Hollywood Deep

So after three days of the Writers Guild of America strike, it seems that it is effecting just about every aspect of the entertainment world. I didn’t really think either side would be stupid enough to let this happen. Although I can see the writers main points, residuals on DVD sales and New Media consideration, I found it hard to feel bad for either side, on Monday. In the three days since then the writers are certainly making their point.

The Producers have all the money, and they pull the strings. They are in charge of the creative accounting that goes on, cheating people out of money every day. My own union the Director’s Guild of America, over the years has had many issues with the Producers over residuals and the creative accounting that goes on with the studios. The Producer’s certainly are the EVIL EMPIRE in this one. They have all the money and would rather shoot their mothers then give any more of it up than they have to. The studios and production companies love these guys, for being ruthless negotiators. Part of the overall problem for the WGA, was that many Producers and Directors are also members of the WGA. I always thought this conflict of interest would be the downfall of the WGA in this fight. The Showrunners, who create the shows, and see the episodes through in production, are mostly all WGA members. Also, especially on comedy shows, many of the cast and stars of the shows, are also writers. This conflict of interest is what has turned the weight of the scales in favor of the WGA. One after another these Showrunners and high profile stars have refused to cross the picket lines of their WGA brothers and sisters. Now the primetime TV shows that are in production are dropping like flies. I have to think that the Producer’s never thought the WGA production people and stars would stick together like they have. Within a couple of weeks, it looks like every network primetime TV show, will have to shut down production.

First it was the talk shows, Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, Jon Stewart, Conan, Ellen, all went down. That made sense, talk shows rely on it’s writers on a daily basis for, the show’s structure. Jay Leno even went out on the picket line over at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, where his show shoots, and handed out doughnuts to the strikers. We all chuckled and thought that was cute, but we expected the talk shows to shut down. Then Eva Longoria, ordered pizzas for the strikers at Universal Studios, where Desperate Housewives shoots. We all thought that was funny and that she was cute. Then the snowball started to get bigger, Steve Carrell, a WGA member and the funniest guy on TV, informed his Producers that he would not cross the picket line, and “The Office” shut down production. CBS then said, production on its comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine” was halted, and ABC said it was delaying the premiere of the series “Cashmere Mafia.” In front of Paramount Pictures, “Dirty Sexy Money” actor William Baldwin served coffee and joined the picket lines. In New York, “Saturday Night Live” comedian Amy Poehler joined a large contingent of writers and actors from the show on the picket line in front of the Rockefeller Center offices of NBC.

“All the writers are asking for is to be fairly compensated for all this new media,” she said, noting that the strike may force the cancellation of this coming week’s show with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Poehler, like many “SNL” cast members, contributes material for the program but is not listed as a writer. She said actors felt torn about the labor impasse. “I think a lot of actors are being made to make some really hard choices,” she said

Today, the highest profile show so far, Fox’s “24″, has not only shut down production, but announced that airing the show at all this season is in jeopardy. Television is feeling an immediate effect of the strike. The networks have enough shows shot already to get them through until January. That’s when people at home will start to notice that their favorite shows aren’t on anymore, or in reruns. That’s when the public outcry will become overwhelming and the Producers will have to settle. As TV shows feel the brunt of this in the immediate future, the movie business would not be affected for a long while. TV, or the lack of it, is what is going to get this thing settled.

At first I thought the WGA was stupid for actually going on strike, and that the public outcry would be against them. They have proved to have some muscle, and have stuck together so far. As a member of a entertainment guild myself, I applaud what they have accomplished in three days. The DGA and SAG also will be facing these same Producers as contracts expire in the near future. We have some of the same issues, so they need to be addressed. From my experience the impression of the WGA to the other guilds and unions in the industry, has been that they are a bunch of whiners. I personally have a whole new respect for them. I say, keep up the good work. Hit em fast… and hit em hard, and end this thing quickly.
…Hats Off DEEP!

Jimmy Kimmel, ON STRIKE!

“The Office” Writers and Cast walk the line in this funny video

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