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Writers Guild Strike
BoutASouffle:
Ok, so this is a cause that is gradually becoming near and dear to my heart, largely because this is the industry I'm trying to work in. I've been following it pretty extensively in my film/TV blog (Framewatch). Basically, one of the main arguments is over whether writers should get residuals for internet sales and advertisement-supported streaming content. Right now they're not seeing any of the profit from the streaming content, which network lawyers are calling "promotional" even though they're drawing in money from those annoying commercials we have to watch online.
The two sides fighting here are the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (http://www.amptp.org/) and the Writer's Guild of American (www.wga.org and www.wgaeast.org). Both websites have biased information, but you can read between the lines.
I find it pretty awesome that a lot of the showrunners (writer-producers) are respecting the picket line, even though officially they're allowed to cross the lines as producers so long as they don't participate in writing activities. Seth Macfarlane (who has decided to neither produce nor act in anymore Family Guy episodes during the strike) was asked why he thought it would be stupid for Fox to let another producer run Family Guy during the strike. He replied, "Because I would be angry."
WGA has been putting up some informative and hilarious videos on YouTube. My favorite is from the guys (and Kelly) who write and star in "The Office."
Edit: A completely list of showrunners who are respecting picket lines can be found here. Note that many non-writers and hyphenated writers are supporting the cause so that a precedent can be set for all creative collaborators to benefit from their creations.
leave for no raisin:
--- Quote from: Daniel on 07 Nov 2007, 15:42 ---Hollywood is on strike and the price of beer is going to go up up up (hops shortage is driving up prices). Corn is already through the roof so I can't imagine bourbon getting cheaper.
--- End quote ---
TrekkieTechie:
I fully support them. I'm taking a history of film class at my CC from a guild member, and he related this gem (obviously paraphrased from memory):
"The studios pay 50 cents for the plastic wrap around every DVD they sell. They pay us 4 cents."
I think that's a pretty stark contrast -- hard-working writers are worth less than plastic that is thrown away as soon as the DVD is purchased?
Caiphana:
I fully support the strike. I'll be working under a union for the rest of my life (teacher... whooo...), and union workers have to stick together. I know how crappy it is to be on strike (go look up the grocery worker's strike in southern California in 2003). That thing lasted four freaking months. I don't think that the writers walking the line are going to have piss-filled water balloons thrown at them, though, like we did.
IronOxide:
The big thing about this strike is that while you're waiting on this strike, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES 'LEGALLY' WATCH A WRITTEN SHOW. The idea of the strike is to show the networks that they can't make money without their writers, so if you're really itching to watch some of The Office, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Scrubs, etc. TORRENT IT. You shouldn't help the networks make money until the strike is over and they actually start paying the writers.
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