Strikin’ Writers
As a writer and frequent guest to a number of screenings/premieres of a few known streaming platforms, I felt it appropriate I show my solidarity in the writers strike, by writing about it.
Disclaimer: all views are my own.
The underlying fight is mostly focused on pay disagreements with Hollywood producers. With online streaming really taking off since those lockdown days, the streaming word is now valued at $89.03 billion. It does, in a sense, impacts us all as we will be waiting a little longer for any upcoming films or TV shows. These strikes have a domino affect on when things will be aired and are definitely going to have an impact on our viewing pleasures in future. I mean, I don’t want Hocus Pocus 3 to be coming out in time for Christmas, and for any Stranger Things fanatic, well you won’t be seeing anything from the Upside Down until an agreement is reached.
Why do I keep hearing about The Writers Guild of America?
Let’s be honest, a lot of films and TV shows are made in America, and they hire internationals from all over the world for their productions, which makes this a united issue. “We’re all in this together…” It impacts us all, and the UK writers are spooked. Hollywood is the oldest film industry in the world and also the largest film industry in terms of revenue. In 2022 they had a net worth of £$95.45 billion
The Writer’s Guild of America has 2 unions (West and East) which represents writers in film and TV. They work to negotiate with the Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers, which represents production companies you’ll be familiar with, Apple, Netflix, Paramount, Disney etc.
Every 3 years the WGA write and negotiate a new contract with the AMPTP, this contract then needs to be authorised by its membership. Those members of the WGA voted to authorise a strike as a means to reach an agreement with the AMPTP, by the expiration date, which was May 1st. That was 3 months ago…and counting.
Most of you will love a rerun, especially on a rainy afternoon, and so when shows are rerun on streaming platforms, production companies pay out from advertisers, and a cut of this profit is given to writers in the form of residuals (royalties). With streaming now being the leader for all entertainment platforms, they’ve turned to monthly or yearly subscription for revenue. Do you ever wonder where your subscription money goes for online streaming?
Contracts with writers mostly account for revenue from reruns, so they’re only receiving a teeny tiny cut from their shows and hard work.
Have you heard of ‘writers rooms?’
It’s a place where writers pitch, brainstorm and workshop episode ideas together. It’s in this space, scripts are created. The pilot is then produced and filmed before a decision is made about whether it was to be made into a full on series. So another issue the writers are fighting is a new room, “mini rooms.” Which has “shrunk” (metaphorically speaking) these creative rooms. These “mini rooms” aren’t contracted the same way as ‘writing rooms’ traditionally were, which is leading to writers being paid tuppence next to those with industry experience. So for new creatives, it isn’t allowing a fair chance in them getting their foot in the door, or having a fair amount of “space” to be their true creative selves,
Writers are at the heart of the entertainment industry. There would be no running production without a writer, and without a writer, producers have nothing to work with. In the last strike in 2007, it cost $2 billion in revenue after a 100 day strike.
On top of this, the film and TV industry brings in a whole heap of money. According to the WGA’s calculations, Netflix, Paramount, Warner Bros, Fox and Disney made a combined $28 billion in 2021. The writers’ demands amount to roughly $600 million, which accounts for only 2% of this amount, so they’re arguing that they deserve their fair cut.
The transition to streaming has already been challenging for writers, as shorter seasons and the lack of consistency have made the work of writing more tricky. Though this may not be happening on UK soil, yet, there are some ways we can show our support, 1) by talking about it, I recently was sat with a crew member and together we shared about how the industry had changed both of our lives, yet those deserving of a bit more cash that wrote for films we’ve worked on, aren’t being given a fair cut which they’re so deserving of.
I have noticed over the last couple of months, whilst in attendance at red carpet events, actors have either been a no show, or some would arrive to then peacefully walk out again.
Why are the actors striking now too?
You may think it’s in solidarity with the writers. Which for some, it may be, but also they’re striking for fair pay, and to tighten the use of artificial intelligence. These strikes could last up until early 2024, so I predict that with the streaming world now slowing down and not in production, charades will be trending by summer 2024!
