Let's Hope the Writers Get a Good Contract

I remember the last WGA strike. It was sad. I had been in LA for a couple of years, just getting my feet wet in the movie business after working in TV for five years. The trickle down was incredible. Restaurants, limousine companies, real estate brokers, clothing retailers, travel agencies. The list went on and on. Not to mention all of the direct impact on actors, directors, crews, office staff and accounting, the studios and networks themselves, talent agencies and managers, publicists and business managers. It was a disaster and it was painful to witness.

However, as an actor who has worked in film and television since 1980, I have always been pretty clear about the fact that we are nowhere without the writers in our industry. And that goes beyond the scary concept of a world of unscripted reality TV. Television and film writers are responsible for some of the greatest literature in the history of our society. Go to one of my favorite websites, the Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb). You can pull up CITIZEN KANE, ALL ABOUT EVE and SUNSET BOULEVARD. You can read, online, hundreds of the greatest movie screenplays of all time. Members of the WGA wrote those scripts.

The studios and networks claim that their profits are eroding and blame the cost of stars' salaries and expensive marketing campaigns. One more thing the studios and networks ought to consider is how overstaffed they are themselves. You've never seen a business where more people are required to do the same job until you have worked at a TV network or film studio. Actors don't put a gun to the studio executive's head. They negotiate a price and the studio agrees, or disagrees, to pay it. Sometimes, as an actor, the price you pay is a pretty big number that you arrive at before you even open your mouth.

The not-so-secret truth is that everyone in show business, of those who live "above-the-line," are overpaid. The only ones above-the-line who usually are not are the writers. Let's hope there is no strike and let's hope the writers get a good contract. Read more thoughts about the strike on Huffington Post's writers' strike opinion page

Comments

[StephieL]

I agree that the writers for TV shows and films deserve a fair wage for the work they do, but (you knew that was coming) those of us who consume their product also deserve a better product. We have so few TV shows and films available to us which attempt to raise the quality of the typical American's thinking to a higher level (thank goodness we have "Rendition", "Redacted" and "Lions For Lambs"), while too many films and TV shows cater to the lowest common denominator in the name of generating a quick buck.

I'm hopeful that the writers will be able to successfully obtain the money they deserve, and that those bigger paychecks will translate into better, more intelligent TV shows and films, instead of the same ole same ole we've seen too many times.

[Ruefrex]

That would be great but as I said above, it's the system that's the problem. I could detail all the roadblocks that stand in the way of an idea and the final product, but there's not enough bandwidth in the world. It's simplistic to assume that bad TeeVee is solely the product of lousy writing. And no, I am NOT going to defend crap like "Bionic Woman." But there are other factors in place there that go beyond the written word.

[3fingerbrown]

I'm a big union guy and nearly always side with labor over capital--and this case is no exception.
But, as the repeated use of the words "product" and "industry" and "business" in this thread suggests, the point of commercial TV since the days of Uncle Miltie has been to, as Stephie puts it, "cater to the lowest common denominator in the name of generating a quick buck." Commercial TV exists to sell as much toothpaste and toilet paper as possible. This is part of the downside of being an artist in a wide-open capitalist democracy--the majority (that is, the stupid people with no taste) rules. Looking for artistic fulfillment in TV writing is like looking for love in a whorehouse.
As for the pie analogy, I'm afraid it is the producers' pie. They own the restaurant. They set the menu. They bought the ingredients. They hired and paid the chef, took out the ads, paid the insurance premiums. The chef might own the recipe, but the pie belongs to the restaurant owner. The union workers in this process can strike if they are treated unfairly, but let's face it: with rare exception TV writers are more like assembly-line workers than artists, or chefs, for that matter. They turn out their "product" and then pass it on to be "adjusted." And that's just how the vast majority of producers and viewers have liked it for 60 years.

[joze46]

About Writers and Journalist

George Will along with several other Right Wing commentators such as Tucker Carlson of MSNBC recently commented about baby Boomers. As for me as a baby Boomer reflecting on George Will’s comment about were the likes of my kind are lazy and should kept off the public dole is likely to be in for a surprise.
I have considerably more to talk about in that particular topic and filled with so much anger right now I would like to see George Will strapped to next NASA moon launch like “Captain Ahab” and view his head as it exploded in space.

Were, Tucker Carlson said “America will be a lot better off when all the baby Boomers are dead”, is in partnership, were both George Will, Tucker Carlson and a host of Right Wing Journalist are the core of the pervasive corruption delivering the misinformation and cockeyed political commentaries filling America with bias and hate especially towards Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton. Which we all know, the Clintons have the ability to untangle the matriculated matrix of the pervasive hidden corruption America is free falling in right now. That’s the terror the Republicans have now.

The fun part of all this discussion is when America reflects on some simple blog message such I am or you are writing as a citizen and latching to what we say by opening a point of view that seriously shows Mainstream Medias bias instilled through decades of derelict duty. As we all reveal the massive failure of the Bush doctrine in election commentaries and show America how Mainstream Media has totally abused that prime directive to inform, educated and serve the American electorate with the truth.

But, now, Mainstream Media Writers is totally getting away with misinformation, suppression, cheery picking news, and views for political or money advantage. Ironically George Will, among others, knows that if political commentaries were taxes appropriately today in news media. Likely, Boomers, and other generations would be able to retire at age fifty with triple benefits. A huge chunk of money Conservatives could not steal easily.

[nickyboy1]

Mainstream manipulate, lies & spin. . . Funny thing happened ... I and those paying attention no longer believe anything they say. I used to be a news addict. . now I just get the topics and independently dig for the truth (lazy baby boomer that I am). News programs no longer attract me. Another funny thing - conservatives feel the same way!! ...'cause they think CNN & NBC are liberal. Go figure.
We baby boomers need to do our duty as writers and let our descendents know what was and must still be for all human beings: truth, the right to truth, freedom of thought and action and justice for ALL. (Truth, justice and the American?? way. Now where did I hear that?!!)
To the writing pros: my heart and best wishes go out to you all.

[EWFish]

It's nice to hear from someone who clearly relishes having great words to say -- and who's not too shabby a wordsmith himself. Glad to have you on our side.

My two cents on the subject?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-williams/creative-differences_b_70150.html

[StaceyG]

A schedule that consists of only reality TV scares me more than a Republican being elected again in 2008, okay not that scary but it's pretty damn close.

I will be crossing my fingers (and toes) that the writers get a good contract because I'd much rather watch 30 Rock than America's Most Smartest Model. Yikes.

[totalliberal]

Artistic creativity begins with a pen, brush or chisel stroke.

I wish them all well in their pursuits.

[riona]

Very refreshing to see a big celebrity admit to being overpaid. I must agree with you-but at least, people like you use your fame to further good causes. You have a moral compass others in your industry lack. Maybe you should try something else-like politics? New York will need a new senator in a little over a year.

[melakfilms]

Thanks, Alex - means a lot. I'm a screenwriter here in L.A. and everyone is on edge like I've never seen. I wasn't around for the last strike and I would say that just the threat of this strike has aged my agent and manager a good 10 years. Scary stuff. Now, of course, when you say 'unscripted', I think you mean, 'scripted Lite'. Therein lies one qualm.

Anyway, to the public out there I would like to offer a quote by Phil Rosenthal, creator/writer for Everybody Loves Raymond. He gave superb testimony before the Telecommunications Subcommittee of the House Commerce Committee on behalf of the WGAW and SAG on the proliferation of product integration.

"Our kids are watching. We are watching. Would we have wanted our memories of Casablanca to be Bogart saying to Ingrid Bergman as they say
goodbye, “You’re part of his life, the thing that keeps him going. Now get on that plane and enjoy United’s non-stop, three-class service to Paris with seats that recline to a full 180 degrees"?"

Funny. Fitting. Thanks again, Alex.

[mommadona]

Let's hope the writers get the good backing from their "peers" so they CAN get a good contract.

Not one step over that line.
Then you'll be fine
and on the right side
of the equation.

[arvo]

Let's jolly well hope the studios agree, cause the writers don't look anxious to budge...