Official WGA Writers Strike thread.

[Pudge714]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...ike-side_N.htm
Most important thing about this article, Frank TV will only have 4 episodes.

[Hendricks433]

Dexter?!?!?!?!? Do they have the last 6 episodes prepared?

[furyshade]

what they are talking about with "new media" is online showing of shows. i TOTALLY agree on writers deserving more from dvd sales, but from online media it is bs. you know why writers aren't getting paid for profits from online media? its because there are none, as a whole the television industry is down about 100 million in online media. now, in the future this will be changed but right now demanding money from online media is like demanding milk from a starving cow, if you keep milking it the cow will die.

[edfurlong]

My understanding is that they're trying to keep themselves from getting hosed in the future on the online stuff like they did with dvds.

[React1oN]

Wow, I can't believe they don't get paid for DVDs.

[RunDownHouse]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow, I can't believe they don't get paid for DVDs.

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They do. They want more, in addition to other things.

[edfurlong]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/11/c...iter_talks.php

this guy sounds like a retard heh

[/ QUOTE ]

Just wow.

Wow.

[CharlieDontSurf]

The problem with the internet is the writer's don't get paid anything unless they are powerful enough that they can include it in their given script/tv deal etc.

This isn't a huge problem now...but in like 2-4 years when tons of TV shows/Indep films etc are sold or streamed online writers are going to be seriously [censored], esp the middle class writer who essentially survive on their residuals.

The AMPTP wants to do s tudy for 3-4 years and then discuss the internet after that. The WGA says [censored] that..we make a deal now...if you don't sell anything on the net then we don't get paid...but if you do then we got a piece like we would normally with TV/Film.

The AMPTP also started things off badly by saying we don't want to pay you residuals...on anything. Oh and we aren't going to let you put your name on any promotional material...posters etc unless we decide its ok.

Also the DVD rate was agreed upon like 10-20 years ago(i believe it is actually the home video rate) when it was in its infancy stage and the studios offered that by saying in 3 years once we get a handle on this new market we will renegotiate on the % to something fairer if there is a market there. those years went by..home video exploded then DVD and the WGA said ok there is a huge market time to follow up and renegotiate and the AMPTP said [censored] you.


That being said the strike will go to May/June. That is the only way the WGA can get any leverage due to the possibility of a combo WGA/SAG strike which would shut everything down.
Also in the meantime the DGA will agree to a deal and both the studios and writers will have a basic idea of what they can get because they will never get a better deal than the DGA.

The WGA massively [censored] up because at the last minute the AMPTP started to actually negotiate...had they extended the deadline the WGA would have gotten a better deal than what they will get post strike(unless a combo WGA/SAG strike happens). Once the strike started the WGA lost all leverage.

The studios don't really care that much about the strike. The TV season so far was in the shitter..they can throw up reality which is much cheaper...their movies are set up until Xmas 08. After 8 weeks they can start cutting deals with producers/writers/directors/ just about anyone they don't want anymore. (only exception is those who have strike clauses in their deals-JJ Abrams etc). And eventually the WGA will cave once people run out of $$ and they will be forced to accept a [censored] deal.

Win/Win for studios. except the nightmare scenario of SAG/WGA joining forces and holding out as long as possible till studios have to give them a good deal.

Lots of people are already being fired/laid off...it will get worse and worse as time goes on.

[edfurlong]

So this would be a bad time to move to la to be a waiter?

[CharlieDontSurf]

Yep...restaurants get killed cuz the first thing to go in a strike is expense accounts