Attica! Attica!: WGA Strike Watch (Discussion)

I bow to your superior knowledge, sherlockjr--all I know is what I read on the internets... I read this I call them writers, while their screen credit (if they get one) reads “Story Producer”. This is a sly way of not calling a writer a writer and therefore denying them the opportunity to be organized by the Writers Guild. here http://www.mynameisearlkress.com/weblog/?m=200607 and that's what it sounded like it meant to me. Just because somebody writes a blog doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about, I guess.... :wacko: I'm afraid you're right about blogs. If you want to read a good one, try this: http://artfulwriter.com/

Thanks sherlock! I'll give it a look see.

FYI -- The WGA just sent out an email telling members that "On Monday morning, our strike will begin" and giving them some information about what's expected of them. Plus, on Friday, I missed this analysis by the Peter Bart, publisher of Variety: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117975283.html?categoryid=1019&cs=1 Interestingly, he's a WGA member himself.

The thing I can't quite understand is how writers simply "stop" writing. I understand not writing for pay, or not writing for whatever show you're working on, but stopping the creative process is impossible. Maybe it's just because I know so many musicians, and true musicians could no more stop making music in some way than stop breathing. If your brain is hardwired to write -- to think up plots, whatever, and you're then on strike, can you really stop yourself from writing down ideas when they come to you? Can you stop thinking them and imagining story lines even when you're not actively writing them down? I'm not saying this to be anti-union, (and yes, I realize that the idea is to stop the flow of fresh scripts so production on shows can't continue), but I'm astounded by the very concept of trying to actually turn off the creative process. And I'd think that some writers would be afraid that once they turned it off, it'd be hard to start it again. So I guess I'm wondering what writers do when they're not actually supposed to write?

*sighs* This is going to go on for a loooooonnnggg time, isn't it? :hang:

The thing I can't quite understand is how writers simply "stop" writing. I understand not writing for pay, or not writing for whatever show you're working on, but stopping the creative process is impossible... ...I'm astounded by the very concept of trying to actually turn off the creative process. And I'd think that some writers would be afraid that once they turned it off, it'd be hard to start it again. So I guess I'm wondering what writers do when they're not actually supposed to write? You're right — they don't stop writing. They stop writing for television and film. Or at least stop writing the scripts for television and film that have already been sold. Some Guild members have suggested that there may be some astounding creativity that ultimately results from the strike... because the writers will write what they really want to write, not what some network exec thinks they ought to write. And once this is all over, those projects may get sold, which may result in some really great films and TV shows.

*sighs* This is going to go on for a loooooonnnggg time, isn't it? :hang: My guess? Yes, a very very long time. I really hope I'm wrong, but if I had to guess, I'd say that we're not going to see the second half of Season 4. The only upside I can see — other than my own desire for the writers to win and to do it quickly — is that maybe HL will get some much-needed rest and get to spend time with his family.

Oh, and Namaste — I'm sure some of the Guild members will turn to other types of writing. Many of them do it anyway. On any given week, books on the best-seller lists of the NY Times and LA Times are written by WGA members. They've also written Tony Award-winning Broadway plays and musicals (both The Producers and Wicked were written by Guild members, for example). They'll write and they may be selling what they write. Just not to television or film producers.

So, if I understand it correctly, the first ones affected will be the late night talk shows?

So, if I understand it correctly, the first ones affected will be the late night talk shows? Yes. Jon Stewart announced on Thursday's "The Daily Show" that it wouldn't produce until the strike is over.

*sighs* This is going to go on for a loooooonnnggg time, isn't it? :hang: My guess? Yes, a very very long time. As long as the people saying "X must happen" and the people saying "X must not happen" are the two groups "negotiating", a resolution is highly unlikely. Hopefully somewhere there are people trying to find a middle ground.

So, if I understand it correctly, the first ones affected will be the late night talk shows? Not just late night. Leno, Letterman, Conan, Daily Show, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, etc. Possibly daytime, too. I'm not sure if shows like Ellen DeGeneres or Oprah are Guild-covered, but it'll be obvious within a few days — they shoot a day or so ahead of air time, so if they're suddenly showing reruns by the middle of the week, we'll know. Saturday Night Live had its last original show last night. The next thing to go will be soap operas. I don't know what their lead time is, but it's not as short as the talk shows and not as long as the primetime series. Althought it's been suggested in the trades that shows like Dateline NBC would be filling up the primetime network schedule, that's not going to happen — they're Guild-covered, too. There have also been hints that the networks might bring over British shows for a while, but the only way they might do that is if they're reruns. (Hmmm...? Jeeves and Wooster? A Bit of Fry & Laurie? ) The British Guild has expressed its support for the WGA, here: http://www.writersguild.org.uk/public/003_WritersGuil/167_WGGBNewsAme.html

It's frustrating because both sides lose when they lose their audience. (I'm remembering that Simpsons episode where the TV stations go out and the viewers hear a soothing voice say "Please do not change channels. Please resist the urge to talk to loved ones. Do not attempt intercourse, as years of exposure to radiation from your televison have left your genitals withered and useless".) I guess it's a contest to see who can hold out the longest, or rather who will lose the least.

It's frustrating because both sides lose when they lose their audience. (I'm remembering that Simpsons episode where the TV stations go out and the viewers here a soothing voice say "Please do not change channels. Please resist the urge to talk to loved ones. Do not attempt intercourse, as years of exposure to radiation from your televison have left your genitals withered and useless".) I guess it's a contest to see who can hold out the longest, or rather who will lose the least. I can guarantee the writers wouldn't be doing this if they didn't feel very strongly about it. It's a scary proposition, and some of them may not be able to find work too easily once it's over. You've got to really believe in what you're doing to jeopardize your home, your livelihood and your future for it.

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