Writers Stike Predictions

There has been discussion over the past couple of months regarding the writers strike. It seems that this is something that will be around for a while. Unfortunately it is having an adverse effect on a significant number of people that are employed by the entertainment industry and the overall local economy in LA.

Will this turn into something that is something similar to the grocery store workers strike? Something where they are demanding a lot, but due to the length of the strike, writers, and others losing their homes due to the lack of a regular paycheck coming in will they end up settling for pretty much what the initial contract offer was by the studios? Or will they be more stubborn and stand up for their "principles" and demands?

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/24/content_7303542.htm

It will all turn out all right in the end; although I too look forward to an end to the strike, it's important that the goals of both groups be met equally.

Well, I hate Los Angeles, so...

Right now it's a big game of chicken.

I know it hasn't affected me. There's enough reruns of old, good shows and with Discovery channel not being affected I couldn't care less.

Discovery channel, History channel, Science Channel... I've been watching them depending upon what I stumble across and lately they've been running some pretty interesting stuff.

Yeah, I hate how it's December 24th and it's 70 degrees outside. Fucking hate it. Stay away and save yourself.

I'll switch with you.

I hate how it's 18 degrees and snowy outside.

It's not about principles, Kirky. It's about money.

As one of the striking writers, I'm fucked off that these fuckstain studios think they can make money off products without paying the people who made them.

Would you work for free and let someone else earn off of your labour?

I highly fucking doubt it.

What are you going to do if the studios continue to not to give into your demands? It would seem they are able to hold out a lot longer than you folks can. Just asking by the way. I'm not making a judgment call because I don't see anything wrong with the writers are asking for. But, how long can you guys go?

Baba supports writers strikes. Writers need to burn and pillage offices of studio and network execs.

Will there be raping involved?

I mean, if we are gonna burn and pillage...

Did I just hear a spincter muscle tighten?

I have no problem with the WGA striking for writers. I'm a screenwriter and I like getting as much money as I can. What pisses me off is the emails and nonsense filling up my inbox with the same "we're doing this for everyone in Hollywood" bullshit. I just wish the WGA would be honest about it and instead of "feeling [the Below the Line People's] pain" we'd just be honest and say "as long as I get fucking get mine".

As important as writers are to the film process, it's not like the fucking film can get made without the grips or the gaffers, but if you read assfuckers like John August, no pun intended, you'd think it's us, the directors, and the actors in that order.

I'm glad writing porn lets me bypass all that nonsense. It's just too bad if I want to write a "legitimate" project or continue working on the one I'm letting sit on my desktop I have to continue working with the fucking union.

KIRK cites The China Times. That alone makes the writers' strike worthwhile.

Apparently even opinions are being outsourced

I dunno...when you work for a biotech or engineering company and you create something, the company patents it, you get a year end bonus and the company profits for years to come. No residuals usually.

So now we have writers, who make about 80% crap, whining for more of the pie full of crap.

They are still on strike? Wow. Didn't even notice.

Anyways I hope the writers can hold out enough to get what they want.

Is that 80% by weight or by volume? :flow2:

I'm just worried that the strike will generate even MORE god-awful crapfest reality shows and primetime game shows.

This could kill the scripted drama.

In the mean time, at least I have piles and piles of DVDs of old GOOD tv shows to watch.

You have radio, sports channels, iPods, internet, NFL, DVDs...

I haven't even noticed the writer's strike at all.

By volume. Most of the crap is fluff, so has no density or much weight.

Forbin we will at least have new season of torchwood on bbc. Maybe more good shows will come to bbc or syndicated to networks to fill gap.

Couldn't they just do all the shows in Bollywood? Or Vancouver? Everything else is being outsourced anyways.

So Stargate Atlantis would have a choreographed Bollywood musical number?

You'd like that wouldn't ya Nancy?

Attempt to restart AMPTP-WGA Talks Fails

This is the only blog I read about the strike. Variety and HR are studio mouthpieces. Basically, the studios still aren't negotiating. Jeff Katzenburg has been trying all over the place this week, meeting with hyphenate WGA member showrunners and leadership to get some assurances that they'd drop the reality show request and stick solely to requests about new media. They said they would. Katzenburg went to the studio CEOs and asked them if they'd come back to the negotiating table if the WGA only made requests about residual percentages for new media. The CEOs said no, they would not come back to the table unless those requests were dropped, too. Basically, the studios want the writers to drop everything. Being properly compensated for new media is what the strike is about.

The studios haven't yet been negotiating in any sort of good faith. They walked away from the table December 7th, issuing that the writers had to drop all requests about new media and including reality writers in WGA, or the studios wouldn't return. It's been a stalemate ever since. Problem is, new media and the reality inclusion were 99.999% of what the writers wanted. So, the writers will drop the reality request--and the request to be more fairly compensated on DVD sales (for which they presently get next to jack shit) and still the studios say "no." They'd rather sit back and issue press releases about how the big bad union is hurting the BTL workers, when it's the fucking studios that are holding things up. The writers have made lots of concessions already. That's the point. The studios want them to get next to nothing, and they have corporate money to help them hold out. If the studios can lock the writers out this time, they know that all they have to do at every negotiation is wait them out. The writers can't give in or they'll be bent over holding their ankles forever while the studios make a fortune off the internet.

Double post

I got that, Cupcake. But to be honest, I don't have a dog in that fight since nothing I have ever worked on, or will ever work on, will end up as downloadable or streaming content. I'm the direct-to-DVD and the aired at 3am in Romania guy. That's what I write.

Agian, because my biggest point in the previous post, and one I should have made clearer, isn't the striking for me crap. It's the "we're doing this for everyone" bullshit, when the guys that never see a dime of residuals, the below-the-line folks are the ones getting royally fucked in all this. They don't care if I get 4 cents or 5 cents off each DVD sale. All they know is my strike is stopping work on their shows and they're laid off. Gee sorry your dad can't make the mortgage payments right now Billy, but we're striking for "all of Hollywood". I'd rather the fucking union just be honest about it and flat say "we don't give a fuck about the below the line folks so long as we get ours".

Fuck Hollywood is so fake.

Also, Merry Christmas.

Radio is only music, news or talk. I don't like sports. I don't have an iPod, but what new programming is available on it alone? Football is boring and, ya know, sports...

DVDs I said.

Get another job I guess.