Home › Forums › Miscellany › Community › Any opinions on the WGA strike?
- This topic has 23 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 17 years, 2 months ago by Cheryl.
-
AuthorPosts
-
November 8, 2007 at 11:14 pm #635044
We talked about it in my film class and had two guests one from each side. The consensus seemed to be that the writers demands are just in relation to the internet business because if they don’t establish some residuals now none will be coming in for long into the future when internet TV and movie will be more profitable. I think they should get piece of the advertising money because they wrote the shows that are attracting the business. However the heads of the WGA are inexperienced with dealing with the corporations that run the networks nowadays and made the mistakes of going about bargaining the wrong way.
The scary thing is that if SAG strikes which is very likely. The heads of SAG are just off in another world and there is likely to be infighting within SAG and we may have no TV and new movies for sometime.
I would help but I am just to tired to get out of bed today~
Engaged to a WeaselNovember 8, 2007 at 11:14 pm #493267I would help but I am just to tired to get out of bed today~
Engaged to a WeaselNovember 8, 2007 at 11:17 pm #635045BiPolarBear wrote:We talked about it in my film class and had two guests one from each side. The consensus seemed to be that the writers demands are just in relation to the internet business because if they don’t establish some residuals now none will be coming in for long into the future when internet TV and movie will be more profitable. I think they should get piece of the advertising money because they wrote the shows that are attracting the business. However the heads of the WGA are inexperienced with dealing with the corporations that run the networks nowadays and made the mistakes of going about bargaining the wrong way.
The scary thing is that if SAG strikes which is very likely. The heads of SAG are just off in another world and there is likely to be infighting within SAG and we may have no TV and new movies for sometime.
Pardon the sarcasm but…God forbid.
We might have to read a book or talk to each other over dinner!
November 9, 2007 at 12:52 am #635046There is always Canadian TV and Film. We’re totally different unions up here!
November 9, 2007 at 1:00 am #635047I can see why the writers want residuals from the downloads – it’s new technology and the powers that be should adjust to the times.
I’m just sad – I like to unwind at the end of a long day by watching Leno. Total self interest on my part. Otherwise I have a stash of DVDs to watch not to mention a TON of books that are on my “to be read next list” plus the NBA season started.
Go Nets!
November 9, 2007 at 1:15 am #635048There is always BBC, Canadian TV, DVDs and ANIME!!!!!!!!
Along with books… yummy books…
November 9, 2007 at 2:21 am #635049I’m union so I may sound BIAS but I think the big wigs need to remember that without the little guys doing 99% of the real work they would not be able to take home their MILLION dollar paychecks or MILLION dollar retirments, can you tell I will be going on Strike in May 09??
I think it’s SO sad that companines in this country fail to remember what it’s like for people to survive in today’s economy.
What if the writers where able to copywrite everything they write just like books, it’s written words?? Then they would get royalties on EVERYTHING. I hope they do get a fair deal in the endNovember 9, 2007 at 3:55 am #635050It’s not so much as lacking things to do or watch. It’s jobs and money going to our state and country.
I would help but I am just to tired to get out of bed today~
Engaged to a WeaselNovember 9, 2007 at 7:09 am #635051Rusti wrote:BiPolarBear wrote:We talked about it in my film class and had two guests one from each side. The consensus seemed to be that the writers demands are just in relation to the internet business because if they don’t establish some residuals now none will be coming in for long into the future when internet TV and movie will be more profitable. I think they should get piece of the advertising money because they wrote the shows that are attracting the business. However the heads of the WGA are inexperienced with dealing with the corporations that run the networks nowadays and made the mistakes of going about bargaining the wrong way.
The scary thing is that if SAG strikes which is very likely. The heads of SAG are just off in another world and there is likely to be infighting within SAG and we may have no TV and new movies for sometime.
Pardon the sarcasm but…God forbid.
We might have to read a book or talk to each other over dinner!
😆 My thoughts exactly.
Personally, I find strikes are hardly ever justified. If you’re not satisfied with your job, change it. Become independant. No risk, no gain.November 9, 2007 at 8:49 pm #635052Rusti and GB I agree. I turn on the tv maybe once or twice a week.
November 9, 2007 at 11:39 pm #635053Greater Basilisk wrote:Personally, I find strikes are hardly ever justified. If you’re not satisfied with your job, change it. Become independant. No risk, no gain.
The problem is that a lot of these people are independent, and they are artists. They have already taken the risk of not having a steady 9-5 job.
Think of it like this. You are an artist for a company that manufactures figurines based on your work and sells those figurines through retail stores across the USA. You and your fellow artists get an initial “per piece” payment, plus a small amount from every one of your figurines that gets sold in a store. You and the other artists love what you are doing, and the company you are working for is the only one producing these kinds of collectibles.
The “per piece” payment is not much, but that along with the residual income from continuing sales of the figurines seems fair.
Then the company decides to start up a web site that allows people to buy direct, instead of from a retail store. And they refuse to pay you anything on these new sales on the grounds that this is just a test, the sales are not yet significant, and besides which you only get paid for stuff sold through stores.
What do you do?
November 12, 2007 at 7:22 am #635054Um, if you’re working for a company, you’re not independant by my definition.
November 12, 2007 at 5:56 pm #635055Greater Basilisk wrote:Um, if you’re working for a company, you’re not independant by my definition.
Ah. I had not known that in order to be a member of the Writer’s Guild of America, you have to be or have been employed by a company that is recognised by the Guild. But I don’t think you have to have been continuously employed by the SAME company. In other words, you may have a contract to do work for a season of TV shows one year, then work on a movie the next year. But yes, a freelance writer can’t join the Union except as an associate member.
However, this begs the question I was asking.
If you are an artist of some kind (I regard writing to be an art form), working to produce something that is bought and distributed by a company, and that company opens up a new distribution network but doesn’t pay you for sales made through that network, do you quit your art and take up a new line of work, figure the company has every right to make money from your work without sharing any of it with you, or what?
One problem with allowing your company to open up new markets without the need to pay you is that they will actively move away from the markets where they DO have to pay you.
November 12, 2007 at 6:43 pm #635056Oh, don’t get me wrong Dave, I didn’t say I was blaming the writers for striking. I should have been more clear. I was being snarky about the people whining and crying over missing their TV show/having to watch reruns/waiting a little while longer for a movie.
Read a book, hold a conversation, take a walk, play outside, cook a real meal. The TV doesn’t have to be on all the time. Just turn it off for once.
November 12, 2007 at 7:36 pm #635057Rusti wrote:I was being snarky about the people whining and crying over missing their TV show/having to watch reruns/waiting a little while longer for a movie.
Read a book, hold a conversation, take a walk, play outside, cook a real meal. The TV doesn’t have to be on all the time. Just turn it off for once.
I’m whining and crying because the few shows I do look forward to, when I am not cooking or working or reading or playing… um, I don’t play outside, but anyway…, well, those few shows are on hiatus.What I am whining and crying about, though, is not that the shows are not on, but that the great writers who do those shows are not as well appreciated by the companies as I think they ought to be. I worry that if they quit their jobs, the shows I like won’t be as good because they’ll be using inferior writers.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.