Entertainment on Web could bloom with strike - Yahoo! Canada News The Writers Guild of America is going on strike, so the writers may potentially sell their services to various web channels, depending on how long the strike lasts, and if the Guild changes some of its rules. This could cause the number of people watching internet shows to sky rocket. Kind of interesting.
I realize the arguments in favor of collective bargaining. However, tehre is another word that could be applied to it: extortion. I am curious how people here view this issue. Are screenwriters being taken advantage of, and simply trying to get a fair shake? Or are they holding the industry hostage, and will the public end up having to foot the bill?
I know where you're coming from Cogito. Unions have done a lot of good, but too many of the big ones now believe deserve everything, and don't care if the company or government can afford it or not. I don't know enough about this situation yet to honestly say if its good or bad.
with the movie plots I have seen will anyone really miss the screen writers? give me a good book any day. We just got a satellite with 500 channels and 90 radio stations. I still didn't see much on TV or the movies that held my interest. so everyone here get busy and get some books published so I can curl up with a good one to read. Please.
Heh. It's probably going to be great for the very, very slim amount of people who actually supervise the creation of content for the net that can afford a real writer. Let them get more of a cut as a trade-off for less pay. That way, if they make horrible movies, they make horrible money. They shouldn't be able to write garbage and get rewarded for it.
But if we cut their pay, how will the elite of Hollywood afford their parties, jets, mansions, and all the time in the world to preach the fad of the week to the people.
No one is talking about a pay cut. They are striking to get a piece of the royalties for DVD and Internet revenues, something they don't currently get. More money for the same amount of work they already do. And of course, the rest of the unions in the industry are waiting in the wings, to make similar demands if the writers get their way.
There is plenty of good writing out there. I just question whether what they are asking for is really reasonable, or is it simply greed.
And possibly... During this period, wouldn't it be easier to sell a script? For an amateur to get his lucky day?
No. Screenwriters Guild is a union. Producers are required to take scripts only from members of the Guild, and members of the Guild are required to strike when the Guild calls a strike.
And if you did sell a script to someone the Guild said not to, whether you're a member or not, you will likely be blacklisted for years if not forever. If you are only a script writer and not a famous author, thats a career ending move.
already shows are in trouble. letterman is in reruns and the soaps are apparently going to have trouble in a day or two. hope nobody here is addicted to TV.
I watch a lot of television. I remember the last writers strike in the 1980s, and the crappy scripts that were hurriedly churned out when it ended. I hope this one gets resolved quickly.
Why are they required to take it only from the guild? Why can't they just hire new writers? I do think it's a matter of greed.
The Guild holds all the cards. They can blacklist a studio that breaks the strike, and they can blacklist writers who cross the picket lines. You cannot sell a screenplay in Hollywood without the Guild's blessing.
But would the Guild blacklisting a studio really do all that much? Say a major network like ABC or NBC decided to hire all new writers for the shows and ditch the guild. I don't think that would affect the network all that much.
You're talking about an entirely new field of writers, along with the few that would actually abandon the Guild. In theory it could happen, but what studio is willing to take the risk, especially when it means certainly losing every top writer currently out there. Moreover, such an action would be very likely be met with strikes from other unions in the entertainment industry, such as the Screen Actors Guild.
