Sunset Boulevard: Impending Doom

Are the writers going to strike??

The WGA contract expires tomorrow, and the feeling in Hollywood is that a strike is not only looming but inevitable. Negotiations between the WGA and the producers (AMPTP) have been characterized by harsh rhetoric on both sides, and not a lot of compromise. This week, they called in a federal mediator to help find a compromise, but this late in the game, the odds are almost nil. So what exactly is at stake?

The issue that’s causing so much strife is residuals – no small thing especially in today’s climate of online tv shows and changing distribution channels. The WGA wants more compensation from DVDs and new media. The AMPTP says producers can’t give up any additional revenue because film and TV production budgets have been rising and they need all the revenue they get.

The writers say this is a ridiculous claim. In 1985, writers negotiated to receive 4 cents per DVD sale. This rate has not changed, despite the rising costs of DVDs and the rise of the DVD market. The writers hope to double this and also to raise their share of online revenue.

A short-term strike is unlikely to do too much harm to the entertainment industry, as most studios and networks have pumped up pre-strike production in preparation, however a strike that lasts more than five or six months may well harm the entire industry.

The pain will first be felt in the TV world, where writers regularly churn out new episodes of all scripted programming. With the writer’s unable to work, networks will run out of new episodes fast and be forced to resort to reruns of current and older shows and reality television.

In film, studios might have to go back and make movies that they’d previously shelved in order to keep output up high enough to survive. Anything with a script even near ready for production is a possibility…meaning in a year or so, we might not have much of quality to choose from in the box office.

On the one hand, I think writers should absolutely be getting more revenue from DVDs and online sales/views. Personally, I watch almost all my TV online as I never manage to make the shows on time at home, and I hate that I know the writer’s are getting little or nothing from my support. At the same time, this strike looks like it’s going to be bad, and I’d really rather we all just get along!

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Alex M., Movie Correspondent

Alex's column, Sunset Boulevard, published every Friday to Gather Essentials: Movies, is a weekly summary of the movie industry's biggest stories.

Alex is a film school grad working at a production company in Hollywood. She's been passionate about movies since she knew what they were and always has an opinion (for better or worse).

You can find all of Alex's Sunset Boulevard columns at gather.com/SunsetBoulevard

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