The Writer’s Strike
I’m writing a little early today because I’m leaving camp in the morning, but I’ll be writing about the Hollywood Writers Strike. The Hollywood screenwriters decided to go on strike a couple of months ago in response to a lot of different factors. The biggest one is the effects of streaming services on revenue for writers. It used to be that when shows went on reruns, writers would collect revenue. That system doesn’t work with streaming services. Writers weren’t collecting anything, and they wanted that to change. Other factors included: AI in the future of writing, the length of writer contracts, and baseline compensation.
Writers will win this as they always do. Unfortunately, there just aren’t that many great writers in the world. The world is especially lacking in writers who are good enough to make truly excellent movies or TV shows. There are enough to make putrid, rancid, and disgusting shows like Velma though. Writers don’t believe they are being compensated enough, and they believe the system is broken. They are brought in on hyper-short six-month contracts and then they leave. This system also breaks a system that allows for development. Development that takes a writer up to head writer, showrunner, and eventually producer. Writers aren’t even allowed on sets anymore, shows take a hit on quality, but the studios save a quick buck. Writers also really are scared of AI, and the presence of AI in writing rooms. I don’t think they’re going to win that one though, AI will eventually work its way into the writing rooms. Most likely in a capacity on really bad formulaic shows such as Blue Bloods or any million cop shows. AI would most likely take over the role of coming up with a raw story which would then be edited and played with by actual humans. However, writers will win on every other point. They will get longer contracts, they will get more time to write, and they will somehow be compensated for streaming. Maybe the writers will receive a portion per each full stream of a show or movie on the streaming service. But the real losers here will be the studios.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m on the writer’s side. Any time there is a union striking against something with immense power and money I am generally (not always) on the side of the striking. I think the writers have been getting stiffed over for a while, and I believe one of the great freedoms of America is the right to fight for justice in any form. I believe the writers are well within their rights, and I applaud them. However, I just don’t know if the studios can pay much more. In a couple of years, once mergers have taken effect, and streaming services have stopped spending at such an exponential rate they may be able to spend more. None of these companies are releasing stellar earnings reports: Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. They can pay, they always find a way. But, as a shareholder in Disney, it does give me some pause. Already besieged from all sides it feels, I don’t know how much more Disney can give. Then I say to myself, they can give more. Billions in profit, hundreds of billions in market value, they can pay these writers enough so they don’t have to work a second job. The writers will win, especially if the actors decide to strike as well. But, I just have some pause.
