ABSTRACT

Creation of a television or movie project requires the bundling of inputs – writers, actors, directors – into a coherent package that can be produced and distributed. Traditionally this bundling was done by studios, which then negotiated compensation deals with input suppliers via their agents. However, large talent agencies have increasingly engaged in the practice of “packaging,” which involves creating vehicles for their clients and selling the bundled projects to studios. The union for screenwriters has challenged this activity as constituting an unfair business practice, arguing that it creates a conflict of interest on the part of agencies. This paper evaluates this claim in a bargaining framework with transaction-specific investments and a possible holdup problem.

摘要

创建电视或电影项目需要将输入（作家、演员、导演）捆绑到一个可以制作和分发的连贯包中。传统上，这种捆绑是由工作室完成的，然后工作室通过他们的代理商与输入供应商协商补偿协议。然而，大型人才中介机构越来越多地从事“打包”的实践，包括为其客户创造载体并将捆绑的项目出售给工作室。编剧工会质疑这种活动构成不公平的商业行为，认为这会造成代理机构的利益冲突。本文在具有交易特定投资和可能的拖延问题的讨价还价框架中评估了这一主张。