I'm sure you've all heard by now that the WGA (Writers Guild of America) has gone on strike. Here is an FAQ for those curious types. Are you on strike, Chris? No. I am not a member of the WGA. (Not for lack of want, though.)
Will the strike affect you? Yes. Eventually our show will run out of scripts to produce. With no new material coming in, the company can send us (those involved with pre-production) all home. Theoretically, they could send us home at any time (especially us Writer's Assistants). Production will end around November 19th. Hopefully we can all get paid until then.
What is the strike about? The Internet. Film/TV writers (and directors, and actors) make money when their movie/episode airs (first run, re-runs, syndication, etc.). But the new trend of networks/studios offering TV shows/movies for online downloading has gone unchecked. The episode technically "airs" online and the networks still collect revenue from website advertising, however, the writers (and directors, etc.) get nothing. The studios are, for obvious reasons, trying desperately to hold onto this "free" form of distribution. The writers would like to see the money they are owed for the distribution of their work.
If the studios keep pretending that the Internet isn't real, the strike could last for a long time. (Funny how the studios claim the Internet is real when it comes to the illegal downloading of movies.)
Is the strike a big pain in the ass? Yes. For all.
I'll keep you posted as things change.
CJW |