Word: caa
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Maybe none of the above, and certainly ICM's Berg is a little disingenuous in his outrage. There is some truth to CAA's contention that if it helps keep a major studio alive, that will ultimately accrue to the benefit of everyone working in Hollywood. But when Berg went to the press, Ovitz was stung. Since both men are people of such consequence, their fearful peers are careful not to take sides, even anonymously. "It was a bold move on Mike's part," says the currently successful head of a studio, "and a logical move on Jeff's part...
...Michael Keaton, Bill Murray, Al Pacino, Barbra Streisand and Robin Williams. They also represent most of the top directors, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and John Hughes. And most of the top screenwriters. The only weak spot, according to one of those reticent studio chiefs, is in music; there, CAA's client roster is peopled by such nobodies as Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson and Madonna. If you are a movie executive or a producer and you want to get a film made, it's possible to proceed without Ovitz's complicity -- but not advisable...
...Management, Ovitz's arrangement makes him crypto-chairman of MGM, which represents an untenable -- and perhaps illegal -- conflict of interest. "I want to solve it politically within the industry," Berg said last week, backpedaling from his initial talk of legal action. But he intends to keep the pressure on CAA and Ovitz. "He didn't think I'd call him on it," says the ordinarily very cool and calm Berg...
...Will CAA clients get special treatment from MGM, as Berg suggests? Or will the opposite happen, with MGM getting sweetheart deals for the actors and directors and writers whom Ovitz's agency represents? And when the bank finally gets around to selling MGM, will Ovitz's insider knowledge give him an unfair edge in making or avoiding deals for his clients with the studio...
...sides of the negotiating table, real and potential conflicts of interest are chronic and rampant -- so much so that the wheeler-dealers have a hard time taking outsiders' ethical qualms seriously. "The only way to avoid the appearance of potential conflict of interest in this business," says CAA's & president, Ron Meyer, "is to represent only one client. And then, of course, you'd have no business and no clout and no one would care...