Comments on: WGA - Take 1

By: reddirtroad

reddirtroad — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:16:10 +0000

ABC has just released the “Lost” webisodes [http://tinyurl.com/2hmbpc] that apparently their writers negotiated pay for. [http://tinyurl.com/2hn8sb]

ABC scrambling to keep viewers happy during the strike?

By: Kris

Kris — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:49:08 +0000

Suddenly wishing I hadn’t just bought all those boxed sets or watched so many “free” downloads from the networks’ websites. The good news is I’ll be getting a lot of reading done while the strike is on. Pay the writers - and you can sign the petition here:

http://www.petitiononline.com/WGA/petition.html

By: sian

sian — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:35:23 +0000

Living in the UK having enjoyed the original and seeing the US version of the office the writers stike is giving you guys a break.

Seriously I think creative talent should be recompensed but so many others get their cut. Particulary in the UK we have been over paying for DVD’s CD’s it is tempting to go down the illegal route. How much is going to the actual talent.

By: southerngirl

southerngirl — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:00:22 +0000

I think the writers should stay out on strike until they get the compensation they deserve. The only television shows I watch are those with great writing. If you don’t have great writers, you don’t have great shows.

Compensate the writers!

By: jon deal

jon deal — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:52:46 +0000

I did my take on the strike as a satirical look into the the negotiations between the two sides:

http://tinyurl.com/yw5se9

I know this is overly simplistic, but if you create something that has value, you should get paid.

By: witchypoo

witchypoo — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 06:12:20 +0000

I refuse to watch any shows on the web. I have the televison on when I am surfing. I multitask. Superwoman!
Besides, we have all that yummy Canadian content here to choose from. Laugh not! We have some decent programming here.

By: PixelFish

PixelFish — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 01:07:44 +0000

Also of interest:

Joss Whedon (of Buffy and Firefly fame) on the strike:
http://whedonesque.com/comments/14639#195462

And really intelligible commentary by Mark Evanier explaining residuals:

http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2007_11_05.html#014307

The rest of Evanier’s blog is totally worth checking out as well. His strike comments put a lot of things in perspective. I occasionally see people saying stupid things like, “Well, if the writer’s make such crappy TV shows, then I think it’s okay for the producers to pay them crap wages,” and other such BS….blaming the quality of entertainment on the writers, or totally just not getting that the writers aren’t being paid for work distributed online. So his blog is a repository of easy explanations which debunk a few myths about writing for TV and movies.

By: workman

workman — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 22:20:09 +0000

I fear this dispute will not be settled any time soon. It’s about the future of the industry, and nobody is in a compromising mood.

Luckily, I’ve got a TiVo full of good stuff that I haven’t had the time to watch. So I’ll wait out the storm that way.

If I still lived in LA, I imagine I’d actually head out to the picket lines with the writers. Because 1) I think they’re right, 2) they’re welcoming outsiders, and 3) you get free doughnuts. I love doughnuts.

By: reddirtroad

reddirtroad — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:29:36 +0000

I wholeheartedly agree with you. And I’m sure there’s nothing worse than NOT getting paid for online content. Are the webisodes in question the same as the hilarious PSAs they did? I assumed that the writers were being paid for any work they did with the show. I hope they fix this soon (for the writers and the viewers.)