Do you support the script writter strike?

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:28 pm

Internet advertising sales are in the billions. Look at google. Its a billion dollar business today. So why are the stations that own the shows balking to pay more. It brings in more money to the studios. They should pay up more in royalties too. As an artist, I too am finding that companies are balking as well trying to include web rights for free. That is not fair.

If you increase viewship and or advertising revenue, you pay more to the those that create the art and shows.

Its only fair and honest!

Kinetik V · Post by **Kinetik V** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:56 pm

The strike is fucked. Late night talkshows should be back on the air in short order, the TV season basically sucked this year even with the writers on the job so it can't get much worse with them sitting on the picket line. Now we're coming up on American Idol time which leaves all the other networks sucking wind anyway, regardless of what they put on the air. The studios have nothing to lose anymore by just sitting it out and waiting on the writers to capitualte. They've already recompensated their core advertisers so their asses are covered....the strike has no bite....it really is fucked.

The only suspense left is to see how long it takes for the writers to give it up.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:08 pm

The writers deserve to be compensated for further sales and possibly to have some sort of say on further uses.

Kinetik V · Post by **Kinetik V** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:29 pm

I definitely understand what they're fighting for...and IMHO it doesn't matter if it's new media, old media, TV, You Tube, if it's something they wrote, they should get compensated.

I still think that while they hold the moral high ground the studios will financially break them into submission.

Zhust · Post by **Zhust** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:59 am

From what I understand, the meat of the debate is around residual payments so whenever a script gets performed or a recording of it is played, the writers get a cut of that. The studios have offered a contract that does not include payments for new media like Internet or video streaming and the writers want their cut.

Unfortunately, this isn't the 1900's anymore. Back then it was easy to count: how many VHS tapes were made? how many times was it broadcast? how many times was it performed? But now, there are no physical copies anymore. Rather than a DVD, it's a download. And what does that even mean? Is it the "successful completion of transferring a full copy" or is it "the initiation of transfer"?

The solution that keeps the existing system functioning is to limit the ability of technology to make copies. Nobody's computer will be allowed to display video recordings unless it is with a player sanctioned by the studios with appropriate copy protection and copy counting technology installed.

But man, what a step backwards.

The way things are right now, I support the writers 10% and the studios 1%. I support anything that is not a step backwards â€” anything that allows me to create and tinker and otherwise do as I please with my video recording and playback equipment (i.e. take it apart and figure out how it works) â€” 20% regardless of what it is. Whichever side decides to support Creative Commons licensing (as-is, not some bastardization) automatically gets a boost of 60%.

I don't have a great answer that I can guarantee will work perfectly â€” or even better for all parties involved, or even guarantee it will work better at all. I do know that the corporate "we control the content with an iron fist" model is full of shit.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:10 am

While I support the position of the writers on this, I also work in the industry and wish they'd hurry up and get it all settled.

Billy Mummy · Post by **Billy Mummy** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 2:39 pm

Since I do write scripts for a living and I'm an actor when I'm not sending people to the cornfield, I support the strike!

Show producers are, you know, cheap!

to the cornfield to cheap producers!!!!

BoxaRox · Post by **BoxaRox** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 6:17 pm

Oh the vanity!

Writers do work for hire. When we start paying residuals to the guy who lays the carpet, or fixes your car....

Shouldn't the guy who installed the window get something every time you look out?

Or what about teachers?!! They should get paid every time you use a bit of the knowledge they gave you....

....then I'll have more patience for people who want to be paid over and over work work they did ages ago.

The longer they strike, the more the industry learns how to live without them. Here's to LIVE impromptu performance!

Let the writers get real jobs.

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 6:39 pm

Only a fool does work for hire! Something I have never done and will never do.

Yeah, fuck the writters, fuck all writter that write books, or muscians that write music and scientist that create the cures for your illnesses. Fuck anyone that create anything eminating from a intellectual process.

We don't need anymore creativity do we and we can just replay what has come before.

In fact we shouldn't have to pay money to producers or studio for new DVD's or computers do we.

But you know what? We should just let them make all the money and hopefully they may throw us a bit of scaps of food or a porkbarrel.

I say keep the strike going and going and going. Meanwhile, let the producers write everything then they have a rights to all the profits and money.

See how far that goes!

Hey I'm sure you haven't even paid for the programs on your computer?

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:50 pm

Post by **mdmf007** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:16 pm

If i keep your house from burning, do i get residual pay from the save? I havent heard of a lot of writers going to the food bank, or collecting bennies for being impoverished.

as a person i say whatever - they make plenty of money.

as a feemarket believer - i say your worth what you can get, if thats a billion for youtube, or 50 million to play ball, so be it. The market will determine what your worth. If no one watches the shows, then they dissapear, if no one goes to the games - there is no budget for the huge salaries. so to tell the truth i dont care. Well i guess I do a little, leno reruns are getting old.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:32 am

mdmf007 wrote:If i keep your house from burning, do i get residual pay from the save? I havent heard of a lot of writers going to the food bank, or collecting bennies for being impoverished.

as a person i say whatever - they make plenty of money.

as a feemarket believer - i say your worth what you can get, if thats a billion for youtube, or 50 million to play ball, so be it. The market will determine what your worth. If no one watches the shows, then they dissapear, if no one goes to the games - there is no budget for the huge salaries. so to tell the truth i dont care. Well i guess I do a little, leno reruns are getting old.

How much is plenty? Can you live on $30,000 a year?

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:34 am

Apollonaris Zeus wrote:I say keep the strike going and going and going. Meanwhile, let the producers write everything then they have a rights to all the profits and money.

See how far that goes!

Hey I'm sure you haven't even paid for the programs on your computer?

They can't otherwise they would have a long time ago. As soon as they write something, that is bound by uinion agreements as well; in fact I believe that most of them must belong to the union as well.

What the heck, we all love reality shows don't we?

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:02 pm

One too must remember that there is not "Job Security" in this biz. 4-5 yrs for a good decent rated show. If your lucky to be part of a really good show 7 or more.

But the Rabbit Re-runs keeps profiting and profiting and profiting and...

Looks like the Letterman show will set the standard for the new contract!

Letterman knows, either you pay them or they will start their own show- like he did

And who can live in LA or NY land of the $3,000 closets on $30,000. You need that just for the parking lot fees. Waiters make over $120,000 and still can't afford to live there. M nephew makes over $140,000 as a film editor and he has to live in NJ because he can't raise a family in the city!

Post by **mdmf007** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:08 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:
mdmf007 wrote:If i keep your house from burning, do i get residual pay from the save? I havent heard of a lot of writers going to the food bank, or collecting bennies for being impoverished.

as a person i say whatever - they make plenty of money.

as a feemarket believer - i say your worth what you can get, if thats a billion for youtube, or 50 million to play ball, so be it. The market will determine what your worth. If no one watches the shows, then they dissapear, if no one goes to the games - there is no budget for the huge salaries. so to tell the truth i dont care. Well i guess I do a little, leno reruns are getting old.
How much is plenty? Can you live on $30,000 a year?

I have lived on a lot less, with kids. and 1/4 of the nation lives on less than 20k per family

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:26 am

And you use these poor folk for your entertainment?

Viva la huelga!

Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:55 am

All of you who "support the artists", I suppose not a one of you, back in the day, copied music on a cassette tape? Of course you did, everyone did. And you didn't feel the least bit guilty about it either, I'm willing to bet. They do a job, they get very well paid, and there already is a stream of residuals coming in. Last time I looked, on YouTube or any number of venues on the 'net and beyond, I didn't have to put in my credit card number to see or hear what is available. They effectively are killing the golden goose. Besides, I miss 24.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:41 pm

Work for a freelance writer is very sporadic. That''s why I don't do it.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:59 pm

Yeah, but when I was copying cassettes, I stole from the songwriters AND the producers, not stole from the writers and gave it to the producers.

Post by **mdmf007** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:44 pm

Then I guess they should have negotiated better. Your only get what you can negotiate.

I don't see a whole lot of sympathy for the writers guild developing here. How many DONT make a 6 figure income? its finally at the point where all i wnt is new Leno jokes, and I could care if he gets them from a book. I think that the striking writers have crossed the threshold - Maximum sympathy has been achieved and is now going away.
just my opinion

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:06 am

Well, they tried to get a better deal last time the contract came up and the strike back then didn't help either. The time before that was before a lot of these new techs had been invented so maybe we can give them some sympathy for that.

You'll get new Letterman jokes. Because he owns his own production company, he can make a good deal with his writers, and that's his intention. (Supposedly.) And maybe he has good writers cause he treats them right.

Post by **mdmf007** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:15 am

Then all my problems are solved. i can watch reruns of tv for decades, its leno and letterman, and conan that need the writing!!!.

later

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:24 pm

Huckabee crosses the picket line to apear on the J Leno show.

His actions speaks volumes about American Workers the right to be compensated in the new digital age! But he is a republican and they haven't cared about unions or guilds or the American Worker ever!
They only care about the guy at the top and the bottomline.

Am I right to say that about Huckabee?

As far as the strike is going, both The Daily Show and Colbert Report are seeking the same agreement that World Wide Pants negotiated. See I told you Letterman will set the contracts! And that coward Leno will only profit from that agreement as well. He might even continue writing or at least contribute to his monologue!

[youtube][/youtube]

AIIZ

erri2000 · Post by **erri2000** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:52 pm

The equation seems simple to solve. If the show makes money, all the people involved make money.

And with the Internet finding its nitch HUGE in the 30 - 90 second entertainment market this opens a whole new door for making endless streams of money.

mdmf007 wrote that they could watch reruns for ever. Me too. I haven't watched a televised first run show on "Free TV" in like three years. Daily Show and Colbert is all I try to catch.

I do check out youtube daily and this forum is a good example as well, it is a 100% "As real as you are going to get" show.

Bottom line, it is important that every person be properly compensated for there work. In all mediums.

As for Huckabee, the only ones I know that seemed to be worried about the writers strike are people in the entertainment industry. Bigger issues and all going on. I don't think this will be talked about to much. It does make a HUGE statement about his beliefs though. Lets seen what Colbert says when he comes back?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:16 pm

So, it was interbreeding with hippies that led to the demise of the unions?

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 6:24 am

theCryptofishist wrote:So, it was interbreeding with hippies that led to the demise of the unions?

Yes....and Jimma Hoffa isn't dead, he's just on tour following Jam bands

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:49 pm

Hey don't laugh. It was the offspring of the hard working union workers, that form garage bands that lead to bands like Blue Cheer, Nivana to pearl jam and electronic geeks that started companies like Apple and Window to google. Yes interbreeds! But union people that put in that 40 to 60 hours a week so that their kids would dhave more luxury time to dream on drugs or what ever, dreams that today are common realities.

Like Ipod!

And today, I dreamt about Ipods and other new generation hand held mini internet access computers. Millions and perhaps billions of advertising revenue outlets. It was mind boggling. revenue in the billions of dollars or trillion of dollars coming from soon to realize I-fucking-Pods!

I want a piece of that action! I want my I-pie!

This strike is alot more that most of us have ever thought about because this is a new resource that few except the studio executives have really thought about. DVD's, Videos and downloaded files are nothing to its possible revenue- all, just a drop in a bucket compare to the future Ipod market

I want my I-Pie!

You won't get me! I'm part of the Union, Till the day i DIE, till the day I DIE!

AIIZ

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:22 pm

http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/v ... 0384.phtml

EB · Post by EB » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:25 pm

BoxaRox wrote:Oh the vanity!

Writers do work for hire. When we start paying residuals to the guy who lays the carpet, or fixes your car....

Shouldn't the guy who installed the window get something every time you look out?

Or what about teachers?!! They should get paid every time you use a bit of the knowledge they gave you....

....then I'll have more patience for people who want to be paid over and over work work they did ages ago.

The longer they strike, the more the industry learns how to live without them. Here's to LIVE impromptu performance!

Let the writers get real jobs.

Different professions get paid in different ways. To wit, Bartenders and waiters usually get paid a minimum wage which is then compensated by the tips they make. Airline pilots get paid by the trip. Teachers get paid by the contract year and carpet layers get paid by the individual install.

Tv writers (of which I am part of the later) get paid two ways. One, we get paid by the season (i.e. a weekly paycheck) in which we're expected to break stories in the room and generally contribute to the well being of the show and two, we get paid for each script we write and receive credit on (in the form of Written By, Teleplay by, and/or Story by)

This credit is important as it determines, later what our back end remuneration (residual) payment will be. As author of the story, our guild has negotiated that we receive payment for each and every time it is reused.

Simply because it was written "ages and ages" ago, Boxarox, makes it no less valuable to the companies just ask the writers of I LOVE LUCY and GILLIGAN'S ISLAND (neither of whom saw any money on the back end.)

Whether or not you agree with this payment system does not matter to me, but don't for a moment tell me a real job. I earned my way, sir, and I paid my dues.

erri2000 · Post by **erri2000** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:32 pm

With out the writer we are left with nothing. Not even the idea sometimes.

Do you support the script writter strike?

Do you support the strike or not

Do you support the script writter strike?

!