Wga Strike: Make The Call!

[hammy]

How do writers get paid? Buy the percentage of the profits or a flat fee? I don't see why the writers should get more just because of evolving technology.

The point is, somebody is getting paid. The money is being collected, it's just not being distributed to the writers. I don't know how the tv writers are paid, but I have done book/magazine/newspaper writing. It works differently in each. Books I get a percentage, mags a flat fee and newspapers are different depending on the deal. But the point is, fairness. If I wrote a book that somebody wanted to make a movie out of, don't you think I should be reimbursed? Should they get to make it without any payment to me just because I originally intended it to be a book? If it's good enough to bother making a movie out of, then the creator of that piece of work should be paid. Everybody else will be paid, why shouldn't the person who conceived it in the first place be paid? Twenty five years ago, nobody knew napster or ipods would exist and there's every reason to believe that there will be other technology's that we can not currently conceive of. That doesn't mean that my art, my work should be handed out free, just because the technology didn't exist when I wrote it.

This seems so simple to me.

 

[Addendum]

Neither do I. You have an entire workforce striking so basically the top 5-10% of the group can get what amounts to a bigger bonus. They use the whole "benefit of the little man" schpiel to drum up support from the bleeding hearts, yet the real "little men" like the grips, lighting people, caterers, etc. are getting screwed here because they cant work.

As another poster said, you have no damn clue what you're talking about. I guess using the google is too difficult.

In the writer's guild, 1% make 6 figures or more. The vast majority of the writers make around or less than a high school teacher, which is in the vicinity of $30,000 to $40,000.

The writers get paid from the studio 1) to write, 2) when they finish what they've written, and 3) when someone pays them for what they've written. When they aren't writing, they're selling it to studios. The rest of the income they get is from residuals, the percentage that they get when what they've written is successful. It's X amount for x number of runs, and decreases over time. If the project is not successful, then there is no residuals and the writer makes do with what the studio paid them.

The main point of the strike is an increase in the percentage they receive from every DVD sold, which is currently $0.04. They want $0.08. The writers also want to receive residuals from the new methods of distribution.

 

[raybia]

I would do it if X-Files was still on the air but alas...

 

[Jerry!]

The X Files needed new writers, not the same writers. Man that show was getting bad at the end.

 

[raybia]

The X Files needed new writers, not the same writers. Man that show was getting bad at the end.

Sad but true. Of course Duchovny leaving sure didn't help things towards the end.

 

[Lackey]

In the writer's guild, 1% make 6 figures or more. The vast majority of the writers make around or less than a high school teacher, which is in the vicinity of $30,000 to $40,000.

the average writer gets paid $200,000 a year

 

[Addendum]

the average writer gets paid $200,000 a year

Source please.

The source for my information was this, which states that only 100 writers are in the top level category which earns 500K - 1M on a script, and this, which states that "a majority of WGA members sell maybe one or 2 scripts per year, and that same majority earn less than 45k per year, less than many grade school teachers".

And before you ask, J. Michael Straczynski is a writer with 20+ years of experience writing, and a member of the WGA, so I think he knows more about it than you.

 

[LeChuck]

You know, I don't even understand why we need writers. Not like I have to pay someone a couple mil just so he can string my awesome action sequences together. Car explosion here, giant robot there, couple non-offensive blackies with guns...you got yourself a hit. I mean you think I honestly need a writer to do The Island. F*** no. I'm awesome and Will Smith, Shia LaBouf, Megan Fox and friggin Martin Lawerence and make it up as they go along. You know what, f*** it, I'm hiring my friggin grandma...she has my hair...to write Transformers 2. You know, I'll watch a few of the old episodes...maybe pull a couple of phrases out of there. Have Peter Cullen say them in that b*tchin' ass voice of his. It'll be awesome. Friggin sweep the academy. No Country for Old Men...pfft. Cop film. HEL-LOOO. Already covered that stuff with Bad Boys I AND II.

So to recap: writer's, who needs 'em? I'm awesome. Megan Fox is hawt. Get me my friggin latte. I'm outte five thousand. Peace nerds.

Bay...booyah!

Awesome. :gaudysmiley:

 

[BigBad]

The writers agree a percentage when they sign up to the profession, they know what's offered. If they dont like it find another job...

 

[hammy]

 

[Addendum]

The writers agree a percentage when they sign up to the profession, they know what's offered. If they dont like it find another job...

Because that extra 4 cents from every DVD sold going to the writers will bankrupt the industry

 

[Alex The Great]

dear writers: Danm you for forcing me to watch re-runs of the Colbert Report!!!

 

[hammy]

dear writers: Danm you for forcing me to watch re-runs of the Colbert Report!!!

Try this instead: Dear Greedy networks and studios, damn you for not being fair to the writers and instigating a strike. Why don't any of you guysproduce some scripts worthy of production? Hmmm.

 

[BigBad]

Try this instead: Dear Greedy networks and studios, damn you for not being fair to the writers and instigating a strike. Why don't any of you guysproduce some scripts worthy of production? Hmmm.

Be honest, most of the crap the writers come up with doesnt even justify half their wages. Greedy bastards, as I said before find another job if you cant handle what you have now.It's not like the writers are hard up....
What you people dont seem to understand is when a writer finshes a script thay have been employed to write and they hand it over to the studio, that script is then the studios property. The writers are finished with it and have no right to it from then on, they are owed nothing. If anything strike for a better rate of initial pay...

 

[Alex The Great]

 

[Addendum]

So do you complain when your favorite author receives 12% to 15% from every book sold, since they sold what they wrote to the publisher, BigBad?

 

[BigBad]

So do you complain when your favorite author receives 12% to 15% from every book sold, since they sold what they wrote to the publisher, BigBad?

You can't compare the two examples, they are completely different.

 

[Addendum]

Actually they are.

The writer writes the tv series, movie, or in the case of print, a book.

The studio buys the tv series or movie to distribute it, and the publisher buys the book to distribute it.

 

[C.F. Kane]

You know, I don't even understand why we need writers. Not like I have to pay someone a couple mil just so he can string my awesome action sequences together. Car explosion here, giant robot there, couple non-offensive blackies with guns...you got yourself a hit. I mean you think I honestly need a writer to do The Island. F*** no. I'm awesome and Will Smith, Shia LaBouf, Megan Fox and friggin Martin Lawerence and make it up as they go along. You know what, f*** it, I'm hiring my friggin grandma...she has my hair...to write Transformers 2. You know, I'll watch a few of the old episodes...maybe pull a couple of phrases out of there. Have Peter Cullen say them in that b*tchin' ass voice of his. It'll be awesome. Friggin sweep the academy. No Country for Old Men...pfft. Cop film. HEL-LOOO. Already covered that stuff with Bad Boys I AND II.

So to recap: writer's, who needs 'em? I'm awesome. Megan Fox is hawt. Get me my friggin latte. I'm outte five thousand. Peace nerds.

Bay...booyah!

Haha!

 

[BigBad]

Actually they are.

The writer writes the tv series, movie, or in the case of print, a book.

The studio buys the tv series or movie to distribute it, and the publisher buys the book to distribute it.

It's a completly different system As you should know - writers are often brought in by the studio to esentially fullfill a task. This is not the case with most authors...

 

[Addendum]

Yeah, like CBS created The Twilight Zone instead of Rod Serling, or Paramount created Star Trek instead of Gene Roddenberry, or Warner Brothers created Babylon 5 instead of J. Michael Straczynski, or Fox created Family Guy, The Simpsons, and King of the Hill, instead of Seth McFarlane, Matt Groening, or Mike Judge, respectively.

You have no damn clue what you're talking about.

 

[hammy]

Be honest, most of the crap the writers come up with doesnt even justify half their wages. Greedy bastards, as I said before find another job if you cant handle what you have now.It's not like the writers are hard up....
What you people dont seem to understand is when a writer finshes a script thay have been employed to write and they hand it over to the studio, that script is then the studios property. The writers are finished with it and have no right to it from then on, they are owed nothing. If anything strike for a better rate of initial pay...

That's not much of an argument. I agree there's a lot of crap on tv, but the networks and studios that air that crap aren't complaining, they're profiting. Let me ask you this then, when an actor finishes a project, should that be the end of his pay? Because it isn't .. he gets residuals on future sales/airings, etc. It's essentially the same concept with the writer.

Did you even read my post at the top of the page? Because it sounds like what you're saying is, 'screw you, writers. The studios and networks should make ALL the money off of your talents/contributions and you don't deserve any.' That makes no sense.

 

[SoulManX]

Big Bad don't ever be a writer

 

[hammy]

Apparently everybody but the writer should profit from their work.

 

[Matt]

Incorrect. Insiders who shop at my comic shop, have already told us that producers are working out an offer as the advertisers have already cut back nearly 25% with threat of cutting more.

Wow, really? Impressive. In that case I am making the call right now, Empress