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There are always individual negotiations, LiM, but if you think that each writer negitiating his/her own residuals would save consumers money, you'd be *way* off base. Can you imagine how much it would cost to track that individually instead of using formulas as they do now? Just the data entry cost would be prohibitive, much less if there were multiple writing credits (for an example of a nightmare, check out some of the Trek episodes that have four, five or even six writing credits). Nothing would ever get written if every script had to have that kind of negotiation and the only ones likely to get more money would be the agents.
Every contract is individually negotiated as to initial payment (as I understand it) and the residual formulas are based on either that payment or the amount the studio gets paid for the re-use of the show. The point is that the studio makes money every time they use the writer's work so the writer should get a portion of that.
Look at it this way-every single time a song is played on the radio or on TV or in an elevator or anywhere, the artist gets paid for that play. If a new market were to open up for songs, that would still apply.
Why should it be any different for writers? New distribution markets have opened up and the studios are *already* making more money but the writers don't get anything. Why should there be a backlash against the writers when it's the studios who are being greedy?
Also, since it's extremely unlikely that any new formulas will be retroactive, it'll be future scripts that might cost more--if the studios choose to continue to gouge the consumer.
Jan
Every contract is individually negotiated as to initial payment (as I understand it) and the residual formulas are based on either that payment or the amount the studio gets paid for the re-use of the show. The point is that the studio makes money every time they use the writer's work so the writer should get a portion of that.
Look at it this way-every single time a song is played on the radio or on TV or in an elevator or anywhere, the artist gets paid for that play. If a new market were to open up for songs, that would still apply.
Why should it be any different for writers? New distribution markets have opened up and the studios are *already* making more money but the writers don't get anything. Why should there be a backlash against the writers when it's the studios who are being greedy?
Also, since it's extremely unlikely that any new formulas will be retroactive, it'll be future scripts that might cost more--if the studios choose to continue to gouge the consumer.
Jan
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