Writer's Strike

[Covert Rain]

I have thought this for a long time but if a writer is the one that wrote a billion dollar blockbuster or the biggest hit on TV? They should share in the revenue. They should be making a piece of that pie.

 

[Dr. Jones]

The shrinking writers' rooms and going producer driven has been a big issue with me. It's a big part of why I think shows like STD or the first 2 seasons of Picard sucked. They had something like 21 producers in their credits.

When it comes to streaming, I'm hoping you guys force them to open their books. I think they've been underestimating the residuals while inflating the numbers for investors. I think we're going to see that they're screwing people at both ends. Hopefully we'll end up with a real viewership metric. When they count 2 minutes of watching a show as a view for the PR in order to make viewership sound better I'm betting that they don't want to pay a writer for a full episode for that same 2 minutes. Time for them to come clean.

This is the absloute need IMO. I'm really worried that when the directors go out on strike that this will be settled for a quick pay off that doesn't do the big thing all of them really need.

Get the streamers to disclose their data. It has to be done but I have little hope that it will be.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

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[Brian in Mesa]

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[Yuma]

So it depends. When you’re actually writing on staff during the season, it’s really good money. But those times can be few and far between. What supplements the income has always been residuals. On air residuals for eons, then DVD boom. But since streaming, on air residuals have cratered and DVD are a complete thing of the past. So the streamers and studios are still making major profits off our work by making all shows available to all
Subscribers and at all times, but paying the most miniscule fraction of a fraction of what they used to there.

But even with that said, episode orders aren’t close to what they used to be. So instead of working on a 24 or 13 episode show, if you’re working in streaming, you’re now looking at 10/8/6. And the studios can hold you over without picking up a next season meaning you can’t go work on another show once your season is done. And then if you’re show doesn’t get picked up.. guess what… sucks for you!

And it used to be that the writer stays on during production and gets to produce their episode and then stick around to continue to help the room in breaking. Now more and more you have what are called “mini-rooms”… which are 20 weeks where the entire season is quickly broken and then everyone writes their scripts and then… you’re done. This not only puts MASSIVE pressure on the Showrunner who’s left with a bunch of scripts and no writers to cover set, but it also creates a system where it’s almost impossible for writers to advance to Showrunner level because they’ve never had experience producing on set or in post/editing.

There’s so many other issues but shrinking writer’s rooms, streaming residuals are just crushing people right now and with AI looming, it’s a battle not just for the present but the future of the really the entire business.

@cheesebeef, in my lifetime it used to be you would pick up other skills on jobs. Now I am looking for a job. Companies don't want people who can do everything, anymore. They want specialists. They look for show runners with X amount of experience, but it doesn't matter to them there's no pipeline to create those jobs.

I am hoping you get back to work soon. It sucks when you aren't working. I am lucky my spouse can support me.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

@cheesebeef, in my lifetime it used to be you would pick up other skills on jobs. Now I am looking for a job. Companies don't want people who can do everything, anymore. They want specialists. They look for show runners with X amount of experience, but it doesn't matter to them there's no pipeline to create those jobs.

I am hoping you get back to work soon. It sucks when you aren't working. I am lucky my spouse can support me.

Tons of places are hiring for $20+ per hour. Barnes & Noble, Hobby Lobby, etc. just to name a few places. Scheel's at Chandler Mall opens in September but is hiring hundreds of people in advance of their opening. Are you holding out for something specific? Why not work somewhere in the meantime and then apply to where you want to work?

 

[Yuma]

Tons of places are hiring for $20+ per hour. Barnes & Noble, Hobby Lobby, etc. just to name a few places. Scheel's at Chandler Mall opens in September but is hiring hundreds of people in advance of their opening. Are you holding out for something specific? Why not work somewhere in the meantime and then apply to where you want to work?

I am essentially doing that. I am 59, and I think that has a lot to do with it. Plus, I am seeing the opposite. Those usually $20 and hour jobs are now $15 to $18 per hour. The lower wage jobs are dropping their pay. I have been seeing clerk jobs for $13! My last job is hiring at a lower rate now than I started at. So for me, I have three degrees, etc., and I can walk in and do anything. You show me something once, I got it. The jobs I interviewed at, don't want that. They want you to have X years experience. They want specialization.

It's crazy. I mean for jobs like produce at grocery stores! I thought, hey, maybe I will just take whatever in my neighborhood, and do like you said, find something later. I keep getting told, we are really looking for someone with exact experience. Can you tell I am getting frustrated? LOL! I can clean toilets and make beds. I guess because I am an old man, I can't do hotel cleaning staff. I need 10 more years to get close to my max social security pay out. I am starting to think, I'm not going to make it that long.

So I filled out paperwork with AZ DES to get job training. It's needs based and I think my spouse makes too much money. I am waiting to see if I can get some training to update IT skills, since I used to do that for 15 years, but moved for my spouses job and I got caught in the 2007 job freeze and never kept my IT skills up. My fault. I have just been doing whatever I can find since then. I am doing some Google IT certifications because I can afford those. LOL. Trying to get into IT help desk, or any IT entry level jobs. Some of the jobs in those fields have literally said ZERO experience needed. No luck so far.

Hey, I needed to vent! Thanks!

 

[jf-08]

I am essentially doing that. I am 59, and I think that has a lot to do with it. Plus, I am seeing the opposite. Those usually $20 and hour jobs are now $15 to $18 per hour. The lower wage jobs are dropping their pay. I have been seeing clerk jobs for $13! My last job is hiring at a lower rate now than I started at. So for me, I have three degrees, etc., and I can walk in and do anything. You show me something once, I got it. The jobs I interviewed at, don't want that. They want you to have X years experience. They want specialization.

It's crazy. I mean for jobs like produce at grocery stores! I thought, hey, maybe I will just take whatever in my neighborhood, and do like you said, find something later. I keep getting told, we are really looking for someone with exact experience. Can you tell I am getting frustrated? LOL! I can clean toilets and make beds. I guess because I am an old man, I can't do hotel cleaning staff. I need 10 more years to get close to my max social security pay out. I am starting to think, I'm not going to make it that long.

So I filled out paperwork with AZ DES to get job training. It's needs based and I think my spouse makes too much money. I am waiting to see if I can get some training to update IT skills, since I used to do that for 15 years, but moved for my spouses job and I got caught in the 2007 job freeze and never kept my IT skills up. My fault. I have just been doing whatever I can find since then. I am doing some Google IT certifications because I can afford those. LOL. Trying to get into IT help desk, or any IT entry level jobs. Some of the jobs in those fields have literally said ZERO experience needed. No luck so far.

Hey, I needed to vent! Thanks!

We're rooting for you.

 

[Dr. Jones]

We're rooting for you.

Agreed.

If it means anything my 19yr old nephew got a job at Wal-Mart where all he does is deliver the groceries to the cars that pre-ordered. He gets $19per hour.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

We're rooting for you.

Yuma, I sent you a PM with some job links, too.

 

[Yuma]

Agreed.

If it means anything my 19yr old nephew got a job at Wal-Mart where all he does is deliver the groceries to the cars that pre-ordered. He gets $19per hour.

I used to work for an autonomous car company that made deliveries from Walmart. I worked with those people all the time. Seems like they keep them hustling!

 

[Yuma]

Yuma, I sent you a PM with some job links, too.

Thank you!

I was filling out the IT job, but am sorta stuck on GPAs for college. While I was let go, our house actually flooded twice. Everything's in boxes. Plus, my wife decided since the flood occurred, it was time to do the whole house flooring. Floors turned out nice, but stuff is still in boxes. Thinking maybe I apply and just leave GPAs off? I am looking this morning, but no luck finding my transcripts.

 

[Devilmaycare]

Thank you!

I was filling out the IT job, but am sorta stuck on GPAs for college. While I was let go, our house actually flooded twice. Everything's in boxes. Plus, my wife decided since the flood occurred, it was time to do the whole house flooring. Floors turned out nice, but stuff is still in boxes. Thinking maybe I apply and just leave GPAs off? I am looking this morning, but no luck finding my transcripts.

Leave it off or put something in the ballpark. At your age a GPA shouldn't matter unless you just finished school. If you're judging me now based on academics from 25 years ago than you have a hiring process issue.

 

[Dr. Jones]

You can also lean on any non-profit contacts you may have. Check their LinkedIn profiles for mutual connections at places your looking to apply to. Warm intro's are always preferable.

The mutual connection hunt via LinkedIn has proven to be very successful for me.

 

[Yuma]

You can also lean on any non-profit contacts you may have. Check their LinkedIn profiles for mutual connections at places your looking to apply to. Warm intro's are always preferable.

The mutual connection hunt via LinkedIn has proven to be very successful for me.

IDK that. I will have to look at that. Unfortunately, I tended to work for folks older than me, and almost all of them are dead now. A couple of the companies on my resume are defunct, too! I list them for relevant work experience, but I know it must look sketchy as hell in interviews when I say, well that company is out of business. Oh my supervisor on that job is dead. And I have to do it a couple times for each category!! I AM Old!!

 

[Covert Rain]

Damn. That's beyond jacked.

Studios Allegedly Won’t End Strike Till Writers “Start Losing Their Apartments”

A new report from Deadline claims that the AMPTP wants the WGA to “bleed out,” and is willing to let the strike drag on until writers run out of money: “A cruel but necessary evil.”

www.vanityfair.com

 

[Yuma]

Damn. That's beyond jacked.

Studios Allegedly Won’t End Strike Till Writers “Start Losing Their Apartments”

A new report from Deadline claims that the AMPTP wants the WGA to “bleed out,” and is willing to let the strike drag on until writers run out of money: “A cruel but necessary evil.”

www.vanityfair.com

What's sad, is at that end of the day, just paying people and keeping the spigots of money coming in is the best scenario for everyone. This is just power for power's sake. It doesn't make any business sense.

 

[Dr. Jones]

I truly believe that unless we start seeing the proprietary streaming data nothing will change. You may get a small win here and there but wont get back to truly getting paid until you know if your delivering hits or not.

My guess is that the market cap of most streaming companies would fall by roughly 40% if we actually knew how many people watched entire episodes & seasons. Rings of Power had their data leaked and it was utterly embarrassing to Amazon. Less than 35% of people who started season one actually finished it or something bad.

 

[Yuma]

I truly believe that unless we start seeing the proprietary streaming data nothing will change. You may get a small win here and there but wont get back to truly getting paid until you know if your delivering hits or not.

My guess is that the market cap of most streaming companies would fall by roughly 40% if we actually knew how many people watched entire episodes & seasons. Rings of Power had their data leaked and it was utterly embarrassing to Amazon. Less than 35% of people who started season one actually finished it or something bad.

We actually made it through to the end. I wonder that for movies. I was the only one in a household of four who made it to the end of Fight Club. It's one of those hard to watch movies, nothing makes sense, it's not seeming to lead anywhere, and literally the last 2-3 minutes of the movie make all that craziness fall into place. I bet it's less than 35%. There's so much content, that most people I have worked with tell me they give a movie/show 10 minutes and then bail if it doesn't catch their interest. I just watched Beef, and I was ready to bail on it, and the last minute of the season made it worth the slog.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Damn. That's beyond jacked.

Studios Allegedly Won’t End Strike Till Writers “Start Losing Their Apartments”

A new report from Deadline claims that the AMPTP wants the WGA to “bleed out,” and is willing to let the strike drag on until writers run out of money: “A cruel but necessary evil.”

www.vanityfair.com

Good times over here!

 

[Chaplin]

Good times over here!

Is this actually true? Is that what you are hearing?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Is this actually true? Is that what you are hearing?

Lol… no.

We’ll see what happens with SAG tonight.

 

[Chaplin]

Lol… no.

We’ll see what happens with SAG tonight.

Best of luck my friend. What a cluster.

 

[jf-08]

Wishing you both well through all this.

 

[Chaplin]

Writer's strike hasn't affected me at all, but we do feel it with some of the production arms we work with.