Whats with all this writers striking in america?!
Question: whats it all about?i keep hearing about it, but no details. no reason why, what for, how long for, what shows are affected or what?is this happening to the movies as well? i keep hearing things like oh Hollywood is closed, it's all because people keep downloading shows and movies or it's because they get paid a lump sum rather than a percentage of profits. is there anyone who can tell me more or direct me to a site with more details?i have tried google-ing it but theres not the right info im looking for there
Answers: whats it all about?i keep hearing about it, but no details. no reason why, what for, how long for, what shows are affected or what?is this happening to the movies as well? i keep hearing things like oh Hollywood is closed, it's all because people keep downloading shows and movies or it's because they get paid a lump sum rather than a percentage of profits. is there anyone who can tell me more or direct me to a site with more details?i have tried google-ing it but theres not the right info im looking for there
Look up wga.org, Writers Guild of America, East and West.
Also check out lateshowritersonstrike.com. Bill Scheft is a writer from the Late Show with David Letterman. From the link below:
"A message from Late Show writer Bill Scheft....
This letter originally was posted on the late show newsgroup and the late show website.
I am the union rep for the show, and felt compelled to bring you up to date on the writers strike. Day Four on the picket line. Our guys have been so much better represented out there than all the other NY shows. I am really proud of them.
Quickly, lest you think we are a bunch of spoiled brats just looking for a raise, the big issue, money from original content shown on the Internet and other new media, is our way of replacing the money we are losing over the disappearing residuals. Residuals are not a bonus. They are the way writers live when they are between jobs. The standard writers contact is up for renewal every 13 weeks. You can have a five- year contract, but they can let you go every 13 weeks without paying you any more as long as they give you a month's notice. That is the deal we all enter into. There are 12,000 writers in the guild. You need to make $30,000 a year in guild earnings to keep your health insurance. Last year, 6000 didn't reach that figure. Half.
I have been lucky enough to have a job for 16 years. That simply does not happen. So this is what we are fighting for. Believe me, we would love to be in the office, writing fun facts, actives with Rupert, illegally doctoring footage or downloading porn, but this is the frontline fight for all the other union contracts that come after us. The late night writers are the first ones affected by a strike, and the ONLY ones who will never recoup the money we lose because we do 10 times as many new shows per year as any drama or sitcom. But we go out in support of our fellow union members and pray this thing ends soon.
One more thing. To a man, all of the writers are deeply concerned about the collateral damage if we stay out too long. We think of the 150 people who work at the Late Show whose fight this is not and believe they will be taken care of. They are all embarrassingly supportive of us. No one any more so than Dave. It is quite humbling.
Sorry to be so serious, but this is serious business. I wanted to write you people because this site has loyally and relentlessly followed the show since we came to CBS. I felt you were owed as much of an explanation as anyone outside the negotiation room can give.
Feel free to ask any questions and I will try to respond. Thanks.
Bill Scheft "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Writer...
This explains it pretty well. I know it has stopped filming of Heroes and The Office. :(
Below is the link to the Writer's Guild of America & a blog "News From Me" which has both current and archival details of the strike.
The writer's strike is hugely important, both for writers - who were initiallly ripped off by producers after writers compromised on dvd residuals after the last contract...the future of the ability to upload shows from the internet, is open and promising. The writer's aren't asking much....but the producers will make huge profits from such things in the future...w/out words - there are no shows....and yet the producers don't want to give the writer's even the most meager of cuts in the pie (we are talking cents per $ per episode/movie)....The solidarity between writer's and actor's and directors is extremely important also - because the actor's and director's contracts will be up next summer....
http://www.wga.org/
http://www.newsfromme.com
Because they get paid a lump sum rather than a percentage of profits. That's the reason. I don't know the answer to the other questions you made.
The details were ALL OVER THE NEWS when it started... maybe if you would spend a bit of time getting NEWS and less time playing games or watching mindless sit-coms on TV you would learn when things happen that can effect you.