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So uh...Hollywood Writer's Strike anyone?

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C

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
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"Confirmed that the vote to lift the strike will be held Tuesday, everyone back to work Weds."

-Gary Whitta
 
It'll be a short one, although I could see it going protracted. If there's one group of people that won't really garner much sympathy from the public, it's Hollywood writers.
 
What does this mean for writer/producer/directors?

Saw, Josh Schwartz with Chuck and Gossip girl, or JJ Abrams with Lost. They've both created/directed/written/produced, do they continue as normal?
 
jamesinclair said:
What does this mean for writer/producer/directors?

Saw, Josh Schwartz with Chuck and Gossip girl, or JJ Abrams with Lost. They've both created/directed/written/produced, do they continue as normal?
Click to expand...

I guess they have the option to, if they don't mind having their WGA membership revoked. I'd imagine the impending writer's strike was one of the reasons Whedon was coming back to town, since he is in the same boat, and I bet Fox said "with the strike and all, there's a greater chance we won't have to cancel your show."

IIRC, the big sticking point here has to do with profits from DVDs. DVDs are naturally the hot new source in profit, profitable enough that writers want a piece of the pie (they probably deserve it). Since DVD sales are the new hotness in TV land, I'd imagine this strike could go on for a while. They've apparently been at a near total deadlock for quite some time.
 
jamesinclair said:
What does this mean for writer/producer/directors?

Saw, Josh Schwartz with Chuck and Gossip girl, or JJ Abrams with Lost. They've both created/directed/written/produced, do they continue as normal?
Click to expand...

They are not allowed to write for their shows either. Trey can contiue to be producers, but only on scripts that have already been written.

Lost is probably in the best shape of any show, they only have a 16 episode season and they've been producing since the summer.. so most likely they have almost 3/4s of their scripts done.
 
The Lost writers have been on strike since Season 2, the show just went on without them.

jk, I like Lost

Tamanon said:
What this really hurts are shows like Daily Show/Colbert Report.
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:O

This will seriously ruin my life if the Daily Show and Colbert Report are off the air for an extended amount of time :(

I now care about this issue!
 
ToxicAdam said:
Anyone remember the history on the last one? I vaguely remember it going down and it lasting quite a while.
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last one was really long, i think it was 4 or 5 months. there's no way this goes that long, neither side can afford it.
 
I came in this thread to make a joke about how they shouldn't go on strike when all they have to do is look up old movies and remake them but I didn't know that it affected TDS and the Colbert Report.
 
I read that most TV Networks just don't care about this strike too much because they are having a poor season. Almost all of the new series have failed to catch on and even ratings for older/popular shows have declined.

I don't think this will be resolved quickly, though I sure hope so. I need my Lost/24/Shield/Wire fix early next year.
 
There's a whole bunch of writers in Bollywood that can fill in. What a glorious time it will be for American TV.

Gary Whitta said:
1988, lasted about six months.
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That's right .. I vaguely remember (the then struggling) FOX getting a huge bump in ratings (because their writers weren't union).
 
many studios have piled up scripts thatll last good into next year.

also im on strike.

the piano tuners have also joined me in the strike.
 
Nikki Finke so far has been ahead of the news cycle and getting the dirt behind the scenes about the strike.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/

Tonight, the WGA's new Communications Committee blog clarifies where the guild stands on the issues:

''What's the biggest issue? Internet and New Media

What are we asking for in Internet and New Media? Two things:

1. Residuals for reuse of content (like replaying tv shows) on the internet. We're asking for residuals of 2.5% of revenue -- that means for every dollar they get paid, we'd get 2 and a half cents. It's a flat percentage, so if they're right and they're never ever going to make a penny, well then, we won't either. No harm, no foul. Since 2.5% is our starting point, in any normal negotiation we'd end up somewhere between what they want to pay (.3%) and what we're asking for (2.5%). I'd guess 1 to 1.5 %.

2. Coverage and protections for original content (new stuff we create for the internet.) We're asking for basic protections so that when we write original stuff for the internet, we have rights -- health and pension, minimum amounts, credits and separated rights (so if we make some amazing character or show, we get the right to share in its success.) We're just asking for the same protections we already have for writing in TV or film. Nothing new or weird. Just the basics.

What are the other issues? DVDs: Currently we get .3% per dvd, we're asking for .6%. Translation: now we get 4 cents per dvd. We are asking for 8 cents per dvd. Since most DVD's cost at least 10 bucks, that doesn't exactly seem like a bank-breaker. Whatever.

Enforcement of Coverage: There are lots of shows, like game shows, documentaries and talk shows, where writing is supposed to be covered under our contract. The companies sometimes just ignore the contract -- which means folks don't get health and pension, and if they ask for it, they get fired. We want them to stop that, and honor the contract they signed.

Expansion of Coverage: We want to cover stuff where writers are working without coverage, which means without health and pension and other protections. The two big areas are animation and reality. We think those writers should be covered.
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We've replaced the regular Flash Gordon writers' room with a bunch of empty chairs and the sound of a lone cough coming from somewhere near the building management office. Let's see if anyone notices...

SuperPac said:
Good a time as any to license Spaced and show it on US primetime. Do it, NBC.
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Baby steps. BBCA really needs to put it back on the schedule. :(
 
I'm ignorant when it comes to guilds.

Why don't the studios/networks simply abandon the guilds and hire non-guild writers? There is certainly no shortage of writers trying to make it in showbiz who would be willing to work for less than guild writers get paid.
 
Sean said:
I don't think this will be resolved quickly, though I sure hope so. I need my Lost/24/Shield/Wire fix early next year.
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The Wire finished shooting its last season nearly two months ago. There's no danger there.
 
Hopefully it won't last to the actors possible strike in '08. Their deal with the Film's institute nearing a close too.
 
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (Daily Show/Colbert Report)
 
Rindain said:
I'm ignorant when it comes to guilds.

Why don't the studios/networks simply abandon the guilds and hire non-guild writers? There is certainly no shortage of writers trying to make it in showbiz who would be willing to work for less than guild writers get paid.
Click to expand...

I never understood this either.

But if I got the chance to, I'd be a scab writer. The WGA will blacklist you and you wouldn't be able to get another writing gig in your life, but it'd be fun while it lasted.
 
Gary Whitta said:
1988, lasted about six months.
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No way. The last strike was 2000 or so around the first two seasons of Survivor. I could swear that strike drug on for like two years and then I never heard anything after that.

Edit. I just checked and I'm talking about a Screen Actors Guild strike.
 
White Man said:
I guess they have the option to, if they don't mind having their WGA membership revoked. I'd imagine the impending writer's strike was one of the reasons Whedon was coming back to town, since he is in the same boat, and I bet Fox said "with the strike and all, there's a greater chance we won't have to cancel your show."

IIRC, the big sticking point here has to do with profits from DVDs. DVDs are naturally the hot new source in profit, profitable enough that writers want a piece of the pie (they probably deserve it). Since DVD sales are the new hotness in TV land, I'd imagine this strike could go on for a while. They've apparently been at a near total deadlock for quite some time.
Click to expand...

They're also negotiating for royalties on Internet, downloads, etc.

The whole reason why you saw every Goddamn show ever created come out on DVD is because the studios didn't have to pay royalties to actors, writers, etc. You can bet that's not going to happen for at least another 100 years.
 
I can certainly see why the writers want a bigger piece of the pie but for people like me it really sucks because I may be out of a job for a while. It'll be interesting to see what happens over the weekend, but based on everything I've heard you can expect a lot of productions to be shut down soon.
 
Rindain said:
Why don't the studios/networks simply abandon the guilds and hire non-guild writers? There is certainly no shortage of writers trying to make it in showbiz who would be willing to work for less than guild writers get paid.
Click to expand...
Any non-guild writer who provides scab labor during the strike will be permanently blackballed from WGA membership. So by "trying to make it in showbiz" they would be fucking their writing careers forever.

By the way, you'd be amazed how little guild writers get paid in many instances, particularly TV.
 
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this union/guild system? from all perspectives.
 
Rindain said:
I'm ignorant when it comes to guilds.

Why don't the studios/networks simply abandon the guilds and hire non-guild writers? There is certainly no shortage of writers trying to make it in showbiz who would be willing to work for less than guild writers get paid.
Click to expand...

I think the answer to this lies in that while you may profit now you won't come out on top in the future. Even if the WGA blacklists you and you still get some work bought the other unions will hit you hard. Hollywood is very much Union dominated (which is part of the reason you see production moved to other places as it drives the cost and shooting time up due to overtime and limited work hours and conditions) and once you turn your back on one you'll feel the wrath of another. There are some noticeable people out there that don't belong to a union, but they're very much a minority.
 
Gary Whitta said:
Any non-guild writer who provides scab labor during the strike will be permanently blackballed from WGA membership. So by "trying to make it in showbiz" they would be fucking their writing careers forever.

By the way, you'd be amazed how little guild writers get paid in many instances, particularly TV.
Click to expand...

It wouldn't be that hard to become a scab "undercover writer", working for the studios/producers without the guilds finding out. Of course you couldn't get credit, but I'm sure the studios could find a way to pay you without the guild noticing.

Not that I advocate that--I'm very much for the strike and hope writers everywhere honor it.
 
Rindain said:
It wouldn't be that hard to become a scab "undercover writer", working for the studios/producers without the guilds finding out. Of course you couldn't get credit, but I'm sure the studios could find a way to pay you without the guild noticing.

Not that I advocate that--I'm very much for the strike and hope writers everywhere honor it.
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It doesn't work that way. There is more than one union working in Hollywood. The Teamsters have already stated that members can join the picket lines, and if a large term scab scenario broke out, I'm sure the DGA and SAG would have to do something.

The WGA isn't getting the support other unions have gotten in the past, but that could change.

As far as who does the writing... Get ready for some long rambling monologues from Leno and Letterman.
 
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