WGA Writers' Strike
POSTED BY: Raycheetah
UPDATED: Thursday, February 28, 2008 16:10
VIEWED: 18272
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There is likely gonna be a WGA (Writers' Guild of America) strike, either the end of this month, or, they might postpone their strike to synchronize with the SAG (Screen Actors' Guild) strike which is likely to occur at the end of June. That means that the TV/motion picture industry will likely come to a standstill for the duration of the negotiations, possibly for months.
For those interested in more information, here's a link to a very good, easy-to-understand article about the possible effects, over time, of a writers' strike:
http://origin1.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_7320188
ETA: Well, that link worked... For a while. Apparently, you now need to register to read it. Sorry about that. I'm just gonna post the body of the article, below.
New shows, like Moonlight, Pushing Daisies, and, so forth, would be at particular peril, in the event of a strike and long-term hiatus.
Also, see the very informative discussions of this on the Sci-Fi.com BSG board; the poster (of both the following threads), Mrs. Ron, is the wife of Ron Moore, the fellow behind the current Battlestar Galactica:
http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showtopic=2289490
and
http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showtopic=2289791&pid=4315328&st=0&#
entry4315328
The gist of this is that, unless you are a member of the WGA, you will not be able to get your work produced for TV or movies in Hollywood. Scabs, i.e., those who work "across the picket lines" are ill-regarded by the unions, not only the WGA, but, the SAG, and, related "shops," (electricians and costumers, for example) as well. If you write for a program during the strike, for example, when the strike is over, you will not only no longer be able to obtain work (under any active agreement), you will also never be able to get a union membership, in order to get work.
Sure, you can write anything you want, but, membership with the union prohibits absolutely presenting it to a studio for use or consideration during the strike. As for writers in foreign countries who do not hold WGA memberships, there is usually a corresponding and reciprocal agreement with the equivalent organizations in their countries. Again, any foreign scabbing is likely to result in the crippling of a career within the Hollywood entertainment industry, as well as related fields.
So, for several months, no production work will get done on any projects to be filmed. No writers on set to tweak their scripts, no new scripts, no creative production for those media of any kind. The crux of the issue is that the unions feel that the industry (the studios), which works under a universally-binding contract, is trying to cut out most if not all residuals for writers, including preventing the writers from benefiting at all from alternative media, such as online webcasts. There may be other issues, as well.
The industry counters that it has presented reasonable and balanced proposals, which the union has turned down flat as unsatisfactory, and, that the call to strike is a standard operational procedure, when the contract is up.
That's just this layman's inexpert understanding of it. I strongly urge you to visit the links, above, for more details.
-Raycheetah ='[.]'=
The enjoyment of any good thing is only enhanced by sharing it with others.
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=30176
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CHUCK BARNEY: AS SEEN ON TV
Writers' strike will turn off many viewers
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched: 10/30/2007 03:01:32 AM PDT
Having long seen themselves as second-class citizens in Hollywood , television and movie writers are as mad as hell, and they're not going to take it anymore. And now they're prepared to deliver a script that no one wants to see.
Unless the Writers Guild of America can quickly resolve its bitter differences with studios and networks, it could order its members to go on strike any time after Halloween -- the day its labor contract expires. Such a gloomy scenario has the potential to leave Tinseltown in chaos and television and movie fans out in the cold.
Come early next year, our TV sets might be spewing forth -- shudder -- mostly reruns, game shows and even more cheap knockoffs of "American Idol." And that new show you just got hooked on? Don't count on it surviving a lengthy hiatus.
Moviegoers, meanwhile, eventually would be left with a much shorter list of new films to peruse.
After taking the weekend and Monday off, WGA negotiators are scheduled to resume talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, or AMPTP, today in Southern California . Meetings thus far have been so unproductive and rancorous that a federal mediator has stepped in to referee.
The most divisive issue is pegged to a long-brewing battle over residual payments for digital media -- downloads of TV shows and movies. The writers want a cut of these new and evolving platforms. Producers, however, prefer to hold off to see how things shake out.
Neither side wants a work stoppage, especially now that the TV networks are bleeding viewers, and so many other entertainment options are available to seduce us. But the writers, who believe they have been given short shrift in past deals, clearly are bracing for a bloody throw-down.
Still, the labor issues don't matter much to those of us who just want to see how "Heroes" plays out or laugh ourselves silly at a Will Ferrell movie. With that in mind, here is a rundown on how a strike could affect audiences:
Late-night laughs dry up: Under a strike scenario, the first to be hit would be fans of late-night TV shows, which are produced on a same-day basis. As funny as they might be, Conan O'Brien and Jon Stewart don't write their own stuff, and they are not about to start.
Networks might choose to put their late-night shows into reruns or air them as interview-heavy programs that eschew comedy sketches. Plan your bedtimes accordingly.
Stay tuned -- for now: If the writers do walk, you won't be left staring at a test pattern just yet because scripted comedies, dramas and daytime soaps are filmed several weeks ahead of time and stockpiled to a point.
But fresh episodes of "The Office," "CSI" and others would only last through February sweeps at the latest. Beyond that, things could get dicey, depending on the length of a walkout. YouTube, anyone?
Lights, camera, inaction: It would take movie fans a bit longer to experience the fallout from the strike because most Hollywood productions planned for the next few months are already in the can.
But if a walkout lingered, the flow of films eventually would slow to a trickle. In that case, expect to see more documentaries on the big screen and possibly even more foreign films than usual.
Jack Bauer to the rescue? Some shows, such as Fox's action-thriller "24," already are pegged for a midseason debut, and thus will have a run of new episodes ready to roll out next year. Other shows in the same category include "Lost," "Law & Order," "Medium" and "Jericho," as well as some new series such as "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."
Fall's freshman crop could spoil: At least the established TV shows have had time to build a loyal following that theoretically would return to the fold once a strike ends. But what about new shows such as "Pushing Daisies"? If they disappear for any length of time, it could be a case of out of sight, out of mind and a struggle for surviv
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MORE reality TV? Ugh. Kill me now. Even more reasons to subscribe to Netflix and online media distributers. 
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Could always read some good books...
-Raycheetah =^[.]^=
The enjoyment of any good thing is only enhanced by sharing it with others.
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=30176
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It's my understanding Joss will honor the strike which means no Dollhouse etc....
the strike is set for 12.01am Monday Nov 5th.
The teamsters will most likely honor the picket line. the SAG(actors) can't strike until June but will walk the line in support.
A few interesting links;
"Pencils Down Means Pencils Down"
Look over all the writers/shows who signed this--
http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2529
"Heroes of the Writers Strike"
THE SHORT VERSION --
Or, what the heck do those crazy writers want, anyway?
http://www.unitedhollywood.com/2007...rt-version.html
Mark Evanier's pages
http://www.newsfromme.com/
JMS's pages
http://jmsnews.com/home.aspx
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While I would hate for a truncated season of TV, it would give me time to get through the stack of DVD's that's been accumulating on my coffee table for four years now, as well as the countless hours of stuff I've downloaded.
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"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."
Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack
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How long do you reckon this will last? And - a VERY selfish question - will this affect Burn Notice's summer 2008 return?!?!?
Toldja it was selfish. Good for the writers. I honestly never cared about them until Joss made it clear how much they matter and until this strike. Now I can see how much they make or break a show.
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RPG launcher bought in third world country illegally - $10
Landmines - $50 per
Attack/track dogs bred 1st class - $250-500 per
Highpowered assault rifles - $600 per
The look on your face when I show up on your doorstep with a bigfoot - ... Priceless
"You gotta love that the first pirated HD DVD is the one about space pirates who broadcast a video that the government wants to keep secret.
Can't stop the signal."
-reavers_ate_my_dvd
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Last time the Writers struck, the strike lasted 5 months... **IF** it were to go that long, we would probably lose a lot of the newer, unestablished shows...
ITA more reality and endless re runs sounds very unappealing... BUT... I sense a potential silver lining here....
time to dig out that spare set of Firefly DVDs.. when all you friends are bitching about nothing being on...loan them a few nights of bliss in the form of the best TV show ever was... could be we will get a bunch of new recruits!!!
Chindi
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Quote:
Originally posted by Raycheetah:
Late-night laughs dry up: Under a strike scenario, the first to be hit would be fans of late-night TV shows, which are produced on a same-day basis. As funny as they might be, Conan O'Brien and Jon Stewart don't write their own stuff, and they are not about to start.
Pssst: Check this out.
"The WGA has met with the writers of both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, according to Michael Winship, president of the WGA East, and “everybody is very clear on what our position is.”
Stewart, who earlier this month extended his contract with Comedy Central to 2010, is not only host The Daily Show, but is one of its writers, as well as executive producer.
“Jon and Stephen [Colbert] are both members of the Writers Guild,” Winship said. “They both write for their shows under the Writers Guild contract. So our position on that is that they could not do any of the work that they normally do as a Writers Guild member in terms of writing and performing material on the show.”"
From http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6494884.html
Looks like he is a writer. But he's on strike. Knew he was too funny not to come up with SOME of his own stuff - his impromptu stuff is brilliant, I mean, those interviews can't be THAT scripted. Y'know?
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RPG launcher bought in third world country illegally - $10
Landmines - $50 per
Attack/track dogs bred 1st class - $250-500 per
Highpowered assault rifles - $600 per
The look on your face when I show up on your doorstep with a bigfoot - ... Priceless
"You gotta love that the first pirated HD DVD is the one about space pirates who broadcast a video that the government wants to keep secret.
Can't stop the signal."
-reavers_ate_my_dvd
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by Raycheetah:
Could always read some good books...
Hear hear! As much as I enjoy TV and especially the idea of a new series from Joss, there's a lot to be said about reading. Pick up the Serenity comic book, or any of the millions of awesome sci fi books out there. Or any other genre for that matter. (Can you tell I'm a book nerd yet?) There's so much out there....
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