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IATSE sources tell me that the number of TV shows that have shut down because of the writers walkout was 50 at the beginning of this week. And, by the end of this week, that number will be over 100. Here's my latest LA Weekly column on the strike and TV.
Impact Of WGA Strike On TV Production
By Nikki Finke | Category: LA Weekly | Wednesday November 14, 2007 @ 4:00pm PST
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Title Studio Gross 1 Alice In Wonderland Disney $62.7 M 2 Green Zone Universal $14.3 M 3 Shes Out Of My Leag Paramount $9.8 M 4 Shutter Island Paramount $8.1 M 5 Remember Me Summit $8.1 M 6 Our Family Wedding Fox $7.6 M 7 Avatar Fox $6.5 M 8 Brooklyns Finest Overture $4.5 M 9 Cop Out Warner $4.3 M 10 The Crazies Overture $3.7 M 11 Percy Jackson Fox $3.1 M 12 Crazy Heart Fox $3.0 M 13 The Blind Side Warner $1.6 M 14 Valentines Day Warner $1.4 M 15 Ghost Writer Summit $1.2 M 16 Dear John Sony $1.0 M 17 Tooth Fairy Fox $0.7 M 18 Alvin And Chipmunks Fox $0.5 M 19 Last Station SPC $0.4 M 20 The Wolfman Universal $0.4M SOURCE: RENTRAKBox Office Poll
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Wow. So many innocent bystanders to the strike out of work for the holidays. That is really terribly sad.
Big Media’s indifference to their plight is especially disturbing. They probably care even less about them than they seem to about writers.
The evidence that this is purely a move of greed by Big Media has become overwhelming, yet they won’t even talk about making a fair deal that takes a little out of their deep pockets to keep an industry of hard working people employed.
Disgusting.
Good.
My McShow shuts down today. I sure hope this works. And soon. Merry $trikemas.
the amtpt has never missed an opportunity to distinguish itself as a bunch of selfish assholes. Merry x-mas, Tools.
100 shows sound like a lot… Are there even TV shows with WGA members?
I was picketing today and came down with the holiday blues. I stay steadfast to our strike, but can’t help but feel sad thinking about going through Thanksgiving and Xmas realy strapped financially. I feel even worse for production crew who live paycheck to paycheck.
Nikki, what’s going on with the agents? The Governor? The Mayor? The Federal Mediator? United Hollywood says to prepare ourselves for 60 days. I am truly scared about not only the immediate future, but my career, as the show I was lucky enough to get staffed on won’t be coming back, so I can potentially not land a position in a writers room for a while. Ugh.
And even if we average the small shows (Late night) and the large shows (1 hours) we can assume roughly 100 crew members per show — so 10,000 people are out of work right now…
You say big media indifference how about the writers indifference. They made a decision to walk and for you not to hold them equally accountable is crazy.
@ Klaatu -
What exactly is good about this? That thousands of people are out of work — possibly through the holidays? That writers have to periodically risk everything to get a fair slice of the pie?
The strike may be necessary. It will hopefully be effective. But it certianly ain’t good.
It’s sad that the heads of the studios have cost so many people their jobs right at the holiday season.
Please get back to the table, Nick Counter — unless you want to be known as the Grinch who Stole Christmas.
Good?
Good that so many people are out of work?
At the end of the day, no decent human being (short of studio execs) is going to side with the conglomerates.
However, this wanting of the disruption and chaos that will, in the end, only cripple the middle class and the poor is . . . well, it’s almost as evil-minded as the moguls now, ain’t it?
So be careful what you wish for. You don’t want to turn into one of them.
In the meantime, let’s be sensible and hope for the two sides to get back in the room!
I’d like to offer my view on these current events, a view that I’ve not yet seen reflected on this blog: Frustration towards BOTH parties. I have friends & neighbors who have careers in all facets of this industry, from Craft Service to Director of Photography to Post-Production Sound, and they are being greatly impacted by this strike, to the point that they have either lost their jobs already or are facing immediate layoffs. Why? Because the Producers won’t give and the Writers keep holding out for more. Who’s to blame? BOTH PARTIES. I think it is incredibly selfish for both AMPTP and WGA to plunge thousands of innocent bystanders into financial uncertainty and inevitable holiday stress just because neither one of them will come back to the table, let alone bargain fairly. And guess what? Not all of those poor folks who are now out of a job are very supportive of this strike! Maybe that comes as news to you, but to someone who is living with the consequences of other people actions, it comes as no surprise whatsoever.
Regular people are suffering. Pizzas delivered to the strike lines and blacked-out fan sites don’t pay the mortgage, folks. END IT NOW.
I get the feeling that every time a show shuts down and good people lose their jobs, a gleeful studio executive makes another notch in his/her red pitchfork…
In the article, Nikki says that the strike will likely go until June. Is this truly the conventional wisdom? I’ve heard different theories, but who knows — maybe other people do and I’m out of the loop.
What will it take for the strike to end sooner? Are we all just at the whim of the moguls who can afford to wait it out? Is there something that could happen that would truly help the writers to apply pressure?
I can’t tell if this really affects the studios or not — I guess I just don’t understand the accounting of it all. Are the potential losses offset by what they’d save in deals? It seems like ad revenue would go way down with re-runs. It seems like it’s a numbers issue, and I just don’t understand the numbers that well, I guess.
It’s also hard to tell if anything really is happening behind-the-scenes or not.
So…a lot of questions. I think it’s because of lot of “givens” are tossed around that I have no idea of evualting whether it’s just fact of speculation. I guess alot of us are in the dark.
Klaatu, why would you say “good”? I work on a show where people are completely terrified by this whole situation…most of the staff and crew don’t make the money writers make, or get residuals. The show shuts down, they’re screwed. Some may wait it out, some may try to find new jobs….so when the strike is over, the writers get their new residuals, and the show comes back to production – half the crew might be gone, and the ones that come back will be broke (morale and cash-wise).
It may sound like I’m anti-writer …actually, I do support the writers in this strike. It’s heartless and cruel that the studios won’t even just TALK right now. The reality for everyone else who works on a TV show right now is bleak and scary because of this whole thing.
it’s so gross when Peter Chernin brags about how cutting these people’s jobs is good for business.
I’m not sure how it comes across online, but I can say every picket I’m on (8 days strong), writers are definitely not happy about other crew losing jobs. The worst part of being on strike.
Who are these people? how do they sleep at night? This could be fixed so easily.
At the bottom of this is six greedy moguls, all who make in excess of 20 million a year, trying to pummel artists into taking as little money as possible for stuff they create, with the collateral damage of putting thousands of other crewmembers and local business in the shit for the holidays.
Good times. Corporations are great.
Undoubtedly, a lot of IATSE members will be hit hardest by this strike. However, there is an opportunity for solidarity here.
Perhaps the WGA-East could offer their picket support to IATSE stage workers in New York as a token of good will, a proof that they actually believe in organized labor, not just their own bank account.
Call me naive.
Let’s be honest here – both sides are to blame. Neither of them have shown any remorse for the thousands of workers, especially those at the bottom of the food chain, that they’re about to put out of work.
Big Media didn’t decide to strike – the WGA decided to strike. Patrick Verrone had the ability to postpone the WGA East from striking while the AMPTP and WGA were still negotiating on Sunday and he chose not to. That was a decision that carried consequences.
Diligent Worker,
Please make a suggestion to get AMPTP back to the table to simply negotiate. Thanks!
I think everyone should just put a call into all the major AMPTP members everyday. Clog their phone lines.
Guess what, many writers are at the bottom of the food chain. Many of my colleagues and I earn less than the below the line employees. (I hate that term.)
I went over to a neighbor who works as a set decorator and apologized for closing down her show. (That’s right, she lives in the same neighborhood as I do, the writer.) She said, “Don’t apologize. You’re doing the right thing. If you don’t get paid a decent wage, just wait till they start in on my salary.”
Ridiculous – the actual events of that meeting are disputed, and it could easily be argued that Counter baited the WGA into calling the strike at midnight by completely going back on their word about negotiating serious on new media and forcing the WGA to strike.
Also, the WGA went on strike was of course, their decision. That’s how strikes work.
But when exactly is it okay to draw a line? Only when no one will suffer? Only when there will be no collateral damage to anyone?
THAT’S ridiculous. Because those conditions never exist. Should writers accept an unacceptable deal just to save other people’s jobs? Since when is that their responsbility and not that of their employers?
I would understand blame for the writers if their demands were unreasonable. They’re simply not.
THOSE WHO BLAME WRITERS –
what would you like to see as remorse? I feel remorse. But I am not the crew’s employer.
what would you like me to do?
I’ve had a good few years, but make less than many union crew members.
I’m pretty much in the middle here – I think the writers should get what they’re asking for (give or take a tenth of a % or so on the New Media residuals), but I don’t think they NEEDED to go on strike to get it. Obviously they think they did, that’s their opinion, and I respect that. Likewise, I think the AMPTP care more about keeping their own pockets lined than anything, they’ve yet to give a solid explanation as to why they’ve ignored the New Media topic in the negotiations. I’m just disappointed that neither side is acknowledging publicly that thousands are people are becoming unemployed, due to the shortcomings of BOTH sides. IMO, it mirrors the problem with the political system in the country – everyone wants to talk and no one wants to listen. Though I’ll give the writers credit, they’re more willing to compromise and negotiate than the AMPTP are. On a similar note, I think it’s ironic that the WGA’s big hangup is residuals, when the guild has kept millions in residual money from its members.
I don’t think the writers should cave to a crappy deal, I don’t think the studios should bow to the writers’ every wish, and obviously neither of these things are happening. I do think that both sides should compromise a bit for the thousands of other workers who aren’t represented by either side who are being put out of work and can’t do a darn thing about it. But what annoys me the most, like I’ve said, is that neither side has made it out to be anything than “Us Vs. Them” and ignored those of us being put out of work.
Here’s the thing one general crew worker doesn’t understand, and why a lot of people hold the writers responsible. The WGA could have easily waited until June for a walkout. Kept people in jobs through the season, coordinated with the DGA and SAG to TRULY shut down the industry, and hold the new fall season hostage while reducing some collateral damage. But no, they just had to have the holy war they’ve been gearing up for over the past few years, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that the studios were HOPING they went on strike so they could cut some overhead, kill the failing season, and wait you out while they chuckle at “bring a star to the strike day.” So while we generally agree with you, you’ll have to forgive us if we resent your horrific business sense and the fantasy land “working man brings down the studios” script you’ve all apparently written for yourselves. The rest of us realize the studios are happy to wait you out and cut a deal with all 3 unions in the spring/summer, while we all suffer.
Setting up picket lines at the studios is good for visibility, but if you really want to make a point, picket where a work stoppage will really hurt. Who owns NBC Universal? GE. What do they make? Everything, like jet engines. Set up a picket line at one of their plants and see how fast this strike is over when they aren’t making jet engines. As long as the teamsters support the WGA, they won’t cross a line anywhere in the country. NBC Universal is just a right off to these folks. Take away a real product that makes them billions, and they’ll find a way to get the writers back to work.
Writers struck our show today at a downtown location. They didn’t win any friends on the crew, believe me. First, nobody showed up until 9 ish (we began at 6), and then they were gone by lunch. Nobody respects that. If you’re going to rub our noses in it, at least stick out one entire production day. Just one, end to end. Perhaps you’ll have more respect for our side of the story, sideshow though it may be. One of these goofballs even brought a video camera. I don’t know if it was the red t-shirts in the hot sun or what, but they didn’t last too long. Shouting out rhymes against Les Moonves really does nothing but irk the rank and file, in-the-trenches, sweating-in-the-sun crew person. Guess what? Moonves ISN’T on set! He can’t HEAR you. Everyone was happy to see them go. We rolled back to our trucks about 9 pm and of course, no writers were to be found. It seems like bankers hours to the regular folks on the crew. The feeling was that the writer(s)’ got paid for that episode we were shooting, so why shouldn’t we?
Circles, people, you’re all talking in circles. They are not coming back to the table until the WGA is crippled beyond belief. Why won’t people just acknowledge this? The WGA is going to lose, because the decisions are not in the moguls hands exclusively, but in the hands of the shareholders.
So if their accountants and financial advisor’s say that a strike helps their bottom line, they are going to wait this bad boy out.
The carnage that will be felt will suck pretty badly. However, if you chose this profession, this shouldn’t be a surprise to you.
It’s the most cutthroat business in America (other than politics) and this is what happens to most people. Sometimes life sucks.
Suddenly Unemployed, finally someone who sees where all this greed starts. I hope the WGA gets wind of this and does exactly what you are saying. You are right, the strike will be over the next day!
1. Yes, good.
2. The faster shows shut down, the shorter this strike will be.
3. The only way to hurt the studios is to have shows shut down.
4. Crew members do get residuals. 55% of IATSE’s health and pension contributions come from residual payments made by the studios when programs get reused. Internet use is REPLACING television reruns. So, you will lose MORE THAN HALF of your health and pension. Also, you have a clause in your contracts that says if we get residuals for new media, so do you. Learn the facts.
5. No one, EXCEPT THE STUDIOS, wants you to be out of work. Writers have been out of work since this thing started.
6. If you were being fucked up the ass like we are (which you are or will be), you would strike too.
7. If you did strike, you would want as many shows as possible to shut down as fast as possible. Otherwise you’d be striking for nothing.
8. So, yes it’s GOOD that show’s are shutting down. You want me to want them to flourish and make money while the writers are on strike?
9. Did I mention it’s good?
10. I can’t stop at nine. So this is ten.
How many writer/producers are still
receiving their producer checks? How
many writers are getting residual checks
in the mail still? So what are they
really putting on the line by striking?
After 35 years in the business as an AC
I have found in general that writers are
elitess SP’s who are above the line,
rude, overpaid, we think crew members
are trailer trash, assholes. They are
in the same class as the producers and
studio executives and deserve each other.
They (writers and producers) couldn’t
even try to continue talks through the
holidays and hold off a strike till after
the 1st of the year so that families
could get through the season with some
sort of normalcy because they are Godless
elitess arrogant snobs. And you might
as well add in SAG as well although
there are exceptions in all above the
line and I respect that of those few.
Happy Holidays and may you reap what you sow.