For those that do not know...there is a dark cloud looming over Hollywood at the moment. It is causing fear and panic in many. The hysteria in Hollywood is being caused by an impending WGA (writer's guild) strike. The contract between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television expires on October 31. All signs are pointing to lengthy, drawn out negotiations. So what is the strike about? Click here for a rather brief explanation of sticking points.
Basically, the WGA wants double the revenue from DVD sales, more of the revenue from downloaded TV shows, and to include reality tv writers into the benefits.
As a result of the impending strike...studios have begun to stockpile scripts and actors (and their agents) are attempting to book as many films as possible before the strike date hits. This has very serious reprecussions for the industry. One of which, obviously, is hastily made films.
For a complete rundown of the strike and its history click here.
Histroy is important because this is NOT the first writer's strike.
An excerpt:
In 1988, failed negotiations over home video residuals led to the longest strike in Hollywood history. The WGA walked a picket line for nearly six months, largely shutting down television and film production in their fight for a fair share of the booming VHS market.
The writers lost.
The failure of the '88 strike enshrined an anemic home video formula . Under this formula, writers get about .3% (note the decimal point) of studio grosses from the VHS tapes and DVDs of the movies and television shows they author.
For nearly twenty years, resentment over this deal has simmered, nearly boiling over in the late 90's when the DVD market exploded. While the studios generated massive revenue, writers were reaping a paltry five cents for each DVD sold.
And now, with the advent of internet downloads, a new distribution channel with the potential to dwarf the DVD market, things are getting downright nasty.
So what do you folks have to say?
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