oct 14, 2021 14:16:53 GMT -5
Thinking about the last update in regards to studio space. They've mentioned a few times that studio rental time is quite expensive and they have short windows for studio shoots. If this is a reoccurring issue and they plan doing this show for X number of years, wouldn't it behoove them to buy or more likely lease space somewhere near their production offices in Philly that they can either convert into a studio or is already an existing studio-type space so they don't have to have these tight, expensive production schedules? Production is a sunk cost either way, and they're already spending the money on a production office lease. Why not lease a larger space you can divvy up into offices and a production studio; build something a little bit more semi-permanent that you can shoot any old time you want? That where you don't have to pay some third-party every single time you want to shoot a bunch of episodes. It would probably save money in the long term. Edit: Plus, a private studio space would prob circumvent the problem of NEEDING the IATSE and Teamsters during your shoot. Just a thought. The problem with that is how do you staff it? Best Brains shot year round. The new MST3k is set up to shoot in short bursts. How do you hire cameramen etc. for a few weeks every few months?
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Post by monkeypretzel on Oct 14, 2021 14:52:26 GMT -5
I did post a question about the impact of a potential strike on the new MST3K forums, and Lesley Kinzel posted this response earlier today:
"I’m making a note to be sure we touch on this in tomorrow’s backer update, but the gist is: our production team has been aware of this potential outcome for awhile now and has been planning accordingly, as much as one can plan for the unknowable. We ourselves are not 100% sure of the potential impacts to S13 production, so we are planning for the worst and hoping for the best.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think I’m crossing any lines when I saw we at MST3K are in support of IATSE and their extremely reasonable demands. If you want to read a flood of examples of what they are potentially striking for, check out @ia_stories on Instagram 4. It will probably blow your mind how hard crew actually works, often at the expense of their own health and safety."
I suppose it's up for interpretation as to what exactly "We at MST3K are in support of IATSE and their extremely reasonable demands" means, but in conjunction with the "plan for the worst and hope for the best" statement, I think they would shut production down. I guess we might learn more in tomorrow's KS update.
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Post by BilLumberg on Oct 14, 2021 15:05:56 GMT -5
If they did have their own studio space there is the potential to turn a liability into an asset by renting the space to other productions. Eliminating the studio costs, and could even be a source of revenue.
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Post by monkeypretzel on Oct 14, 2021 15:13:43 GMT -5
When it comes to these strikes, they shouldn't be affecting those who are compliant to the fair and safe working conditions they are asking for, not to mention indie productions and those outside the AMPTP and this whole situation. Sure, this applied when they were working for Netflix, who is named in the article as an offender of unfair practices, but now they are an indie startup beholden to a laid-out schedule promised to backers, not one of these big production studios targeted by the strike. That's not usually how strikes go though. The point is to have EVERYONE walk out to show solidarity and to force action on their demands.
Plus there's the thing that members of supporting unions, while not on strike, do not cross picket lines to work, or hire scab labor. Unions like the Screen Actors Guild, the Writer's Guild, the Director's Guild, and the Teamsters have come out in full support of IATSE. I'm pretty sure that at the very least, Joel and Jonah belong to at least one if not more of the above unions. If they were to continue work with non-union labor *replacing* IATSE strikers, that would get around in the industry very quickly. I am given to understand from doing some internet searching that smaller productions from smaller companies under a certain dollar threshold (which MST3K falls into) might have a separate labor agreement with IATSE that they work under, and that those productions could possibly be unaffected, but it depends on what the nationwide IATSE locals - the cinematographers, editors, and art directors - decide to do. Looking online, the cinematographers had 92.2% of their members vote, and 99.2% of the ballots authorized a strike.
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Post by kracker on Oct 15, 2021 1:45:39 GMT -5
Nice that they responded, it does signal that this situation does indeed effect them and good to know they're addressing it tomorrow. While they do say "plan for the worst and hope for the best" they also are not sure of the potential impacts so that may indicate its more complicated with them being an indie production and the worst may pertain to an actual production stoppage.
But it doesn't help them to punish the little guy when their beef is with the big guy. Especially when that little guy is part of the big guy's competition. Not working with their competition either doesn't exactly do anything in terms of forcing action. A separate labor agreement makes sense so we'll see.
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Post by dudehitscar on Oct 15, 2021 14:15:07 GMT -5
it's an interesting ethical discussion.. generally the union is negotiating with deep pockets corporations that exist beyond whatever project the workers are currently working on. The new era of Kickstarter funded projects has blurred the worker vs company narrative a bit more. Going on strike against fan funded Kickstarter projects does not necessarily help the movement and I would argue is distinctly different on an ethical basis.
I mean how great would it be for the union to declare we are striking against these corporations but will work on any Kickstarter ( or similiar fan funded project). If the strike lasted a long time we could have an explosion of great fan funded revivals and a general lean towards artistic ambitions as opposed to maximizing profit (yeah yeah.. this film is great but we can make more money with a pg-13 rating.. or take out more dialogue so it makes more money in non-english speaking countries).
Perhaps the union should look at this moment as an opportunity to not just get a bigger piece of the Hollywood pie but to elevate an opposing business model that results in higher wages for their members and results in better art.
.. but that's just my take as someone who doesn't live and breath that industry... what the hell do I know..
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Post by majorjoe23 on Oct 15, 2021 17:58:54 GMT -5
Today's update confirms that the filming in Philly is a non-IATSE shoot, so the strike won't affect the show. I would be pretty surprised if any shooting done in LA for the Netflix-era cast (and perhaps if Joe's eps are shot there) wouldn't be a union shoot. But presumably, LA stuff wouldn't start shooting until next month or later, so hopefully by then the strike will be over.
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