Those who support writer's strike

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DeSica said:
How did I know you were going to somehow think it was about you?
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Because I'm completely self absorbed?
:)
Fair enough - on with the discussion.


In which case, perhaps someone can clarify something for me.
And let me say I'm asking this sincerely - not in any sort of 'leading' way.

Watching the video of the writers from 'The Office' on youtube yesterday, they talk alot about the online 'webisodes' that were done. Listening to them talk about that you almost get the feeling that they were not paid at all for the writing that was done.

Is that the case? Or is it simply that they meant the are not receiving residuals on that content?


I guess what I'm getting at is that I understand the studio is not paying writers residuals on what they are (wrongfully) calling "promotions" - but do the writers get paid anything upfront for writing these "promotions"?
 
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What is the WGA asking for? What are the stumbling blocks? I am curious and haven't seen the numbers posted anywhere.
 
I think WGA has actually dropped the DVD rate change in favor of focusing on the growing digital delivery segment.

I wonder if abandoning the fight over this segment (for an increase anyway) ignores HDDVD or Blu-ray? The WGA really got worked over on the VHS thing.

NPR ran a good segment during All Things Considered and Talk of the Nation today over the strike. Some heavyweight talent called in to discuss it, including a film composer who lamented that his writer friends could not reap the benefits of his guild's better agreement.

Really, the WGA, as a collective interest, has done a very poor job of protecting their interests over the years. This time should be different. Maybe they looked at the other guilds and their agreements prior to deciding to walk out.

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The DVD issue is as follows, wirters make .04 per dvd sold/rental, writers asked for double that amount: .08 of the dollar. In the eleventh hour the writers took this issue off the table but insisted that writers get residuals for other media broadcast including web, ipods, etc. The studio executives walked out, stated that was non-negotiable.

With the insurgence of new media (streamline) to broadcast television and film, since the writers get residuals for reruns, writers simply want a share of the new media pie. ACTORS recognize they too will be left high and dry if they don't make a stand with the writers.

The strike is all about RESIDUALS from reruns, because we are talking NEW MEDIA, there's a lot of gray area here, a lot we are all unsure about.

Now, as to the studios and how they claim losses. Please read this book: The Big Picture Money and Power in Hollywood by Edward Jay Epstein. Here you will learn about:

CLEARING HOUSES

and how studios shuffle money about into these clearning houses and how they claim moneys earned on a film under the heading: miscellaneous. Crafty little buggers that they are.

If you are a DIRECTOR on a movie and you get residuals on films as they are broadcast on television (on stations like USA, BRAVO or TNT) after their run, wouldn't you want to get residuals on the web and other internet media. Wouldn't you want your fair share as well?

Think about it.
 
Here is a perfect example of why writers should own their material and not give away all rights, even when writing for a series. WARNING, NEW STAR TREK MOVIE SPOILERS...

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The new JJ Abrams movie borrows a few elements from the classic episode City On The Edge Of Forever. Unfortunately, no one bothered to tell the writer of this episode, who had the foresight to claim ownership on the original elements in the script and now stands to cash in some 40 years later.

HARLAN ELLISON
- Monday, November 12 2007 10:19:47
THAT STAR TREK BUSINESS

MARK GOLDBERG or ANYONE ELSE:

Would someone go to that site, and suggest to those people there, that "City" and all its elements EXCEPT specific Star Trek characters, belong to Harlan Ellison--author of that much-lauded episode--by terms of the Separation of Rights clause of the Writers Guild's Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA), and if Mr. Abrams--with whom I'm currently on strike--or anyone else, at Paramount or elsewhere, thinks they're going to use MY creations--whether the City, the Guardians, Sister Edith Keeler, or any other elements CREATED BY HARLAN ELLISON...they had damned well better lose the unilateral arrogance, get in touch with me, or my agent, Marty Shapiro, and be prepared to pay for the privilege of mining the lode I own.

Thank you, and thank Peter David, who just called to alert me, as have you, Mark, to yet another gimmegimme grab by Paramount and the Star trek francchise that makes billions, but withholds recognition or recompense to the artists who labored in that vein.

Yr. Pal, Harlan

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34770
 
Yeah, that was a weird coincidence. I came across this new info after seeing that vid. You don't want to piss him off.
 
Batutta said:
Yeah, that was a weird coincidence. I came across this new info after seeing that vid. You don't want to piss him off.
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Back in 2000 I was working for a web 'portal' startup, and we shot a series of interviews - really, stream-of-consciousness commentaries - with Harlan at his home, which my wife edited for streaming on-line.

The company was basically a scam, and nothing came of it, but at least we got to meet him and listen to him speak - which was a lot of fun.
 
With both sides at an impasse, where do they go from here? Has there been any effort to renew negotiations?
 
what i'm hearing from inside the studios is that when it comes to feature films they have at least a year's worth of releases in their arsenal. so basically, the stance right now is "f*ck the writers". i'd be surprised if this thing ended anytime soon.
 
So the producers are going to try to outlast the writers? It'll be interesting to see which side caves first.
 
My money is on the producers caving, to the degree that whatever deal they work out, is a 'cave' (of course each side will insist that any eventual deal, favors *them*...)

The majority of working writers have day jobs of one kind or another, and will have some sort of income to keep them going.
 
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