I was asked the other day what I thought would happen with the Writers Guild, if they would go on strike.
I haven't paid close attention, but the WGA just got the biggest strike authorization vote they've ever had -- 97.85%, so it seems near-certain they'll go on strike. The only reason they won't is if the companies are scared of that huge, united vote and agree to terms, which is very unlikely given their history. Whether the strike will be long or short is the bigger question. Most tend to be long, though none have had that strong an authorization vote. The DGA has only gone on strike once -- for about 15 minutes. They generally wait to see what the WGA gets after going on strike, and then settle with the producers for that. Their contract date, though, has moved up a bit from the past, I think, and expires at the end of June, so that only leaves two months for the WGA to settle its contract before the DGA can "know" what it's supposed to do. And two months would be a fairly short strike. My pure guess is that the DGA won't strike, but I don't know enough about the issues. The issues have changed a bit from what they generally have been in the past, now that the Internet and streaming are settled as foundations of the Industry. And when I think of that, I can only shake my head and laugh, because the last time there was a long, protracted strike was 2007-8 – and that was because the studios insisted it was too early to know if there would be any money from the Internet…when it was abundantly, blatantly clear even then, indeed studios were already making money from the Internet. The point being that whatever the AMPTP insists about streaming, you can rest assured it is not true and that even they don’t believe it. The core to most basic issues, of course, is money. And even if “residuals” aren’t the factor they once were, they’re nonetheless related to all money issues. I’ve explained what residuals are to people who wonder why writers should be paid more and continually after they’ve been paid (I remember being contacted by a morning radio show on the East Coast back in 2007 and asked if I would call in to talk with the hosts, which I did, made memorable because it meant I had to get up at 4 AM…). The short version is that residuals are delayed compensation that is built into the original contract when signed. You get paid less upfront so the producer can afford to proceed, on the agreement that you’ll get paid more later on when (and if) money comes in. But my pal Mark Evanier re-posted his own much better and much more detailed – and very interesting – description of what residuals are and how they work (and why) that’s well-worth reading, not just as a matter related to strikes, but how the film and TV industry work, period. You can find it here.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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