Writers Strike Could Devastate Small Businesses
 

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz...112_509882.htm

This is what I'm worried about, Boyd. Thanks for posting that.

Heath

The strike is going to be disruptive, and is going to cause a lot of people to lose a lot of money, but I have to support their call for fairer residuals.

Writing is the backbone of film/tv content creation, that has to be worth something.

I'm sensing a backlash in the general community, similar to that of how fans felt when sports stars went on strike over the years, most recently with hockey. If actors go on strike, that may cripple EVERYONE, because of the reaction.

Heath

The actors and writers are seeking essentially the same thing in their contracts (there are some creative rights that the WGA is interested in that don't apply to SAG or the DGA), so if we get to the end of the SAG contract without a deal, it would also mean that the writers hadn't come to a deal.

I certainly don't want the WGA strike to go on that long (eight months or so).

I hear 3-6 months from various sites, interviews, etc. Fingers crossed!

Heath

The big problem is the longer the strike continues the more it hurts the crews working on the projects. Most people I know don't have things that they can really "fall back on"... I have a couple of degrees and can always find short term contract work doing something outside the film/video industry, but that's not the case with a lot of the crew members.

I certainly support what they want, but outsiders have a hard time understanding how things really are in this business. If they were asking for a lot more than they are, I might not be as supportive, but the writers are simply asking for what is fair.

Wayne

Yup. I'm down to one day of work this week, and I have perhaps 4 more days scheduled between now and early December and that may be it for a long time. And having been in this business since I was 18, I'm not really qualified to do much else. But believe me, I'm thinking long and hard about it!

I have talked to a number of my fellow crew members who were expecting to keep working full time through the end of TV season in early summer; an amazing number of them live paycheck to paycheck, so they will become early casualties.

Hey Charles,

I know a guy who makes $50,000 a year in TV out in L.A. That's barely enough to get by. I'm very worried about a lot of people out there.

With the housing market in Florida in the dumps, indie film production collapsed, plus TV and Video production haven't been doing great at all. I have a bad feeling that if the strike stretches on, many former Florida residents will move back from L.A., creating the classic supply-demand scenario. Huge supply, low demand=lower pay, fewer jobs.

Heath

Back in 2001 I was a "casualty", if you will, of the threatened strike and later 9/11. I had just moved out to LA from college so all I had was savings and some small stuff here and there for income. Needless to say I didn't last long and since then my perspective has changed about a couple of things. Namely, I always have a "rainy day fund" that is at least 6 months of living expenses and I'll take whatever work I can get (industry or not) to keep at least some money coming in if need be.

I've heard rumors that the studios might wait until the SAG contract is set to expire so they can "kill two birds w/one stone" and not give SAG a chance to say, "Well you gave the WGA X so we want X+Y". Has anyone else heard this?


-A

Honestly, I think if they wait that long, then the other unions (IATSE and others) will be putting a lot of pressure on the writers to settle. That's just too many months of not having work for people to go on. But, you're smart by having a rainy day fund. Sometimes that's simply hard for people to do especially in LA where the cost of living is through the roof.

Wayne

My friend's ex-girlfriend's parents bought her a 2 bedroom condo in West Hollywood. $750,000...cash.

It's funny, another friend makes $2000 a week and struggles in L.A. WOW!

heath

Wow! Is the cost of living in LA really that high? What drives it? Property/rental prices or is everything expensive? I had the impression that most things were quite affordable in the States (certainly food, cars, petrol and equipment are).

I think California counts as it's own country. :D

"To whom much is given, much is expected" as the old saying goes. The corollary being, "From whom much is expected, much SHOULD BE GIVEN".

It will become more apparent as the strike goes on, just how important writers are to the foundation of the industry. If the writers don't work, NOBODY does... should certainly illustrate how valuable their efforts are, and how they should be accomodated. No one thinks twice about paying studio 'heads' millions in severance compensation, but hesitate to give writers a bump, or even a PIECE of residuals in some circumstances.

I absolutely feel for Charles and other crew members, though we might benefit by seeing/hearing more from him on the forum! (His insights and opinions are always valuable.) And I certainly do hope that the whole thing is settled amicably and soon.

And living in California is damned expensive. Especially L.A or San Francisco. We are in the process of moving from San Mateo, to Foster City... and took a look at some 'starter' homes for $800,000... Not much and a 'handyman's dream'. We're still renting.

Real Estate is outrageously high, Gas prices are the highest in the U.S., rents are also high... food is a little higher than other parts of the country, but eating out is typicaly fifty percent higher than elsewhere. Services are also about fifty percent higer.

We had a big housing boom (my condo went from $70,000 to $250,000 back to $175,000), and homes are still expensive. A ranch-style house here in West Palm Beach, FL goes for around $300,000 on 1/4 acre. In Los Gatos, near Silicon Valley, it would go for 1.25 million.

heath

NYC is pretty pricey; I saw a story on the news two weeks ago that you need $200,000 a year to *get by.*

heath

How many weeks a year does your friend work? W/a roommate to split living expenses I've made $25k/yr before taxes and still had money after monthly expenses to squirrel away in the bank. Was I living the high life? Not anywhere close, but I was never left wanting at the end of the month either.

LA is a very expensive place to live, and I'm not making assumptions about your friends Heath, but some people aren't very good at managing money. I have friends here that pretty much go paycheck to paycheck, or have massive CC debt, and they still buy iPhones, big DVD collections, and PS3's/Xbox360's. And now w/the strike some are in real danger of going from "barely getting by" to "in over their heads" and they really have no one to blame but themselves.


-A

Andrew, unfortunately that is indeed the case with many people in our industry. There is a tendency towards "toys". Below-the-line salaries can vary widely, from a low such as Heath suggested to a really handsome amount at the top of the pile (especially if you rent gear as well as labor), but quite a few live beyond their means and have little tucked away for a "rainy day". We don't have much literal rain this season, but the metaphoric storm is settling in around us.

That's the case, for sure. I had to re-think after I read your post. Because another friend is doing better with $1,000 a week. But I think that's typical all over the place.

Okay, we're WAY off topic. I hear CBS news writers, who are unionized, are voting to strike tomorrow or so.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.co...-known-monday/

I wonder, since most news writers don't get paid big bucks like major screen and TV writers do, how long they'd be willing to go without a check...

heath

Maybe I don't go to the right places, but I haven't found dining out or even grocery shopping to really be more expensive in Los Angeles than any other big city.

Real estate is nuts, but many of the other costs didn't seem too far out-of-line to a Texan like me.

It think if the strike lasts into next year, there will be a lot of internal pressure to settle, as well.

Especially if the DGA swoops in and makes a deal before the end of the year like some people think they will.

When we shot my film last year, my DP and gaffer came in from NYC. We went to lunch and each had a beer, talking about the shoot, etc. The total bill for burgers and beer was $40, including tip. The DP then said going out to a regular restaurant in NYC would've been double for TWO people.

When my wife, friend, his wife and I went out for Japanese hibatchi, our total bill was $40, including sushi, lobster/shrimp, beers and more, in South Carolina. Down here in West Palm Beach, it's $100 for two people!

It's all relative to rent costs for the restaurant, etc.

Heath

ps-A lot of people think that'll happen with the DGA--make a deal. If SAG strikes, though, it'll get a bad reaction by the public. Just like when sports stars have gone on strike, it has always ended up bad, PR-wise.

Heath

Maybe I'm an optimist, but I don't think the studios will let all this go until July and allow the actors to go on strike (the actors can't strike until then). One way or another, I think it will all be settled before then.

Comedy is how those of us who realize the crisis that the current system has put us in stay sane. Nuff said. =D

C

It's only been within the past few months that the Daily Show and Colbert Report writers were covered under a WGA contract.

Cable shows aren't necessarily automatically covered by a WGA contract, and, until recently, the Comedy Central shows were not.

Timing is everything...

I hope that this is resolved soon for everybody concerned. (And I hope the writers get some concessions.)

BTW, Eisner blames Steve Jobs for this "stupid strike."

http://www.news.com/8301-13577_3-981...=2547-1_3-0-20

David Letterman is a class act, paying his employees while they're shut down due to the writers strike.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.co...ing-his-staff/

heath

That is really cool for Dave to do.


-A

I'm going to have a follow-up article talking about how Hollywood is basically "shutting down," and not just for Thanksgiving. Plus, negotiations to re-open Monday the 26th??

heath

link-o-rama
 

There are reports that the whole staff at SNL got the sack.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312073,00.html

Here's also a neat blog that is collecting a list of all the people that lost their jobs because of the strike.

http://getbackinthatroom.blogspot.com/

New article updating the strike
 

Here's my new article at Screen Rant, updating the strike:

http://screenrant.com/archives/holly...us-n-1164.html

Hollywood is "shutting down," with films stalling before production, and cast and crew on such shows as Battlestar Galactica are getting "lay off" notices. Plus, negotiations FINALLY re-opening? LET'S HOPE SO!

heath

Change is always painful. I feel for anyone out of work, I too have been struggling to make a living in this bomb first, pay later world we live in. But TV is awful for the most part. Hollywood movies are awful for the most part. Trying to get even a little distribution for independent filmmakers is a joke. I would rather get less money and work for the rest of my life than have to compete for the golden ring of Hollywood to make anything at all. Of the films I have enjoyed over the years, most were low budget productions, free from the tired old formulas, big "stars", and fast food advertising. If Hollywood and TV producers only want money, and more every year, I can only see good coming from big change in the way we make and watch.
Just some thoughts,
Jon

I'm glad you wrote this. I feel the same way. The stuff being put out today...for the most part... is seriously disappointing.

Hopefully, some good will come out of this and some new blood is added to the system that refuses to be status quo.

Keep in mind, though, that it's not so much the writers and other creatives who are responsible for the disappointing output from Hollywood ... their output is controlled and dictated in large part (if not completely) by the studio and company executives. So if some good comes out of the strike, it will hopefully result in more creative control being vested in the writers, rather than the executives.

But that's probably too much to hope for, since the executives think they are the creative geniuses in Hollywood, and the writers are just there to do the grunt work.

"How come Hollywood produces so much crap? Is it just bad writing?" A friend of mine asked.

Well, aside from the point that I don't think it's ALL crap, most people don't understand the 'creative collaborative process' that goes into getting a script made.

Sure, if your Goldman, or Towne your scripts are going to go through fairly intact... (Or at least with YOU getting the re-write.)

But the trouble is, a writer who writes on 'spec'... that is, creating a script on speculation that it will be good enough to picked up, is really in a bind as far as creative controll goes. Typically, he will have to give up even the 'first re-write' or even whole stories rights, and accept the credit, "Story by" while someone else gets "Screenplay by" after all the rewriting is done.

What starts out as a 'great, solid script, based on an exciting premise', gets bought. Then 're-written' to add a little 'punch', then the re-write has a different flavor, and the producer doesn't like the 'political angle' so it gets re-written again. Then the star doesn't like the way the romance develops, so there's another re-write. Then the studio HATES the ending, so it's re-written again. Then there's the 'brilliant moments of improv' that the director and actors throw in on the set... (Might be brilliant, might not).

So... the trick is to write a script SO GOOD, SO STRONG, SO SOLID in the first place... that after everybody else has chopped it up, watered it down, re-arranged it and taken all the 'edge off', it's still as good as your average pizza, and gets 'consumned'.

Sad, but true.

I think every part of production suffers from the same process Richard. Maybe more so when it comes to writing? It would be better to have other options than the current systems so good stuff could get through and published, one way or another and more people get to work at it. I am a graphic designer as well as a filmmaker so I know all to well what the 'creative collaborative process' can do to a good idea. Personally I would love to make 1 or 2 low budget (<1mil) every year than have to go through all the processes to maybe get to make one film in my lifetime. But hey, this is going way off subject, sorry people.
Jon

More strike woes... the CBS News writers, producers and editors voted to strike as well.

http://www.reuters.com/article/telev...50928120071119

Writer's Strike Ending in Two Weeks?
 

I have heard December 7 without an explanation. If so, that would make sense if it ends in 2 weeks.

heath