A writers’ strike is looming in Hollywood, and it could disrupt the future of television and film as we know it. Over the past few months, ongoing negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have resulted in the WGA voting yes to allow a May Day strike (with a margin historical 97.85%). ) if it was not possible to reach an agreement on their next three-year contract. According to Variety, the strike call is the result of the WGA seeking changes to writers’ pay and working conditions in Hollywood – including a “drastically increased minimums, better formula for residuals on platforms streaming and a minimum staffing requirement for all TVs”. show.”
What happens during a writers’ strike, you might be wondering? Well, WGA member writers — including their agents or anyone acting on their behalf — are prohibited from writing, presenting, or negotiating work during the strike. The goal, according to the union, is to ensure the best possible deal for writers in the future.
The Writers’ Strike of 2023 is largely fueled by the entertainment industry’s major shift to streaming content. While TV shows and movies have adapted to the ever-changing technological age, one thing that hasn’t changed is how studios pay creators. “Companies have used the transition to streaming to cut writers’ pay and separate writing from production, worsening working conditions for series writers across the board,” the WGA explained in a March 14 bulletin. . As a result, TV writer Danny Tolli told The New York Times: “Writers at all levels and in all genres, whether it’s feature films or TV, we’re all devalued and financially exploited. by the studios.”
So what does all of this mean for the future of entertainment? Ahead, find a guide to the 2023 Writers’ Strike with all the answers to your biggest questions.
What is a writers’ strike?
According to Vox, a writers’ strike occurs when members of the WGA, the union to which most writers employed in Hollywood belong, stop working until the organization reaches an agreement with the AMPTP, which negotiates on behalf of all major studios and hundreds of production companies. This means that no member is allowed to write or sell new scripts for TV shows or movies until the WGA votes to end the strike. And in most cases, that also means writers are not paid for the duration of the strike.
A writers’ strike doesn’t just affect those who contribute creatively to TV shows or movies, it also affects those who work in other areas of the entertainment industry when production shuts down – including caterers, dressers, directors and background actors, who then have to find other work in the meantime. And it also hits those at home, as TV shows get delayed or abruptly shorten seasons.
When was the last writers’ strike?
The last time a writers’ strike of this magnitude occurred was in 2007 – which resulted in many scripted shows having their seasons shortened, some late-night shows being forced out and extension of some reality shows or new seasons, by Vox. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this strike lasted 100 days, ending on February 12, 2008, and cost the Los Angeles economy $2.1 billion. A new three-year contract was finally approved by the WGA at the time, but streaming wasn’t a big part of that conversation. Now, it seems Hollywood studios still haven’t figured out how to fit those residues into what writers are earning today.
Why is a writers’ strike happening in 2023?
This year’s writers’ strike has been in the air for months, with the Los Angeles Times reporting a potential strike in February. At this point, it looks like writers and Hollywood companies won’t be able to settle their differences, which is why the industry is about to call its first writers’ strike in 15 years. According to the New York Times, writers are fighting for raises while studios argue that a new pay structure ignores economic realities. If an agreement is not reached by the end of the day on May 1, a writers’ strike could begin as early as 12:01 a.m. PT the next day.
What does the Writers Guild of America require?
The main issue the writers are threatening to hit on is compensation, which the WGA says has been negatively affected by the recent streaming takeover. Demands from writers also revolve around pay equity, residuals for feature films in theaters and streaming, better pre-production writers’ rooms, increased contributions to the pension plan and the health fund of the WGA, and more measures to combat discrimination and harassment. For the full list of demands, visit the WGA’s 2023 contract website.
Which TV shows will be affected by the 2023 writers’ strike?
If the strike goes into effect on May 2, all shows that produce immediate work would be affected, such as “Saturday Night Live” and late-night talk shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” all of which could face shortened seasons. Then, broadcast TV shows scheduled to return in the fall will most likely be delayed as they usually start writing in the summer. So that means network darlings like “Abbott Elementary” would unfortunately risk seeing its next season pushed back.
Unscripted programming like reality shows, game shows, news and sports would largely be unaffected, while streaming content may also be safe for now as its production model operates over a longer time frame. long. This means that most of these projects are produced long before they are distributed on platforms. Streamers also have huge libraries of content at their disposal so that viewers have yet more ways to be entertained during the strike.
Film projects would likely avoid any effects of the strike until next year, should something currently in the works be delayed or unable to begin filming. The longer the strike lasts, the more serious the problems will be.
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