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So, the big writers involved in all those American TV shows are striking over pay. More precisely, The Writers Guild of America are striking over repeat fees, so that they get a decent whack of the profits from DVD, TV repeats etc.
In a way, I can see their point. Without the writers the shows wouldn’t exist. They are as much a part of the show as the Actors and Director, yet they receive far less in the way of re-run profits.
What sort of thing will be affected? Well, new shows still getting off the ground, like the great Journeyman, might struggle for an audience if they’re suddenly halted, and Heroes episodes are only half-way through, so it may look like they’ll try to finish the season early by wrapping up the current story arc. But most affected are the new shows yet to pilot and those coming up for their winter season.
The biggest of these will be 24, which has yet to start season 7. It may be that season 7 is postponed until next year, even though all the pre-season adverts have already gone out, because only a few episodes have been written.
UK networks have it easier, though. As there is usually a delay in the time between the programme appearing in the US and here, they have more time to work out schedules, not to mention the fact that there is more than enough home grown material to cover them.
So, good move or spoiling everyone’s fun? What do you think of the strike?
In a way, I can see their point. Without the writers the shows wouldn’t exist. They are as much a part of the show as the Actors and Director, yet they receive far less in the way of re-run profits.
What sort of thing will be affected? Well, new shows still getting off the ground, like the great Journeyman, might struggle for an audience if they’re suddenly halted, and Heroes episodes are only half-way through, so it may look like they’ll try to finish the season early by wrapping up the current story arc. But most affected are the new shows yet to pilot and those coming up for their winter season.
The biggest of these will be 24, which has yet to start season 7. It may be that season 7 is postponed until next year, even though all the pre-season adverts have already gone out, because only a few episodes have been written.
UK networks have it easier, though. As there is usually a delay in the time between the programme appearing in the US and here, they have more time to work out schedules, not to mention the fact that there is more than enough home grown material to cover them.
So, good move or spoiling everyone’s fun? What do you think of the strike?
I'm sure it is a just cause but my sympathy will run out very quickly once programmes start getting messed up.
I'm pretty certain it's a just cause and now many actors are behind them, literally standing on the lines with the writers.
Machie wrote:
> The Writers
> Strike: Why We Fight (YouTube)
>
> I'm sure one or two of you have already seen this but I think
> it's worth showing everyone.
i was about to launch into a tirade about how they should just buck their ideas up and work harder to write better shows to make more money, but if that video is to be believed (and at this point i have no reason to doubt it) then i can completely see their point, i didn`t realise they didn`t get paid repeat fees for television, i`d have thought that was a given!!
good luck to them! although there are probably millions of would-be writers who`d leap at the opportunity to fill some shoes, regardless of the payment issue.
> The Writers
> Strike: Why We Fight (YouTube)
>
> I'm sure one or two of you have already seen this but I think
> it's worth showing everyone.
i was about to launch into a tirade about how they should just buck their ideas up and work harder to write better shows to make more money, but if that video is to be believed (and at this point i have no reason to doubt it) then i can completely see their point, i didn`t realise they didn`t get paid repeat fees for television, i`d have thought that was a given!!
good luck to them! although there are probably millions of would-be writers who`d leap at the opportunity to fill some shoes, regardless of the payment issue.
The Writers Strike: Why We Fight (YouTube)
I'm sure one or two of you have already seen this but I think it's worth showing everyone.
I'm sure one or two of you have already seen this but I think it's worth showing everyone.
Just been reading up on this a bit more. It's a worse situation than i thought. Because the networks refuse to break the season schedueling by moving season endings back, certain programmes are going to be cut short or not have their season ending broadcast at all. Scrubs being one of the most effected, would be cut from 18 episodes aired to 12, with the last 6 not being shown on tv. Lost's season 4 could well be cut from the originally planned 16 episodes down to 8 before taking another long break (You can just imagine the internet geek fury). I think at a rough guess there is about 4 weeks left of programming before they run out of filmed stuff.
Ineedsleep wrote:
> Do you mean that writers
> have never received any royalities for the re-runs and video /
> DVD sales? If they never have then who stirred them up to push
> for it now and why strike exactly?
They did receive royalties. This is just a reaction to changing times really. DVD/internet/new media is more important now and the costings are different. They want their fair share of media which is yielding more money for everybody else. I've seen it quoted that from a 15 dollar DVD they get something like 4 cents at the moment and its restricted to the first X number of sales. No idea how accurate that is though.
> Did negotations break down?
They did. Both sides probably have a point, yet the writers guild are notoriously difficult (temperamental creative types you know).
> There must have been some type of negotation, I'm sure they
> didn't just down pens. What exactly are they asking for?
More money, what else. :)
> Do you mean that writers
> have never received any royalities for the re-runs and video /
> DVD sales? If they never have then who stirred them up to push
> for it now and why strike exactly?
They did receive royalties. This is just a reaction to changing times really. DVD/internet/new media is more important now and the costings are different. They want their fair share of media which is yielding more money for everybody else. I've seen it quoted that from a 15 dollar DVD they get something like 4 cents at the moment and its restricted to the first X number of sales. No idea how accurate that is though.
> Did negotations break down?
They did. Both sides probably have a point, yet the writers guild are notoriously difficult (temperamental creative types you know).
> There must have been some type of negotation, I'm sure they
> didn't just down pens. What exactly are they asking for?
More money, what else. :)
Havent seen you on here in ages
From what i've heard they have every right to strike. They're not paid particularly well and are treated as expendable. There are loads of cases writers submitting a piece of work and having the studio rewrite it just enough for it to be a new idea and not have to pay the writer anything.
This is going to p**s me off i dont bother waiting for programmes to come over here anymore. I think most shows are filmed about 3 weeks in advance but the problem is sometimes things need to be rewritten, nothing new will be filmed, even if they have the script.
From what i've heard they have every right to strike. They're not paid particularly well and are treated as expendable. There are loads of cases writers submitting a piece of work and having the studio rewrite it just enough for it to be a new idea and not have to pay the writer anything.
This is going to p**s me off i dont bother waiting for programmes to come over here anymore. I think most shows are filmed about 3 weeks in advance but the problem is sometimes things need to be rewritten, nothing new will be filmed, even if they have the script.
First I've heard about it to be honest. Do you mean that writers have never received any royalities for the re-runs and video / DVD sales? If they never have then who stirred them up to push for it now and why strike exactly? Did negotations break down? There must have been some type of negotation, I'm sure they didn't just down pens. What exactly are they asking for?
Sorry, more questions then answers there :)
Shame isn't it that everyone always want more money. If it's just the American guild then maybe they are leaving the door open for newer talent to get a foot on the ladder. Americans never know when to stop making series and put a clean end to a show anyway.
Sorry, more questions then answers there :)
Shame isn't it that everyone always want more money. If it's just the American guild then maybe they are leaving the door open for newer talent to get a foot on the ladder. Americans never know when to stop making series and put a clean end to a show anyway.
So, the big writers involved in all those American TV shows are striking over pay. More precisely, The Writers Guild of America are striking over repeat fees, so that they get a decent whack of the profits from DVD, TV repeats etc.
In a way, I can see their point. Without the writers the shows wouldn’t exist. They are as much a part of the show as the Actors and Director, yet they receive far less in the way of re-run profits.
What sort of thing will be affected? Well, new shows still getting off the ground, like the great Journeyman, might struggle for an audience if they’re suddenly halted, and Heroes episodes are only half-way through, so it may look like they’ll try to finish the season early by wrapping up the current story arc. But most affected are the new shows yet to pilot and those coming up for their winter season.
The biggest of these will be 24, which has yet to start season 7. It may be that season 7 is postponed until next year, even though all the pre-season adverts have already gone out, because only a few episodes have been written.
UK networks have it easier, though. As there is usually a delay in the time between the programme appearing in the US and here, they have more time to work out schedules, not to mention the fact that there is more than enough home grown material to cover them.
So, good move or spoiling everyone’s fun? What do you think of the strike?
In a way, I can see their point. Without the writers the shows wouldn’t exist. They are as much a part of the show as the Actors and Director, yet they receive far less in the way of re-run profits.
What sort of thing will be affected? Well, new shows still getting off the ground, like the great Journeyman, might struggle for an audience if they’re suddenly halted, and Heroes episodes are only half-way through, so it may look like they’ll try to finish the season early by wrapping up the current story arc. But most affected are the new shows yet to pilot and those coming up for their winter season.
The biggest of these will be 24, which has yet to start season 7. It may be that season 7 is postponed until next year, even though all the pre-season adverts have already gone out, because only a few episodes have been written.
UK networks have it easier, though. As there is usually a delay in the time between the programme appearing in the US and here, they have more time to work out schedules, not to mention the fact that there is more than enough home grown material to cover them.
So, good move or spoiling everyone’s fun? What do you think of the strike?