[Cwgrad-announcements] The WGA writers strike

[rrussin at ucr.edu]

Hey all--

In keeping with what I see as part of our purpose here as
educators, to keep you informed about the professional world
of writing, I am forwarding something Ed Horowitz wrote about
the strike. As some of you know, Ed came to visit our Writers
Life class a few weeks ago, and I can't improve on his words. 

Here's what Ed wrote to his friends, and which I pass along:

"No one wants the strike.  But they are determined to get a
fair deal.  The main sticking points are this:
 
1.  The Internet. 
 
Right now, writer’s get .3% of every DVD sold -- that’s $.04.
 Writers want to increase it to .6%, approximately $.08 per
DVD.  The studios not only rejected that idea, they’ve decided
that “electronic sell-through” (downloading via the internet)
is the same as DVD sales and should be paid the same rate --
even though, there is 20% less production costs because
there’s no packaging, production or shipping costs!  
 
2. Compensation for the Internet
 
Today, the AMPTP  refuses to pay anything for work on the web,
even though entire episodes of TV shows are already being
streamed on-line and include advertising.  The studios have
already started monetizing the shows on-line.  The return may
be minute today, but they are making some money off these
shows.  And as history has shown with DVD, they will continue
to make more.  But still, the AMPTP refuses to pay anything. 
They actually included in their proposals this statement,
which I’m paraphrasing: “...(the AMPTP) will not pay writers
for materials used for promotional use, and all material on
the internet is merely promotional.  Even if the ENTIRE SHOW
is aired and the MONEY IS EARNED from that showing, it’s still
promotional.”  
 
3. Residuals
 
Residuals are paid on a multi-use basis.  Network TV, Cable
TV, DVD and other markets pay out in diminishing returns.  The
studios want to pay nothing for internet.  What they are
already starting to do -- “Lost” was used as an example -- is
forego a second run on television and instead going directly
to streaming media on the internet.  That means that all the
writers on “Lost” who would normally get a residual for that
second airing are now not getting anything.  
 
For the average, middle-class writer (which is most of us),
residuals comprise almost 1/2 of a writer’s income.  This
alteration of media and residual reduction would cut residual
income by as much as 90%.  If you do the math, that’s a pay
cut of 25%.  This is unbelievably short-sighted on the studios
part and bad for everyone.  It’s bad for writers because they
would lose a lot of their annual income.   It’s also bad for
studios, and here’s an example that was used at the meeting
last night:  How much has ABC made from “Desperate
Housewives?”  It’s been estimated at close to $1, 000,000,000.
 If Marc Cherry (who is on the negotiating committee) had not
been collecting residuals before he created this show, he very
well might have given up writing and never come up with it. 
Along with everything else, residuals are a form of Research &
Development for studios.  No writer -- or Actor or Director --
is free-loading when they’re collecting those monies.  They’re
working to come up with new ideas, generate projects and
continually hone their craft, which benefits us all.
 
4. Industry Support
 
While there is a small portion of writers who think the strike
is wrong, the overwhelming majority of writers truly believe
that the internet age is upon us and that this the defining
financial issue in Hollywood for years and years to come. 
They are concerned, worried and uncertain -- but almost
everyone agrees that a stand has to be taken now and that
whatever the personal costs, they are doing it for the next
generation of writers, the way the last generation paved the
way for our current health plan and pension.  To that end, SAG
and the Teamsters have the same concerns and are, thus, in
support of the WGA West and East.  The DGA has different
concerns, but for about 1/3 of its members these are very
important issues as well.
 
5. Media Spin
 
Contrary to what has on occasion been reported in the media,
nobody wants this strike.  We need to understand what the
issues are from both sides.  Discuss them among your
colleagues, your friends and with people on the other side of
the line.   The more dialogue and understanding that occurs,
the greater the chance of consensus that will hopefully
trickle upwards and make a difference.
 
 
One last thing...
 
Most of the time when people, I included,  discuss the strike
there is a distance in the language -- we use the word “they”
or “The Writers” and “The Studios.”  Anyone who writes a line
of dialogue is a writer.  Anyone who improvises a line in a
scene or interprets the lines in a script or decides where to
put a camera or a light or how to build a set is connected to
the writers.  Anyone who reads a script, writes coverage or
takes a meeting with a writer is part of a studio.  We who
work in this industry, all of us, are “The Writers and The
Studios.”   All of our opinions matter, and they need to be
heard by the negotiating committees for both sides o that the
issues can be addressed and resolved as fairly, quickly and
least painfully as possible.
 
For better or worse, we live in interesting times."

I would only add these thoughts. 

For those of you who live in Los Angeles, whether or not you
are or hope to be screenwriters, I hope you come out and talk
to writers on the picket lines, hear what they have to say,
and if you agree with our stance and what we are fighting for,
perhaps spend a few hours marching with us. This is perhaps
the most important labor vs. management crisis in a generation
as far as writers are concerned, and well worth your time to
learn about.

Writers have always been the voice of conscience in their
times. This time is no different.

Best,

Robin