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

[Peikko 1,575]

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!

I don't buy that argument. These guys are writing scripts not novels and quite frankly I don't see any reason to pick at his punctuation. If his scripts suck for content, well that's another thing again.

However, regardless of whether this is a good, great or indiferent writer it doesn't change the facts of the writers' case for being paid residuals for the new media that has been created and which isn't currently covered under their contract.

I support the writers in this and there are plenty of other things I can do with my time while they are on strike so I am not worried about the ####### tv that's going to be around for a while.

Edited November 23, 2007 by Purple_Hibiscus

[almaty 19]

the last strike..my brohter was the international union rep. for then..spent allot of time in LA

[Scott & Lai 12]

I'm usually not on the side of unions, but in this case I'm 100% on the side of the WGA. The writers are getting screwed out of income that is rightly theirs. A friend of mine is a background actor, and hasn't been getting any work because of the strike, but he feels exactly the same way on this.

[no name 1]

Writers strike could cost $21.3 million a day

By Richard Verrier and Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

November 21, 2007

As thousands of TV and film writers marched along Hollywood Boulevard in the third week of their strike, film officials put a price tag on the potential economic toll of the walkout. Los Angeles' economy will lose more than $20 million a day in direct production spending if the writers strike extends into next month, according to FilmL.A. Inc., the nonprofit group that handles film permits and promotes the industry.

"If the strike continues it's going to have a huge impact on the local economy and middle-class jobs," FilmL.A. President Steve MacDonald said Tuesday.

Writers walked out more than two weeks ago in a dispute with major studios over pay for work that is distributed via the Internet, video iPods, cellphones and other new media. Writers and major studios are set to resume talks Monday, although the guild has vowed to continue striking until a deal is finalized.

On Hollywood Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon, striking writers were joined by members of such unions as the Screen Actors Guild, Teamsters and Service Employees International Union. The solidarity march drew 4,000 people, according to the Writers Guild of America.

The 1 1/2 -hour rally, which moved along the historic stretch of the boulevard, kicked off with an appearance by R&B singer Alicia Keys. "I'm here in support of this cause," she said amid deafening cheers. "I want you to know I am a writer, too."

Depending on how long it lasts, the strike could end up inflicting more economic pain than the previous writers walkout in 1988, which lasted 22 weeks and cost the entertainment industry an estimated $500 million. That was the equivalent of a little more than $3 million a day.

Hollywood is a more dominant force in the region today, with studios and networks that are part of global media giants such as Time Warner Inc., Walt Disney Co. and News Corp. Los Angeles also is more dependent than ever on television production, which has taken the biggest hit in the strike. The walkout occurred in the middle of the fall TV season, before networks had a chance to stockpile all the scripts they needed.

Already, at least two dozen shows have stopped production, including dramas such as "24," "Cold Case" and "Desperate Housewives," late-night shows and several sitcoms including "Till Death," "The Office" and "My Name Is Earl."

Most TV shows are filmed in L.A., so the effect is especially acute here. If the strike continues into next month, virtually all of the 44 one-hour dramas and 21 situation comedies that are shot in Los Angeles will stop production entirely as the shows run out of fresh scripts to keep crews filming, industry officials say.

That will translate into a loss of 15,000 jobs and $21.3 million a day in direct spending, according to FilmL.A. The estimate is based on the average number of employees on these shows, and their typical budgets and shooting cycles.

For example, a single episode of a drama costs about $3 million to produce, employs 300 people and takes eight days to shoot. An episode of a half-hour sitcom costs $1.5 million, employs an average of 88 employees and has a five-day shooting cycle.

Sitcoms were the first to take a hit because of the shorter lead times in writing them. During the first two weeks of the strike, filming for sitcoms outside of studio soundstages dropped nearly 50% compared with the same period a year earlier, according to FilmL.A. Activity for TV dramas has been virtually flat, while on-location reality TV shoots jumped 23% recently.

FilmL.A.'s estimate is conservative because it only takes into account jobs in the industry, not the scores of jobs at restaurants, hotels and other businesses that service Hollywood. The entertainment industry accounts for almost 7% of Los Angeles County's $442-billion economy.

Nor does it factor in job losses from the feature film sector. Studios already have scripts in hand for their 2008 slates, so only a few feature films have delayed production, including Ron Howard's "Angels & Demons" and Oliver Stone's "Pinkville."

The level of disruption was underscored by Tuesday's march. Streets connecting to Hollywood Boulevard between Ivar and Highland avenues were closed to traffic for the march.

After Keys performed two songs, the crowd -- led by a small fleet of Teamsters trucks -- marched to the sound of drumbeats, waving signs and chanting, "Contracts! Now!" and "On strike, shut 'em down -- Hollywood's a union town!"

Creative messages dotted the sea of signs. One marcher took the opportunity to seek an eligible bachelor, waving a sign that said, "Looking for Mr. Write."

Helicopters and a small plane pulling a banner that said, "WGA -- on the same page," circled overhead. Representatives from Creative Artists Agency walked through the crowd serving scones and hot apple cider.

"The writers are fighting the fight that we have coming up next year, so we're staying with them every step of the way," said Pamm Fair, deputy national executive director of the Screen Actors Guild. The actors contract expires June 30.

The commotion drew attention from curious onlookers. Residents in apartment complexes along Hollywood Boulevard cheered from open windows, while store owners stood in their doorways, some handing out coupons to marchers.

The march came to an end in front of the Chinese theater, where "A Beautiful Mind" writer Akiva Goldsman, actress Sandra Oh of "Grey's Anatomy" and Writers Guild negotiation committee Chairman John F. Bowman took to the stage.

"Pay us and we'll shut up and go back to work," Bowman said during his speech. "Show some soul, we'll show some flexibility."

http://www.latimes.com/la-fi-strike21nov21,0,5160818.story

[diadromous mermaid 36]

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!

I don't buy that argument. These guys are writing scripts not novels and quite frankly I don't see any reason to pick at his punctuation. If his scripts suck for content, well that's another thing again.

However, regardless of whether this is a good, great or indiferent writer it doesn't change the facts of the writers' case for being paid residuals for the new media that has been created and which isn't currently covered under their contract.

I support the writers in this and there are plenty of other things I can do with my time while they are on strike so I am not worried about the ####### tv that's going to be around for a while.

If his language is riddled with inaccurate punctuation and syntax, that is an issue. I won't comment on whether the plight of the writers is viable or not. I am commenting on what is very clearly a case of someone not knowing the basics of language. Not an expert in his craft, in my opinion. And by the way, it doesn't matter if a screenwriter is simply putting together scripts, and other writers are creating novels, prose, etc. ~ the language should be utilised properly.

Edited November 23, 2007 by diadromous mermaid

[mawilson 2,133]

If his language is riddled with inaccurate punctuation and syntax, that is an issue.

It's not, however.

[Caladan 19]

My patience with the writer's strike varies directly with the number of House episodes remaining. Down with reality TV!

[diadromous mermaid 36]

If his language is riddled with inaccurate punctuation and syntax, that is an issue.

It's not, however.

Just a few obvious errors....(at the risk of appearing pedantic)

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.

[mawilson 2,133]

Just a few obvious errors....(at the risk of appearing pedantic)

Many things that were once considered grave offences in formal writing are now

generally accepted as common features of informal usage.

The line between formal and informal usage is perhaps even less rigidly drawn in

e-mail correspondence.

[Peikko 1,575]

Well, again, that's a matter of opinion. I see merit in ideas as well as the ability to write beautifully. I don't dismiss this guy out of hand just because there are errors in his text and conversely there are some people who have perfect command of the written word, but seem to have nothing of note to write.

As I said, the message that he puts forward re the strike is valid regardless of his success as a writer everything else is just opinion on something that really isn't pertinant to the topic.

[Peikko 1,575]

Today, 01:42 PM My patience with the writer's strike varies directly with the number of House episodes remaining. Down with reality TV!

[Fandango 1,440]

I bet Diad feels oh so much better now that she's pointed out what she deems the important issue.

Anyways, I fully support this writer's strike....they are getting the screws put to em, and I hope they get what they're after.

[diadromous mermaid 36]

I bet Diad feels oh so much better now that she's pointed out what she deems the important issue.

Anyways, I fully support this writer's strike....they are getting the screws put to em, and I hope they get what they're after.

Apparently, not only do we have screenwriters that don't know how to construct a sentence, but now we a member that doesn't know how to read!

[mawilson 2,133]

Apparently, not only do we have screenwriters that don't know how to construct a sentence, but now we <...> a member that doesn't know how to read!

Speaking of inaccurate punctuation and syntax, I think you missed an important word in there somewhere

[diadromous mermaid 36]

Apparently, not only do we have screenwriters that don't know how to construct a sentence, but now we <...> a member that doesn't know how to read!

Speaking of inaccurate punctuation and syntax, I think you missed an important word in there somewhere

No, I had an extra one! But then, it's neither my forté, nor a craft for which I get paid.

P.S. I see LisaD can find any opportunity to be snide, as always!

Edited November 24, 2007 by diadromous mermaid