The Writers’ Strike Rocking Hollywood, Explained | WSJ

The Hollywood writers’ strike has more than 11,000 movie and television writers in the Writers Guild of America on strike for the first time in 15 years.

WSJ sat down for exclusive interviews with the showrunners of “Abbott Elementary” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” to understand the key sticking points that led to the writers’ strike and what’s next for the entertainment industry.

0:00 Writers’ strike has brought productions to a halt
0:50 How streaming has transformed the industry
4:20 The 2007-2008 writers’ strike
4:59 The writers’ demands
7:13 The strike’s impact on the entertainment industry

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#Writers #Strike #WSJ

[LuisGonzalez-pxsj]

These guys are the brains of the operation. Not directors, not producers, or executives producers. The writers are the ones who really creates the show or the movies. Their the ones who create the world and if their not getting the respect or recognition or more importantly the pay they deserved then Hollywood can try to make their own ideas!

[janechoy]

I think what this video is critically missing is the the whole topic of residuals - how residuals were structured pre streaming, and how they are now.

[Eoin-B]

British writers have been producing 6 episode seasons for decades now and the BBC seems to pay them enough that it's been sustainable. Especially because there are no adverts or product placements either for the BBC and Channel 4 and ITV only have a 70m possible advertisement base. So I really don't get that somehow American giants can't/won't pay their writers enough to produce 8 and 10 episodes a year to 10s of millions more people.

[arzuozer]

Listen to the writers. They are the brain of the industry. After working 20 hard years as a scriptwriter, I left the industry because I always had to work on regular jobs too to pay my rent, that's insane. And I refuse to be unseen in my work or treated like s***. It must be fair!

[stanleythrewbrick]

“Under the current formula for a one-hour series produced for Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, a writer receives *$72, 000* in residuals _for one episode_ over three years. Over five years, that amount grows to *$99, 000, * and *then to $114, 000 over seven years.* _The companies most recent offer further improves on this.”_

…what am I missing here??? What’s wrong with *that?!* better investment than I’ve _ever_ made

[houchi]

Actos are paid too much.
Studio execs are paid too much.

Cut those two, then everyone will get fair pay.

[posthocprior]

As usual, whenever I've read or watched anything about the writers' strike, there are NO details. For instance, 1) What is the minimum wage that writers are currently making and how much do are they asking they make? 2) What is their current, mean residual for a writer on a streaming show and what are they asking? 3) What is the mean salary of a writer on a streaming show and what are they asking?

[bcmcnally]

I support the writers - but the problem stated - a writer under the streaming system is 8-12 weeks then at 3:17 earlier the shown contract is shown that a weekly minimum is 11-12 K per week. They say that a writer can't live on that. (3:38) so quick math - 8 weeks x 11, 000 = 88, 000 $ - so if a writer gets one gig a year at 88, 000 - taxes it should leave $60K - or 5K a month for working 8 weeks. REALLY? Is this what you cannot live on? I get it - everyone wants more - but is this a poor writer - it's a change - sure. If you get 2 gigs a year - thats a very livable wage.

We want more - ok
We want residuals - like the old TV networks with Ads... ok (but that's gone)

We can't live on that.... come on.

[frentz]

Just to check (did anybody catch this??) : a writer "simply can't live" (3:30) on ten weeks a year at ten thousand dollars a week? .. is that how the writing rooms work, or is there some other lower-paying gig they are doing? -- thanks

[NoMadKid]

2007-2008 a war in Iraq, economy crashed, and writers strike.

2022-2023 a war in Ukraine, economy is heading for collapse, and a writers strike.

Hmmm The game makers are running out of ideas I see.

[vinauttv]

Couple all this with the politics that have crept their way into these programs and you have a recipe for disaster. You can’t leave the consumers out of the equation. If they don’t like your content because they feel it’s too preachy, that hurts the industry as well.

[WheelerRickRambles]

Just listened to Tom Hanks on a PBS deal regarding writers strike … he could be an awesome lawyer - he talked, and talked, and talked…but, never answered the question ‘…supporting the writers in this strike (2023)…’

[minimalist]

If earning close to 100, 000 dollars is not enough, thats absolute bonkers! This strike should not recieve support. How is 100, 000 dollars not enough?? Even if u are working only for half a year!

[Whitify]

People that complain that nothing original is made in Hollywood seem to think that we should use AI to write scripts. Unfortunately people see this conflict separate from their lives/profession. This is a race to the bottom and it’s not stopping at writing jobs.

[donnasloane]

If writers win...all will win....writers are not the problem....

[zarmeza]

Do these terrible conditions explain the horrible state of Hollywood's garbage writing levels?

[gwmgbwi]

Let’s all keep in mind when they say “living wage, ” they mean living in THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLACES IN AMERICA! I feel so so bad that you might have to leave your Hollywood condo or Manhattan apartment. Some people really have it rough I know..

[jjtiojohn]

I love it, I can catch up on all my old shows, I remember when The Sopranos were held off for a year, it made it so much better.

[Nick-welf]

So you have more writers than the industry need. Sounds like a simple supply and demand issue. Some writers need to go and find a new job. It sounds cruel but it’s true.

[nickblanck]

Entertainment is absolute garbage nowadays....