Les Miserables - one of the most successful musicals of all time - is now going to be made into a film. Last year theatre productions made over £25 million. I wonder how much Les Miserables has generated over the decades it’s been in production?
Cameron Mackintosh and production company Working Title are producing this long-awaited movie. Russell Crowe and Helena Bonham Carter are two of the main actors. The director is Tom Hooper.
Profits will be made on the back of ‘Liberty, Fraternity, Equality’, principles which Working Title sadly refuses to practice.
Working Title is a member of PACT (Producers’ Alliance for Cinema and Television) which has an agreement with the Film Artists Association - a sub-division of BECTU, the entertainment and media union - regarding pay and conditions for background artists.
Someone at Working Title has contracted out the background to an independent operator, which is trawling an appalling pay deal round all the background agencies to service this film.
We have agreements to enable production companies to work out amounts to be raised to finance a project. Though this film will employ a lot of background artists, even paying the correct agreed fees, the amount would still comprise no more than 2% of the entire production costs.
BECTU was instrumental in negotiating excellent tax incentives with the government to encourage productions to be made in the UK. Working Title, a beneficiary of BECTU’s efforts, now wants to rob its members of a reasonable wage for their work.
One hopes no-one will want to practice the evil of ‘loyalty hours’ on the hair, makeup and wardrobe departments, whereby unless they agree to work an extra unpaid 2 to 3 hours each day on top of their 12 hour standard day, they are not hired.
Expenses incurred in production are tax-deductable. Paying correct wages doesn’t really cost anymore in the long run. Nip these nasty practices in the bud as they are against everything the French Revolution and unions stand for.
BECTU’s Early Bird service can provide a choice of the best production staff and crew with excellent credentials that would enhance any production. This is a golden opportunity to make a happy miserable film.
Paul Kirby
Chairman
FAA
Email address supplied
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