The WGA strike and its effects
By Mike • Nov 6th, 2007 • Category: Industry News
By now you’ve probably heard about the Writer’s Guild strike which is currently affecting both the film and television industry. It officially began on Monday, Novembert 5th, and could very well continue into the next year.
Writer’s have parted ways with their pencils and replaced them with picket signs, as they form lines outside film and television studios. They’re fighting for fairer royalty fees (or residuals) paid to them when a television show or film they wrote airs on TV re-runs or sells on DVD. The rates writers are currently paid in residuals were set some twenty years ago. It’s safe to say times have changed, studios are likely making more money while writers still continue to be paid those same rates of two decades ago. It’s time for the studio bigwigs to pony up some more cash. The actors may brings the words of a script to life, but without the hard working writers there would obviously be no scripts for those actors to read from.
Considering these residual fees writers earn help them to survive and put food on their tables when they’re not working, here’s hoping everything can be settled sooner rather than later. In the meantime you might be wondering how the strike affects you.
- WGA members are forbidden to write for television studios until the strike has ended. This likely will mean any TV shows which rely on constant writing will see an interruption. Programs like soap operas, night time drama, sitcoms and even late night talk shows could and most likely will be affected.
- Obviously since writer’s have been ordered to cease writing, this also means any movie scripts that were currently being written for those next great blockbusters and Oscar winning epics are now on hold. Will the film industry resort to lesser quality scripts already bought and paid for, collecting dust in their filling cabinets?
- If you’re a rabid fan of the show 24, like me, you’re most likely going to have to wait beyond January for the new season to begin. It’s been postponed. Oh the horror!
What will you do when your favorite television show gets postponed? Will the loss of your weekly TV fix cause you to curl up in the fetal position, rocking back and forth violently in physical protest? Perhaps you’ll take up a new hobby?
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Mike is a 33 year old movie addict and budding screenwriter. His favorite film genres are thrillers, drama, and horror, however he's open to watching just about anything. Mike's favorite films include American Beauty, Garden State, American History X, Smokin' Aces, Twilight Zone: The Movie and many, many more.
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This is affecting all my favorite shows!!