Hollywood writers go on strike: here’s what you need to know | Entertainment News

More than 11,000 Writers Guild of America (WGA) members are on strike, throwing Hollywood into turmoil as the entertainment industry grapples with seismic changes triggered by the global streaming boom.

Here’s what you need to know about the strike:

Why do writers go on strike?

The writers say streaming has affected them negatively, claiming they work more for less money.

They seek better compensation for their work on movie, TV and streaming shows, as well as residual payments that reward writers when a show becomes a hit.

The WGA called its first work stoppage in 15 years after failing to reach an agreement for higher compensation from studios such as Walt Disney and Netflix. The union represents about 11,500 writers in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

Picketing will begin Tuesday afternoon, according to the WGA West.

The board of directors of the @WGAwest and the Council of @WGAeastacting on the authority conferred on them by their memberships, voted unanimously to call a strike, effective at 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, May 2.

Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) May 2, 2023

What are the studios saying?

The Alliance of Film and Television Producers, the trade group negotiating the union contract on behalf of major studios and producers, says it is seeking a fair and equitable contract.

On Monday, he said he had offered generous pay increases to the writers, but the two sides could not reach an agreement.

Media companies also face tough economic times as conglomerates come under pressure from Wall Street to make their streaming services profitable after investing billions of dollars in programming to attract subscribers.

The rise of streaming has led to declining TV advertising revenue as traditional TV audiences dwindle and advertisers go elsewhere. On top of that, the threat of a recession in the world’s largest economy is also looming.

What are the sticking points?

Producers were willing to increase offers for higher wages and residuals, the alliance said, but were unwilling to do so due to the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the Guild continues to discuss. ‘insist.

The main sticking points, he said, were proposals that would require a company to staff a show with a certain number of writers for a specified period of time, whether it was needed or not.

The WGA, however, argued that the studios’ responses to its proposals were woefully inadequate, given the existential crisis the writers are facing.

Writers say they suffered financially during the streaming boom, in part due to shorter seasons and lower residual payments.

According to WGA statistics, half of all TV series writers now work at minimum wage levels, up from a third in the 2013-14 season. The median salary of scribes at the senior writer/producer level has fallen 4% over the past decade.

The last WGA strike, in 2007 and 2008, cost the California economy an estimated $2.1 billion as productions ceased and out-of-work writers, actors and producers cut spending.

Although our negotiating committee began this process with the intention of reaching a fair deal, the studios’ responses have been woefully insufficient given the existential crisis the writers are facing.

Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) May 2, 2023

How is AI a factor?

With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) software, the WGA wants safeguards to prevent studios from using AI to generate new scripts from authors’ previous work.

Writers also want to make sure they aren’t being asked to rewrite draft scripts created by the AI.

Which shows will feel the effect of the strikes?

Late-night talk shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon should shut down immediately and be rebroadcast.

This means that new installments will not be available on traditional networks or streaming services such as Hulu and Peacock that make shows available the next day.

Because of the way comedy show writers have to write news very quickly just before a strike, late-night television hosts will of course be the first to be affected, said Buffalo Co-program director Catherine Creighton. Lab at Cornell. University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Jimmy Fallon shares his thoughts on a potential WGA strike:

I wouldn’t have a show if it wasn’t for my writers, I support them all the way.”

pic.twitter.com/2uA8FAnPVS

DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 2, 2023

Creighton told Al Jazeera that writers are essential to the television industry and could cripple it by withholding their work.

Next to be disrupted could be daytime soap operas, as they are traditionally written shortly before being filmed.

Primetime comedies and dramas currently airing should be able to conclude seasons without interruption, their episodes for the coming weeks will have already been written and filmed.

What could happen if the strike drags on?

A prolonged strike could delay the start of the fall television season. Writing for fall shows normally begins in May or June.

If the work stoppage continues, networks will increasingly fill their programming queues with unscripted reality shows, newsmagazines and reruns.

Wow. It’s frightening. But a future where we accept what corporations are trying to do, low-paid freelancers, writing gigs with no job security, is far scarier. You can’t make good art that way. And writers generate far too much profit for them to accept. So I’m on strike! https://t.co/1WK88spKEl

Ashley Nicole Black (@ashleyn1cole) May 2, 2023

What about streaming services?

Netflix said it can feed its service with shows produced outside the United States. But his US-based series would be affected if a strike drags on.

HBO Max, which is changing its name to Max at the end of May, saved programming to come out with its rebranding.

What shows are safe?

The news programs will continue as normal because their authors are covered by another union.

The same goes for unscripted reality shows like Big Brother and The Bachelor.

What about movies?

The flow of movies to theaters won’t be immediately impacted because movies take two to three years to produce and studios have a pipeline of movies already written and shot.

It would take a prolonged strike to interrupt movie release times.