As strike rolls on, blurb biz falls 11%

Producers are leaving L.A. for shoots

By DAVE MCNARY

Commercial shooting outside studio lots in the Los Angeles area has fallen 11% compared to the same period last year during the first 11 days of the strike by union actors against advertisers.

The figures, based on permits filed with the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. showing a drop to 174 production days, indicate that producers are making good on their promise to go outside Los Angeles to shoot commercials, according to Steve Caplan of the Assn. of Independent Commercial Producers. "The work is not stopping; it's just taking place in alternate locations," he added.

Members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Televison & Radio Artirst have been targeting two or three shoots per day since the strike began May 1. Commercial producers insisted that that they have kept up a normal pace of shoots by using non-union talent or shooting in foreign locations.

The unions drew about 100 protesters to a Mothers' Day-themed demonstration Thursday at Nestle's U.S. headquarters in Glendale. The event featured actresses who have portrayed mothers in commercials.

"I want people to know that most actors are not getting wealthy from their work in commercials," said Nancy Youngblut, who has appeared in 120 ads and estimated she grossed about $40,000 last year. "That's not a lot money."

Youngblut, who brought her 2-year-old daughter to the event, said she believes advertisers have been unfair in sharing profits. "I feel we're being portrayed as scapegoats for the ad industry's over-spending when the economy is doing great," she added.

The strike began May 1 and no new talks are scheduled. Negotiations collapsed over advertisers demanding flat rates for all TV work while actors insisted on residual payments for cable and network TV ads.