Feb 23, 2009 10:28 pm US/Eastern
SAG Talks Putting MA Movie Crews On Hold
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
The Oscars are over, but the drama continues in the movie industry and that is having a big effect on business here in Massachusetts.
This weekend, the Screen Actors Guild rejected a final contract offer from movie studios. The dispute is keeping local crews out of work, and potentially hundreds of millions of dollars out of the state. "There's a bunch of planes circling the runway and they'll be happy to come in for a landing as soon as this is resolved," said Nick Paleologos, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Film Office.
Paleologos says there are eight to 12 projects ready to begin here in the state. According to the Department of Revenue, film business brought in more than $350 millionlast year. This year could be on track to match or beat that number, but as long as there's a labor dispute, the major motion picture cameras aren't rolling.
"Producers don't want to start for fear of their talent being pulled in the middle of production," said Angela Peri, owner of Boston Casting.
Last year, Peri had so much business, she had to turn a hallway into an office so she could handle the casting demands of four major motion pictures at the same time. But this year is far different. "We've had the worst three months we've had in 10 years," she said.
Local actor Andrea Lyman had a great year last year. She worked on all the big films. "I was the wedding singer in Bride Wars," she said. "In The Women, I was the stand in or actually 'stoop in' for Jada Pinkett-Smith because she's five inches shorter than I am."
Although Lyman is keeping busy with other projects, she's hoping the labor dispute ends soon. "(I'm) knocking on wood right now."
Peri fears not only for her own business, but for others as well.
"This trickles down, the hairdressers, the makeup, the casting people, the actors, the crew everybody feels this."
With the state in desperate need of jobs and revenue, you can see why many in Massachusetts are hoping this drawn out movie dispute will wrap quickly.
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