Why We’re On Strike

i have a money movie script that i wrote and i would like to know what the process is to get it into production. I am wealthy so the money isnt an issue. can someone assist me with getting an agnt or whatever i need???

You know what you can do? Have the unemployed Mexicans learn to speak at least some English and fill in the striking writers' jobs. Most of these people would have no trouble doing those open positions, plus while the money involved may not meet the striking writers' standards, at least some extremely poor people would be able to have food on their table. Also, remember: the writers and others chose to work in this field of the media, and personally I think they get paid enough. There is a high price for CDs and DVDs, which in the long run, may bring in less money than anticipated.

Writwrs Guild should show your might in writing and not by stop writing since the old saying Goes"Pen is mightier than Sword!"We have a True story of 1850, where in a British army officer under the instructions from the queen had to go aganst the wishes of the queen ,for onlt to have fallen in love with the Indian village Girl!, We want to cast Leonardo Di Caprioas a hero in the film unddert some superior Director and representation from Writers union to give a Hollyeood Touch and create a Budget as per Script!

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There's no point arguing with people like neshckr. The people who believe that writers are overpaid (I'm an award-winning, working screenwriter who lives in a $680/mo studio and can't afford a car), or that our 16-hour days of exhausting, migraine-inducing work are actually "play" because we're required to be creative, or that the 10-plus years of poverty we endure in the hopes of maybe, possibly, breaking in are really just years of slacking, or that we're hacks because so much of our work is destroyed by meddlesome committees of bean-counters who inject inane trash into our carefully crafted scripts so they can appeal to the lowest common denominator...the people who so vocally claim to believe such things must know on some level that they're not true. Otherwise, why don't they just go bang out a script this weekend and sell it for a million bucks on Monday? That's all it takes, right?

Well neshckr, I work with writers, and they work far harder then you believe. They could put in 20 hour days (or more before deadlines). Writers put up with ignorance of the scope of their involvement in society. Writers are not just novelists or screenwriters - they write your textbooks, technical journal articles, internet sites (the good ones), and ads. This is perhaps work you should try to do; it requires intelligence.

FrugalFl- I think the key isn't about entitlement. It's about supply and demand. You want stories? You want entertainment? Then it takes time. As you well know as a writer yourself. That time could be spent generating income in other ways, so where's the incentive? Some writers "have to write" but they don't have to sell what they write. Of course if you want to hear their stories, you might be willing to pay to hear them. Obvious stuff. Of course you're willing to pay; it's a big giant business selling stories to the world. The writers are simply saying, "You want stories? Tell the distributors to kick down more money. We're tired of leasing A4s when they're buying jets." My opinion? Damn straight. Keep it up WGA!

I am an engineer, and while we don't get residuals on the products we put out, we do get compensated outside of our salaries in a way that is tied to the sales of our products. We receive annual profit sharing checks (if the company makes a profit), we are offered a stock purchase plan (in which we buy stocks and the company puts in 15% of the cost), and our managers can distribute stock options and cash bonuses at their discretion. This serves two purposes: to attract and retain quality employees, and to give us a vested interest in seeing the company succeed. If the company profits, I get a big profit-sharing check, and my (discounted) stocks go up. If not, I don't.

I think it makes a lot of sense for writers to get residuals on any showing of their work that generates revenue. First of all, the studios will attract the best writers, not just those who are basically doing it for a hobby while they hold down another job to make ends meet. Secondly, if their show is popular, they make money, if not, they don't. Just like the bigwigs, who make A LOT more than they ever will on residuals. This is not greed, this is profit sharing, just like many other types of professionals receive. Think about how many reruns there have been of "I Love Lucy" and how executives continue to make money on the residuals, while the brilliant writers that made it so great in the first place make nothing. That's not right. I haven't seen a single argument against the writer's strike in these comments that holds water.

And for those who think writing is not a "real" profession because it doesn't involve digging ditches--your opinion of the writing profession is irrelevant here. These residuals matter because the entertainment industry generates a ton of revenue. One of the most essential aspects of that industry is in its writing, and writers are not being compensated proportionately for their work. The fact that all the shows are going to have to go off the air without them (while they are on strike) is a testament to the importance of their contribution.

I am an engineer, and while we don't get residuals on the products we put out, we do get compensated outside of our salaries in a way that is tied to the sales of our products. We receive annual profit sharing checks (if the company makes a profit), we are offered a stock purchase plan (in which we buy stocks and the company puts in 15% of the cost), and our managers can distribute stock options and cash bonuses at their discretion. This serves two purposes: to attract and retain quality employees, and to give us a vested interest in seeing the company succeed. If the company profits, I get a big profit-sharing check, and my (discounted) stocks go up. If not, I don't.

I think it makes a lot of sense for writers to get residuals on any showing of their work that generates revenue. First of all, the studios will attract the best writers, not just those who are basically doing it for a hobby while they hold down another job to make ends meet. Secondly, if their show is popular, they make money, if not, they don't. Just like the bigwigs, who make A LOT more than they ever will on residuals. This is not greed, this is profit sharing, just like many other types of professionals receive. Think about how many reruns there have been of "I Love Lucy" and how executives continue to make money on the residuals, while the brilliant writers that made it so great in the first place make nothing. That's not right. I haven't seen a single argument against the writer's strike in these comments that holds water.

And for those who think writing is not a "real" profession because it doesn't involve digging ditches--your opinion of the writing profession is irrelevant here. These residuals matter because the entertainment industry generates a ton of revenue. One of the most essential aspects of that industry is in its writing, and writers are not being compensated proportionately for their work. The fact that all the shows are going to have to go off the air without them (while they are on strike) is a testament to the importance of their contribution.

I'm in full support of the Writer's Guild. Writing is a tough business, requiring a wide range of adaptability, creativity and perseverence. That writers have been so neglected in negotiations in the past means that this strike is coming at the right time in the right manner.

More power to those on the picket lines. I hope they stick it out and get what they're asking for and what they deserve.

Will I miss my television shows? Absolutely. I will. But I'd rather not have them at all than have the writers of those WONDERFUL shows being abused by the networks and studios.

Get a real job whiners.
People write in their spare time, for no pay, for fun. People also paint in their spare time, write music, etc. People don't do my job in their spare time (engineering wireless networks), nor do they do my wife's job in their spare time. People don't do my brother's job in their spare time, nor my sisters. There are tons of real jobs out there, hard jobs, back-breaking jobs. Writing is not one of them. I have respect for writers, for their talent, and what they do. I've seen movies with screenplays that are amazing, groundbreaking. But it's not manual labor. It's not a call-center job, it's not in the food-service industry. There are hard jobs out there, writing is not one of them.
When you have a job that society will pay you for that isn't difficult physically, that only requires your mind and creativity, and you get paid well for it, that's a social contract. You don't have to sign the contract, you don't even have to agree to it, it's there. You are part of it. Writers have one, you're part of it if you have a WGA card. Same if you have a SAG card, or if you're in the NFL Players Association. You get to do something fun for a living while most of the rest of the country lives in debt humping crappy jobs all day, sometimes two. And you strike over not getting a share of the profits? Expect no sympathy from those on the other side of the contract. Get a different job, or shut up. I could care less if every last one of you starves out on the picket line, and that includes Larry David and the Daily Show Writers and all the other known famous WGA members.
You know what happens to regular people when their job isn't paying them enough? They go get a new job or they tighten their budget and deal with it. This strike isn't something most people can afford. This is why you get no sympathy from us. I like TV shows and movies, but not enough to care about these people striking over a job that many would consider a dream. See the NYTimes article today about the striking TV writer who hopes she doesn't have to lose her Audi A4 she just leased. Listen intently for the outpouring of emotion coming from across American as the poor down-trodden Los Angeles writers are forced to turn in their Audis to the dealership. Boohoo.
It's a social contract people. When you have a job like that, one that doesn't require you to stand in the heat everyday and strain your back, then we don't care if you don't feel taken care of. Newsflash, everyone thinks they are getting screwed at work, screwed out of profits they directly influence, screwed out of their ideas and hard work. That's part of this economy. You don't like it, leave. In Soviet Russia Movie Studio Strikes You!

It's just another frustrating example of how big global business, in mad, insane pursuit of the all-mighty dollar, anally-rape their "lower" employees in each and every way. If they had it their way in their lush, gaudy, and comfortable world, they wouldn't pay their lackeys anything.

Nada. Zip. Zero.

If their dream world would come to fruition, only the few high-brow execs would be getting the bloated and outlandish salary.

It???s just sick how business is run these days. (Whether it is Hollywood, the auto manufacturers, the housing industry or even the retail businesses.) To these voracious, gluttonous, narcissistic suit and tie ***, their salary will never be enough and they will always be sacrificing their minions beneath them so that they can pay for their gas-guzzling SUV???s, their ***-guzzling whores, and their cash-guzzling wives.

It was enough that you had to worry about the economy or the competitor to put you out of business. Now, more than ever, it???s the evil, greedy CEO you have to worry about destroying you. (Enron, anybody?)

Big business is like an inebriated, angry husband who beat their employees like a fearful and humble wife. And like that drunk, infuriated husband, the higher-ups know that the employees, the wife, won???t leave. So why stop the abuse? When we don???t say anything, or more importantly, don???t do anything, what is the company???s incentive to treat us any better than they already are?

So kudos to you for trying to do something about it. (Then again, here in Texas, we don???t have many unions, if any at all.)

As an aspiring writer, I can appreciate your plight and I hope it is resolved quickly, cleanly and quietly. Everyone should be compensated for their hard work, no matter what industry that person is in.

It's just another frustrating example of how big global business, in mad, insane pursuit of the all-mighty dollar, anally-rape their "lower" employees in each and every way. If they had it their way in their lush, gaudy, and comfortable world, they wouldn't pay their lackeys anything.

Nada. Zip. Zero.

If their dream world would come to fruition, only the few high-brow execs would be getting the bloated and outlandish salary.

It???s just sick how business is run these days. (Whether it is Hollywood, the auto manufacturers, the housing industry or even the retail businesses.) To these voracious, gluttonous, narcissistic suit and tie ***, their salary will never be enough and they will always be sacrificing their minions beneath them so that they can pay for their gas-guzzling SUV???s, their ***-guzzling whores, and their cash-guzzling wives.

It was enough that you had to worry about the economy or the competitor to put you out of business. Now, more than ever, it???s the evil, greedy CEO you have to worry about destroying you. (Enron, anybody?)

Big business is like an inebriated, angry husband who beat their employees like a fearful and humble wife. And like that drunk, infuriated husband, the higher-ups know that the employees, the wife, won???t leave. So why stop the abuse? When we don???t say anything, or more importantly, don???t do anything, what is the company???s incentive to treat us any better than they already are?

So kudos to you for trying to do something about it. (Then again, here in Texas, we don???t have many unions, if any at all.)

As an aspiring writer, I can appreciate your plight and I hope it is resolved quickly, cleanly and quietly. Everyone should be compensated for their hard work, no matter what industry that person is in.

My confusion with this strike is this presumption that writers feel entitled to any percentage of profits, over what is purchased by the companies for their work, and what the writers must have contractually bound themselves to. Sure, writers contribute a lot of original ideas... but without the producers and their money and infrastructure, these ideas would never come to fruition. I myself am a writer (not part of the guild). Making a living as a writer is hard, and always was. But making a living is my own responsibility, not any studio's or any employer's. I have also worked in a number of institutions where only top management shared in profits, and incredibly large windfalls, while everyone else took home just the salary, even if they contributed importantly. Internet revenue may be a windfall. But to demand any "percentage" of profits in the capacity of an employee like a writer, who does not own any part of the company, does not provide capital, and bears no financial risk, is so rare in other comparable work environments, that I am surprised that more people have not questioned the basis of this strike. I do not want to conclude that the basis is greed, or delusion or laziness. But I myself write for profit and fun, but I also make no assumptions that any creative work that I do for anyone should secure my living. I make sure to have other sources of income, and I work around the clock. But to have just 1 job and write all day for a living would be a dream...but to subsist on creative writing is universally hard all over the world. I have learned I can't overestimate the value of my creative work, especially in light of business realities. The reality is that people must provide hard capital to earn a slice of the pie. It is too easy to become resentful and band with others and try to brute force a bigger slice of the pie, in the face of a lot of pie... but this to me still makes no sense. If rent is not being paid, how is that any employer's fault ? I do believe we are responsible for our own lives. Can someone please clarify the basis for the strike in reasonable terms that I can understand?

Hi my name is E. Lee Gregory author of the novel Dark Matter. What I don't understand is why we even have to concern ourselves about what type of media upon which our ???creative works??? will be transported for viewing, when we only need concern ourselves with our ???creative works??? themselves. In other words we should be concerned about getting paid royalties or residuals for the act of putting ???our creative works??? on any medium regardless of the medium or how old or new it is, with the intention of selling or renting that particular medium. Get paid for your works, not the media type it is going to go on. Put it on a block of cow *** if you want, but pay me when you do. Don???t let the producers and publishers of this world tie you up with petty differences in media type, when you do this you lessen the importance of the ???creative work??? itself, without which they the producer or publisher, would have no product to sell, unless they would like to try their hand at writing.

Hi my name is E. Lee Gregory author of the novel Dark Matter. What I don't understand is why we even have to concern ourselves about what type of media upon which our ???creative works??? will be transported for viewing, when we only need concern ourselves with our ???creative works??? themselves. In other words we should be concerned about getting paid royalties or residuals for the act of putting ???our creative works??? on any medium regardless of the medium or how old or new it is, with the intention of selling or renting that particular medium. Get paid for your works, not the media type it is going to go on. Put it on a block of cow *** if you want, but pay me when you do. Don???t let the producers and publishers of this world tie you up with petty differences in media type, when you do this you lessen the importance of the ???creative work??? itself, without which they the producer or publisher, would have no product to sell, unless they would like to try their hand at writing.

It is so interesting to me that those who create are paid the least amount. Without writers, there would not be a story. Without a story, there would not be studio, nor would there be any "jobs" for anyone else. But, for some reason, even though they create, they are paid and valued the least out of the whole system. And, when they try to stick-up for their rights, some members of society who do not understand the creative process lash out and call them greedy.

Creation is a cyclical process. Much time must be spent doing apparently nothing as the wheels of creation are turning inside to actually spawn something. That is why there are so many bad movies and TV shows... Even producers and studies don't totally understand this process and want things "created on demand." Something that is just impossible to achieve. Although, some creative types are able to do so and have opened their creative processes so wide that them can actually acomplish this feat.

So, this is truly a remarkable skill when one understands it. And, it should be paid well. But, we live in an irrational world that doesn't understand the concept of a fair wage for everyone. It's truly okay to pay someone slave labor here in America; and not only get-by with it, but be APPLAUDED for it. And, it's truly unfortunate that this is becoming more and more practiced by more and more companies. Because it is leading to a recession (or even depression).

The powers that be just can not grasp the fact that people without money can not buy their products and services... and instead of empowering people by paying them more (i.e., making the power bigger) they disempower by paying less and less (i.e., making the power smaller).

I applaud the WGA for sticking up for the rights of its members. We all need to stick-up for ourselves and make sure that we are getting paid well enough to sustain and thrive.