Comments on: On Strike With the Writer’s Guild of America http://www.mikeroberto.com/2007/11/27/on-strike-with-the-writers-guild-of-america/ Berto's rants on technology, sports, and heavy music Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:34:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Sarah http://www.mikeroberto.com/2007/11/27/on-strike-with-the-writers-guild-of-america/#comment-47980 Sarah Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:28:09 +0000 http://www.mikeroberto.com/2007/11/27/on-strike-with-the-writers-guild-of-america/#comment-47980 Even an anti-union libertarian seems to get it. Why can't the studios? Thanks for supporting us on the picket line. When we win our fight, I'll use my four cents to buy you a piece of bubblegum. Even an anti-union libertarian seems to get it. Why can’t the studios?

Thanks for supporting us on the picket line. When we win our fight, I’ll use my four cents to buy you a piece of bubblegum.

]]> By: John Handcock http://www.mikeroberto.com/2007/11/27/on-strike-with-the-writers-guild-of-america/#comment-47952 John Handcock Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:19:15 +0000 http://www.mikeroberto.com/2007/11/27/on-strike-with-the-writers-guild-of-america/#comment-47952 Everyone is a pawn in the system except the CEOs, so I don't think it's a matter of branching out and creating a writer studio. Then the actors would create an actor studio and the producers a producer studio, and television/movies would swirl further down the toilet. If the 2.5% you mentioned is what has been the working pay-paradigm for television writers, I cannot understand how that same figure does not directly translate to "new media." Even if the money in new media is less than that of old media, it's still the same slice size of simply a smaller pie. I think the way that things work now is the way they have to work, but it might take a protracted strike for these uber-wealthy studio executives to realize that Jim Morrison was right: They've got the guns, but we've got the numbers. There's no profit to be had in running a studio without the creative engine of writers. A new slate of reality programming might be headed our way, but I imagine while some will catch, the majority will pass by in utter failure. Writers might seem like creepy crybabies, but it takes creepy crybabies who've been shit on their whole lives and who were forced to develop a keen wit and wild imagination in order to overcome the bleak reality of their shituation in order to develop the bittersweet creativity necessary to create worlds and people and situations that go beyond the limits of your common yokel's imagination. All it takes is five minutes of YouTubing to see just why the deep pockets of major corporations are necessary to create a full season of quality programming. For ever "I like turtles" gem you find, there are literally 10,000 videos of disturbingly low-quality production and creativity. A full season of a major production like a show like Friday Night Lights, 22 episodes at 43 minutes per episode, is something like, if my multiplication is correct, and it's probably not (I'm a writer), 946 minutes of production. "I like turtles" was 30 seconds. So, sadly, the current system of deep-pocketed megacorps is a necessary evil. But I agree: more competition is more than necessary. Everyone is a pawn in the system except the CEOs, so I don’t think it’s a matter of branching out and creating a writer studio. Then the actors would create an actor studio and the producers a producer studio, and television/movies would swirl further down the toilet.

If the 2.5% you mentioned is what has been the working pay-paradigm for television writers, I cannot understand how that same figure does not directly translate to “new media.” Even if the money in new media is less than that of old media, it’s still the same slice size of simply a smaller pie.

I think the way that things work now is the way they have to work, but it might take a protracted strike for these uber-wealthy studio executives to realize that Jim Morrison was right: They’ve got the guns, but we’ve got the numbers.

There’s no profit to be had in running a studio without the creative engine of writers. A new slate of reality programming might be headed our way, but I imagine while some will catch, the majority will pass by in utter failure. Writers might seem like creepy crybabies, but it takes creepy crybabies who’ve been shit on their whole lives and who were forced to develop a keen wit and wild imagination in order to overcome the bleak reality of their shituation in order to develop the bittersweet creativity necessary to create worlds and people and situations that go beyond the limits of your common yokel’s imagination.

All it takes is five minutes of YouTubing to see just why the deep pockets of major corporations are necessary to create a full season of quality programming. For ever “I like turtles” gem you find, there are literally 10,000 videos of disturbingly low-quality production and creativity. A full season of a major production like a show like Friday Night Lights, 22 episodes at 43 minutes per episode, is something like, if my multiplication is correct, and it’s probably not (I’m a writer), 946 minutes of production. “I like turtles” was 30 seconds.

So, sadly, the current system of deep-pocketed megacorps is a necessary evil.

But I agree: more competition is more than necessary.

]]> By: lon http://www.mikeroberto.com/2007/11/27/on-strike-with-the-writers-guild-of-america/#comment-47926 lon Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:38:53 +0000 http://www.mikeroberto.com/2007/11/27/on-strike-with-the-writers-guild-of-america/#comment-47926 An internet television network! Down with the terrestrial television networks! It is the only next logical step. Newspapers are sinking because of the internet, why not the networks? They put out nothing but crap these days anyway. An internet television network! Down with the terrestrial television networks! It is the only next logical step. Newspapers are sinking because of the internet, why not the networks? They put out nothing but crap these days anyway.

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