The Writer’s Strike: An insider’s view

In case you haven’t been watching the late-night rerurns for the last week, we’re in the middle of a TV writer’s strike. It’s come to my attention that many are not entirely clear on what the issue(s) is/are in this strike. This isn’t surprising; the last time the Guild that represents TV/Film writers struck was nearly 20 years ago. Also, there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding both sides. For instance many people believe that professional screenwriters make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Truthfully, there are a few in that league, but they’ve usually been at it for decades and have a few Seinfelds and X-Files-es under their belts. They’re the rainmakers, the hit-doctors. Most writers make within the range of what a plumber or mechanic might make, except their employment situations are far more transient and far less secure. When you factor in the necessity of living in 2 of the most expensive areas of the country (New York and Los Angeles), it can be pretty challenging to keep food on the table in such a profession. Similarly, we think of producers as being fat cats in $3,000 suits who rule their productions with iron, well-manicured fists. In reality, they are often significantly beholden to other interests: networks, sponsors and investors, who all exact their pound of flesh and sap a little more control away from the prod’s.

Royalties, residuals, format convergence…does anyone outside a 818 or 212 area code know what these are? In a Ration Reality Exclusive, a Hollywood professional involved with a major network production has graciously taken a minute to explain the situation for our readers with the insight only a true insider can have. He has asked that his name be withheld.