In case you haven't heard, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is currently on strike. The WGA's contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is currently up for negotiation. The writers want to ensure that they will receive residuals for their work even when it is shown in new media like The Internet and on Cell Phones. I whole-heartedly support them in this aim. The Hollywood landscape has changed significantly over the past ten years. It is becoming increasingly difficult for artists (writers, actors, etc) to make a living solely as artists. In part this is due to the splitting of the ad revenue pie, but it is my suspicion that this is more due to an upwards funneling of funds.
A writers strike means that eventually all (good) fictional film and tv production will shut down. Actors are great, energetic, and empathetic people. But the vast majority of improv shows are horrible and patently unentertaining. Good writing is what makes this whole acting thing a fun and rewarding enterprise.
The writers strike translates into a long time where I will have no opportunity to work in TV & Film. This is honestly no different from what I've been doing lately. The student films I'm acting in will be largely unaffected, and the same is true for commercials. I'm taking the strike as an opportunity to work more hours in my survival job and save up money for classes and self-promotion. Also, on a purely selfish note: the strike has the possibility of scaring off some of my competition.
Anyhow: Writers, my thoughts are with you. Stay strong. You're work is important and you deserve to be fairly compensated for it. Your fight is our fight.
In reference to playing Gandalf in Lord of the Rings Sir Ian McKellan said* "And how did I know what to say? The words were written down for me in a script."
*In a hugely entertaining scripted scene in the show "Extras".
No comments:
Post a Comment