This week, on my early morning walk I decided it was time to educate myself more comprehensively on the ongoing W.G.A (Writers Guild of America) strike. Without knowing the ins and outs, I understood that the Writer’s Guild are advocating for fairer compensation, creative and occupational dignity, as well as safeguarding jobs against changing technology. So, as an eagle flew majestically in the distance and baby geese padded around the grass, I popped in a Podcast and started walking.
In a sense, it’s a clashing of creative industry with tech magnates, an alchemy that (at first) appeared full of promise and abundance. The entire landscape of content consumption shifted. Compensation did not. The paradigm of television continues to change — Eg. with a domination of streaming and subscriptions — and these services continue making billions of dollars from the content on their platforms.
When shows are rewatched countless times, the unchanged model and stagnated compensation doesn’t allow for changes. Lack of residuals ultimately exploits those writing the material, who are clearly fundamental to something being popular or of high quality. I mean… They write the stuff from nothing. This strike is not simply about the writers but is setting the precedent for other disciplines within the industry.
I’m no expert, so I’ll break it down under the main categories as learned through Jameela Jamil’s excellent podcast I Weigh (JJ = honestly one of my major crushes). This episode, she chatted to Megan Amran who has worked on shows like The Good Place and Bumper in Berlin. Megan has been on the picket line during this strike. The notes below are largely from her explanations.
- Reconsidering the job of a writer and safeguarding this role:
Film and TV writers should not be all freelance. Encouraging ‘gig economy’ reduces security for writers, excludes them from health insurance, and often means less pay.
- Striking against the ‘mini room’:
The traditional writer’s room included around 10 – 15 people, which can last for multiple months to a year, depending on length of the show. A mini room is now a handful of writers (often upper-level already) recruited for a few weeks at a time, who are expected to ‘break’ the stories, or figure out the major plot-points in a series of television. They then hand this off to a showrunner who may have to write the show by themselves. This is “neglecting to give good, solid jobs to the people in the mini room and then the showrunner is expected to do an overwhelming amount of work.” (Megan Amran) It also makes it more difficult for upcoming and fresh writers to break through as jobs are scarcer and more competitive. Having ample experience is often a prerequisite.
- The new model also limits the opportunity for writers to be on set:
This is a part of the company’s efforts to reduce contract lengths and cut costs. Having the writers on set is important to make sure the show is in the correct voice, allows for a collaborative environment and keep things dynamic and fluid. Jokes or ideas can even be pitched on the fly. The actors can ask live questions, clear any possible confusion, and the writers are able to get to know the actors. This promotes a shared confidence and synergy, which can then feed into future seasons and scripts (as the writers can begin tailoring characters more instinctually to the actors). Real-time collaboration and communication make better projects, which will often result in another season or (more) viewers.
- Streaming and Residuals:
If people continue to consume something repetitively (or it eventually gains popularity) the writers should be compensated for this and rewarded for the work, longevity and quality. Especially in an uncertain industry, where there may be long spells between jobs, residuals are incredibly important. Streaming is now a huge way to watch television as the model has changed.
- Why Compensation is so important:
The job of a writer is not a yearly salary and can be paid a lump sum (which often gets whittled away to manager, tax, lawyer, and may cover multiple year’s worth of work and rewrites.) A side-effect of being a creative is unpaid labour and additional, invisible work. This isn’t even built into the strike. The writers are simply asking for fair, reasonable compensation outside of potential rewrites or overtime hours required to fine-tune and complete creative projects. Often the pay may trickle in over the course of months or years for a project, in sporadic payments. This also takes into consideration health insurance. Again, writing is not as steady a job as a full-time 9 to 5 gig.
- Fighting to protect diverse writers and voices:
People who are already on the back foot have a much harder time becoming a full-time writer because the compensation isn’t livable, especially with the financial structure. People who don’t come from wealthy backgrounds have less wiggle room. Diverse voices need to be in the room in order to write authentic stories and represent all diasporas and experiences.
- AI and the parameters around its usage:
The language models are exponentially improving — the writers are putting into place the idea that Chat GPT has to be used as a tool rather than an entity.
I recently visited LA and saw crowds of writers marching around Paramount Studios, brandishing placards1. There was a lot of chatter, and it was encouraging to see a show of solidarity, emphasised by hooting car horns as they passed.
Amid this writers’ strike I’ve been thinking back to Covid days and the importance art and creation played during a bleak, anxious and uncertain time. The value of storytelling should not be underestimated or undervalued, and I firmly stand behind the striking writers calling to be fairly compensated for their work and contribution to the world.
We should all care about this. Support reflects in our want for fair pay, and to preserve quality art, diversity and human creation.
Stay tuned — Thinking about all this had me digging back into my archives. I’m going to publish a lost and found piece I wrote during the Pandemic on my Corona viewing habits. Should be up in the next few days!
One of my favourites: “I would have come up with a better sign, but I’m on Strike.”