Instead of doing my Spanish journals for the past hour, I've been doing something much more productive. I've been finally educating myself about the Writers' Guild strike via YouTube and blogs. It's a little sad it's come to this. We had a visiting agent from L.A. come out a few weeks ago, a woman who's really up there, and she told us that she felt there was progress being made and that a strike would not come with November.
Oops.
If you would like to know more, I'd suggest checking out some of the writers' blogs on the sidebar over there, especially Jane's and John August's. Billy has a great inspirational post, asking you just how much writing is worth to you. Scott has a good YouTube video explaining the crisis up, and I would also recommend looking at John's clip from the cast/crew of The Office and at the official announcement when you're over at YouTube. The best part of The Office's clip was when they talking about how the industry is trying to deny the stability of the internet, and they paused and said something like, "Yes, what you're watching us on now."
The most staggering statistic? Almost 50% of the writers in the union are unemployed. That's why getting that 4 extra *cents* off of DVD sales and getting paid for websoides/"promotions"/internet reruns is so important. Your work is still making money but you're not? How does that make sense?
The studios can try to be immovable now, but come January when there are no more new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, the Office, Pushing Daisies, Heroes or Ugly Betty being written, things are going to get disasterous. No union writer is going to pick up a pencil.
And neither is a non-union writer. Because it's not just about knowing there will be a moment when you finally get that golden moment to apply for a union membership and you will be asked if you've ever crossed a picket line and the feeling of cold sweat breaking on your forehead. It's about dignity for the working writers and the indignation of us that aspire.
The last strike lasted 5 months. I hope for the sake of the writers that the studios don't attempt to hold out that long again. I'll be shocked if they'll be able to. This is going to take some major economic toll on multiple aspects of American - not just Hollywood - economy when you think about all the coporations and people and businesses involved in movie making.
I'm not saying writers control the world or anything - or do they?
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