Episode VIII Faces Possibility of Additional Delays due to UK Lighting Technician Strike

Rian-JohnsonSeveral films being produced in the United Kingdom are now facing the possibility that they may need to halt production this upcoming Saturday if their Lighting Technicians strike. If a deal cannot be reached by this weekend, lighting technicians will not return to work and the production on big Hollywood films such As Star Wars: Episode VIII and WB’s Wonder Woman will be halted.

 

The lighting technicians, who fall under BECTU the UK’s media and entertainment union, have not received a raise in four years and are requesting a 20% increase in pay to cover the four years they have gone without a rate increase. The Producer’s Trade body which represents the studios offered only 2% and talks broke down.

 

Pinewood Set

 

Facing a production stoppage, The Hollywood studios have stepped in to aid in talks and have negotiated a more substantial offer of between 5-8.5 percent increases. BECTU will take that offer to their membership for a vote. If approved, work will continue. If the technicians reject that offer it is likely work on filming on Episode VII will need to stop temporarily until a deal can be worked out.

 

Although major stoppages are rare, they are not unprecedented. A major writers strike in 2007 and 2008 brought Hollywood to standstill for months when most onlookers thought such a thing impossible. But still, the UK lighting technicians don’t have the same power that the WGA held at that time, and with the studio’s involvement and such high profile movies at stake, one would have to believe if things don’t get worked out by this weekend they will soon. And if they don’t Studios may begin looking elsewhere to produce their films.

 

Source: The Independent

 

+ posts

104 thoughts on “Episode VIII Faces Possibility of Additional Delays due to UK Lighting Technician Strike

  • January 28, 2016 at 5:32 pm
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    You don’t strike when you work on Star Wars, come on man!!

  • January 28, 2016 at 5:37 pm
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    take me and train me I’ll work for free just let me work on a Star Wars movie! ungrateful spites

    • January 28, 2016 at 8:04 pm
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      So if you didn’t receive a pay bump at your job in 4 years you would be happy?

    • January 28, 2016 at 10:48 pm
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      Are you already wealthy? How are you planning to cover costs – especially longer term – without wages?

  • January 28, 2016 at 5:45 pm
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    They should be thankful they don’t work for the NHS.

    • January 28, 2016 at 6:01 pm
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      Or any public sector department. Times are hard.

      • January 28, 2016 at 6:40 pm
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        Or any sector at all. The highest raises in the U.S. are hovering around 3-5% and have been for quite some time. Times are tough, despite what government economists will tell you.

      • January 28, 2016 at 7:37 pm
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        Yep – I’m in the public sector and I’ve not seen a rise since 2010 – and I never vote Tory. 20% – cloud cuckoo land.

  • January 28, 2016 at 5:50 pm
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    British people really dont like working (no offence tho). I’ve heard in 75-76 Lucas also had several problems with shooting because of the working moral there.
    Its not like im happy when I have to overtime, or when they thorw me some extra work 10 minutes before closing hour, but damn its a Star Wars movie! You should be happy to be able to work on it…

  • January 28, 2016 at 6:12 pm
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    TFA had not many visual effects! The fight of Kylo Ren and Daisey Ridley was horrible! Looked like a star wars fan scene! The last scene of Daisey and Luke was terrible and simplistic with no visual effects. The beginning of the movie in Jakku was simplsitic, no visual effects, etc. The arriving scene to the base where Leia appeared, had no fucking visual effects. It is obvious that Disney doesnt want to spend money on these movies! Also, too much zoom in on faces! WHY??? Because they dont want to spend money on visual effects!!! It is too obvious that Disney ruined star wars 7!!!! They just want the money!!!! Period

    • January 28, 2016 at 6:29 pm
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      If you don’t notice “visual effects” that’s a GOOD THING! What you want it to be obvious that CG is being used in those scenes?

    • January 28, 2016 at 6:38 pm
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      bro, why are you mad online?

    • January 28, 2016 at 6:47 pm
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      you’re right, 2 people that fight with a sword should be completely and clearly cgi in at least a couple of shots, in an obvious cgi environment doing crazy thing that no one would ever believe they’re doing…

    • January 28, 2016 at 7:12 pm
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      Is this a parody of Internet whining about TFA? If so, it’s spot on.

    • January 28, 2016 at 7:54 pm
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      yeah, because X-wings weren’t CG, and neither the star destroyer was. Just watch the video showing all the VFX they did for the film. Zoom in on faces in the final duel lasted just for a few seconds of the scene. You just seem to me a troll who started his trolling career

    • January 28, 2016 at 8:05 pm
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      trollololololol!

    • January 28, 2016 at 9:15 pm
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      I think you might want to look up the definition for “visual effects”. You may also want to look up “childhood brain damage”.

      • January 28, 2016 at 10:03 pm
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        That last one is especially relevant.

    • January 28, 2016 at 10:45 pm
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      I think you should use more exclamation points!!!! It might help you to convey your point more emphatically!!!!!

    • January 29, 2016 at 1:04 am
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      It had more visual effects than the prequels.

  • January 28, 2016 at 6:35 pm
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    They should bring in the fans who know how to work these ‘lighting’. I think most will work in the movie for nothing. I would!

    • January 28, 2016 at 7:29 pm
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      yeah, hire other people, simple solution

    • January 28, 2016 at 10:43 pm
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      That’s a fantastic long-term solution. And then they should also take a similar approach in your professional field, and mine – just lay us off, recruit volunteers to do our jobs, and when they start asking for pay lay them off and recruit a new wave of volunteers, ad infinitum. Problem solved. What could possibly go wrong?

  • January 28, 2016 at 6:38 pm
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    I work in a very competitive profession that requires a post-graduate degree and I have only gotten a 3% raise each of the past two years. And I was one of the highest raises at my company. Get over yourselves lighting technicians. 20% is just ludicrous. I hate unions…

    • January 28, 2016 at 7:29 pm
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      that’s amusing for all the wrong reasons. oops LOL

    • January 28, 2016 at 10:54 pm
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      20% is a lot. That recognized, what sort of pay increase did you receive over the past 4 years? Sincerely curious.

  • January 28, 2016 at 6:52 pm
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    Pass the lighting equipment to me! All you’d have to give me is a cup of water,
    a piece of bread and a corner to sleep in per day. ; )

  • January 28, 2016 at 7:00 pm
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    This story was very… illuminating. 😉

  • January 28, 2016 at 7:11 pm
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    Hope they’ll find a light in the darkness to solve this situation.

    • January 28, 2016 at 7:27 pm
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      only if the lighting techs get paid enough 🙂

  • January 28, 2016 at 7:35 pm
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    Find out which ones voted Tory. If they did, they asked for their pay freeze and lowering standards. Force them back to work with a cattle prod 🙂

  • January 28, 2016 at 7:56 pm
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    It’s almost like they want this movie to not come out. GRRR

  • January 28, 2016 at 8:18 pm
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    Oh no, production on big Hollywood films such As Star Wars: Episode VII will be halted.

    Wait a second…. 🙂

  • January 28, 2016 at 8:36 pm
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    I’m not sure what’s worse… The fact that episode 8 may be further delayed, or the amount of fans willing to work for free when episode 7 has made $2billion… 2 billion is a lot of money people… i know it’s Star Wars… But that’s a big chunk of money… They could easily afford to pay you…

    That said, 20% sounds like a bit of an absurd raise…

    • January 28, 2016 at 8:40 pm
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      Agreed. I mean, they want the employers to make up for 4 years worth of raises they missed, but we’re forgetting that raises aren’t exactly rights. If anything, the only raise you should be getting (if you don’t exceed your current work standards, which is what raises are meant to reward in the first place) is a change in your wage based on the cost of living in your area. And that cost of living isn’t rising quite as much as 5%/yr.

      I agree with the studio on their proposal, 8-9% is much more reasonable.

      • January 28, 2016 at 10:38 pm
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        Wages are supposed to grow with inflation – around 2.5% annually for they UK. Non-compounding this would be 10‰ over four years, so I reckon it would be fair for workers to receive an increase of at least 10% over that period.

    • January 29, 2016 at 1:04 am
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      Light techs are a dime a dozen. Especially in the Blockbuster world. I’m suprised it isn’t a Privatized only business.

  • January 28, 2016 at 8:36 pm
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    Bring in the scabs!!!!

  • January 28, 2016 at 8:41 pm
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    Ah unions, how lovely.

    • January 28, 2016 at 10:31 pm
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      Yes, the right to join together in unionized collective bargaining is such a terrible, terrible thing….. /s

      • January 29, 2016 at 12:33 am
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        Yes, in this day and age, it is a terrible, unnecessary thing. Unions were created when entire towns were dependent upon one company for their incomes. That does not exist anymore today. Now, unions are anti-competitive political powers that bear no resemblance to their intended use. They exist for the purpose of protecting their own power.

        Of course, if you personally benefit from a union you will be strident in your defense of unions. But that doesn’t make you right.

        • January 29, 2016 at 8:52 am
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          Yeah but how else would these people get raises? Corporations don’t care about employees at all, not even a little bit. Unions are a nesscary evil, even if they are just as corrupt and bloated as the corporations they should standing up to.

        • January 29, 2016 at 8:52 am
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          Yeah but how else would these people get raises? Corporations don’t care about employees at all, not even a little bit. Unions are a nesscary evil, even if they are just as corrupt and bloated as the corporations they should standing up to.

          • January 29, 2016 at 3:33 pm
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            Dude, have you ever held a job? Do you understand that most people don’t belong to a union and somehow manage to get raises? Also, do you realize that the presence of the union, and the fact that they take money from the employees, may be artificially holding DOWN their incomes? Great employees are not getting enough and worthless employees are getting too much, and everyone becomes a clock-watcher. That’s what unions do for us.

          • February 10, 2016 at 3:33 am
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            Well that’s better than everybody being held down. I work for one of the big entertainment conglomerates and I have not had a raise or benefits for over 7 years. So life’s not to peachy on the other side either. Greed and corruption seem to be inherent to human beings and their doesn’t seem to be any situation that is free of it. Seems like unions these days are just as corrupt and self serving as corporations these days. It’s pretty much a damn if you do and damned if you don’t situation. Corporations do not care about employees at all, not even a little bit, you are like a stapler or a fax machine. Just a expense.

          • February 10, 2016 at 4:13 am
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            You probably WOULD have had a raise if your union didn’t get in the way. You think the union is negotiating something better for you — protecting you — but in fact they only protect the bad workers from getting fired — at the expense of the good ones.

            I have worked for many corporations, and I never once gave a second thought as to whether they “cared” for me or not. I worked hard, and therefore they wanted to keep me, so I was given appropriate raises and sometimes bonuses. Had I performed poorly, I would never have expected them to “care” enough for me to keep me on board.

            What does this arrangement do? It encourages people to work hard (which is a good thing), and it encourages companies to reward hard work (which is also a good thing).

            On the other hand, if an employee goofs off and doesn’t perform well the company will get rid of them. If the company does not treat the employee well, the employee can leave and go to a company that treats them well. No union is needed, because the olden days of companies that employ entire towns are history.

            Unions are perfect for people who want to do the minimum amount of work and have limited ambitions in life, because those are the people best protected by unions. Everyone else is held back by them.

          • February 10, 2016 at 6:44 am
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            I’m not in a union.

  • January 28, 2016 at 8:56 pm
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    Say no more, I’ll do lighting for free.!

    • January 28, 2016 at 11:09 pm
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      For how long?

      • January 29, 2016 at 12:50 am
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        I’d work like a slave for the entire duration of the Star Wars franchise future. I’ve taken lighting and videographer courses in the past as a hobby but never bothered looking for work.
        However, if I had the opportunity to work on a Star Wars project, the experience alone would lead to limitless amount of work on other projects.
        So yeah, I’d have no problem working on this film for free.

        • January 29, 2016 at 1:01 am
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          I’m sure your wallet would disagree 😉

          • January 29, 2016 at 1:09 am
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            Nope. 2 things.
            Obviously I have supplemental income.
            And, as soon as I put on my resume that I’m doing lighting for Lucasfilm, I’d immediately have a leg-up for surrounding studios.

        • January 29, 2016 at 1:07 am
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          But what is your goal? If the norm becomes having people work on films for free how are you ever going to earn a living? You may be able to work for free for a while, but for how long? And what will happen to those working on the film now who depend on the income to care for their families.

          • January 29, 2016 at 1:24 am
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            Positions like this are a dime a dozen. There are thousands of folks out there who are qualified to setup studio lighting without any real expectations finding work. Like me, they learned out of pure interest.
            As far as folks and their families, that isn’t the type of job you choose because of stability.

    • January 29, 2016 at 12:00 am
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      scab

      • January 29, 2016 at 1:00 am
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        I don’t even feel bad about it.

  • January 28, 2016 at 9:32 pm
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    On the one hand, I’m anxious for Episode VIII to get up and running. On the other hand, if there’s a dispute between workers and management then I am almost always going to side with the workers. Hope they come to an amicable resolution.

    • January 28, 2016 at 10:00 pm
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      STEELBOOK YES

  • January 28, 2016 at 9:47 pm
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    Have you seen The Revenant? Natural light, guys. It’s the hip thing to do these days 🙂

  • January 28, 2016 at 10:41 pm
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    2% doesn’t even keep up with the rise in cost of living near London in the past four years. They deserve a raise.

    • January 28, 2016 at 10:51 pm
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      Exactly. I live in Melbourne, Australia and home prices increased by 14.5% last year alone, and rents are increasing rapidly as well. It’s really, really hard to keep up.

    • January 29, 2016 at 12:35 am
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      They “deserve” whatever the market will bear.

      • January 29, 2016 at 1:34 am
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        Market implies a two way street, data symmetry, etc. Labor wanted 20%, the industry said 2%.

        Labor’s not willing to bear a lower wage, so the studios will have to meet them closer to demands. Low balling it is going to cost studios in the long run.

        • January 29, 2016 at 2:10 am
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          And if there was no labor union there would be no work stoppage, because people would earn what the market bears for the position.

  • January 28, 2016 at 11:06 pm
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    How could a raise be given? The poor movie industry has had very poor results lately, no…wait….

  • January 28, 2016 at 11:14 pm
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    20%?! Really? Is that supposed to be a joke? There is no sector in any part of the world which would give them 20%. I think the 8-9% would be more than generous.
    Im a physicist (with MA), currently working in the public sector, and we get around 5% every 5 years (not including bonuses).
    I think unions got really out of hands. No wonder why the whole is world outsourcing to China.

  • January 28, 2016 at 11:21 pm
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    Pay them!! millions have been made

  • January 28, 2016 at 11:29 pm
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    Effing unions… I work freelance in the media industry. I haven’t raised my rates in years. Why? because I’d rather be working regularly and earning than pricing myself out the market. These idiots don’t see the bigger picture: they’re just gonna force the projects to relocate elsewhere. The movies will get made, with or without these dickheads.

    • January 28, 2016 at 11:51 pm
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      Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to choose between working for low wages and not working at all?

      • January 29, 2016 at 12:33 am
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        the FACT is unions have destroyed industries with the over inflated value they place on their skills. Look whats happen to the Australian motor industry as a classic case: unions pushed the price of local labour to the point where local production became too costly; the entry level wage on an aus auto production line is $60k! gimme a break! Add to that all the RDO’s and extra holiday time and its no wonder Ford and Holden shut down. Now all those workers are bitching that they no longer have a job. Fuckwits.

        • January 29, 2016 at 12:56 am
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          The auto industry in Australia is a really interesting example, and I’ll have to do some research and take into deeper consideration. I live in Australia (Melbourne) and if there’s one thing that’s clear is that it’s an extremely expensive place to live, especially when it comes to housing, with Sydney and Melbourne being amongst the top 5 most expensive cities to buy a house in globally, which of course drives up rents as well. Personally speaking, housing costs are my number one financial stressor. I wonder to what extent the government’s policies around housing (e.g. negative gearing on investment properties) contributed to the demand for higher salaries and, therefore, to making it unattractive to auto manufacturers to keep building cars in Australia.

    • January 29, 2016 at 12:15 am
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      Yup. It’s why most films and show are made outside Hollywood/The US now.

      • January 29, 2016 at 12:28 am
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        Because a company like Disney, which has so far made almost $2 billion in revenue from TFA alone, would be crippled by paying fair wages to US citizens…

        • January 29, 2016 at 3:06 am
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          Has nothing to do with US citizens, This is a UK strike and gross is not revenue.

        • January 29, 2016 at 8:34 am
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          If you only knew…

  • January 29, 2016 at 12:16 am
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    Not a good omen. The last time there was a major strike during the making of a SW film we got AOTC.

    • January 29, 2016 at 12:22 am
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      Wait, didn’t AOTC get a lot of awards for its dialogue?

      • January 29, 2016 at 2:34 am
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        It’s almost a camp classic now for it.

    • January 29, 2016 at 12:39 am
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      ..which had no effect on that film whatsoever.

      • January 29, 2016 at 2:33 am
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        Yes it did. They were forced to rush the script which is why it feels so unfinished.

        • January 30, 2016 at 7:04 pm
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          A script that was written by George Lucas.. For a movie that was bankrolled by George Lucas..

          • January 31, 2016 at 8:38 am
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            Johnathan Hales co-wrote and he even admitted he was under the gun to finish it. It probably wouldn’t have been as good as the OT or Sith but it might have been better than TPM had he not had such a strict deadline.

  • January 29, 2016 at 12:26 am
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    The WGA strike was worthless, they got pretty much nothing. Hopefully these people get a little more.

  • January 29, 2016 at 12:49 am
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    Well, they wanted Episode VIII to be darker.

    • January 29, 2016 at 12:55 am
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      LMFAO!!!!

    • January 29, 2016 at 1:12 am
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      Ba Da… PSHHHH

    • January 29, 2016 at 1:13 am
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      YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

    • January 29, 2016 at 1:54 am
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      Practical effects to a new level candle light.

      • January 29, 2016 at 4:42 am
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        Nice !

  • January 29, 2016 at 2:10 am
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    i’m no labour expert but a 20% raise seems rather steep. all stuff like this does is encourage movie companies to film elsewhere.

    • January 29, 2016 at 3:08 am
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      Exactly, It’s crippled the local industry here for decades which is why they go to other states and the workers here collect unemployment.

      • January 29, 2016 at 5:20 am
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        Just out of curiosity, where do you live? I’m from the USA but living in Australia.

  • January 29, 2016 at 4:52 am
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    Mabey they do deserve a raise but can’t they wait till later. Its a Star Wars movie were are talking about here. Hey, I will do it for min.wage and be damn happy about it !

    • January 30, 2016 at 12:31 am
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      Quite honestly….that character sucked.

      I get that he’s a homage to the Dune Harkonnen character….but….that voice and stuff…terrible. That short shot took me out of the movie.

  • January 29, 2016 at 3:13 pm
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    No worries, just come to Croatia – where people work for free.

  • January 29, 2016 at 7:22 pm
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    This is what Disney get’s for trying to rush the sequel in two years. Maybe they should stick to the 3 year blueprint that has been in force for 39 years….looks like they will either way now….

  • January 29, 2016 at 7:41 pm
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    Additional Delays? I think they already factored this in when pushing back the movie. There is now way it is going into Summer 2018 without pushing back other key movies on their roster and then it gets even messier with rescheduling.I think December 2017 will be firm date which is similar to what Disney issued to Abrams when they were filming Episode 7.

    • January 30, 2016 at 12:32 am
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      I’m pretty sure they factored this in. They would know about this way ahead of time.

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