A lot of have been around long enough to witness the steady erosion of respect for screenwriters. You don’t see this with directors. Not even DPs. To some extent, actors but never for very long. The fear looming of course is AI. Maybe not for the highest echelon but for the vast majority of working screenwriters it’s only a matter of time before irrelevancy comes knocking at the door. How do you strike when more and more productions are in the grips of AI. I hope the day never comes when the WGA goes out on strike and nobody cares.
I love reading all of your insightful advice, Rob! It’s a little bit like the old days when your office was across from the studio. I’m so happy to see how well you’ve done! Have a great Summer!
Well said! Not enough attention to all of the other people affected. On a bright note, Pete Davidson brought 5 pizzas to striking writers. Yes, whole pies!
I’ve been a WGA member and TV writer for 25 years. It’s dispiriting to watch the companies profit in the billions while our salaries stagnate and whither. We’re asking for 2% of the profits that we generate in the entertainment industry. 2%! The companies used the transition from the traditional network model to the streaming model by underpaying writers, refusing to update the structure of the residuals (crucial - it's what we live on in between shows or films), and creating insidious mini-rooms that force experienced writers to work for MBA minimums while gutting the opportunities for entry-level and mid-level writers to find employment.
We grizzled veteran writers joke that we’d be happy to make what we did in the 90s when we broke into the business. That also meant an office on the lot, table reads with the actors, snacks, run-throughs on the set, a robust writers’ room, more snacks, and a hands-on way to learn the craft. And camaraderie. Now it’s Zoom rooms and a punch in the face.
Residuals keep us afloat while we work on spec scripts to pitch – free work we’re happy to do when there’s hope it will pay off with a series order. But orders are now 6-8 episodes, no staff, and pay that’s stretched out over many months.
I was lucky to write through the 90s when networks had dozens of shows with 22-24 episodes. We were employed from pre-production to the end of the season with apprenticeship opportunities to build a career. Not anymore.
I could go on but I’m busy building a dumb-ass TikTok side hustle so I can keep my kid in college. Love to all --
A lot of have been around long enough to witness the steady erosion of respect for screenwriters. You don’t see this with directors. Not even DPs. To some extent, actors but never for very long. The fear looming of course is AI. Maybe not for the highest echelon but for the vast majority of working screenwriters it’s only a matter of time before irrelevancy comes knocking at the door. How do you strike when more and more productions are in the grips of AI. I hope the day never comes when the WGA goes out on strike and nobody cares.
I’ve always been perplexed by the glory and roses thrown at the feet of actors, with virtually no credit given to the real creators behind the scenes.
I love reading all of your insightful advice, Rob! It’s a little bit like the old days when your office was across from the studio. I’m so happy to see how well you’ve done! Have a great Summer!
Thanks for the kind words. Great to hear from you!
Well said! Not enough attention to all of the other people affected. On a bright note, Pete Davidson brought 5 pizzas to striking writers. Yes, whole pies!
Well written.
I’ve been a WGA member and TV writer for 25 years. It’s dispiriting to watch the companies profit in the billions while our salaries stagnate and whither. We’re asking for 2% of the profits that we generate in the entertainment industry. 2%! The companies used the transition from the traditional network model to the streaming model by underpaying writers, refusing to update the structure of the residuals (crucial - it's what we live on in between shows or films), and creating insidious mini-rooms that force experienced writers to work for MBA minimums while gutting the opportunities for entry-level and mid-level writers to find employment.
We grizzled veteran writers joke that we’d be happy to make what we did in the 90s when we broke into the business. That also meant an office on the lot, table reads with the actors, snacks, run-throughs on the set, a robust writers’ room, more snacks, and a hands-on way to learn the craft. And camaraderie. Now it’s Zoom rooms and a punch in the face.
Residuals keep us afloat while we work on spec scripts to pitch – free work we’re happy to do when there’s hope it will pay off with a series order. But orders are now 6-8 episodes, no staff, and pay that’s stretched out over many months.
I was lucky to write through the 90s when networks had dozens of shows with 22-24 episodes. We were employed from pre-production to the end of the season with apprenticeship opportunities to build a career. Not anymore.
I could go on but I’m busy building a dumb-ass TikTok side hustle so I can keep my kid in college. Love to all --