The Writers' Strike & What it's About....

[Fandango 1,440]

Got this in a bulletin...check it out...

From: Travis

Date: Nov 22, 2007 3:01 PM

My name is Robert Ben Garant. I am a screenwriter. You might just know me as Travis Junior, the guy who gets hurt a lot on Reno 911!. But I also write Reno 911!, and I have written a few movies.

The WGA (Writers Guild of America) is my union.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about the Writers' Strike. This is no coincidence. The corporations who run the news (NEWSCORP, VIACOM, etc.) are the very people we are striking against.

I wanted to set a few things straight:

WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR: Our contract with the studios is up. The old contract gives us 4 cents per every DVD sold. The studios make about 17 bucks profit per DVD. We get 4 cents. We were asking for 8 cents per DVD. (For the record, the Chinese companies that package DVDs get about 60 cents per DVD.)

We are also asking for -- and this is the big one -- the same cut for every movie and TV show that you download off the Internet.

The studios have told us that they will not give us that. The studios want to keep the DVD rate at 4 cents, and give us NOTHING for every time you watch a movie off the Internet.

I think we all know, within a few years, people will download movies more than they buy DVDs, maybe more than they watch reruns on TV. I know I do. I watched Lost off iTunes. They cost $1.99 per episode then they have commercials anyway.

The studios say they don't know how much money they're making off the Internet, so they can't pay us. Poppycock. They're making $1.99 per show, plus what they get from the advertisers.

I want to set the record straight on some other stuff, too:

MISINFORMATION: "Most Hollywood writers make 200 grand a year." Poppycock. Most writers are middle class. There are about 40 writers who make that kind of money. The union has 12,000 other members, who don't make anywhere near that.

A friend of mine is a staff writer for a very big late night talk show. He has enough money saved up to last about two months. He will have to sell his house, if the strike goes on longer than that. His house is not a mansion. It is a one-bedroom in Burbank.

MISINFORMATION: "The writers wanted this strike. They're causing all this economic hardship in LA." Poppycock. No writer wanted this strike. We want to work. But the studios ARE NOT EVEN NEGOTIATING WITH US. THEY WON'T EVEN TALK TO US.

The Studios told the WGA that they would NOT EVEN NEGOTIATE until we stopped asking for 8 cents on every DVD.

So, on the Sunday before the strike, the WGA stopped asking for 8 cents. We took that off the table, and went back down to 4 cents per DVD. THE STUDIOS STILL REFUSE TO TALK TO US.

They won't even negotiate until we accept their offer for the Internet. Their offer for the Internet is: NOTHING. No money at all.

My union wants to work, but we would be CRAZY to accept a contract that says THEY GET TO USE OUR WORK FOR FREE ON THE INTERNET. The Internet is the future.

Screenwriters and TV writers live on residuals. We are not on salary. We are all self-employed. Our only insurance comes from the union. If our union is finished, so are we.

We live from job to job. It is the residuals that get writers through from job to job.

I have heard people say things like: "Well, I make staplers, I don't get paid every time someone staples something."

That is true. But you don't make ONE stapler, sell it, then -- after people staple with it for a while -- and IF people like it, they call you in, interview you, and maybe hire you to make another stapler.

And the next stapler you make can't be like the last stapler you made at all.

That is what writing is like.

Successful shows make TONS of money -- millions on millions -- for the networks. And the writer, who created this successful money machine, gets a tiny piece, ever time a show airs. (I have never gotten one of those for "Reno." "Reno" is non-union.)

Back in the Golden Age of TV, the guys who wrote "I Love Lucy" got paid a fee to write it, then they never got a residual. For 50 years, the networks made MILLIONS off of those "Lucy" episodes, and the writer never got another penny. We can't go back to that. And that is what the studios want us to do.

Now, I'm not crying poverty. Since I left Farragut in 1988, I have been really lucky, going from cable to features, and back and forth. Most writers get about one writing job a year -- no matter how good they are.

This Union, like all Unions, is here to protect the little guys from being crushed by the mega-corporations.

The Studios want 100% of the pie -- and that is not fair. The fat cats on the top, the Rupert Murdocks and the Sumner Redstones are making more money than they ever have.

We're fighting for everybody: writers, actors, directors (because they will get stuck with this deal, if we cave in.) And we're fighting for all writers in the future.

That is why I am striking. We are striking for our future.

Thanks, everybody, for listening to my side of this.

And you all should know, this strike might go on for quite a while. The studios aren't even talking to us yet. Oh, and people ask me: WHAT CAN I DO TO SUPPORT THE WRITERS.

Simple: Don't download movies or TV. I'm not. ... and I still haven't seen season 6 of The Sopranos yet.

Robert Ben Garant, Reno S.D., WGA.

[Jasman0717 9]

I really haven't heard much about it since it started I guess they are walking the picket lines up in L.A., just don't see it here. I hardly ever watch network TV so don't know have far that has gotten either.

[Mags 112]

In a magazine I read they have lists of how many episodes are left of the TV shows.

The Office 0

My Name Is Earl 2

Private Practice 2

The Unit 2

Two and a Half Men 2

Back to You 3

Desperate Housewives 3

Grey's Anatomy 3

Heroes 3

How I Met Your Mother 3

Pushing Daisies 3

30 Rock 4

Women's Murder Club 4

Brothers and Sisters 4

Criminal Minds 4

'Til Death 4

Bones 5

Chuck 5

Gossip Girl 5

House 5

Journeyman 5

Prison Break 5

Supernatural 5

Reaper 5

Ugly Betty 5

Boston Legal 7

Family Guy 7

Samantha Who? 7

Smallville 7

Cavemen 8

Simpsons 10

Aliens In America 11

K-Ville 11

King of the Hill 11

Men In Trees 14

Everybody Hates Chris 15

Once all these episodes have been shown there will be a good 2-3 month wait even AFTER the writers' strike is over before we get to see the shows again. From January onwards there are going to be A LOT of reality TV shows and re-runs on our screens.

[Ladylethal 12]

It's gotten to the point where shows have stopped being shot since the episodes ended, most famous shows are now running the last 2 or 3 episodes before they run out of episodes shot.

[Bootylicious!! 2]

For all those Lost fanatics out there, forget about it starting anytime soon. Apparently from what my mom told me she heard they haven't even started writing for it yet. So if the strike keeps going, no Lost.

[Mags 112]

For all those Lost fanatics out there, forget about it starting anytime soon. Apparently from what my mom told me she heard they haven't even started writing for it yet. So if the strike keeps going, no Lost.

From what I understand there are already 8 episodes of Lost shot and it will start in February as promised (hopefully!). It's only going to be 16 episodes anyway this season too, as are the remaining 3 seasons they have signed up for.

Edited November 23, 2007 by Mags

[Ladylethal 12]

Yes, they have shot up till the 8th episode, what they were first thinking was of not starting to show them until the strike was over so they wouldn't have to pause after 8 episodes but they have decided to go ahead and show it up to what they have.

[Bootylicious!! 2]

Yes, they have shot up till the 8th episode, what they were first thinking was of not starting to show them until the strike was over so they wouldn't have to pause after 8 episodes but they have decided to go ahead and show it up to what they have.

Actually, now that you've said that I remember that's what she said. They didn't want to start it so as not to have an interruption in the middle like they have previous years. Glad they decided to go ahead and run the first episodes. I'd rather see a few and have a break then go forever without seeing any. I miss Lost.

[Ladylethal 12]

Tell me about it. After the cliffhanger of last season I can't wait to see more.

[Mags 112]

Tell me about it. After the cliffhanger of last season I can't wait to see more.

I was really disappointed by the season finale myself.

[Bootylicious!! 2]

Tell me about it. After the cliffhanger of last season I can't wait to see more.

I was really disappointed by the season finale myself.

I was too. I'm hoping they come back with some really strong episodes in the beginning.

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

Tell me about it. After the cliffhanger of last season I can't wait to see more.

I was really disappointed by the season finale myself.

I was too. I'm hoping they come back with some really strong episodes in the beginning.

Why Charlie?

Back to the original post though, they have to do something about this strike - America is going to be on fire when their favourite TV shows stop airing in the middle of the season! Although it might be good if some of these shows get cancelled - Private Practice?? Addison Shepherd-Montgomery did certainly not deserve a spin off She should have just gone back to their house in the Hamptons. Oh. Well, I watch Grey's Anatomy religiously and after every episode I catch myself thinking - this is BS, I have to stop watching this!

I am ranting. Geez.

[diadromous mermaid 36]

Got this in a bulletin...check it out...

From: Travis

Date: Nov 22, 2007 3:01 PM

My name is Robert Ben Garant. I am a screenwriter. You might just know me as Travis Junior, the guy who gets hurt a lot on Reno 911!. But I also write Reno 911!, and I have written a few movies.

The WGA (Writers Guild of America) is my union.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about the Writers' Strike. This is no coincidence. The corporations who run the news (NEWSCORP, VIACOM, etc.) are the very people we are striking against.

I wanted to set a few things straight:

WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR: Our contract with the studios is up. The old contract gives us 4 cents per every DVD sold. The studios make about 17 bucks profit per DVD. We get 4 cents. We were asking for 8 cents per DVD. (For the record, the Chinese companies that package DVDs get about 60 cents per DVD.)

We are also asking for -- and this is the big one -- the same cut for every movie and TV show that you download off the Internet.

The studios have told us that they will not give us that. The studios want to keep the DVD rate at 4 cents, and give us NOTHING for every time you watch a movie off the Internet.

I think we all know, within a few years, people will download movies more than they buy DVDs, maybe more than they watch reruns on TV. I know I do. I watched Lost off iTunes. They cost $1.99 per episode then they have commercials anyway.

The studios say they don't know how much money they're making off the Internet, so they can't pay us. Poppycock. They're making $1.99 per show, plus what they get from the advertisers.

I want to set the record straight on some other stuff, too:

MISINFORMATION: "Most Hollywood writers make 200 grand a year." Poppycock. Most writers are middle class. There are about 40 writers who make that kind of money. The union has 12,000 other members, who don't make anywhere near that.

A friend of mine is a staff writer for a very big late night talk show. He has enough money saved up to last about two months. He will have to sell his house, if the strike goes on longer than that. His house is not a mansion. It is a one-bedroom in Burbank.

MISINFORMATION: "The writers wanted this strike. They're causing all this economic hardship in LA." Poppycock. No writer wanted this strike. We want to work. But the studios ARE NOT EVEN NEGOTIATING WITH US. THEY WON'T EVEN TALK TO US.

The Studios told the WGA that they would NOT EVEN NEGOTIATE until we stopped asking for 8 cents on every DVD.

So, on the Sunday before the strike, the WGA stopped asking for 8 cents. We took that off the table, and went back down to 4 cents per DVD. THE STUDIOS STILL REFUSE TO TALK TO US.

They won't even negotiate until we accept their offer for the Internet. Their offer for the Internet is: NOTHING. No money at all.

My union wants to work, but we would be CRAZY to accept a contract that says THEY GET TO USE OUR WORK FOR FREE ON THE INTERNET. The Internet is the future.

Screenwriters and TV writers live on residuals. We are not on salary. We are all self-employed. Our only insurance comes from the union. If our union is finished, so are we.

We live from job to job. It is the residuals that get writers through from job to job.

I have heard people say things like: "Well, I make staplers, I don't get paid every time someone staples something."

That is true. But you don't make ONE stapler, sell it, then -- after people staple with it for a while -- and IF people like it, they call you in, interview you, and maybe hire you to make another stapler.

And the next stapler you make can't be like the last stapler you made at all.

That is what writing is like.

Successful shows make TONS of money -- millions on millions -- for the networks. And the writer, who created this successful money machine, gets a tiny piece, ever time a show airs. (I have never gotten one of those for "Reno." "Reno" is non-union.)

Back in the Golden Age of TV, the guys who wrote "I Love Lucy" got paid a fee to write it, then they never got a residual. For 50 years, the networks made MILLIONS off of those "Lucy" episodes, and the writer never got another penny. We can't go back to that. And that is what the studios want us to do.

Now, I'm not crying poverty. Since I left Farragut in 1988, I have been really lucky, going from cable to features, and back and forth. Most writers get about one writing job a year -- no matter how good they are.

This Union, like all Unions, is here to protect the little guys from being crushed by the mega-corporations.

The Studios want 100% of the pie -- and that is not fair. The fat cats on the top, the Rupert Murdocks and the Sumner Redstones are making more money than they ever have.

We're fighting for everybody: writers, actors, directors (because they will get stuck with this deal, if we cave in.) And we're fighting for all writers in the future.

That is why I am striking. We are striking for our future.

Thanks, everybody, for listening to my side of this.

And you all should know, this strike might go on for quite a while. The studios aren't even talking to us yet. Oh, and people ask me: WHAT CAN I DO TO SUPPORT THE WRITERS.

Simple: Don't download movies or TV. I'm not. ... and I still haven't seen season 6 of The Sopranos yet.

Robert Ben Garant, Reno S.D., WGA.

Hmmm. I say, stop complaining until you can "command" attention. For a writer, I think he could use some polish to his craft. His punctuation and syntax (not to mention oodles of other issues) are horrible!

[SteveLaura 0]

'Moonlighting' adapts to the Writers' Strike of 1988:

Current shows take note.

Edited November 23, 2007 by SteveLaura

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Goooo writers!!!