“Pencils down!” With this loud appeal, thousands of movie and television writers have gone on strike this week. As the Writers Guild of America explains in their official statement, they tried to negotiate a new, favorable contract with the major Hollywood studios and streamers, but couldn’t reach an agreement. The union’s main demands include higher pay and better working conditions for its members, emphasizing “the existential crisis writers are facing”. Below, we gather all the information on why the Writers Guild is on strike, how it will affect productions, and what else to expect. It is the first WGA strike in the last 15 years. The guild leaders call this moment existential, as the survival of writing as a profession is at stake. They criticize the so-called “gig economy” that’s been brought about by the rapidly growing streaming industry. Artificial intelligence is also an issue. How long the writers will remain on strike is unclear. Yet, as long as they are, large parts of production, as well as late-night shows, are going to be put on halt. Official social media strike graphics. Image credit: WGA The Writers Guild is on strike – how did it happen? The East and West branches of the Writers Guild of America represent over 11,000 TV and film screenwriters in total. Every three years, they negotiate a new contract with major Hollywood studios and streaming giants under the umbrella of AMPTP (the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers). These include, for example, Netflix, Amazon,...
Published By: CineD - Thursday, 4 May, 2023