Trouble in Tinseltown

His backup plan is a change of scenery

--

Shannon has been painting sets in Hollywood for 26 years, most recently for TV shows such as “Cold Case,” “Pushing Daisies” and “Without a Trace.” He has been able to make good money, earning $100,000 or more a year. Recently, though, the Huntington Beach resident took steps to apply for a contractor’s license, concerned that the TV work would dry up and he wouldn’t be able to pay his ex-wife the $3,200 a month required for spousal and child support. “If they go on strike and we get locked out, I could lose everything,” said Shannon, 45. Despite the slowdown in construction, he’s hoping he can line up enough painting jobs to tide him over should a strike happen. “All I can do is keep my fingers crossed,” Shannon said. “I’ve got to work somewhere.”

-

--

A frightful prospect for an effects house

Not much scares Todd Masters, who has built a career on creating body parts, slimy creatures and ghoulish effects for scores of films and TV shows, including “Snakes on a Plane” and the Showtime series “Dexter.”

But he certainly fears what a writers strike might do to his business. His special effects company, which employs 20 people, depends on work commissioned by TV shows that include the new NBC series “Bionic Woman.”

A writers strike “basically would take the floor out from underneath us,” he said. “So we’ll have to start pushing for more foreign production.”

In anticipation of a sudden falloff in TV work, the Arleta company is turning to a strategy employed during the 1988 strike: developing a line of scary toys.

--

Richard Verrier

--

Alliance for Children’s Rights

Janis Spire, executive director, Alliance for Children’s Rights

Hollywood dollars vital to charities

Hollywood raises millions for charitable causes, such as AIDS research, multiple sclerosis, autism, breast cancer and literacy.

So nonprofit groups like Spire’s would suffer a blow in the event of a strike. Spire estimates that her organization, which provides free legal, educational and social services to L.A. County’s at-risk children, raises more than $1 million a year from Hollywood, more than one-third of the Alliance’s total donations.

“These already underserved children are one of the most tragic examples of who would suffer first,” said Spire, the group’s executive director. “When there’s a crisis, philanthropy goes before jobs get cut.”

--

Claudia Eller

--

MARY MICUCCI

ALONG CAME MARY

Festive firm hopes party’s not over

Micucci’s Los Angeles catering company throws an average of seven parties a week for Hollywood clients, sometimes as many as four a day. These movie premieres, cocktail parties and celebrity weddings account for about half of her business. Their average price weighs in at $250,000, but can reach $700,000 for a themed premiere party.

Micucci said her company already did a fair amount of work outside Hollywood, including weddings, bar mitzvahs and corporate events. But she and her team are thinking about how to expand further in that direction.

“Let’s keep our fingers crossed that a strike doesn’t happen,” said Micucci, who employs 50 full-time staffers. “Especially with the economy the way it is and now with these fires.”

--

Claudia Eller

--

PHILIP GAY

GRILL ON THE ALLEY

Fewer may do lunch at chic spot

The Grill on the Alley in Beverly Hills caters to a high-rolling crowd, counting George Clooney and Adam Sandler among its regulars.

“On a daily basis, it’s the who’s who of Hollywood. We’re the commissary to the stars and agents,” said Gay, who runs a company that owns several restaurants, including the Grill.

Consequently, industry lunches and dinners contribute greatly to the Grill’s average annual revenue of $5.4 million. Although Gay said the Beverly Hills eatery would be “fine” in the event of a strike, “I would not want to test that theory.” Lately, he said, “I get up every morning and pray there isn’t a strike.”

--

Claudia Eller

--

JOYCE NEWMAN OWNER, JOYCE’S DOG GROOMING STUDIO

Pet groomer is trimming back expenses

In recent weeks, Newman has been polling her industry clients about the odds of a strike. The Burbank entrepreneur counts among her customers movie and TV executives as well as writers, directors, grips and gaffers.

“They pull up in Rolls- Royces, Volkswagens and pickup trucks,” said Newman, who opened her business on Victory Boulevard 39 years ago.

Newman is petrified about another strike. In 1988, her Hollywood clientele “didn’t come in for their regular appointments.” Her business eventually recovered, she said, but “you never make up for what you lose.”

Newman is pinching her pennies. “You just have to tuck in your wings and realize you might be in for a dry spell.”

--

Claudia Eller

--

BOB BEITCHER CHIEF EXECUTIVE, PANAVISION

Camera company keeps its eyes open

Panavision Inc., the iconic camera supplier in Woodland Hills, isn’t taking any chances that there won’t be a strike. The firm has contingency plans that include scaling back equipment purchases, deferring salary increases and slashing payrolls.

The experience isn’t new to Panavision, which laid off about 40 workers, about 25% of its workforce, in 2001, when business dropped off amid fears of strikes by actors and writers.

Panavision also would beef up business in European countries including Poland, France and Czechoslovakia, Beitcher said. An even bigger worry, he said, is the prospect of a strike by actors next year.

“The effect of a writers strike is difficult to gauge because you don’t know how many feature films are going to go forward, whereas an actors strike would be like falling off a cliff.”

--

Richard Verrier

--

LYLE, JASON AND BEAU WAGGONER OWNERS, STAR WAGGONS

If productions are stilled,

stars’ trailers will be empty

During the 1988 writers strike, Star Waggons let go of 70 employees. “We had to lay off almost all of our workforce,” said Jason, who along with his brother, Beau, runs the business founded in 1979 by his father, Lyle Waggoner, the now-retired TV actor. “Our business is recession-proof because entertainment always does well, but it’s definitely not strike-proof.”

Best known as the tall, handsome announcer on “The Carol Burnett Show,” Lyle, pictured above, dreamed up the idea for Star Waggons while he was playing the leading man on the 1970s series “Wonder Woman.”

“I know how insecure that business is, so I was looking for something more secure,” said Waggoner, who provided a one-stop shop for trailers to house cast, wardrobe, make-up and production offices on sets. Before Star Waggons, film companies rented motor homes from various places.

He and his sons hope not to lay off any of the 75 people who work at the company’s two manufacturing plants in Sylmar. “We’re always concerned with a strike on the horizon,” Lyle said. “There’s no question we’ll be impacted. But we’re big enough to stay in business and keep manufacturing and refurbishing our fleet.”

Jason said a strike would be particularly harmful in the face of Hollywood’s problem with runaway production. “The reality is that we’re facing so much competition from other states and countries. You’re seeing a ton of business moving out to places like Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Morocco, China, India, Prague, Romania -- it’s not something to be messed with.”

--

Claudia Eller

--

LANCE SORENSON 24/7 STUDIO EQUIPMENT INC.

Highflying gear could come back to earth

Sorenson is enjoying his best year in a decade, with sales up 20%. One reason is that networks are scrambling to shoot extra episodes for TV series before a potential strike after Wednesday’s contract expiration. That has improved the demand for the forklifts and various aerial equipment his company rents out.

But Sorenson worries that the boom could be followed by a bust if a strike happens and the television production spigot is turned off.

“I’ve already had some guys call me and ask if I’ve made arrangements to pick up my equipment if there’s a strike,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson, whose 43-person company specializes in servicing the film industry, is thinking of branching out by renting equipment to other sectors, including the construction industry. But that business is not in great shape, thanks to a real estate downturn. “I’m not going to just let my business die on the vine,” he said. “I’d really have to change my vision.”

--

Richard Verrier

--

DAVID OFFER

PRUDENTIAL CALIFORNIA REALTY

Uncertainty bad for sales

Offer’s real estate clientele aren’t the sort of people who are living from hand to mouth. An estimated 75% of them work in the entertainment field and have bought or sold properties from him in the $3-million-to-$4-million price range.

Still, the Brentwood real estate agent said he was seeing some Hollywood buyers “proceeding with caution.” “People are concerned about job security and income,” Offer said. “People tend to hunker down in a time of uncertainty.”

He said a strike would hurt his business, even though he’s upscale. “If we took all of the entertainment industry buyers out of the equation, there would be a dramatically diminished pool for the homes I represent,” he said.

--

Claudia Eller

--

RICHARD MOSIER FIRST ASSISTANT CAMERAMAN

Behind-the-lens vet has been here before

A 27-year industry veteran from Simi Valley, Mosier said he and his wife started scaling back their spending months ago in anticipation of a strike. “We cut back on the extras, like small vacations and remodeling around the house,” he said.

Mosier and his wife were newlyweds when they weathered the Writers Guild strike of 1988.

Strike preparation is in Mosier’s blood. “My father was in the Directors Guild and he taught me to save money in case something like this happens,” said Mosier, 52. He recalled helping his dad nail together picket signs in the living room in the 1960s when there was a threat of a strike.

“It’s the constant talk on sets and people are scrambling to take jobs right now,” said Mosier, who has worked on movies including “Seabiscuit,” “Pearl Harbor” and the upcoming “National Treasure: Book of Secrets.”

“No matter which craft you’re in, everybody is concerned,” he said. “There are so many people who live paycheck to paycheck.”

--

Claudia Eller

--

HAROLD GINSBURG ART’S DELICATESSEN

Valley eatery believes in pickles, not pickets

When the writers walked out in 1988, this family-run restaurant on Ventura Boulevard, a favorite of Hollywood’s workforce, suffered a 30% to 40% decline in business, Ginsburg said. That could happen again.

“We’ve got a lot of studio clientele, writers, producers and people from associated businesses who have breakfast and lunch meetings here,” said Ginsburg, noting that many deals have been made at Art’s. Lore has it that concepts for TV shows including “Everybody Loves Raymond” were born over lox and bagels or pastrami.

“If someone is out of work, you can’t really say, ‘Hey, come on and eat here,’ ” he said.

Ginsburg said that over the last three weeks, he’s seen an uptick in business as film studios and networks have stepped up production in anticipation of a walkout.

Art’s also delivers often to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in Encino, which represents the studios and TV networks.

--

Claudia Eller

--

CAROL WATKINS

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL

Not her kind of event

From power breakfasts to press junkets, celebrity weddings to photo shoots, the Four Seasons is a daily host to the city’s entertainment elite. Watkins estimates that the hotel has 550 people on staff dedicated to serving Hollywood.

“We will definitely feel the impact,” said Watkins of a strike.

Watkins is nicknamed “The Queen of Junkets” for all the press events she has handled since the hotel’s 1987 inception, most recently those for “The Kingdom” and “The Simpsons.”

Four Seasons hotels in Manhattan, Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, also would be hurt by a strike, she said. “The whole luxury hotel community will be affected.”

--

Claudia Eller