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Why We’re On Strike

A screenwriter on Hollywood's labor pains.

Newsweek Web Exclusive
Nov 13, 2007 | Updated: 5:50  p.m. ET Nov 13, 2007

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  • Posted By: Beeviejus @ 01/14/2008 11:41:22 PM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: hopif @ 11/27/2007 3:05:05 AM

    Comment: 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!

    ]Please call
    P.S.Thimaia
    +91-022-32957918
    +91 9324259212
    Mumbai India
    E-Id
    big_cinema@sifi.com
    big2eyes@aol.in

  • Posted By: isingformysupper @ 11/21/2007 2:26:58 PM

    Comment: 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?

  • Posted By: heathermuse @ 11/21/2007 7:27:10 AM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: heathermuse @ 11/21/2007 7:25:54 AM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: nehskr @ 11/19/2007 11:35:32 PM

    Comment: Get a Clue -
    Thank you for specifically pointing out exactly why everyone thinks writers are pompous arrogant jerks. I don't need to be perfectly grammatical, I have a real job.

    • Posted By: buskeat @ 11/20/2007 12:00:56

      Comment: That last sentence was a run-on sentence.

  • Posted By: areitsch @ 11/19/2007 7:17:41 PM

    Comment: 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!

  • Posted By: GetAClue @ 11/19/2007 3:01:22 PM

    Comment: I have a comment for nehskr:
    Do you know why you don't have a job as a writer? Because even though
    you think EVERYONE could do it in their spare time, it's clear you are not one of them. How do I know that?
    Because I am a writer (although not a TV scribe), and I noticed there were several grammatical errors
    and typos in your comment:
    For starters, how about double negatives (do you even know what that means?)
    Also, I could care less means just that (that you COULD care less) What you mean is, I couldn't care less.
    (But you wouldn't know that because you are not a writer. And of course, everyone knows it's so easy
    that everyone could do it, and in their spare time, no less!)

    ...from across America, not American

    don't write, "taken care of." write "...if your needs are not being met."

    So...do you still think everyone can be a writer?

    Respectfully,

    GetAClue

    • Posted By: nehskr @ 11/19/2007 23:37:19

      Comment: Way to go douchebag, no wonder everyone hates writers. Everyone I know agrees with me, no one cares about writers. Writers get their asses kicked by skinheads, the rest of us go to work.

      • Posted By: buskeat @ 11/20/2007 12:00:32

        Comment: Everyone I know does not agree with you. I bet I know more people than you. How many people do you know? We can compare. It will be fun.

  • Posted By: purv @ 11/19/2007 2:43:33 PM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: purv @ 11/19/2007 2:43:10 PM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: encchick2 @ 11/19/2007 2:39:27 PM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: nehskr @ 11/19/2007 1:01:23 PM

    Comment: 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!

  • Posted By: ClericJack @ 11/19/2007 9:38:41 AM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: ClericJack @ 11/19/2007 9:38:24 AM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: frugalfl @ 11/19/2007 4:59:13 AM

    Comment: 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?

  • Posted By: E Lee Gregory @ 11/17/2007 4:22:38 PM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: E Lee Gregory @ 11/17/2007 4:22:00 PM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: mmahrienne @ 11/17/2007 1:53:04 PM

    Comment: 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.

  • Posted By: John D @ 11/17/2007 10:36:23 AM

    Comment: It's interesting how these reply forums become soapboxes/rants for many of the participants. Those that post in all caps or take potshots at the general quality of the industry (ever wonder if all of the great buildings are built already, Gordon?) remind me of the people who don't listen to half of a conversation because they're too busy thinking about what they're going to say next.
    Mr. McGrath explained the reason for the strike with the clarity and calmness of a first grade teacher bringing an unruly class to order. Anyone who could read his well reasoned argument and not agree is clearly not paying attention. Those who compare their own business to the writing profession don't get it- every business has a different model for compensation.
    As a photographer, I am a member of ASMP. It's not a union, but a trade organization established to encourage good business practices in our industry. Our representatives lobby on issues like copyright protection, and work for fair compensation based on use of our images.
    Here is where our business differs from, say, an architects. I'll give an example. Years ago I was hired by an advertising firm to produce a photograph for a point of purchase display in east coast liquor stores. My pricing of that photograph was based on a certain amount of people who would see my creation, stop and admire it, and perhaps be pursueded to purchase said booze.
    The useage fee is based on how many people the ad will reach. Imagine my surprise when I traveled to California and spotted a billboard of my photograph. The ad agency paid me fairly for one use- but treated my photograph as if it was work for hire- disregarding our agreement. I sent a letter and an addtional invoice, which was promptly paid. No apology, but a check. I probably should have asked for more- as I'm sure there were more billboards- more people being pursueded by my work. OK, that's my rant on my business. But our business model is similar to writing profession. If I produce a photograph of Gordon's family- I'm not going to come over and collect every time he shows that photo to his aunt Helen. But if an advertising firm sees that picture and wants to use it, and I get Gordons permisson (and pay him fairly) Then I set a different price- as more people will see the work than Gordon's immediate family.
    The internet has affected our business - magazines are on line now- and ASMP establishes guidelines for additional electronic useage rates.
    The same should apply to writers seeking fair compensation for their work, now reaching a wider audience.
    John D

  • Posted By: Rog17 @ 11/16/2007 9:37:16 PM

    Comment: While Gordon's point about the quality of modern tv shows and films is intriguing, I'm fairly certain that doing away with residuals is a fairly simple way to make sure that the "Great days of film and telivision" never return. In just about any other industry, the way to improve the quality is to lure better tradesmen to the industry by offering more money and/or better benefits. There are probably a great many potentially great writers in the world who learn enough about the industry to know just how hard it is to find work and how relatively low the reward is for finding that work and just say "Forget this, I'll go write architechural textbooks or something."
    Roger C.

  • Posted By: Chro @ 11/16/2007 11:52:21 AM

    Comment: Gordon - The reason the writers want to be paid every time their work is aired is because the studios get paid every time their work is aired. This is the difference between creative goods (like a script) and material goods (like the homes and restaurants you build.) A material good cannot be copied without paying double the material and labor costs to create it again. A creative good can be copied and distributed over and over, without much cost at all, but with substantial profits each time. Writers just want a fair share of that profit.

    Suppose you came up with a brilliant idea on how to make your homes completely impervious to earthquakes and floods. You would copyright this idea, and anyone who used your IDEAS would have to pay you for your amazing discovery. What you are proposing would give you no reward for such a feat -- everyone would be able to use your idea over and over, and despite your being a savior for many people in California, Louisiana, and other places, you wouldn't receive one dime because in your mind, 'residiuals' shouldn't exist.

    Writing is a trade based off the creation of ideas, and ideas will last far longer than your houses, no matter how study you build them. That is why residuals, royalties, etc. exist, and why Writers should get their fair share of them.

  • Posted By: gorpet@msn.com @ 11/16/2007 8:22:52 AM

    Comment: I am an arhitect and interior designer of homes, restaurants, stores, etc. I get no residuals from any of my projects and do not feel that I should. I did my job and got paid a fair price. for it. why do people in the media and hollywoood feel that they should get residuals when not one of them put up the cash for the film or television production. the studios are in the business to make money for their stockholders or owners. they either make money or lose it. I say that those people who want more than what they were paid to do are just a bunch of greedy bastards. all actors ,etc, are paid far more than they are worth and most of them are lousy at their jobs anyway. television and the film industry produces , for the most part, crap. there will be so few tv shows or films that will be watched 100 years from now. the days of great fims and televsion are long gone.

  • Posted By: gorpet@msn.com @ 11/16/2007 8:11:51 AM

    Comment: it is only in the entertainment industry that everyone involved think that they deserve residuals for what they were paid to do. the studios takes risks for a film and makes a profit or takes a loss not unlike any other business that makes a product to sell. I ask these people , what about a person like myself who designs homes. stores, etc. I get no residuals after the store or home is built. I did my job and got paid a fair price for it. I feel that the writers are getting paid enough and if they don't like their salary, then find another business. hollywood and all the media - from the writers to the actors and everyone in between. I say your all a bunch of greedy bastards . gordon peterson , minneapolis, mn

  • Posted By: Yvaughn @ 11/15/2007 5:32:06 PM

    Comment: AnsonMage - what you're referencing, with your video-game writing, is called "Work for Hire." A lot of writers dislike work-for-hire, since the standard since before the time of Charles Dickens has been for writers to earn royalties ("residuals," in screen writer talk), and enough people settling for work-for-hire makes it harder on the whole of the writing community. Me, I have no huge problem with it--AS LONG AS THE WRITER KNOWS GOING IN THAT THIS IS THE AGREEMENT. Then writers who value their work more than that can reject the deal, those looking to just get their work and their name out can take it, and all's good.

    The TV shows and movies for which WGA members are not being paid residuals were not written as work for hire. They ARE being paid residuals off television showings, syndication, and DVDs (a miniscule residual, but a residual nevertheless). However, the studios want to change horses midstream and say that they get NO residuals on new media.

    The works weren't written as work for hire. Hence, they should not be paid as work for hire.

  • Posted By: djb32205 @ 11/15/2007 1:35:11 PM

    Comment: Now I understand what the strike is about. What the WGA wants seems fair and equitable to me. I wish they would start negotiions up again so this season's shows can contiunue. I'm in a mild panic about Scrubs and The Office.

  • Posted By: AnsonMage @ 11/15/2007 11:30:28 AM

    Comment: I'm no movie writer, instead I make video games. We make no residuals. I've written video game dialog as well as scenarios, encounters, cutscenes, in-game text, manuals, walk-throughs, FAQs, Post-Mortems, etc and I don't get squat for them. Do you want to know why? Because I, like the Writers from the WGA, were paid to do a job, the job was completed and the writer was paid. Now they want to get paid more for something they already did? Bollocks!
    If the man who built your house showed up every year and wanted more money for the time you've been living there you'd tell him to jog on, but the WGA wants MORE money for something they've already been paid for? That seems a little like extortion (or at least a bad mob movie plot).
    How's this? If you want to write television and movies then write for the contract rate and stop about not getting paid for stuff you already did last year! If you want more money, work harder and work better.
    To the film and television industry: I'm a writer with several screenplays and other various works of example under my belt. I'll write without any residuals.

  • Posted By: AnsonMage @ 11/15/2007 11:19:54 AM

    Comment: ?

  • Posted By: zim312 @ 11/15/2007 9:21:39 AM

    Comment: writers are paid to do the job already, assuming its fair market value, why do they then want more money if the "something" they wrote does well? What if it flops? are they going to cough up some money? With risk comes reward.. Networks/studios/etc hire thousands of writers taking chances with all kinds of shows/movies/etc.. Only a few make it.. Its easy to see the risk vs reward here.. Where is the writers risk vs reward? If they have multiple writing opportunities, they weigh the difference, and do the ones they can handle, or falls into their skillset better? Seems to me fair market value.. $ per word that makes it past the editors? would be the easiest/most fair.. Better for studios also if this intangible can be made into a more fixed cost..

  • Posted By: OVERHERE @ 11/15/2007 3:54:34 AM

    Comment: I'll skip the irony this time.....I support the idea of the writers strike wholeheartedly, and genuinely hope they get what they are after. Mr. McGrath's stated case on behalf of his compatriots was eloquent and sensible. When people speak of the "rtisk" the studios or production companies assume in turning out content, I'd argue that in terms of real, worrying, fretting, what's my career going to look like five years from now risk, the wiiters have a helluva lot more to worry about than the reverse Rumpelstiltskins who can spin written gold into zero net.....Since writers will never get financial transparency when it comes to discovering what their product actually earns for their employer, they should use this downtime wisely. Maybe do like Fairbanks and Pickford did almost 100 years ago and start their own companies..there's a lot of venture capital up north that might listen to some sensible alternatives..good luck guys...

  • Posted By: TheRealityCheck @ 11/14/2007 10:38:00 PM

    Comment: So, what. I actually have been struggling with what to let my kids, who are both under 6, watch on TV. Everything is sex and violence, and quite frankly, I am tired of it. Stay on stike until the sun refuses to come up for all I care. Get a job doing something else that pays more if you are tired of pennies.

  • Posted By: Bre30 @ 11/14/2007 6:12:57 PM

    Comment: Wow! I'm surprised that we as a society even have to come to this. An employee, that includes writers, should be paid fairly for their work.

    I'm a non-fiction writer (not in the movie industry, but in media) and I know firsthand that "creatives" are the last on the list to get paid. Many want writing services free. We have families, bills to pay, and a quality of life to sustain (or even achieve, for that matter).

    I support the strike, even though many of my favorite TV shows have stopped production because of it. But I am selfless enough to know that this is not about my needs. It's for the greater good. Stick to your guns, writers. And I support you all 100 percent!

  • Posted By: email99 @ 11/14/2007 5:24:53 PM

    Comment: Excuse me for a moment here.
    Isn't the internet just a different digital delivery format?
    I mean they get residuals for sneaker net, why not internet?
    I would also like to see a real and honest breakdown on where the money from a CD or DVD goes.
    Unions are no stronger then the need for them created by greedy businessmen.
    Let us hope that unions will learn to keep a balance in this instance and not outsource our writers to India or some such as has happened when automotive and other unions priced the American worker out of work.

    • Posted By: conlogco @ 11/14/2007 23:43:33

      Comment: The image of Jay Leno or David Letterman having rooms full of Indians writing their jokes is funny in and of itself. Some work doesn't "offshore" well. Lawyers anyone?

  • Posted By: email99 @ 11/14/2007 5:23:22 PM

    Comment: Excuse me for a moment here.
    Isn't the internet just a different digital delivery format?
    I mean they get residuals for sneaker net, why not internet?
    I would also like to see a real and honest breakdown on where the money from a CD or DVD goes.
    Unions are no stronger then the need for them created by greedy businessmen.
    Let us hope that unions will learn to keep a balance in this instance and not outsource our writers to India or some such as has happened when automotive and other unions priced the American worker out of work.

  • Posted By: NetMan @ 11/14/2007 8:46:38 AM

    Comment: I think there are a couple of comments that need to be discussed on this issue and excuse my lack of experience on this topic.

    1. Residuals - Were the writers paid for their original work? Outside of Hollywood in corporate America where most of us live, any work we do for "the company" in the course of our normal job that we are paid for, belongs to them. If I particiapte to create a presentation that helps us win a new client, should I get residuals on that client? Never happen.

    2. Internet availability of shows - While I agree with you that if you are already getting residuals on DVD's, you should get something on Internet transmissions on these shows. However, for you to think that there costs are almost non-existent for this medium is foolish on your part. Millions will have to be spent on infrastructure to support letting users download shows, movies, etc. Are you willing to participate in the investment risk that comes along with that if it doesn't work out?

    Which brings me to my last point. It seems to me that the studios take all the risks, make the movie, distribute the movie, put it out on DVD, etc. What risks are you taking?

    • Posted By: conlogco @ 11/14/2007 10:23:36

      Comment: Although the situation is not exactly analagous, do a bit of research on the case of John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival. John wrote such durable classics as "Proud Mary", "Who'll Stop The Rain" and "Fortunate Son", yet, due to a bad recording contract, someone else - Saul Zaentz of Fantasy Records - had grown wealthy off John's writing.

      Normal "Statutory Employees" who work at-will and are paid a salary or hourly wage have no rights to what they create for their employer. This is true. However, when the "job" involves creative work, whether written word, music, film or even some forms of software - there is almost always a separate provision for paying some sort of royalty or residual.

      I know this very well as I still collect royalties from software I wrote over 15 years ago. The Writer's Guild is well within their rights to not only seek a higher residual on DVD sales but to also seek out any residual on NEW applications of their work.

      Oh, and royalty rates for "creators" are quite low. I feel lucky to receive 20%. Most are 10% or less. It is a totally fair proposition. After all, 20% of nothing = nothing.

    • Posted By: sosebee2 @ 11/14/2007 10:14:59

      Comment: Let's clear a misconception about the nature of the business of writing. Writers are not like workers who come over and install and perform a service get paid and move on. Writers work is more akin to being a prospector for gold. You file a claim and begin to work a mine. You apply all of your efforts hoping that somehow this turns out to be the mother lode. As we all know there are very few Seinfelds or Cheers that happen. Most shows don't even get picked up. Writers bet their incomes and livlihood that the show they work on becomes successful. Those lines are funny and those storylines are good because someone struggled mightily to make it that good. For beancounters to get rich while writers are "written out" seems inequitable to say the least.

  • Posted By: raindog @ 11/14/2007 6:03:22 AM

    Comment: How has it become so acceptable to completely divorce ethics from business? Of course writers deserve residuals when the networks are making money off their work. OVERHERE must be a studio head to think that it somehow hurts the average American for the writers to get a fair share of the revenue. The fact is that this greediness in corporations is destroying our quality of life. We have more and more "average Americans" thrust deeper into poverty each year, and somehow it is OK for CEOs and studio heads to make tens of millions of dollars a year by ripping off their workers? It is not right for a few people to get obscenely wealthy on the backs of poor people, and unions are the only way to straighten that out. I grew up believing that unions are greedy and lazy and hurt our economy. I have never been in a union. But, it is clear to me that we need some way to balance things out so that the poor workers can get a more fair deal from the wealthy corporate leaders, and unions seem to be the simplest way without upsetting the whole economy. These studio heads can afford to make $19 million a year instead of $20 million so that the writers actors who actually make the shows can get a percentage of ALL the money the network makes by airing it- whether it is on the internet, TV, or DVDs.

    They should be ashamed for their greediness, adn we should be ashamed for let it run rampant in our society.

  • Posted By: raindog @ 11/14/2007 6:03:04 AM

    Comment: How has it become so acceptable to completely divorce ethics from business? Of course writers deserve residuals when the networks are making money off their work. OVERHERE must be a studio head to think that it somehow hurts the average American for the writers to get a fair share of the revenue. The fact is that this greediness in corporations is destroying our quality of life. We have more and more "average Americans" thrust deeper into poverty each year, and somehow it is OK for CEOs and studio heads to make tens of millions of dollars a year by ripping off their workers? It is not right for a few people to get obscenely wealthy on the backs of poor people, and unions are the only way to straighten that out. I grew up believing that unions are greedy and lazy and hurt our economy. I have never been in a union. But, it is clear to me that we need some way to balance things out so that the poor workers can get a more fair deal from the wealthy corporate leaders, and unions seem to be the simplest way without upsetting the whole economy. These studio heads can afford to make $19 million a year instead of $20 million so that the writers actors who actually make the shows can get a percentage of ALL the money the network makes by airing it- whether it is on the internet, TV, or DVDs.

    They should be ashamed for their greediness, adn we should be ashamed for let it run rampant in our society.

  • Posted By: OVERHERE @ 11/14/2007 2:12:10 AM

    Comment: It's obvious these pompous writers are self obsessed and greedy,
    placing themselves first and foremost , stepping on the needy,
    a change of tactic is in order if they must persist,
    follow the lead of the studios-and pretend truths don't exist.
    THANK GOODNESS THOSE STUDIO HEADS ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THE REST OF US WHILE THOSE WRITERS ARE SENDING JOBS OVERSEAS LIKE THE DICKENS...YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THEY 'D HAD ENOUGH OF THAT ANTI-AMERICAN STUFF IN THE 50'S...

  • Posted By: Kbon @ 11/14/2007 1:40:22 AM

    Comment: People today (yes, I sound like I'm about 90, but really I'm only less than half that) don't understand the importance of unions. My 10 year old son doesn't understand the strike. They don't remember the past. While it's true that writing is not working in a coal mine (no comments, please), if you are in a union, you get the benefit of your numbers. My father who was in the postal workers' union until he died was strong on not crossing picket lines. I couldn't understand how the schools could teach us about the value and importance of unions in our society while they marched us to school across a teacher's picket line ( who would have to compete with the writers on who earns less in America and who is undervalued more). Maybe if there were more unions where we get our toys from, they would contain less lead and GBH and 10 year old children would be playing with the toys instead of making them. I don't think that eight cents per DVD is that much to pay. Where would the DVDs be without the written word or idea for the movie?

  • Posted By: km prasad @ 11/14/2007 1:15:38 AM

    Comment: A writer deserves to be paid if his work is earning the company money.
    Anyway, see this site, it has come out after the negotiations broke down and the strike too off.
    http://www.gateway.sify.com/
    Seems that the writers are soon to be "bangalored"
    LOL

  • Posted By: Leoflo @ 11/14/2007 12:42:57 AM

    Comment: I tried for years to become a TV sitcom writer and could hardly get "in" unless I knew someone. I took classes, made contacts, networked, etc. Wrote treatments, registered at WGA to no avail. It is a very difficult industry to get into and I love writing epsiodes, however, when I found out about payment and to "pace" myself as I never now when I will be working again, I said, NO.......got to do something else. The bottom line here as a financial friend told me, "No one pays you to have fun".

  • Posted By: mike1962walsh @ 11/13/2007 10:31:10 PM

    Comment: STRIKES HURT EVERYONE. UNIONS HAD THEIR PLACE YEARS AGO BUT THEY ARE NOW THE REASON WE ARE LOSING JOBS TO OTHER COUNTRIES. MAYBE SOME DAY WE WILL WISE UP IN THIS COUNTRY AND UNIONS AND THEIR GREEDY MEMBERS WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST. WE CANNOT SAVE JOBS HERE IN THE U.S. UNTIL THE UNIONS ARE BROKEN AND GONE FROM THE LANDSCAPE.

    • Posted By: sosebee2 @ 11/14/2007 10:18:07

      Comment: The former Soviet Union would have been the ideal landscape for such a skinflint mentality.

  • Posted By: Kirche @ 11/13/2007 9:31:50 PM

    Comment: That's all fine and good, but what about all the people that the writers have put out of work by going on strike? Many of them don't make a lot of money either, and unlike WGA members, most of them wont' be able to get emergency funds to tide them over. What do the writers expect those people to do in the meantime? Would WGA be willing to help them out? Or would WGA be upset if television continued taping without the writers in order to keep everybody else working?

    • Posted By: mike1962walsh @ 11/13/2007 22:33:44

      Comment: I AGREE, THE WRITERS DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE BUT THEMSELVES. THE UNIONS GET GREEDY, COMPANIES MOVE TO COUNTRIES WHERE THEY HAVE NO UNIONS OR GREEDY WRITERS.

      • Posted By: areitsch @ 11/19/2007 19:21:47

        Comment: Wouldn't it be a good solution to have those below the line unions negotiate deals so that they're paid compensation in the event that SAG, WGA, or DGA go on strike?

  • Posted By: conlogco @ 11/13/2007 7:46:27 PM

    Comment: I heartily support the writers in their efforts to be fairly compensated for their work. Without the writers, what is there?

    I was also struck by the clear case of deja vu between the early 1960s efforts to get a TV residual [Industry sez: "It's too new of a media, kid. We don't know how it's all going to pan out." to the current "New Media" excuse.

 
 
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