Hollywood Writer's Strike

Dezdmona · Post by **Dezdmona** » November 5, 2007 2:38 pm

Striking writers picket on both coasts

LOS ANGELES - The first strike by Hollywood writers in nearly 20 years got under way Monday with noisy pickets on both coasts — a walkout that threatens to disrupt everything from late-night talk shows to soap operas.

The strike began after daylong talks Sunday failed to produce an agreement on payment to writers from shows offered on he Internet.

LIPH · Post by **LIPH** » November 5, 2007 2:43 pm

I wonder if they're picketing downstairs? 30 Rock is NBC's headquarters.

Dezdmona · Post by **Dezdmona** » November 5, 2007 2:48 pm

Early today, the WGA completely withdrew its DVD proposal, which the Companies said was a stumbling block.
Yet, the Companies still insisted on the following:

• No jurisdiction for most of new media writing.
• No economic proposal for the part of new media writing where they do propose to give coverage.
• Internet downloads at the DVD rate.
• No residual for streaming video of theatrical product.
• A "promotional" proposal that allows them to reuse even complete movies or TV shows on any platform with no residual. This proposal alone destroys residuals.
• A "window” of free reuse on the Internet that makes a mockery of any residual.

link

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » November 5, 2007 2:53 pm

LIPH wrote:I wonder if they're picketing downstairs? 30 Rock is NBC's headquarters.

The first noisy strikers appeared outside the "Today" show set at Rockefeller Center in New York, where NBC is headquartered. The show is not directly affected by the strike because news writers are part of a different union.

A giant, inflated rat was displayed, as about 40 people shouted, "No contract, no shows!"

I guess that would mean yes.

LIPH · Post by **LIPH** » November 5, 2007 2:56 pm

The rat was downstairs when I got here at 8:00 but there weren't any picketers.

CaptainP · Post by **CaptainP** » November 5, 2007 3:49 pm

I've watched a lot of TV lately.

They should fire most of the writers and bring in scabs. It'll improve TV.

krusin1 · Post by **krusin1** » November 5, 2007 4:21 pm

As with the auto workers, this seems like a bad time for a strike...

There currently are no new, break-out MUST-SEE hits, so I don't expect much pressure from the public to settle it. Regular broadcast TV has been falling off for years now, and I expect cable/satellite networks have plenty of syndicated shows to fill their lineups. Plus, the public still seems to like reality and game shows, which will be easily slid into the spots of shows affected by the strike.

Looks like the offer to the writers was fairly draconian, but I'm not sure they're going to have a lot of leverage.

Dezdmona · Post by **Dezdmona** » November 5, 2007 4:51 pm

While that may be true, the strike isn't so much about base pay for writing current shows, it's about residuals, on Internet views/downloads, cell phones, iPods, DVD's and other devices, etc..

The Actors and Directors Guild's Contracts are up in a few months, so everyone is watching what happens with the Writer's strike.

The last time Hollywood writers went on strike was in 1988. The walkout lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry about $500 million.

sunseeker · Post by **sunseeker** » November 5, 2007 5:18 pm

LIPH wrote:The rat was downstairs when I got here at 8:00 but there weren't any picketers.

they were sleeping in....

Y-NO-9-O · Post by **Y-NO-9-O** » November 5, 2007 5:29 pm

A few years ago I may have been behind the writers. But come on, how many more CSI's can we dream up:
"Hey, wait, I know, how about 'CSI: CSI'? where every week a CSI person get killed and it takes CSI people to bring in CSI people to I the CS?" Or wait a minute, how about a reality show about A REALITY SHOW!!!! We can call it 'More dumbasses on parade' (I think Paris has this one in production already)!
WAIT, HOLD THE PRESSES:
CSI: SURVIVOR NY - GUESS WHO KILLED DONALD TRUMP'S ASSISTANT AND WIN A MILLION DOLLARS!!!! Of course this would have to be hosted by Rosie.
Sorry, but broadcast TV (and much of cable) has been so lacking lately I think the writers should consider themselves lucky they have a job. The only writers I have any sympathy for are the late night writers (having to write on-the-spot daily scripts). They are the only ones with any "original" talent IMHO. And Tina Fey of course. The first female head writer of SNL deserves a better cast and crew.
And, of course, this is only my opinion.

moog · Post by **moog** » November 6, 2007 2:05 pm

It's not the writers putting the crap on TV. It's the executives that pick and choose. The well writting shows rarely make it past the screening stage. Same with movies. The last two Pirates of the Crapabian were literally being shot without a script in place. And it shows.

It's the executives who dumb it down because they think we are dumb and need to be distracted with special effects and the same plotlines. I mean, how many child abuse cases do we need to see on Law and Crud, I mean Order. CSI is driving by eye candy not story.

If the big wigs cared about their programs they wouldn't distract the "story" with promos for other shows. I say the people who create the shows to feed this waste of synergy should get royalties on future sales. Studios are making money off DVD, syndication and internet sales of programs from the last century.

green1 · Post by **green1** » November 6, 2007 2:18 pm

Dezdmona wrote:Striking writers picket on both coasts

LOS ANGELES - The first strike by Hollywood writers in nearly 20 years got under way Monday with noisy pickets on both coasts — a walkout that threatens to disrupt everything from late-night talk shows to soap operas.

The strike began after daylong talks Sunday failed to produce an agreement on payment to writers from shows offered on he Internet.

Oh well. Guess I just won't be able to watch . . . Well now that I think of it, the only TV I watch is Sports, News and the odd game show.

Dezdmona · Post by **Dezdmona** » November 6, 2007 2:54 pm

Also note that this doesn't just affect TV writers.
It affects all screen/scriptwriters, which includes big screen films, too.

The way I see it, if songwriters get royalties for their work, scriptwriters should too.

I saw a snippet on the news with Damon Lindelof.
He said that the LOST Season 1 Box set costs about 40 bucks each, they sold about a million units - so that's 40 million dollars, and he got a check for about $7100.

Another snippet I caught on the news was that studio heads say that it's impossible to calculate the actual revenues from "new media." (i.e., digital downloads, etc..) I personally think this is crap.

Glorfindel7 · Post by **Glorfindel7** » November 6, 2007 7:15 pm

In any case I don't watch much TV so I'm not worried about this strike. I guess now you know that people like Jay Leno, David Letterman, et al. don't write their own material.

popcornjack · Post by **popcornjack** » November 6, 2007 9:13 pm

I'm worried because I have friends who are union members and are now out of work, as well as a number of other friends who work in the industry and will be affected as the shut-down ripples through. That being said, I don't think it's going to accomplish a d*** thing. The last one was settled with less than what they started with.

blackjack · Post by **blackjack** » November 7, 2007 12:55 am

Mmmmmm... more reality shows. I can feel the brain getting number by the minute.

Lightning Bolt · Post by **Lightning Bolt** » November 7, 2007 12:57 am

I remember the last strike of '88
No Carson or Letterman for quite a while... so I guess no Leno or Conan or Daily Show now

Last time around they came up with fill-in shows like Dear John (not so bad)
and another one that stuck around... Cops (white trash on meth TV)

moog · Post by **moog** » November 7, 2007 1:20 am

blackjack wrote:Mmmmmm... more reality shows. I can feel the brain getting number by the minute.

Many so called reality shows have a story development staff covered by the writers guild.

The strike may bring real reality TV.

a1aara · Post by **a1aara** » November 7, 2007 7:20 pm

LIPH wrote:I wonder if they're picketing downstairs? 30 Rock is NBC's headquarters.

They are. I saw an interview with Tina Fey outside 30 Rock. She is hot. There is just something about her.

TropicalTroubador · Post by **TropicalTroubador** » November 7, 2007 7:29 pm

moog wrote:
blackjack wrote:Mmmmmm... more reality shows. I can feel the brain getting number by the minute.
Many so called reality shows have a story development staff covered by the writers guild.

The strike may bring real reality TV.

IIRC, the last writers' strike was indirectly responsible for the beginning of the "reality" TV trend. It also got us a revived "Mission Impossible," which was good until they made it into movies that s*cked.

And yes...the writers write the initial scripts...but there are multiple layers of producers, executives, etc. who can *all* say, "No, this is too intelligent; throw in another fight scene," and that's how the show ends up.

J Michael Strazczynski would only do the 90s series "Babylon 5" as Executive Producer, because that was the only way he could get his words onto the screen relatively unadulterated. And even *then*, the suits would ask for changes.

He also told the joke, "Did you hear about the blonde actress who was so dumb she slept with the writer? That's because she heard that *everyone* screws the writer."

Me, I don't care if these guys are out for years, except for the financial impact on the people who don't deserve it. If I really want to watch stuff I've never seen before, there are lots of movies I haven't gotten around to yet.

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