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Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
 Posted - 11/05/2007 : 12:49:36 AM
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Well.
It has happened at last. The writers of Hollywood have gone on strike.
So, what will this mean?
Will we see the dark shadow of Jabootu fall on the studios?
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"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
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Terrahawk
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
644 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 06:33:49 AM
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If I were a Hollywood executive, I would commission several against the grain type of projects. Let's face it, most of the script writing for movies today is junk. Bring in some fresh talent that goes against the hammerlock of Hollywood groupthink. If it fails, you can claim the strike left you with no options. If it succeeds, you will look brilliant and strike a blow against the unions. Some executive needs to turn lemons into lemonade.
TV is a different story since there are actually some decently written shows out there. There's a lot of junk, but there are several gems.
- While science has societal benefits, science is not a social virtue. - |
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nshumate
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
464 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 06:47:39 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Terrahawk
If I were a Hollywood executive, I would commission several against the grain type of projects. Let's face it, most of the script writing for movies today is junk. Bring in some fresh talent that goes against the hammerlock of Hollywood groupthink. If it fails, you can claim the strike left you with no options. If it succeeds, you will look brilliant and strike a blow against the unions. Some executive needs to turn lemons into lemonade.
Except that producers who hire non-union will be banned from hiring union writers thereafter.
Nathan Shumate
http://www.coldfusionvideo.com |
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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 07:56:09 AM
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And we shouldn't ignore that most of the writers and directors out there (and not just the lame ones, people who have been there for a while too) put the blame of Hollywood's current state on the suits that rule the studios.
And I am inclined to believe them, the Weinsteins alone ruined several projects by themselves. |
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Terrahawk
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
644 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 11:57:02 AM
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Except that producers who hire non-union will be banned from hiring union writers thereafter.
And that would be bad why? :-)
...put the blame of Hollywood's current state on the suits that rule the studios.
While I agree the suits have ruined a lot of films. A lot of times the suits save films from the "creative" excesses of the others. I figure it's probably about 50/50 who ruins the film.
- While science has societal benefits, science is not a social virtue. - |
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CDiehl
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 12:33:39 PM
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quote:
And that would be bad why? :-)
I kind of agree. Why not let in some new blood, since the writers who produced so much of the crap that's out there now aren't working? The studio has little to lose under the circumstances. Also, there's no contract now between the studios and the union, so what stops them from hiring non-union people to keep their current productions going?
You know Grand Funk, don't you? The wild, shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner? The bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher? The ... adequate drumwork of Don Brewer? |
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nshumate
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
464 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2007 : 06:23:28 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by CDiehl
quote:
And that would be bad why? :-)
I kind of agree. Why not let in some new blood, since the writers who produced so much of the crap that's out there now aren't working? The studio has little to lose under the circumstances. Also, there's no contract now between the studios and the union, so what stops them from hiring non-union people to keep their current productions going?
Here's a simple thought experiment to apply to your question to see the problem:
What if it were the Screen Actors Guild?
Or what if it were the Electricians Union?
You think that the crap coming out of Hollywood indicates that we need new writers -- but the writers in the Guild are, by and large, the GOOD ones. Go to triggerstreet.com or some of the other screenplay-workshopping sites and find out how bad the average newbie script is.
The bitter truth is that, in far too many cases, the writer's putting most of his skill into trying to keep the producer's boneheaded demands on the story from ruining the movie wholesale.
Nathan Shumate
http://www.coldfusionvideo.com |
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Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2007 : 08:21:44 AM
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How does this affect independents?
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2007 : 11:58:39 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Terrahawk
Except that producers who hire non-union will be banned from hiring union writers thereafter.
And that would be bad why? :-)
...put the blame of Hollywood's current state on the suits that rule the studios.
While I agree the suits have ruined a lot of films. A lot of times the suits save films from the "creative" excesses of the others. I figure it's probably about 50/50 who ruins the film.
Yes, true. There must be a satisfactory middle point between a Heaven's gate situation, where one filmmaker can take down an entire studio, and the current "let's re-write every movie to please all age / race sectors" approach.
The problem is that the ones who need to find this equilibrium are either studio suits or ego-driven filmmakers. Critics these days have zero authority (if they ever had one in the first place)and audiences sheeply watch whatever they're fed. Hell, the offer this summer was so lame I ended watching Transformers. |
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Maxtype
Minister of the Sacraments of Jabootu
USA
26 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2007 : 11:04:19 AM
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I have to back the Guild on this one.Remember,the Writers get no pay for shows streamed on the Internet,which the suits say is purely promotional.Oh yeah? Then why do you ad commercials to said netcasts?And all signs point to streamed or downloaded programming being the next wave,just as Video and DVD were the previous.
Of course,the Guild is still stuck with 4cents per $20 DVD,left over from the early '80s.Not bad maybe,if you are the writer of Sopranos or Desparate Housewives,but what about the other,journeyman writer?
This final mission will decide the fate of the human race.This is Operation:Final War |
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zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2007 : 3:31:03 PM
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| I heard it was 3 cents per $20 DVD. Put another way, the writer is paid .0015 on the dollar for every DVD sold. |
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Maxtype
Minister of the Sacraments of Jabootu
USA
26 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2007 : 5:04:43 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by zombiewhacker
I heard it was 3 cents per $20 DVD. Put another way, the writer is paid .0015 on the dollar for every DVD sold.
I keep hearing 4 cents,but yeah.
This final mission will decide the fate of the human race.This is Operation:Final War |
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Citizen Carrier
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
322 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2007 : 6:19:46 PM
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A commentator on the radio this morning was talking about how Johnny Carson decided to go on with his show during the last writer's strike.
I wasn't watching Carson at the time, but according to the commentator the show was still funny. Just funny in a different way. Carson wrote most of his own stuff during that time, with directors and producers, etc. contributing material too.
One gets the impression that Stewart, Colbert, Leno and Letterman are NOT in Carson's league.
Which reminds me of a time when Carson was making fun of Chevy Chase's ill-fated late night talk show.
"Chevy couldn't ad-lib a fart after a Boston baked bean dinner."
And I'm pretty sure Carson ad-libbed that line. |
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zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2007 : 5:23:14 PM
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@Maxtype:
You're right, it is 4 cents. I was going by the IMDB, which claimed it was only 3. Anyway...
To anyone interested, here's WGA Youtube that sums up their position quite nicely:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk%20 |
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Prankster
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Canada
727 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2007 : 8:09:04 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Citizen Carrier
One gets the impression that Stewart, Colbert, Leno and Letterman are NOT in Carson's league.
While no one would argue with that (including, I suspect, Stewart, Colbert, Leno and Letterman), I think you're missing the point. Stewart and Colbert are, I believe, employed officially as writers on their own shows, so they're on strike anyway, but more to the point, Leno and Letterman and Conan and the rest are supporting their writers--who one assumes are friends of theirs--by not airing their show. If they were to go on the air, it would undermine the writers. The writers got a lousy deal during the last strike, in 1988, because they capitulated and because everyone who wasn't a writer tried to go around the strike like it was an obstacle. This time, almost everyone (including executives, in many cases) are on the writers' side, and they realize that the faster everyone teams up, the faster the studios will go back to the table.
I know the default position around here is probably "Boo unions! Boo Hollywood elitist liberals!" but the writers are absolutely in the right on this one, and the public's attitude will make a difference, so I really think it's only fair to educate yourself about this.
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Check out my online comics at [URL]http://www.phantasmictales.com[/URL]! |
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Citizen Carrier
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
322 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2007 : 9:08:04 PM
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I admit, I do take a perverse joy in pointing out that mostly liberal Hollywood films a lot of stuff in Canada so as to circumvent the restrictions and costs of operating in unionized America.
I wouldn't categorize myself as anti-writer here, but yes, anti-union is more or less my default position.
Nearly all of what little television I watch these days comes from the internet websites of the networks, not the television. They are undoubtedly making money that way.
Plus, I'm concerned that this strike will effect the release date of the next season of "Lost", one of the few shows I still follow. I would think that the next season is already filmed and in the can, but I'm not sure how these things always work.
A lot of sit-coms seem to be written on a show to show basis, rather than with the entire season being written and mapped out in advance. I hope the more complex dramas are not handled this way. |
Edited by - Citizen Carrier on 11/08/2007 9:11:00 PM |
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