Strike - Explained For Dummies?

[*Starstuff*]

Hi,

could someone be patient enough to explain this whole strike-thing to me? In a real easy to understand way, like those books "... for dummies"?

I'm sorry, really, but I am German and I do not understand what the strike is about and why for example talk shows have not been airing. And what does it have to do with all those award shows, like the Oscar or the Grammies?

What is the goal of the whole thing?

I've been doing some research on the web, but that was just information overflow and mostly stuff about the development of the strike. But I'd like to understand what is is about, why it was started.

The only thing I understood has something to do with rights that writers give up when they sell their ideas to the studios. I am not even too clear on that.

So, if you feel like explaining it or if you have a link where I can read up on it, I'd be immensely grateful. I always feel like I am missing a point here

Thanks,
Starstuff

[Jan]

Well, I don't have a clear picture yet of the pros and cons of the proposed deal but I think I've got a handle on some of the issues that caused the stike.

One of the big things were the emerging markets as illustrated by streaming video on the web and 'mobisodes' - mini episodes that can be sent to cell phones and 'webisodes' - content specifically made to be shown on the web. In many cases, writers were being required to write content for the above items without compensation because the studios insisted that it was promotional material only and part of their existing contracts. This, even though the studios were often getting advertising revenues or charging for downloads.

When the writers insisted that A) they should be paid for creating that content and that B) re-use of their material should be covered by residual payments, the studios insisted that the emerging technologies weren't making money yet and might never, so they shouldn't have to pay. The writers had heard this all before when VCRs were still new and the studios insisted that they might just be fads and never be profitable. It was baloney then and it's baloney now and the writer's weren't going to swallow it again.

One of the items that loomed large when the strike started was exactly that of residuals for DVDs. Basically, the formula arrived at back in the strike of '88 has remained virtually unchanged and the wroters were wanting an increase in thier cut, going from approximately .04 cents per DVD to .08 cents each. I believe that that may have been removed from the table, though.

As for talk shows, those are all scripted and so they were hard hit by the strike right away. In addition, many of their guests are actors who are members of the Screen Actors Guild and those guests would not cross picket lines by a fellow union.

The award shows faced the same problem of union members not crossing picket lines. The Golden Globes were downsized from a gala televised event to a small press conference because the actors wouldn't have attended even if they had attempted to have the show go on.

Hopefully this is a beginning of what you're looking for. I'm sure there are plenty of more knowledgeable folk who can chime in here and correct me if I'm wrong on any of the above.

Jan

[*Starstuff*]

Jan,

as always, your answer is really good and gives me an idea what the whole issue is about.

I thought that writers were paid for every content they created, no matter where is was used (TV, Web, other media). To me, that's kind of logical. It takes probably as much time to write an webisode as it takes to write a tv screen play. So why shouldn't the writer get payed for both?

Like I said, that probably was my problem all along. My assumptions prevented me to realize that things are being handled differently.

As for the talk shows ... call me naive, but I really thought that the hosts were writing their stuff themselves, at least a large part. I mean, if they don't, then are just ... well, actors. They get their lines and they perform them. That means they are not as funny and quick-witted as they appear.

Seems I still have to learn a lot about the world of show-biz.

Thanks again, Jan, for you explanation, now I can understand some of the articles I read.

Regards,
Starstuff

[Jan]

Glad it helped, Starstuff.

Yours is a perfectly valid assumption, Starstuff but with Holywood things aren't always clearly defined. If a writer is hired to write a script, s/he's paid for that work and even rewrites and script 'polishing' are coverd by the Minimum Basic Agreement. Where things would start to get murky would be in the cases of Showrunners and staff writers who can be expected to have all sorts of other duties. Many of the showrunners walked out when the screenwriters did because there's almost no way of separating their duties completely. Even so seemingly minor a thing as deciding for production purposes to, for instance, stage a scene in the kitchen instead of the living room are 'writing duties'.

Many of the talk show hosts began as writers so they're not 'just' actors. The thing is, writing an entire hour or more worth of material every single day would be beyond any writer, even if his initials were JMS.

Jan