Casting change in SAG contract talks

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There’s been some drama in Hollywood… go figure.
The Screen Actor’s Guild has been embroiled in contract talks with producers for months.
Will they strike? Won’t they strike? And now there’s a casting change. Here’s Rico Gagliano.

RICO GAGLIANO: The SAG contract expired on June 30th. What’s been the sticking point since then?

CYNTHIA LITTLETON: In a word — or, in two words — the sticking point was Doug Allen.

That’s Cynthia Littleton, deputy editor of Variety. She says SAG negotiator Doug Allen and some members wanted to change how actors are paid for appearing in shows made for the Internet. Allen was willing to strike over the issue. But in this economy, many SAG members weren’t. With Allen gone, Littleton says, breakthroughs are predicted.

LITTLETON: The new SAG team comes in having made a human sacrifice in Doug Allen. You expect the studios will probably come in and give… maybe half an inch.

Some likely studio concessions? Littleton says actors could get more say about product placements in TV and movies. And producers may finally agree to cough up money actors weren’t paid last winter, when Hollywood shut down after writers went on strike.

In Los Angeles, I’m Rico Gagliano for Marketplace.