This is going to be rough for awhile, but it’s needed.
That’ll only last so long before people get sick of it. The WGA was being taken advantage of by a pre-streaming era contract and thus pay wasn’t near the level it should’ve been.On the ironic side, it's positive news, in a strange way, for the film/streaming companies. If they can't produce new properties, which are generally money losers, they won't lose as much money as they've been consistently doing......Using catalogue properties to fill in the gaps are a much cheaper option.
Yes, the writer's are the good guys in this battle. Good report in the NY Times last week on how hard it is for writers to get a steady income with the streaming platform of 8 shows vs. the former 22 TV season, and the problem with residuals.....But the entire industry is so out of whack that the red ink flows like a raging rapid, but that's not the fault of the writers. The film/media industry execs. are out of touch with reality. The profit model is broken, and it's never been that strong to begin with. The allure of film/media has always been stronger than the bottom line financial reality, since day one.That’ll only last so long before people get sick of it. The WGA was being taking advantage of by a pre-streaming era contract and thus pay wasn’t near the level it should’ve been.
A lot of the red ink issue is "Hollywood accounting" to make it so that the studios don't have to pay anyone on the backend.Yes, the writer's are the good guys in this battle. Good report in the NY Times last week on how hard it is for writers to get a steady income with the streaming platform of 8 shows vs. the former 22 TV season, and the problem with residuals.....But the entire industry is so out of whack that the red ink flows like a raging rapid, but that's not the fault of the writers. The film/media industry execs. are out of touch with reality. The profit model is broken, and it's never been that strong to begin with. The allure of film/media has always been stronger than the bottom line financial reality, since day one.
I remember through Hollywood accounting, (not the Hollywood movie "The Accountant"), the movies aren't profitable includeA lot of the red ink issue is "Hollywood accounting" to make it so that the studios don't have to pay anyone on the backend.
Hope SAG joins in and f's these guys up. Insulting response by the AMPTP.
HUGE AND IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I support writers' efforts to be paid enough to make a living.
I do, however, hope this is resolved quickly. Coming after the pandemic closures, I fear for theatrical exhibition in the latter half of next year if this stretches on for long (and if the other guilds strike). I've been in a position to talk with small/independent theater owners and managers, and the drought of films from last August through March of this year (AVATAR aside) made for pretty dire conditions for them. The box office may have mostly recovered from the pandemic, but the actual health of a lot of theaters hasn't fully gotten there yet.
Just something to keep in mind. The strike may well result in good improvements for the lives of writers, and I hope it does. But it may also affect other corners of the entertainment industry that are still struggling after pandemic conditions (again, if it gets to a point where nothing is in production later this year).
But I'm not talking about movie and TV producers/execs being hurt. I'm talking about small chain and independent theater people, who are much more akin to small business owners.Unfortunately, what you're describing is what probably needs to happen to compel the AMPTP to make a fair deal. It has to hurt.
But I'm not talking about movie and TV producers/execs being hurt. I'm talking about small chain and independent theater people, who are much more akin to small business owners.
I suppose one would hope that the AMPTP will be looking out for theater owners (small and otherwise) because they know how important theatrical distribution still is (after the pandemic has pretty well shown that streaming alone is not a sustainable and profitable model)... but those studio execs are not going to feel the effects in the way a guy who owns four theaters (and their employees) in Iowa will, for example, if there's nothing to show in the auditoriums in fall of 2024.