Friday, 09 November 2007

• WGA Strike: From a Crew Member's POV

  I'm sitting on a golf cart, on a studio lot, outside an actors trailer, waiting for him to come out of his trailer. Out front of those gates, are the writers on strike. Horns honk in support, the actors that can join the picket line. But I still sit on my golf cart, outside an actors trailer, waiting for him to come out of his trailer...hoping come next year i'll be able to get a job.

   

   

  Like most of the people who work in the entertainment industry, I am a freelance worker. I live from paycheck to paycheck, job to job. So how do I feel about the writers strike?

   

  To be honest? Weird. Torn.

   

  Don’t get me wrong, I agree with it fully. I know why the writers are doing it and I support them. Reading all the blogs and articles out there, there are a lot of people who think the writers are just being greedy. The rich wanting to get richer, while the poor men (like myself) suffer. But the truth is, only a small handful of writers make over 6 figures. Most of them are like myself, live from paycheck to paycheck, job to job. Sometimes they can go for weeks, even months without even working. And during that time, things get tough. I’m lucky enough to be in this freelance biz with no real strings aside from rent, car payments, food, etc. But other freelance workers have families, kids and mortgages, and they rely on residuals (I don’t and won't get residuals) to get them through the “dead periods.” Yes, Hollywood does have its slow periods, were work is scarce, and jobs are hard to come by.

   

  So what are the writers asking for? Their share of the cut. I admit that if I miss one of my favorite shows on television such as Ugly Betty or Lost, I go online to check them out and watch them for free. And I am sure I’m not the only one who does. Well as you would know commercials are played between each online segment, thus meaning, the producers, studios, advertising companies, etc make money. So if one million people watch Ugly Betty for free online, all those people in that list make millions of dollars. Notice who wasn’t in that list? Writers, actors, directors, assistant directors, etc. They get ZILCH. And that’s why you see so many actors in the picket lines. With new media popping up everywhere, watching shows on phones, computers, laptops, etc, there’s a lot of money being made here. And, as of now, none of it will be seen by the writers, actors, directors, etc. The writers are fighting the same fight SAG and the DGA will fight this Spring when their contracts are up.

   

  That brings me to the question a lot of people are asking. How long is this strike going to go? Right now it seems like both sides aren’t budging. So I think this strike has a good chance of going to June, where SAG members and DGA members (who will not be under contract anymore) can join in the picket lines and thus shut down Hollywood entirely. Right now some work is still being done because SAG members and DGA members are under contract with their studios, but when the contract is up, they’ll stop working and join in the fight. However this means an 8 month strike, which will no doubt cost the industry over a billion dollars.

   

  And then there’s another side. Slowly one by one shows are shutting down. This means thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people being out of work. Including myself. I’m sure you read everywhere that movies will be the most unaffected, but this isn’t true. I mainly work on movies, in fact I’m on a movie right now that ends in December. My next job was going to be on another movie that started production in February. However, I was just informed, that the script was in the process of being revised in order to be fit for production. But as it says on the WGA website, “Pencils Down Means Pencils Down.” This means I may not have a job next year like I thought I would. And with television shows shut down…I may be unemployed until the strike ends.

   

  So what does that mean for me? Work on reality TV? Honestly I’ve worked on reality TV and they treat their people like crap. Especially the people on the lower end of the work food chain.

   

  So as you can see, this strike is more then just we’re going to be able to watch 24 or Lost, or we’re going to be in reality TV hell. It’s about real people’s lives at stake. Don’t the writers care that they are going to leave thousands unemployed? Of course they care. I have no doubt that they care. I am a non-union worker which means if the studio wanted to, they could work me 24 hours a day, no breaks, just because I’m not under contract. And believe me…some jobs out there…while the director makes millions, pay me minimum wage, and work me 100 hours a week, with no thanks…If I could strike I would. But I’m non-union. I have to work if I want to make money. Because if I choose not to show up, they’ll just find someone else to take my spot. My leaving will have no impact at all. It’ll just hurt me at getting another job later on.

   

  So strike on writers, I say. I’d join you if I could, because that's my future your fighting for. But I hope you understand that while I support you, I have to be able to pay my rent.

   

  So what about you guys out there? Do you have any questions for me that I can answer? What was your view on the strike and does this change your thoughts and opinions on it? Are any of you in the industry? How is this strike going to affect you? What’s your take on the WGA strike?

   

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