The DGA has accomplished what the WGA has not thus far. It has negotiated a new contract with the AMPTP.The new contract does include a residual payment formula for new media including the Internet. Both the DGA and the AMPTP seem satisfied with the arrangement, based on statements by both sides.
The question is: how will this affect the writers' strike? I have heard that while not every television show needs a writer, every show needs a director. This gives the DGA more leverage than the WGA. Also, if the directors went on strike, it would stop production immediately on all shows, as opposed to the lead time that occurred when the writers went on strike.
I do hope this is a signal to the end of the writer's strike, however I don't think it will end so easily. I love scripted television, but I am reticent to clap my hands and say the WGA strike is over and done with. I just think the directors (and, when the time comes, the actors) are in a better position than the writers. I hope I'm wrong and television returns to normal (as normal as television gets anyway) as soon as possible.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-17-2008 @ 7:57PM
Christopher said...
I hope this is positive for writers strike to end.
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1-17-2008 @ 8:51PM
Joey Geraci said...
I think it depends on the specifics of the deal. Supposedly, there are many low-end technical workers in the DGA that don't work high up enough in the food chain for residuals to matter, so there isn't as much pressure in that guild to get a fair deal on that particular issue.
1-17-2008 @ 9:30PM
segsig said...
I think if they could figure out a formula for sharing residuals for one group they really have killed their own lame-ass arguement! If the AMPTP has a brain cell to share they'd be able to end it, but you're right about the writer's lead time being a factor. Between that and the viewers that gorge on cheap dreck, the studios won't feel any pain until movies are affected.
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1-17-2008 @ 10:28PM
Phish said...
its becoming increasingly clear that the WGA is not really fighting for internet residuals here, they are fighting for more control.
they want all animation and reality writers to come under the WGA, thus having complete power to shut down movies and all TV if they do strike.
now that a deal has been made with the DGA, i wonder if the writers are going to start questioning the motives behind the WGA leadership, resulting in a backlash!
maybe they have been fooled by the WGA leadership to strike on the basis of internet residuals, but ultimately, its all about power.
this ego trip by the WGA leadership is hurting everyone involved, including the thousands of people who are put out of work, who have nothing to do with the WGA (caterers, florists etc..)
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1-18-2008 @ 12:01AM
Oreo said...
From what I understand is the writers do not want a formula for the internet and want a set rate of around 1.5%. So this is a no go for the writers and frankly is rather bad for them. Now the studios can claim the writers are the bad people because the directors made a deal within 5 days.
And rankly I hope the strike does last at least a few more months. I hope we get no new shows next year, it will help all the current shows get another season.
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1-18-2008 @ 2:14PM
david said...
I hope we get no new shows next year, it will help all the current shows get another season.
wow... i find that so.... i cant really come up with the right word right now so i am just gonna go with stupid.
Lets keep god knows how many stagehands, make up people, kraft service people out of work for the next 6-8 months so we can give Life (first cancelled show that popped into my head), a show that has already had its chance to succeed, another chance of making it. I'll completely ignore how many new better shows could be coming out next season if they hurry up and get this done
1-18-2008 @ 2:15PM
david said...
second question... who is going to be writing the other seasons of these craptastic shows you wont let die?
1-22-2008 @ 12:07PM
Oneiroi said...
I think it would be difficult to make the writers seem like bad people. I believe it still seems like the "little guy" going up against giant media conglomerates with relatively tons of money.
Besides they're both at fault for not hammering out an agreement since it is a two party thing.
1-18-2008 @ 1:29AM
khamel said...
the networks dont want to agree to a deal because they are using this as an excuse to get more reality tv on the networks. they will use the excuse that the writers are striking and thus no scripted tv can be aired so they will HAVE to air more low cost, easy to control, easy to replace reality TV. Most people will not start watching TV over the internet or anything else, they will just start watching whatever crap is on TV. Once people are used to reality TV, they can keep more of it on TV once the strike is over. Management 101 or more like Management 1901 but still, thats how you counter a strike. A network worth billions can take the short term loss for a long term gain but the same can't be said for the day-to-day line workers and even most writers.
I know not all scripted shows are going to disappear but if its say 80/20 now (i have no idea what it actually is, just a wild guess) this will let them move to 70/30 in a few years and then 50/50 in 5. Maybe by then people will watch tv on the net but if Comcast/ATT keep complaining about people using too much bandwidth how will that ever happen either?
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1-18-2008 @ 1:49AM
Oreo said...
Yes, and I think the networks killed JFK just to increase the news ratings.
1-18-2008 @ 1:53AM
khamel said...
thats the kind of reply that could get you a upn show. its not a conspiracy, its business.
1-18-2008 @ 6:18AM
heinlein said...
But that doesn't explain the need for letting the writers strike. If they had agreed to the writers demands, then they could instead have motivated the increasing number of reality shows with that the writers deal made scripted shows more expensive raltively speaking.
1-18-2008 @ 7:32AM
Vito said...
Reality will never be viable as a full programming lineup. Why? You said it yourself, they're cheap. Why do you think they stopped making so many of them to begin with? They were all over the place for awhile, then they cut them down because people started to get bored with them.
Same thing would happen here. People might start getting annoyed at writers, but they wouldn't care enough to watch reality out of spite. They'd just turn it to reruns on cable or turn it off altogether. Networks have been steadily losing share for years. If they decided to abandon fictional programming (the basis of almost ALL entertainment for the entirety of human history), they'd die.
Not to mention that if reality shows became more prominent, those "editors" that write half the shows? Maybe they wouldn't join the WGA, but they'd start making demands of their own.
Maybe I'm way off base here, but also, who's to say that another production company that makes their own shows can't work out a deal with the WGA and then sell that show to a hungry network?
1-18-2008 @ 2:47AM
lawrence said...
yeah thats good but i had hoped it started before dbz production started...the dbz movie is ruined...why justin chatwin ???...i always thought goku was asian only to find out fox americanized the genre and put shitty actors in it even jackie chan would be a good choice..though goke was based on chan may cgi chan ..like angelina jolie in beowulf..even though fox might ruin there chances with this .worst possible cast maybe chow fat is the best choice out of the cast.but goku as justin shit
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1-18-2008 @ 7:33AM
Vito said...
You're right. It's a very complex issue.
1-18-2008 @ 2:20PM
david said...
huh???
1-18-2008 @ 3:44PM
Dragulf said...
David,
Life didn't get canceled.
"By Tim Surette - TV.com
November 27, 2007 at 12:03:00 PM
Nine more episodes of newcomers Chuck and Life have been ordered by NBC, which brings the first-season tallies to 22 total episodes. Of course, this is all contingent on a successful resolution to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. Chuck is still in production with an unknown number of episodes already written, and Life is currently shut down, according to Variety."
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1-18-2008 @ 6:12PM
dt3 said...
thanks for the nitpick... doesnt change anything