FIRST OFF . . .

In an open letter published Thursday in Hollywood trade papers, the Directors Guild of America warned independent producers not to sign interim contracts with the striking Writers Guild of America, because some contract provisions “interfere with or eliminate fundamental creative rights, duties and responsibilities of directors.” These agreements, the directors’ guild executive director Glenn J. Gumpel wrote, “will disrupt production” and subject the independent producers to “appropriate legal action by the DGA.” The directors claim that three provisions in the writers’ independent contracts signed last week by 73 production companies violate some fundamental rights already contained in their own contract with producers. Directors’ guild spokesman Chuck Warn said the writers’ guild is “seeking to gain for the writer the right to be consulted on the choice of director, principal cast members and location.” Thursday’s letter stepped up the directors’ protest of the new writers’ contracts, which began Wednesday with a letter to the writers’ guild that warned production companies that they face “serious disputes with the DGA.” Hollywood film and TV writers have been on strike since March 7. Although little progress has been made in negotiations with the 200-member Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the independent agreements will permit several prime-time television programs and a number of feature films to resume production shortly.