65-689: The Australian Writers' Guild ( AWG ) is the professional association for Australian performance writers for film, television, radio, theatre, video, and new media . The AWG was established in 1962, and has conferred the AWGIE Awards since 1968, the Monte Miller Awards since 1972, and the John Hinde Award since 2008. The Australian Writers' Guild has been representing Australian screenwriters, playwrights, radio writers, comedy writers and digital media writers since 1962. It
130-602: A congressional panel in 1982, "I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone." Despite Valenti's prediction, the home video market ultimately came to be the mainstay of movie studio revenues throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1998, Valenti lobbied for the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act , arguing that copyright infringement via
195-406: A Lifetime membership of which 28 members currently hold. This is obtained over years of industry successes both in production and accolades. Pathways is an AWG program developed by members for its members that showcases exemplar scripts in order to gain exposure to industry professionals in their respective fields. This gateway program enables members to have their works published and produced within
260-468: A bequest left by him. Intended to encourage and reward creativity in science-fiction writing for feature film , television, web series, and interactive media, the award is worth $ 10,000 for the best produced script, as well as professional support for the best unproduced script. They were awarded from 2008, and in the past have been awarded as (or considered) part of the AWGIE awards, but they are advertised as
325-451: A different message through a different artifice. [He] was a great actor working on the stage of Washington DC (and sometimes globally) on behalf of an industry that appreciated his craft, but that never let him forget that the message was theirs and not his. In 1968, Valenti developed the MPAA film rating system , which initially comprised four distinct ratings: G, M, R and X . The M rating
390-457: A learned occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation;" also a body acting "to safeguard the public interest;" organizations which "represent the interest of the professional practitioners," and so "act to maintain their own privileged and powerful position as a controlling body." Professional associations are ill defined although often have commonality in purpose and activities. In
455-568: A massive and embarrassing antitrust lawsuit against the MPAA. The Coalition of Independent Filmmakers' Jeff Levy-Hinte , IFP/Los Angeles executive director Dawn Hudson and IFP/New York executive director Michelle Byrd said in a joint statement, "By obtaining a court order to force the MPAA to lift the screener ban last December, the Coalition enabled individual distributors to determine when and in what manner to distribute promotional screeners." It
520-511: A partner named Weldon Weekley founded Weekley & Valenti, an advertising agency, with oil company Conoco as its first client. In 1956, Valenti met then Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson . Weekley & Valenti branched out into political consulting and added Representative Albert Thomas , a Johnson ally, as a client. In 1960, Valenti's firm assisted in the Kennedy-Johnson presidential campaign. Valenti served as liaison with
585-443: A profession or group of professions and protect the use of professional titles" and professional bodies that "are independent membership organisations that oversee the activities of a particular profession and represent the interests of [their] members" and which "may offer registration or certification of unregulated occupations on a voluntary basis." Many professional bodies are involved in accrediting degrees, defining and examining
650-441: A separate award, and winners announced separately. Winners have included: The Monte Miller Awards, open to AWG members, recognise excellence in screenwriting and playwriting. The inaugural award was given to Peter Scott for Rally Round in 1972. It was not awarded between 1976 and 1979. Until 2007 there was just one Monte Miller Award, but from 2008 there have been two separate awards. In the past, they have been awarded as part of
715-563: A speech before the American Advertising Federation in 1965, Valenti said: "I sleep each night a little better, a little more confidently, because Lyndon Johnson is my president." Valenti later criticized film director Oliver Stone for the 1991 movie JFK . He called the movie a "monstrous charade" and said, "I owe where I am today to Lyndon Johnson. I could not live with myself if I stood by mutely and let some filmmaker soil his memory." In 1966, Valenti, at
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#1732772135311780-502: A standard contract that saw for writers enforced rights and fair pay. Interim Industrial Officer Roger Simpson was responsible for overseeing this aspect of the Guilds work. David Wilson overtakes Peters as the president of the guild. 1980 saw the strike against Channel 9's pay towards its writers to be one of the Guilds longest and most successful campaigns. This resulted in the network paying its workers A$ 250 per hour of script as opposed to
845-582: A supporter of causes linked to his Italian American heritage and was a member of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) for more than 20 years. After retiring from the MPAA in 2004, Valenti became the first President of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, an organization founded by philanthropists Edward W. Scott and Adam Waldman. The founders wanted to support
910-643: A wide range of categories, such as feature film, television drama, and various theatre awards, as well as a number of special named awards, such as the David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Writing for Australian Theatre , Dorothy Crawford Award, Hector Crawford Award, and David Parsons Award. The John Hinde Award for Excellence in Science-Fiction Writing is named in honour of film critic John Hinde (1911–2006), and funded by
975-528: Is a group that usually seeks to further a particular profession , the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the public interest . In the United States, such an association is typically a nonprofit business league for tax purposes. In the UK, they may take a variety of legal forms. The roles of professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in
1040-683: Is an essential aspect of the Guild as they dictate the leadership, action and fund distribution of the association. Shane Brennan, an Australian writer and producer, was elected president of the National Executive Committee in 2019. As of 2019, The Australian Writers Guild is supported financially by the Australian Film Commission , Screen Australia , Scripted Ink, Film Finance Corporation Australia , Screenwest , Screen NSW , Screenrights, Media Super, and
1105-482: Is available for non published writers. These are the emerging writers that are looking for opportunity and networking in order to become a part of the writing community. This package includes stand access to agreements of co-writing and employment contracts, eligibility in writing competitions, access to industry events, professional resources, Pathways opportunities, AWG registration and assessment and discounted final draft software among other elements. Student membership
1170-714: Is buried at Arlington National Cemetery under a veteran's gravestone, which lists both his war decorations and his years as president of the MPAA. His memoirs This Time, This Place: My life in war, the White House and Hollywood were published on May 15, 2007, a few weeks after his death. Following his death, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) launched the NIAF Jack Valenti Institute, which provides support to Italian-American film students, in his memory. Director Martin Scorsese launched
1235-467: Is eligible for any student enrolled in a part or full-time course in performance writing. The benefits of this membership are intended to aid in the development of the student's study. The package includes access to agreements and industry rates, accesses to standard industry agreements, invitations to industry and committee events, professional resource access, AWG script registration and assessment services among other elements. Each membership can lead into
1300-694: Is exemplified through AWG's work as a political voice through lobbying the Australian Government on issues such as funding and copyright protection in order to protect Australian content. The AWG is a member of the Australian Council of Trade Unions . The AWG is a democratically run association, run by the members of the guild. Each year, the members elect the National Executive Council alongside Branch Committees that represent each Australian state. Membership
1365-576: Is later appointed as the first executive officer, in this role she was in close discussion with the AFC. As the 1990s came in turn, the AWG had grown to have approximately 850 members and a similar amount of associates. With offices in Sydney and Melbourne and chapters in every other state, the guild had established itself as a powerful force within the performative writing world, standing firmly for workers writers in
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#17327721353111430-452: Is reliant on the membership structure of the association. There are a variety of tears of membership, and the accompanying fee paid by each member enables the Guild to create opportunities for its affiliates. The levels of membership are put in place to help differentiate the capabilities of each member within their field. Full membership entails that the affiliate has a published or produced performance piece to their name. In order to qualify,
1495-596: The Alfalfa Club in 2004. In August 2004, Valenti, then 82, retired and was replaced by former U.S. Congressman and Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman . The previous head of the ratings system, Joan Graves , was appointed by Valenti. After retirement from the MPAA, he became involved in technology-related venture capital activities, such as joining the Advisory Board of Legend Ventures where he advised on media investment opportunities. He also remained
1560-646: The Bill Clinton administration , who observed Valenti firsthand says: His personal passion and extreme comfort around politicians gave him credibility that others ... would lack. Mr Valenti was a consummate salesman, who like all great salesmen ... worked himself up into believing the truth of his clients' message. Those privileged to see Mr Valenti offstage – talking openly with his clients about what could or could not be achieved, and what artifice would or would not work – are aware that Mr Valenti's clients frequently disagreed with his advice and directed him to deliver
1625-487: The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation concerning whether Valenti had a sexual relationship with a male photographer, at a time when homosexual acts were still illegal in many parts of the United States. The investigation concluded that there was no evidence of Valenti being homosexual. In 1995, Valenti voiced himself in the two-part Freakazoid! episode "The Chip", where he helped recount
1690-596: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in its work to prevent millions of people from dying of preventable and treatable diseases each year. Under Valenti's leadership, Friends of the Global Fight oversaw a steady increase in U.S. funding for the Global Fund, resulting in a large-scale, positive impact in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Valenti remained President of Friends of
1755-737: The South Australian Film Corporation . The AWG also receives assistance from the Literature Fund of the Australia Council . The Guild was founded in March 1962 when a group of 17 radio writers met at the Australia Hotel in Sydney and decided to form a guild to represent their professional interests. It was originally called The Australian Radio, Television and Screenwriters' Guild. Founded on
1820-521: The UK the Science Council defines a professional body as "an organisation with individual members practicing a profession or occupation in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that profession or occupation". The Quality Assurance Agency distinguishes between statutory bodies and regulators that "have powers mandated by Parliament to regulate
1885-873: The "Legend in Leadership Award" from the Chief Executive Leadership Institute of the Yale School of Management . In June 2005, the Washington DC headquarters of the Motion Picture Association of America, was renamed the Jack Valenti Building. It is located at 888 16th St. NW, Washington DC, very close to the White House. Jack Valenti maintained an office on the 8th floor, outside the MPAA's space, until his death. In April 2008,
1950-611: The A$ 60 originally being received. The strike lasted six months, from November 1980 to March 1981. Throughout the 1980s, Australian performance industries were suffering from funding cuts. Tax concessions were the major focus of the Guild. Wilson sought for further government funding to help greater support the local film and television industries, offering that five out of the seven production projects taking place in Australia should be Australian written. Wilson signed off on this notion with
2015-577: The ABC's treatment of its creators. The ABC eventually found an agreement to the Guild's terms of worker equity and signed off on the standard contract by the early 70s. Lance Peters was the Guild's president at the turn of the decade. He initiated a library of professional scripts available for guild members. His leadership brought in the inclusion of legal advisors to assist with safeguard copywriter and contract negotiation. Victorian Guild members began lobbying for further autonomy in their own ran programs through
Australian Writers' Guild - Misplaced Pages Continue
2080-641: The ASA, and the Copyright Council". Later 1973 saw the guild join the Film Action Committee in order to raise media attention against visiting Jack Valenti in the US due to his ideology towards copyright. Through to 1979, the Guild was heavily influential in the fight for performance workers rights. Australian production houses were delaying their signing of an Industry-Wide agreement to produce
2145-565: The AWG acts as the national voice of performance writers, seeking federal and state support to recognise performance writing within the Australian culture of storytelling. 2020 saw the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia within the AWG. The Guild worked in conjunction with Screen Australia to monitor the screen industries response to the unprecedented upheaval of the times. According to MediaWeek , one million Australian dollars
2210-527: The AWG's involvement in "political and industrial issues such as moral rights and copyright protection, censorship, taxation and broadcasting legislation". 1972, the tenth anniversary of the AWG's founding and Peters utilized this milestone to broaden the Guilds affiliations with "the Australian film commission, the Playwrights' Conference, the "Make it Australian" Committee, the Children's Film Council,
2275-583: The AWG. This threatened the Guilds status as a Trade Union in NSW, so the association was split into fully operative state branches as determined at the annual Federal Conference involving all members. Peters thus began to lobby against networks threatening the workers' rights of many performance writers. Emerging from this came the "Make it Australian" campaign, in which other writing industry guilds united in support of keeping performative media in Australia amongst Australian creators. Peters's involvement here truly marked
2340-650: The AWGIE Awards, but in recent years have been announced at a separate event. Two awards are given annually, both for un-produced scripts, in the categories Long Form (over 30 minutes) and Short Form (under 30 minutes), across all genres and formats. The award-winners are announced at a dedicated industry event in Melbourne in May; entries open in March. The function of the Australian Writers Guild
2405-479: The Australian industry, essentially jump-starting networking opportunities and careers. Founded in 2010, the Pathways showcase has enabled Australian writers to gain exposure. Over 30 Australian projects have been funded by Scripted Ink. for further script development and even production. Scripts by guild members are showcased on the website. This is essentially free exposure for writers. Pathways Prime consists of
2470-402: The Global Fight until his death in 2007. In 1962, at age 41, Valenti married Mary Margaret Wiley who served on the staff of President Lyndon B. Johnson . They had three children: John, Alexandra, and Courtenay Valenti, who became a Warner Bros. studio executive. He died just before their forty-fifth wedding anniversary. Nancy Clark Reynolds had been a love interest of Valenti. In 1964,
2535-522: The Internet would severely damage the record and movie industries. In 2003, Valenti found himself at the center of the so-called screener debate, as the MPAA barred studios and many independent producers from sending screener copies of their films to critics and voters in various awards shows. Under mounting industry pressure and a court injunction Antidote Int'l Films Inc . et al. v MPAA (November 2003), Valenti backed down in 2004, narrowly avoiding
2600-577: The University of Houston renamed its School of Communication to the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication in his honor. Valenti was one of the school's notable alumni. Valenti's salary in 2004 was reported to be $ 1.35 million, which made him the seventh-highest paid Washington trade group chief, according to the National Journal . Valenti was nominated for President of the United States by
2665-476: The entity itself and all reserved rights. Members stood against this cementing the Guilds power within the industry. The dispute was appropriately managed and the writer was appropriately paid. This became the Guild's first successful case in fighting for creators rights. In 1967 Guild established the AWGIE Awards, with the first event held in 1968. These were presented to performance writers who demonstrated exceptional work within their respective fields. Created by
Australian Writers' Guild - Misplaced Pages Continue
2730-552: The film, television, radio and theatre industries across Australia. 1996 saw the guilds first real push for involvement in the Theatre industry in Australia. Negotiating the Theatre Industry Agreement, writers received minimum rates and commissioning rights for each piece crafted for the stage. This also involved that writers would share in box office receipts, 10% to each ticket sold, one of the highest rates in
2795-633: The first two months of Johnson's presidency. In 1964, Johnson gave Valenti the responsibility to handle relations with the Republican Congressional leadership, particularly Gerald Ford and Charles Halleck from the House of Representatives , and the Senate 's Everett Dirksen . Valenti later called Johnson "the most single dominating human being that I've ever been in contact with" and "the single most intelligent man I've ever known". In
2860-499: The guild partnered with The Sun-Herald and The Sydney Morning Herald to organize the What Matters? writing competition. In 2009, the guild quit Australian Screen Council (established in 2005) over a financial disagreement. For many years, the executive director of the organisation has been Jacqueline Woodman (now Jacqueline Elaine). In January 2019 Shane Brennan replaced Jan Sardi as president. The initiatives and
2925-474: The industry, notably Actors' Equity and the Musicians' Union. 1963 saw the AWG's first industrial dispute over an Australian network offering an unacceptable amount for a script written by Eleanor Witcombe . To quote Gillian Armstrong , a major Australian film director, 'Eleanor was not a self-promoter. She was proud and passionate and dedicated, and truly a great writer'. The Guild's deal encompassed both
2990-551: The insistence of Universal Studios chief Lew Wasserman and with Johnson's consent, resigned his White House commission and became president of the Motion Picture Association of America . With Valenti's arrival in Hollywood, the pair were lifelong allies, and together orchestrated and controlled how Hollywood would conduct business for the next several decades. William F. Patry , a copyright attorney for
3055-514: The members, these awards aim to recognise and reward excellence in an extensive list of categories. By 1968, the Guild was in negotiations with the ABC tackling performative writers rights once again. At this time, fees for scripts were at an extraordinary low. As a result of this, the AWG united with the Council of the Society of Authors and Actors' Equity in an attempt to resolve tensions between
3120-428: The news media during President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson 's November 22, 1963, visit to Dallas , Texas, and Valenti was in the presidential motorcade. Following the assassination of President Kennedy , Valenti was present at Johnson's swearing-in aboard Air Force One , and flew with him to Washington. He then became the first "special assistant" to Johnson's White House and lived there for
3185-561: The notions of misrepresentation within Australian society, exceptional underfunding and poor professional treatment, the AWG aimed to aid in these areas. The early 60s also saw an influx of imported media from predominantly the United States and England to Australian Television. This left minimal room for the local market and severely impacted the state of the Australian Media industry. A pivotal moment in societal advancement in switching from predominantly focused radio entertainment to
3250-473: The origin of the titular hero; he also lectured about movie ratings using stickers of a family, and made frequent references to his cheeks. In the 2016 film Jackie , about the life of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis after Kennedy's assassination , Valenti is portrayed by Max Casella . Valenti died from complications of a stroke at his home in Washington on April 26, 2007, at the age of 85. He
3315-462: The piece must be over 50 minutes long except a Television episode can be up to 45 minutes in length. The benefits of this membership include access to model contracts, recommended rates in the industries, industrial advice, networking opportunities, entry to AWG competitions, access to professional development seminars, Opportunities to Pathways and discounted prices on the industry-standard software among other elements. Associated Membership eligibility
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#17327721353113380-402: The services of the AWG service the individual members of the Guild while aiming to enhance the Australian performative writing industry as a whole. Applying the mission statement, seeing, "Performance writing and performance writers thrive as a dynamic and integral part of Australian storytelling; shaping, reflecting and enhancing Australia's cultural voice in all its diversity". In many instances,
3445-494: The skills and competencies necessary to practice, and granting professional certifications to indicate that a person is qualified in the subject area. Many professional bodies also act as learned societies for the academic disciplines underlying their professions, such as the American Statistical Association . Jack Valenti Jack Joseph Valenti (September 5, 1921 – April 26, 2007)
3510-658: The son of Italian immigrants. He attended Sam Houston High School . During World War II , he was a first lieutenant in the United States Army Air Force . Valenti flew 51 combat missions as the pilot-commander of a B-25 medium bomber and received four decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal . Valenti graduated from the University of Houston in 1946 with a BA. During his time there, he worked on
3575-448: The staff of the university newspaper, The Daily Cougar , and was president of the university's student government. Valenti would later serve on the university's board of regents. After earning an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1948, Valenti worked for Humble Oil in its advertising department, where he helped the company's Texas gas stations jump from fifth to first in sales through a "cleanest restrooms" campaign. In 1952, he and
3640-732: The support of other unions to increase the appeal of local creators strengthening the local industry. Approaching the end of the 1980s, the Australian Film Committee was in close contact with the Guild, strengthening the claims and actions taken by its members. United, the unions continued to campaign against low residual fees in performative writing contracts. 1988 saw the appointment of New Guild president Geoffrey Atherden , A Sydney University graduate infamous in his comedic screenwriting (particularly for his co-writing credits in The Aunty Jack Show ). Angela Wales
3705-496: The television, the founders of the guild were determined to ensure Australia was not left behind. The first interim committee comprised Don Houghton, Richard Lane , Ric Aspinall, Kay Keaveney and Lyle Martin. Nearing the end of 1962, the Australian Writers Guild was officially registered as a Trade Union in New South Wales. This was seen as important because it provided recognition and support from other trade unions within
3770-417: The works of some of Australia's most successful screenwriters inclusive of Keith Thompson's The Sapphires , Sam Caroll's H 2 O: Just Add Water and McLeod's Daughters , and Sarah Smith's The Killing Field , among many other successful writers. Professional association A professional association (also called a professional body , professional organization , or professional society )
3835-507: The world. Late 1990s, between 1997 and 1999, AWG lobbied to ensure legislation encompassing moral rights and copyright rights for Australian creators. The Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000 was passed in December 2000. This protected Australian writers intellectual property and furthered the ramifications for breaking authorship integrity and workplace morality. The guild was heavily involved in this essential legislation. In 2004,
3900-493: Was an American political advisor and lobbyist who served as a Special Assistant to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson . He was also the longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America . During his 38-year tenure in the MPAA, he created the MPAA film rating system , and was generally regarded as one of the most influential pro- copyright lobbyists in the world. Valenti was born on September 5, 1921, in Houston ,
3965-450: Was created for writers by writers, with the council consisting of members within their respective performative industries. It aims to promote the Australian cultural voice within the arts. The guild recognises through their mission statement that performance writing and performance writers "thrive as a dynamic and integral part of Australian storytelling, shaping, reflecting and enhancing the Australian cultural voice in all its diversity." This
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#17327721353114030-463: Was donated by Netflix to support the launch of the COVID-19 Film and TV Emergency Relief Fund in order to best support production shutdowns in Australia. AWG was as of June 2020 enabling the distribution of these funds to the hardest-hit workers. Since 1968, the AWG has conferred the AWGIE Awards for excellence in screen, television, stage and radio writing. The AWGIE Awards include awards in
4095-525: Was introduced as a replacement for the non-trademarked X-rating. The PG-13 rating had been added in 1984 to provide a greater range of distinction for audiences and was first proposed by Steven Spielberg . During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Valenti became notorious for his flamboyant attacks on the Sony Betamax Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) , which the MPAA feared would devastate the movie industry. He famously told
4160-431: Was soon replaced by GP, and changed to PG in 1972. The X rating immediately proved troublesome, since it was not trademarked and therefore used freely by the pornographic film industry, with which it became most associated. Mainstream films such as Midnight Cowboy and A Clockwork Orange were assumed by the public to be pornographic because they carried the X rating. In 1990, the trademarked "adults only" NC-17 rating
4225-723: Was viewed as Valenti's greatest professional loss. Valenti received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal for his service with the Army Air Force during the Second World War . In 1969, Jack Valenti received the Bronze Medallion , New York City's highest civilian honor. In 1985, Jack Valenti received the French Légion d'Honneur . In 2002, the University of Houston bestowed Valenti an honorary doctorate. In December 2003, Valenti received
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