As early as next Monday, television – the one-eyed babysitter that has raised generations of us without ever asking for anything back, aside from all of our consumer dollars – could be under attack. Networks must act now to preserve this hallowed, lucrative media before all is lost.
The culprit? Writers. Dirty, filthy writers who have the nerve to demand more money when their shows or movies are released on DVDs or online, just because such things might be catching on a little. Imagine! Just because consumers will spend an estimated $16.4 billion on DVDs this year, and studios look to glean something like $158 million from selling movies and about $194 million from selling TV shows over the Web, suddenly everyone wants their “fair share.”
Well, let me remind these scribblers that thanks to the last royalty agreement crafted just two short decades ago, writers already receive a princely 4 cents on every $20 DVD of their work. Now they want more? The networks have already patiently explained how releasing shows online is merely promotional, so it would be like paying a writer royalties for a billboard advertising his show… if the billboard somehow displayed the entire show, uncut, with commercials.
You know, if this NaNoWriMo thing doesn't work out, you really should compile all your columns and publish a Dave Barry-esque book. I'd be the first to pre-order it on amazon.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Just send Amazon your money now, it'll save time in the long run.
Hey, I have a tangential question. What's the difference between the Writers Guild of America, West, and the Writers Guild of America, East? Aside from geographically, I mean.
Reason I asked, is while I don't have credits to qualify for WGA membership I was curious if they had any other types of programs available, partly because I'm thinking they're gonna need some cash in the coffers if the strike goes on a while.
Turns out they both have associate memberships -- which would be nice since I could give my non-professional contribution to support the cause AND get some new resources out of the deal -- but the requirements are very, very different. The WGAw is much tougher about previous work than the WGAe, and even for an associate membership you have to have sold scripts. For the WGAe version you do not.
Does working in LA require WGAw membership? Is the WGAe the poor cousin?
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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If they do make a remake of GWTW or NBNW like you suggest, I will hunt you to the ends of the Earth and kill you with my bare hands.
quote:Majority of the tv I watch is reruns anyway. "Law and Order," anyone??
Yeah, but L&O has like eight billion episodes, and they don't depend on the prior ones (well, except for those "Hey! Where'd the hot Assistant DA go?" moments)
Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Actually, I'd like to see some old movies get remade with better actors and directors. Why keep remaking the good ones with "updated" versions that aren't as good? Why not dig around for some movies that started with a good script but were mishandled?
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Aha! More WGA info, for those who aren't somehow terribly bored by it. I wrote to screenwriter Alex Epstein, who answered witht the same geographical definition and sent me to this post, which explains a lot. Maibnly, politics and power plays.
However, while I'm still interested in the associate membership as a way to support the strike while gaining more resources, I need to read the contract more carefully and make sure it won't screw me up writing my columns. I don't write for broadcast, specifically, but I do write copy for flash apps and other displays on our website and occasionally appear in podcasts. I think my bosses would get peeved if I came back to work Monday all unionized...
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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This had better not mean that all we're going to get is reality shows for the next six months. Although, I don't think it'll be that bad if there's nothing good on TV for awhile. Then I won't miss anything that I wanted to see when I'm busy doing other things.
I vote for Firefly re-runs.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Shigosei: This had better not mean that all we're going to get is reality shows for the next six months. Although, I don't think it'll be that bad if there's nothing good on TV for awhile. Then I won't miss anything that I wanted to see when I'm busy doing other things.
I vote for Firefly re-runs.
Most of the 07-08 season is already written. I think the only shows that'll really get hit are the shows that haven't been ordered for a full season yet. In other words, every new show this year. Generally they only get ordered for 13 episode, at most, starter orders. And then they get a full season ordered when they see how well it does. With the strike in force in a couple days, I think that means you'll see a big drop off after the midseason breaks, but by and large most of the big shows will be fine. The real fear is for the 08-09 year.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I never even saw a single episode of Driven or The Black Donnelly's. Or Wonderfalls, for that matter. I'll probably hang around enough to see how bad things actually get, and then go scrounge around ebay.
Posts: 349 | Registered: Oct 2007
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Oh, let me know how that goes Anne, I actually already have three or four episodes of NCIS written. I'm sure the show would do well under our guiding hands
I'd love to get my hands on Stargate.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Ooh, I like this! Can I have Smallville? Huh? Can I?
You'd see some pretty big damn changes, let me tell you that. It would be worth it to be blackballed from television writing forever just to wrench some of these shows back on track. The Armchair Director could rampage through prime time!
That's almost worth another column...
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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My only problem would be the research required; for a pop culture columnist I don't watch a lot of TV and a column like that would demand intimate knowledge of the shows.
Maybe I can go just read Television Without Pity for the next 12 hours.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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My roommate suggested two more shows. One would be classic TV show karoake. Collect scripts from classic TV - Lucy and the chocolate factory, the thanksgiving episode of WKRP, etc -- and bring volunteers from the audience up to act them out.
The other was to take a camera down to any homeless shelter or bus station and ask the vagrants assorted questions about government and the entertaiment world.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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