Screen Writers Guild Strike?

[mmbt0ne]

All,

I feel it is our duty to help late night programming get back on schedule. Maybe we can start a topical humor thread, which late night hosts can feel free to poach from?

"Did you hear about these contaminated toys from China? Apparently they have some chemicals in them that can turn into the date-rape drug if ingested. Yeah, some celebrities are taking a real stand against it. In fact, Lindsay Lohan was seen walking out of Toys R Us earlier today with 3 shopping carts."

*cue goofy smile*

[eviljeff]

I understand that the overall gripe is that they are getting screwed by "new media," but I don't see the specifics. How are the writers being shafted and what do they want?

[cobrakai111]

Maybe this is a dumb question but will there be "scab" writers? Would any shows go that route?

[Blarg]

They want to preserve their intellectual property rights, which includes the right to profit from their creations, in the media they write for. It makes no sense for them to get paid for their intellectual property rights sometimes, but not others. Owners want them to be construed as service providers who provide a service and then are gone. However, that is the definition of what a writer does, and how intellectual property rights work, that is the one seeking to reconstrue established understanding and precedent.

The writers have given a pass to getting a boost in their cut of DVD sales to, I think it was 5 to 8 cents per DVD, up from I think it was 4 cents. They are very concerned about the future of the media moving into downloadable shows, which at present both pay them nothing and don't have shipping or media costs to cut into profits either. It's the wave of an extremely lucrative future that they see coming and in which they presently have no part despite established conceptions of intellectual property law.

[Sickboy]

[ QUOTE ]
I understand that the overall gripe is that they are getting screwed by "new media," but I don't see the specifics. How are the writers being shafted and what do they want?

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are writer and your movie sells a dvd u get a piece of it..well a tiny tiny one anyways.

If it sells on the net...itunes etc. You don't get [censored].

[Wires]

[ QUOTE ]
I understand that the overall gripe is that they are getting screwed by "new media," but I don't see the specifics. How are the writers being shafted and what do they want?

[/ QUOTE ]

Here is a video with some of the staff from The Office. It explains how the writers are not adequately compensated for writing that is determined to be promotional - in this case they are talking about the webisodes that were created for the nbc.com site.

Link [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[pineapple888]

I don't know why I am bothering, but here goes...

Unfortunately, the writers get only a tiny piece of every DVD sold.
Fortunately, that adds up to tens of millions of dollars per year in passive income.
Unfortunately, it could have been more, except for a deal made 20 years ago.
Fortunately, the writers can strike to ask for more.
Unfortunately, it will never, never, never, never work. That ship has sailed, and the current DVD rate is written into 1234871238947 business plans.

The only "real" issue here is how much writers will get for "New Media" (i.e., Internet) downloads. The writers don't want to repeat the mistake of 20 years ago and take a low number. The producers don't want to pay them much of anything ldo.

Hence, the strike.

[pineapple888]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe this is a dumb question but will there be "scab" writers? Would any shows go that route?

[/ QUOTE ]

TV tried "scabs" 20 years ago during the last strike. They were awful. It is extremely difficult to replicate the knowledge and experience of a team of writers on a show.

Features are a much different animal. The need for "scabs" will be less in the near term because they have scripts stockpiled, and there's a much longer time lag than in TV, but if the strike drags on, there will definitely be feature writers crossing the picket lines. Not sure how it will all turn out.

It is by no means clear that the WGA should be representing both TV and feature writers.

[pryor15]

i find it interesting that Jimmy Kimmel might just wing it, sans writers. wouldn't that alienate his entire writing staff and, I dunno, have negative repercussions (sp?) long-term?

or is the thinking that by being the only one doing new shows for what could be a long time, he can cut into a large part of the Leno/Letterman/etc audience?

[Blarg]

I doubt he can win anyone over who doesn't already like him.