DGA’s Thomas Schlamme Urges Studios To “Get Off Their Asses & Get Back In The Room With The WGA”

deadline.com:

There was widespread support for the writers at today’s WGA Strong March and Rally for a Fair Contract including from directors.

The DGA was represented by The West Wing and Snowfall director Thomas Schlamme, who said that the directors guild’s 19,000 members were in “complete and absolute support” of the WGA.

He urged the studios, via the AMPTP, to get back to the table to negotiate with the writers. “It would be somewhat disingenuous of me not to be in total support of this guild, since I owe a great deal of my career to the incredible writers that I have been so fortunate to work with,” he said on stage. “It has also been a fucking gift and often a cash cow to the companies that were lucky enough to produce their works, which is why those same companies, after SAG has hopefully wrestled them to the ground and gotten what they deserve, should get off their asses and get back in the room with the WGA.” Schlamme added, “The companies know they can’t do this alone and certainly not without you and they are scared as hell about this and it’s long past time that they give you the deal, you so rightly deserve.” RELATED: WGA March Kicks Off As Damon Lindelof & Boots Riley Among Members Heading To La Brea Tar Pits For Rally Schlamme’s comments come as the DGA is voting on its own deal for a new film and TV contract, with voting ending on June 23, and as some members of the WGA have expressed their frustration that the DGA came to an agreement so quickly with the AMPTP.

However, DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter has said their deal has “many significant advancements” and former President Paris Barclay said it was “the biggest we’ve ever negotiated” and “is almost double what we got last time”.