WGA Writer's Strike

WGA Writer's Strike - The Office Is Closed

What do you have when you combine a strike with highly creative entertainment oriented people?

In the age of Youtube you have a series of fascinating short films which allow those on the picket lines a chance to explain why they are on strike, and the consequences of being on strike.

Writers Guild of America members are striking due to their concerns that as their industry is moving increasingly into the digital age the residuals they would receive from their works viewed via the Internet will be limited to $250 per show per year. That's right, no matter how many times a movie or television episode is viewed over the Internet during the course of a year the residual would be limited to just $250.


Why We Fight - An Entertaining Explanation Of Why There's A Writer's Strike

Before we go any further let me explain that we're not talking about illegal copies posted to Youtube, or other video sharing services from which neither the studios or the writers receive compensation. No, the issue here are the made for theater, television, and increasingly made for the Internet movies, and shows. These are the programs which the entertainment industry itself are offering via the Internet, and selling advertisements for, and therefore earning a revenue with. Those revenues are expected to grow into the billions as the television industry moves onto the Internet. Despite this growth in revenue the studios see it as a means of destroying the writers union.

While there are some millionaire writers out in Hollywood, and New York, the vast majority of those responsible for writing all the shows we watch at the theater, and on television, struggle to make ends meet in their highly competitive industry. WGA members rightly argue that as the entertainment industry migrates to the Internet that some of those profits in the form of residuals, need to be shared with the writers.


Studio Heads Admit Huge Profits But Won't Share With Writers

The WGA members are in fact looking at the future of the entertainment industry, and argue that under the current compensation agreement that they will see less income for their creative works as more of that work appears exclusively on the Internet.

Their argument makes perfect sense, and in fact if it wasn't for the studios short sighted greed this would have been settled long ago. I've included some Youtube videos with this post as they are both informative, and entertaining.

As a blogger I appreciate the time, and effort it takes to create using the written word. Writing is work, and those who write professionally need to be compensated fairly.

Visit www.unitedhollywood.com to learn more, and to sign their online petition!