writers strike, good or bad?

[Dusty Chalk]

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[Chekhonte]

I have a friend that's a camera operator in NY and here visiting me on vacation becuase of the writers strike so I think it's a good thing.

[Thelonious Monk]

in an ideal world, hollywood would have never existed.

[Dusty Chalk]

So...good, since this would be the first step? You'd have nothing but reality TV on all channels at all times?

Or do you just mean "Hollywood", and not "the movie-making industry"? 'cause I kind of like movies. Some of them, anyway.

[aerius]

Indifferent. I barely watch TV or movies these days so it doesn't really affect me. It's not an important issue by any means so I can't bring myself to care.

[Absorbine_Sr]

They write that shit? Really??

[hungrych]

Good for who?

[Dusty Chalk]

They write that shit? Really??

No, they don't -- that's what we're going to be stuck with because of the writer's strike.

[blessingx]

in an ideal world, hollywood would have never existed.

Hollywood is responsible of plenty of great work in its history. It's hard to ignore the other 94% though.

[n_maher]

It's hard to ignore the other 94% though.

Not really. Thanks to Tivo I only watch the TV that I want to watch these days, and pretty much all commercial free.

[tkam]

the writers strike doesn't affect me much yet but i'm sure i'll be pissed if some of my favorite shows start going on re-runs because of it

[blessingx]

Nobody gets fucked in Hollywood as bad as the writers.

If I remember correctly, Charles Bukowski got 1/80th the pay of Mickey Rourke for writing a film about his own life of which Rourke starred.

[Thelonious Monk]

So...good, since this would be the first step? You'd have nothing but reality TV on all channels at all times?

Or do you just mean "Hollywood", and not "the movie-making industry"? 'cause I kind of like movies. Some of them, anyway.

i'd rather not waste my time on transient garbage like friends or the latest frat pack movie... although i might cry a little if house was canceled.

[tkam]

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news07/071119a.php

Not good if it results in even more BSG delays.

[ph0rk]

Past writers strikes have been bad. Shows get canceled, line industry workers go months without pay, and jobs/contracts dry up. There may be a resulting hike in the percentage of big-ticket movies that writers get, but the bulk of em probably won't see much improvement.

Talks set to resume on nov. 26th: http://media.www.nyunews.com/media/storage/paper869/news/2007/11/19/CitystateNews/Talks.Restart.In.Writers.Strike-3109378.shtml

NBC has already taken drastic measures as a result of the strike, firing all those involved in the production of the hit show "The Office," which relies on 14 writers to produce scripts. The station's move left 102 workers without jobs, including cameramen, grips, production assistants, makeup artists, wardrobe employees and drivers.

I'm not saying the writers are wrong to strike, but the resulting damage still makes it a pretty shitty move.

[nickknutson]

I voted bad because my favorite shows are going to start going into reruns...namely The Office!

[Todd R]

They have writers?

I thought they just put people in front of cameras and call it a reality show.

[laxx]

Bad as I watch alottttttttt of TV shows (though not The Office). It's ok for now since I have alot of catching up to do over the last few weeks since I started my new job, though that won't last forever.

[en480c4]

Everything I've read has led me to believe that the writers have gotten the short end of the stick with respect to residuals. The business models for the studios have changed, and syndication isn't where they're making their money any more. And the writers aren't getting a fair share of DVD releases, streaming and downloads, and whatever digital format comes out in the future. The fact is the contracts are from a time when the digital distribution couldn't even be imagined.

Having said that, I think as a consumer it sucks donkey balls. There are a number of shows I really like that are new or on the fence, and the shows essentially going on extended hiatus could kill any momentum they have. If screwed up scheduling has shown anything, it's that shows can lose fans quickly when they go off the air for too long.

I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed that they'll get things worked out so we're not in re-run/reality show hell until next fall and start watching all those DVD sets in my collection

[Dusty Chalk]

I'm not saying the writers are wrong to strike, but the resulting damage still makes it a pretty shitty move.

I disagree -- by picking a damaging time (to the public, not to themselves -- it will always be damaging to themselves to go without work), it puts them in a better bargaining position.

[fierce_freak]

I support it, but it sucks as far as delays and the like go for the two shows I watch (Lost and BSG)...especially for those shows, as they are far more serialized than most of the shit on TV.

[Edwood]

[ph0rk]

I disagree -- by picking a damaging time (to the public, not to themselves -- it will always be damaging to themselves to go without work), it puts them in a better bargaining position.

It does, but it flat-out farks the rest of the crew, farks them right up the tubes.

that said I'm all for them getting a bigger cut - the creative chunk should be respected more.

[grawk]

It does, but it flat-out farks the rest of the crew, farks them right up the tubes.

that said I'm all for them getting a bigger cut - the creative chunk should be respected more.

Since on union shows, the crews are union too, they can take it.

[ph0rk]

Since on union shows, the crews are union too, they can take it.

They may not lose their jobs (unless the show gets canceled or they stretch it out to the point where the network can end the contract), but they're still going months without salary - I'm sure there are crew members making in the 40-50k range, and a few months without pay will still blow, and for a cause that doesn't even benefit them.