NationStates Jolt Archive


Writer's Strike

RhynoD
05-08-2008, 01:12
Apparently it's still causing problems....or is it!?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,397322,00.html
Articoa
05-08-2008, 01:15
So, they can't just give the money to charity? Seems like greed from that article.
RhynoD
05-08-2008, 01:38
Well, the writers were greedy little bastards, first, so I guess this group is following their example.
Sirmomo1
05-08-2008, 02:03
Well, the writers were greedy little bastards

Yeah, the bastards. Trying to take a cut of the measly little 95% (or in the case of the internet proposals, 100%) that goes to those humble corporations.
RhynoD
05-08-2008, 02:08
Now, that started as a legitimate issue. But they lost my sympathy when they continued the strike longer than they needed to, putting all the hourly-waged make-up artists, camera men, janitors, set construction men, etc. etc. out of work.
Sirmomo1
05-08-2008, 02:40
On what basis do you say the strike went longer than it needed to?
RhynoD
05-08-2008, 02:58
On the basis that the writers already make an absurd amount of money and were costing hourly workers their jobs.
Sirmomo1
05-08-2008, 03:28
On the basis that the writers already make an absurd amount of money and were costing hourly workers their jobs.

It seems odd to hold writers who may be earning an average wage culpable for the greed of massive multi-billion dollar corporations. I'm not sure how you think strikes work but it is not the case that after two days on strike all the writers' demands were met and the strike was strung out to squeeze every last penny out.
Ashmoria
05-08-2008, 03:50
i blame the producers.

they should pony up the lost $500k just to show that they are good guys after all.
Cannot think of a name
05-08-2008, 05:37
On the basis that the writers already make an absurd amount of money and were costing hourly workers their jobs.

We worked on non-scripted programing and commercials during that time.
Self-sacrifice
05-08-2008, 12:17
People can get by very easily without writers. Even if they organized themselves properly and got the numbers I am sure that I could watch old shows for about a year without any real problem. I will just start with new series or something.

Writers are mainly for entertainment. They arnt even for comfort. For this reason people are now willing to pay much and they do not get paid much.

Whilst some celebrities or producers get paid high amounts in television and cinema they get paid that kind of amount due to media attention and good work. Many people can write a crappy story or joke that accounts for 99% of the current next tv and thus the writers are replaceable
Sirmomo1
06-08-2008, 01:57
We worked on non-scripted programing and commercials during that time.

Completely unrelated I know but have you ever been given the task of going around buying the silence of noisy members of the public when on location?

People can get by very easily without writers. Writers are mainly for entertainment. They arnt even for comfort.

People can get by very easily without jewellery. That doesn't mean there isn't a lot of money to be made though.

For this reason people are now willing to pay much and they do not get paid much.

Yeah, the $5million handed out for the Deja Vu screenplay was truly a pittance.

Many people can write a crappy story or joke that accounts for 99% of the current next tv and thus the writers are replaceable

Most people think they can write the story/jokes that appear on TV and in the cinema but the evidence suggests that they're usually wrong.
RhynoD
06-08-2008, 02:01
We worked on non-scripted programing and commercials during that time.

Ah. Good deal.
Cannot think of a name
06-08-2008, 07:03
Completely unrelated I know but have you ever been given the task of going around buying the silence of noisy members of the public when on location?

Oh yes...but usually they send me out sans cash hoping that I can bluff the silence first. Up here in NorCal they haven't quite caught on to the cash cow that is making a nuisance of yourself when you see the grip truck pull up. Usually through either being crazy polite and pleading, or kinda looking scary, I can get them to give us the minute we need. Sometimes just the novelty of a film guy coming out of nowhere ("You guys are filming in my neighborhood? Wow...") can get them to stop, so I have a conversation with the guy for a while, maybe unplug my earpiece so he can here the 'chatter,' and we get our shot. Sometimes, mostly in the city, they could give a rats ass about us and we just have to work around it.

On the movie I'm working now the lock up has been horrendous. Ugh...
Sirmomo1
10-08-2008, 14:40
Oh yes...but usually they send me out sans cash hoping that I can bluff the silence first. Up here in NorCal they haven't quite caught on to the cash cow that is making a nuisance of yourself when you see the grip truck pull up. Usually through either being crazy polite and pleading, or kinda looking scary, I can get them to give us the minute we need. Sometimes just the novelty of a film guy coming out of nowhere ("You guys are filming in my neighborhood? Wow...") can get them to stop, so I have a conversation with the guy for a while, maybe unplug my earpiece so he can here the 'chatter,' and we get our shot. Sometimes, mostly in the city, they could give a rats ass about us and we just have to work around it.

On the movie I'm working now the lock up has been horrendous. Ugh...

I've been out in New York where a guy was going round with cash to all these guys who were standing there shouting and he knew them all by name.

I can imagine one of them meeting their girlfriend's parents.

"And what do you do?"
"I try and make noise when people are filming. Low basic, very much performance related. I may be expanding into streaking across sets."