Following up on
yesterday's report - that 3
Seinfeld co-stars wouldn't participate in the show's planned DVD release(s) due to money concerns - there is a
new article by Sharon Waxman of
The New York Times. The new report is entitled "A
'Seinfeld' Star Will Do the DVD but Asks for Pay."
The issue at stake is identical to the one started in 2001 by a pre-Gubernatorial Arnold Schwarzenegger, which was reported on in
Variety (registration required) and its sister publication,
Video Premieres (now retitled
DVD Exclusive). Then, Schwarzenegger received $75,000 for his commentary track "and other input" on the DVD release of his film
Total Recall. A year later, it was
reported that compensation for DVD supplements was continuing to be an issue, and one gaining momentum, but still limited to relatively isolated incidents.
Now, two years after Arnold's payday, the issue is hitting TV-on-DVD in a big way, as Michael "Kramer" Richards goes on record in
The New York Times with his opinion that "he ought to be paid for taking part in the DVD project, in part because the show has been such a windfall for its creators, producers and distributors."
Here are some highlights from
Waxman's article in the
Times, which we encourage you to read in it's entirety at their website (free registration required):
Michael Richards, a star of the hit television comedy "Seinfeld," says he will take part in the making of a DVD of the series, but he says he ought to be paid for it.
..."I'm not boycotting," Mr. Richards, who played Kramer in the series, said in a telephone interview late Monday night. "I'm involved. I was never called to do an interview. I am so for the DVD coming out that I'll go on the `Tonight' show."
But Mr. Richards said he thought he ought to be paid for taking part in the DVD project, in part because the show has been such a windfall for its creators, producers and distributors: Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Castle Rock Television and Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. They will all share profits from the DVD.
Actors do not typically receive residual payments for DVD's, but this is quickly becoming a major issue in Hollywood, as DVD sales now bring in millions of dollars to those who control the rights to hit television shows and movies, far more than revenue from videocassettes.
...Mr. Seinfeld and Mr. Richards spoke together yesterday to mend fences...Ms. Louis-Dreyfus and Mr. Alexander could not be reached for comment, their representatives said.
Mr. Richards said that he had spoken to Ms. Louis-Dreyfus on Monday and that she was noncommittal about taking part in the DVD.
To some degree the dispute may be about a lack of communication. Mr. Richards said he asked Mr. Seinfeld why he did not call when Mr. Seinfeld first heard that his co-stars had declined to take part in the DVD.
"I said, `Why didn't you call me?' " Mr. Richards said. "He said, `I should have.' "
TVShowsOnDVD has seen a lot of feedback on this issue, with a surprising polarization on the topic: most people either strongly feel that the actors are right and shouldn't be expected to "work for free," or else strongly feel that they are in the wrong and should participate "for the fans and/or love of the project." A minority opinion speaks up to point out that supplements would be viewed once, if at all, and so this isn't an issue either way for them. But the vast majority of fans do want to hear from three of the pricipals in what is primarily viewed as an ensemble cast.
Overall, though, the common theme expressed as an aside is that this is somewhat akin to a baseball players' strike: that it's hard for the public to feel sympathy for either the players (cast & crew) or the owners (studios) when both sides as a group amounts to what the public views as "a bunch of rich people who can't decide how to split up the millions of dollars we pay them for our entertainment," and that in the end the debate is seen as delaying the delivery of what the paying customers want. We'll join the fans in hoping that an equitable solution can swiftly be worked out industry-wide concerning this issue.
In the meantime, stay tuned to this channel for further updates as they arrive. We'd like to acknowledge D. Gordon for his contribution to this story.
