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One year after Hollywood writers strike, not everyone believes it was worth it
Writers walk the picket line on the second day of the television and movie writers strike outside Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on May 3.
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Frederic J. Brown
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Topline:
The 2023’s writers strike ended a year ago on Sept. 27, but on the occasion of this anniversary, not everyone believes the long work stoppage was worth it.
Why it matters: One writer described the end of the strike as if “a war ended.” For nearly five months, scribes fought for what they perceived to be an existential battle for the future of their profession. But as the entertainment industry continues to contract, resulting in fewer productions moving forward, writers still fear the ongoing job loss and financial strife.
Some notable benefits: That said, where work has resumed and development and production activity is inching its way back, mid-level TV writers can finally use the new stipulation in the WGA contract that mandates they can go to set and produce episodes of the shows they’ve written. Writers have also benefited from weekly minimums going up to 5%, and two unnamed Netflix shows crossed the viewership threshold to trigger additional writer bonuses.
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State of mini-rooms: One of the key sticking points of the strike was the complicated argument around mini-rooms used for early series development. Though the Writers Guild of America touts that writers in pre-greenlight development rooms have now enjoyed a 73% spike in wages, some TV agents and writers have expressed frustration. In the eyes of studios, they claim, the minimum room sizes have basically become maximums as studios look to cut costs.
For more ... read the full story on The Ankler.
This story is published in partnership with The Ankler, a paid subscription publication about the entertainment industry.
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