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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board    Discussion of...     General Chat  ›  WGA Industry Strike Moderators: bert
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Elmer
Posted: November 2nd, 2007, 10:37am Report to Moderator
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Variety reports that on Thursday night the Writers Guild of America's (WGA) negotiating committee announced its unanimous strike recommendation. The decision also is sure to cause ripple effects within the Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild as they negotiate their contracts within coming months.

A final decision on striking could come as early as today via meetings of the WGA West board and the WGA East Council. Leaders stressed throughout Thursday's meeting that they could not specify how soon a strike will start. Attendees were instructed that they should go to work today and wait for a call or email from strike captains.

But, the trade adds, it's a foregone conclusion that the WGA panels will OK a strike and the consensus is that they'll probably select Monday as the starting day.

There's still a chance of re-launching the negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers over the weekend. But that scenario's doubtful, given the vitriolic rhetoric that's dominated in recent days.

AMPTP president Nick Counter, who has blasted the WGA as being strike-happy and unprofessional, issued a statement saying it was expecting the strike recommendation.

"By the WGA leadership's actions at the bargaining table, we are not surprised by tonight's recommendation," Counter said. "We are ready to meet and are prepared to close this contract this weekend.

Hopes for a settlement cratered Wednesday night -- a few hours before the WGA contract expired -- amid bitter recriminations from both sides. The meltdown occurred when companies insisted that the WGA drop its demand to increase DVD residuals, including Internet downloads.

Writers currently receive less than a nickel for each disc sold but studios and networks contend that DVD revenues are critical for film and TV projects to break even amid sharply rising costs.


I think it's completely degrading to the Writers Guild and makes me wonder if it's a bunch of teenagers running everything. Writers shouldn't get any more than a nickel from DVD sales. Depending on who they are, they've probably received a lot of money from theater profit. And if there was no theater profit, their paycheck is bigger than the average American yearly income.

If I was connected with the WGA in any way as a writer I'd be completely embarrassed.

-Chris
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Death Monkey
Posted: November 2nd, 2007, 11:58am Report to Moderator
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Why shouldn't writers get paid for products derrived from their script? Why ticket sales but not DVDs? Authors get paid for audio books and e-books too, don't they?

Why should the proverbial 'studio suits', who for all intents and purposes didn't have anything to do with the artistic process, get all the money? 'cause it's my understanding, that's where the money will be taken from?


"The Flux capacitor. It's what makes time travel possible."

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Elmer
Posted: November 2nd, 2007, 12:51pm Report to Moderator
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I don't know if you know this or not, but a lot of films today are from writers who were hired to write the script, not spec script writers. And a lot of the time, the director is there along with the writer and two or three other people developing the story. So it isn't a single person writing a script most of the time.


So the average Hollywood screenwriter spends a couple of weeks writing a 100 to 120 page script based on a story that was derived from himself along with three other story people. But apart from the director, he gets the biggest pay check and for some reason he gets a decent Theater Box Office percentage. And he even gets a small amount of money for each disc that is sold, which is in the millions most of the time.

All that for doing even less work than all of you spec writers, since he was only a third or fourth of the story development process.

Now a novel is usually written by one person. And they're usually not hired to write it, and even if they are, they still come up with the story on their own. So unlike Hollywood screenwriting, it's not a story department coming up with something that they'll then give to one man to bang out into a script that will then go on to be revised by four or five other screenwriters.

-Chris
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Shelton
Posted: November 2nd, 2007, 1:04pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Elmer

So the average Hollywood screenwriter spends a couple of weeks writing a 100 to 120 page script based on a story that was derived from himself along with three other story people. But apart from the director, he gets the biggest pay check and for some reason he gets a decent Theater Box Office percentage. And he even gets a small amount of money for each disc that is sold, which is in the millions most of the time.


A couple weeks?  Be serious.  Very few people write 100 to 120 pages in a few weeks.  

The writer doesn't get the biggest paycheck next to the director, unless of course you mean after the actors and producers have been paid.  Someone I had a discussion with last week informed me that "I Am Legend" is a 100 million dollar budget movie.  The money left over after Will Smith was paid?  20 million.

The writer probably got about 150k.


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"I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper." - Steve Martin
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Kamran Nikhad
Posted: November 2nd, 2007, 7:43pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Shelton


A couple weeks?  Be serious.  Very few people write 100 to 120 pages in a few weeks.  

The writer doesn't get the biggest paycheck next to the director, unless of course you mean after the actors and producers have been paid.  Someone I had a discussion with last week informed me that "I Am Legend" is a 100 million dollar budget movie.  The money left over after Will Smith was paid?  20 million.

The writer probably got about 150k.


That's only Gross pay as well sadly.  After considering taxes, the writer's probably looking at between 65k to 70k.  This whole strike is nonsense from both sides, the writers should already know by now we don't get paid much, so why exactly are they gonna start whining about it now?  This is why producers are pushing as hard as they can to get movies out, because once the writers' guild goes on strike, we will be looking at quite a few re-runs...


Nolan The Security Guard - Short/Comedy 1st Draft, 12 pages.pdf
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Takeshi
Posted: November 2nd, 2007, 8:06pm Report to Moderator
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I remember Robert McKee saying that every now and then the WGA goes on strike to remind the studios that if they don't write, then nothing happens. I for one don't mind if Hollywood produces fewer films for awhile; I reckon the market is flooded with garbage anyway. When I was a kid, a good film could play at the cinemas for up to six months, but these days they’re gone in a matter of weeks to make way for the next wave of shit to come out of Hollywood.

  
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dogglebe
Posted: November 2nd, 2007, 8:23pm Report to Moderator
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Hollywood has enough purchased/optioned scripts that a strike won't affect it for a while.  The television industry, OTOH, doesn't stockpile scripts.


Phil
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Blakkwolfe
Posted: November 2nd, 2007, 11:01pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from dogglebe
The television industry, OTOH, doesn't stockpile scripts.


We can all look forward to more "Reality Shows..."

Here's an idea :

PIZZA! Ride along "Cops" style as stoner Cody Moley delivers the 'za to the eager customers in his own trademark style...."Like, here's like, your za, man..."

yippee.



Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently - Dove Chocolate Wrapper
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Elmer
Posted: November 3rd, 2007, 12:48pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Kamran Nikhad


That's only Gross pay as well sadly.  After considering taxes, the writer's probably looking at between 65k to 70k.


Ok...so 65k for one film. So all a writer has to do is write two to three scripts a year. boo hoo.

And Mike, writers DO write drafts that quickly for most films. They probably get a month before they have to turn in their first draft depending on the type of film it is. If it's Pirates of the Caribbean, that's a different story. But the average film, a draft is completed very quickly and then redrafted a million times by the original writer and other uncredited writers. I'm not saying the final draft gets completed in four weeks. I'm just saying a starting draft from the credited writer does.

-Chris

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Death Monkey
Posted: November 3rd, 2007, 1:12pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Elmer


Ok...so 65k for one film. So all a writer has to do is write two to three scripts a year. boo hoo.


They busiest screenwriters in Hollywood have about one movie produced a year. All the work that goes into writing a GOOD script, research and all, I don't consider it a minor feat to churn out 2-3 a year.

Nobody's saying the screenwriter's situation is inhumane. They're saying it's UNFAIR.

I don't get what your problem is, I really don't. Do you think it's shameful to ask for a fair piece of the pie or are you simply offended that so much money goes into making a movie?


Quoted Text


And Mike, writers DO write drafts that quickly for most films. They probably get a month before they have to turn in their first draft depending on the type of film it is. If it's Pirates of the Caribbean, that's a different story. But the average film, a draft is completed very quickly and then redrafted a million times by the original writer and other uncredited writers. I'm not saying the final draft gets completed in four weeks. I'm just saying a starting draft from the credited writer does.

-Chris



But then what's your point?


"The Flux capacitor. It's what makes time travel possible."

The Mute (short)
The Pool (short)
Tall Tales (short)
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Andy Petrou
Posted: November 3rd, 2007, 2:58pm Report to Moderator
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Chris - I'm completely in awe of your opinion here on this matter. WOW. Of course you are entitled to it, but I find it rather absurd, to be honest, that you feel the way that you do about the entitlement that writers have to sales derived from their contributions to the final product.

Why shouldn't they also benefit from the sales, whether they be DVD orientated or otherwise? I am completely stumped as to where you are coming from, even though you have explained already. I just don't understand you.

Also, writing 2-3 scripts a year, I believe, is a mammoth task, given that quality is the main issue involved. So what if a writer churns out 10+ scripts?! That could well explain why there's so  much crap released! I think it's beside the point whether selling one script is higher than any annual wage. That's the industry and that's the pay. Different industry jobs have different budgets and salary scales to work with. It has nothing to do with what the average person earns, nor should the fact that being able to profit more on something you've helped to create be a negative thing.

Good luck with your career, and I mean that sincerely, but if those are your views of writers, then it seems to me that in some respect, you are trying to sell yourself short with your opinions or shooting yourself in the foot. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I hope you get what I'm trying to say!

EDIT - I am basically saying, that if it were you in this actual position, would you still be demanding no profits?! I highly doubt it.
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Elmer
Posted: November 3rd, 2007, 3:22pm Report to Moderator
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I wouldn't be going on strike about it if I was in the position. And get real, quality isn't always the main issue involved and it's not a mammoth task to write three scripts a year if you were at that level. And especially since crap is mostly what comes out, which means it's not like they struggle over a script for years like Lord of the Rings or something.

I don't think it's wrong for them to get profits. But to stall an industry for even more profits after all they get is ridiculous.

-Chris
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Andy Petrou
Posted: November 3rd, 2007, 3:43pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Elmer
And get real, quality isn't always the main issue involved and it's not a mammoth task to write three scripts a year if you were at that level. And especially since crap is mostly what comes out, which means it's not like they struggle over a script for years like Lord of the Rings or something.


Me, get real....? Oh please don't insult me - I am not an idiot! I just can't agree with your opinions - so we'll agree to disagree. Yes, quality isn't always the objective of any studio, or producer, or director, or writer, or actor, or any freaking person in the business, but the point is, it should be!

You wouldn't go on strike about it if you were in their position? Good for you. I hope you are never in a position which makes you feel that you are being treated unjustly, so that you can't ever complain about it!

It's not ridiculous, at all, to want to voice your opinion. It's ridiculous to not to, if you feel unfairly treated.

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Death Monkey
Posted: November 3rd, 2007, 4:14pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Elmer
I wouldn't be going on strike about it if I was in the position. And get real, quality isn't always the main issue involved and it's not a mammoth task to write three scripts a year if you were at that level. And especially since crap is mostly what comes out, which means it's not like they struggle over a script for years like Lord of the Rings or something.

I don't think it's wrong for them to get profits. But to stall an industry for even more profits after all they get is ridiculous.

-Chris


Well we are paid for our talent, not how many hours we clock in. If a writer is so good that he or she can churn out 2-3 really GOOD scripts a year, then they deserve to be paid accordingly.

A skilled plastic surgeon can get well over $20,000 for a couple of hours work. Just because something doesn't take very long time to accomplish, relatively speaking, it doesn't mean it's not hard or not worth paying big bucks for. People pay for talent.

It's not like a writer spends 6 weeks on his blockbuster sequel and then sips margaritas in the Bahamas the rest of the time. We write CONSTANTLY. And part of the job description is that there are no guarantees whether or not a script will be picked up or produced.



"The Flux capacitor. It's what makes time travel possible."

The Mute (short)
The Pool (short)
Tall Tales (short)

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Death Monkey  -  November 3rd, 2007, 6:32pm
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Elmer
Posted: November 3rd, 2007, 4:38pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Andy Petrou


Me, get real....? Oh please don't insult me - I am not an idiot! I just can't agree with your opinions - so we'll agree to disagree. Yes, quality isn't always the objective of any studio, or producer, or director, or writer, or actor, or any freaking person in the business, but the point is, it should be!

You wouldn't go on strike about it if you were in their position? Good for you. I hope you are never in a position which makes you feel that you are being treated unjustly, so that you can't ever complain about it!

It's not ridiculous, at all, to want to voice your opinion. It's ridiculous to not to, if you feel unfairly treated.



haha. I don't know these little debates have to feel like everyone's offended because we're sharing opinions. My opinion could and may change about this...these were just my first thoughts about this whole deal. Humans today have an inability to discuss issues without everyone getting on edge.

hah. You'll probably be offended by what I'm saying right now.

Anyway, I shared my opinion and so far nothing y'all have said has managed to change it. Probably won't either. And plus, it's harder to explain an opinion on a computer. If we were face to face it would be much easier.

-Chris
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