{"id":573361,"date":"2023-05-06T23:20:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-06T20:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/"},"modified":"2023-05-06T23:20:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T20:20:00","slug":"wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/","title":{"rendered":"#WGA Writers Speak Out Against Studios, Execs in Picket Line"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2468c336769\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2468c336769\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#DAY_3_May_4\" >DAY 3 (May 4)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#FOX_STUDIOS\" >FOX STUDIOS<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#NETFLIX_Los_Angeles\" >NETFLIX (Los Angeles)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#WARNER_BROS\" >WARNER BROS.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#DAY_2_May_3\" >DAY 2 (May 3)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#NETFLIX_Los_Angeles-2\" >NETFLIX\u00a0(Los Angeles)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#NETFLIX_New_York\" >NETFLIX (New York)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#DAY_1_May_2\" >DAY 1 (May 2)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#NETFLIX\" >NETFLIX<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#PARAMOUNT_GLOBAL\" >PARAMOUNT GLOBAL<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#DISNEY_and_WARNER_BROS\" >DISNEY and WARNER BROS.\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#FOX_CORP\" >FOX CORP.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wga-writers-speak-out-against-studios-execs-in-picket-line\/#AMAZON_STUDIOS_and_PRIME_VIDEO\" >AMAZON STUDIOS and PRIME VIDEO\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    <strong>UPDATED<\/strong>: Day 4 of the WGA strike began with a plot twist on the weather front. A typically overcast May morning in Southern California gave way around 8 a.m. to a heavy downpour that rolled quickly across the region. The rain was gone in West L.A. and Culver City by 9:30 a.m., but the drops fell fast and hard enough to disrupt some of the best-laid plans of dedicated strike captains.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Still, on a soggy Friday morning in the Heart of Screenland, about 200 pickets were circulating around Culver City\u2019s institutions: Sony Pictures Entertainment, the hallowed ground of MGM in its prime, and the Culver Studios, now home to Amazon Studios, Prime Video and MGM in its present.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cJeopardy\u201d writers Michele Loud, Jim Rhine and Billy Wisse walked on Madison Avenue near Washington Boulevard, in front of the studio gates where they three have all worked for more than two decades. Their jobs have been unusually consistent on a Monday-Friday s<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> that has transcended from TV quiz show to become a bona fide national institution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cOur words are on the screen every night,\u201d Loud told <em>Variety<\/em>. \u201cThere is no \u2018Jeopardy\u2019 without writers. Without us it\u2019s just an empty blue screen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Wisse\u2019s view is that the strike is part of a larger fight for the matter of being \u201cfairly compensated for the labor you give,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    The trio were quick to emphasize their good fortune to be employed for so long by a stable, year-round show. But they see the bigger threat posed by the structural changes afoot in the television business. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cThey\u2019re asking some people to work day-to-day,\u201d Rhine said, noting that he\u2019s heard chapter and verse in recent days from fellow WGA members about mini room experiences. \u201cThey never tried to make it a gig economy before,\u201d Wisse said. \u201cThere was always some sense that writers were partners in it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Down the street and around the corner, WGA West volunteers Victoria and Chris worked behind a folding table stacked with water and snacks to fuel the line that snaked in a V-shape down Ince Avenue and Washington Boulevard, around the entrances to Amazon properties. A sprinkling of security guards in the area bordered by the Culver Steps outdoor shopping and dining area kept a close eye on WGA pickets and Amazon\u2019s property line. Honks and shouts were heard steadily but otherwise the pickets were pretty quiet in the first few hours of the morning.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  aligncenter size-large is-resized aligncenter\">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:726px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((408\/726)*100%);\">\n<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_1431-1-e1683353042930.jpg?w=1000\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_1431-1-e1683353042930.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_1431-1-e1683353042930.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_1431-1-e1683353042930.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_1431-1-e1683353042930.jpg?resize=125,70 125w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_1431-1-e1683353042930.jpg?resize=681,383 681w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_1431-1-e1683353042930.jpg?resize=450,253 450w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_1431-1-e1683353042930.jpg?resize=250,140 250w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"408\" width=\"726\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-font-family-secondary lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-text-align-left\">\n<p>                    <span class=\"lrv-u-font-size-14@desktop lrv-u-margin-t-050\">WGA volunteers oversee the snack table for the picket outside Amazon Studios in Culver City<\/span><br \/>\n                            <cite class=\"lrv-u-color-grey u-font-family-basic\">Cynthia Littleton<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    WGA pickets had their own backup looking out for them. Since the strike began, talent agencies, law firms, managers, PR agencies and assorted entrepreneurs have missed no opportunity to market themselves by showing up with water, snacks, amenities and a supportive ear (or fist). <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Four days in, resolve among WGA members is clearly strong. Across the dozen picket sites, writers have focused on the loss of opportunity for young writers breaking in and the threat that poses to the profession\u2019s long-term future. WGA members are plainly angry at the issues that AMPTP did not address or make counter offers on after weeks at the negotiating table. AI, the minimum staffing and guaranteed weeks, the demands of feature writers who are fed up with pressure for unpaid rewrites. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Patrick Meighan, a longtime writer-producer on Fox\u2019s \u201cFamily Guy,\u201d echoed the sentiments of many WGA veterans who were active as strike captains and organizers during the 2007-08 strike. The climate in industry labor circles is very different this time around, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI really feel like the entire town is united in this fight. This is a fight that we\u2019re all going through to greater extent,\u201d Meighan said as he walked the line around Amazon. \u201cThe corporations are trying to turn Hollywood work into gig work. They\u2019re trying to turn Hollywood work into pay-by-the-day, or maybe paid by the week with no guarantees. They\u2019re trying to turn Hollywood into Uber. They\u2019re not just trying to do that with writers. They\u2019re trying to do that with actors, they\u2019re trying to do that with directors and with crew members. And so the universal realization of where this industry is headed has made this a much more united fight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m lrv-u-text-align-right  \">\n    <em>\u2014 Cynthia Littleton<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    <em>(Pictured top: \u201cJeopardy\u201d writers Michele Loud, Jim Rhine and Billy Wisse)<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DAY_3_May_4\"><\/span>DAY 3 (May 4)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    And on Day 3, it rained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Precipitation in Los Angeles didn\u2019t stop striking writers from turning out in force at key picket locations on the third day of the work stoppage against Hollywood\u2019s major employers. About 75 people were out making the rounds outside Fox Studios shortly after 9 a.m. Picket signs were covered with plastic bags.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    The sense of solidarity and resolve was strong, with many writers saying they were energized by the  WGA membership meeting held Wednesday night at the Shrine Auditorium.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cThe meeting last night was wonderful. It left us all on a high,\u201d said Amy Berg, a strike captain who is among the organizers of the Fox picket effort.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Berg admitted to being a little nervous about the turnout when she heard the rain coming down early Thursday. As if on cue, the drops that had been steady all morning eased up about 10 minutes before the official 9 a.m. start time of picketing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Berg praised the guild for the advance work that was done to prepare for the logistical needs of getting hundreds of writers out on the streets of L.A.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cWe did enough prep work in advance that we were hoping we wouldn\u2019t have to employ any of it,\u201d Berg said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FOX_STUDIOS\"><\/span>FOX STUDIOS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    James L. Brooks joined the crowd outside Fox Studios, the lot where he has toiled on \u201cThe Simpsons,\u201d among other projects, for nearly 30 years. Brooks told Variety he was seriously concerned about the damage that may be done to screenwriting by AI as well as the conflict over how many writers should be required to produce episodic TV. \u201cHow many is a room?\u201d Brooks asked rhetorically.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    The resistence by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to addressing the big questions around AI is also weighing on Brooks, who has a long and distinguished resume in TV and film. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cIf a machine can write and put a human being out of work \u2014 and we\u2019re not talking about it? Come on,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cIt\u2019s already h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened in other industries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    The morning shift at Fox was helped along by bottled water, bagels and doughnuts that were being handed out on the sidewalk by Gersh Agency\u2019s Katy McCaffrey and Lynn Fimberg. The Everything bagels were the first to go, McCaffrey reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Richey Jones made the rounds at Fox with a sign that declared \u201cFreewrites Suck.\u201d He has worked largely in features in recent years, and he has first-hand experience with the pressure that studios put on film writers to do rewrites for no extra pay. He said studio executives lean on writers who are always eager to see their films get to the finish line. \u201cYou want to get the movie made? You\u2019ll do this for us,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThey\u2019re always finding ways to squeeze more money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    For Jones, the guild\u2019s push to ensure that film writers get a mandatory \u201csecond step,\u201d or second paid pass at the script, is vital, as are the contract demands around TV writing. Jones left several feature scripts and a TV pilot in a state of limbo when the strike was called. \u201cWriters are being undervalued across the board,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we don\u2019t do something about it now, we\u2019re going to get to the point of no return.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"NETFLIX_Los_Angeles\"><\/span>NETFLIX (Los Angeles)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cPencils down, fists up\u201d was the chant of the morning outside Netflix\u2019s Hollywood headquarters. <\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  aligncenter size-large is-resized aligncenter\">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:613px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((460\/613)*100%);\">\n<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_4221.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_4221.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_4221.jpg?resize=150,113 150w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_4221.jpg?resize=300,225 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"460\" width=\"613\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-font-family-secondary lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-text-align-left\">\n<p>                    <span class=\"lrv-u-font-size-14@desktop lrv-u-margin-t-050\">Striking writers picket outside Netflix\u2019s Hollywood headquarters on May 4.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Alex Convery, writer of \u201cAir,\u201d told <em>Variety<\/em> he had just turned in the first draft of his next movie when keyboards went quiet. He takes exception with the suggestion that writers were eager to go on strike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cThis is simply a consequence of the AMPTP\u2019s unwillingness to make a fair deal,\u201d Convery said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be here. We are here because of what\u2019s happened over the last you know, six years essentially.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  alignright size-large is-resized alignright\">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:362px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((271\/362)*100%);\">\n<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_4224.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_4224.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_4224.jpg?resize=150,113 150w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_4224.jpg?resize=300,225 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"271\" width=\"362\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-font-family-secondary lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-text-align-left\">\n<p>                    <span class=\"lrv-u-font-size-14@desktop lrv-u-margin-t-050\">\u201cAir\u201d screenwriter Alex Convery at Netflix<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    King Hassan was about halfway through the writing work on Netflix\u2019s upcoming comedy \u201cThat \u201990s Show\u201d when the strike began. He admits to being unnerved by the loss of income, but he feels great support from the guild and from his fellow scribes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cIt\u2019s scary because we all have families at home. I have three babies,\u201d Hassan said. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty clear that we work for a union and our union wants to make sure that we are able to take care of our families and that our profession is saved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Andrew Goldberg, whose credits include Fox\u2019s \u201cFamily Guy\u201d and Netflix\u2019s \u201cBig Mouth,\u201d also cited the Wednesday membership meeting at the Shrine as a galvanzing gathering. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cIt was really heartening last night at the large meeting to hear from all the leaders of the various other entertainment unions,\u201d Goldberg said. \u201cThe meeting was an uplifting experience. We believe in and we trust our leadership a great deal. The expressions of support from our sister unions and Teamsters was really important to us.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WARNER_BROS\"><\/span>WARNER BROS.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Lisa Ann Walter, co-star of ABC\u2019s \u201cAbbott Elementary,\u201d was outside the studio that producees that sitcom with a picket sign in hand. \u201cWe are all in this together and I\u2019m here standing with them,\u201d Walter told <em>Variety<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Walter feels the urgency that the WGA has brought to the forefront in the upcoming contract talks that her guild, SAG-AFTRA, will begin with the AMPTP on June 7. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cAfter a deterioration of our contracts and the monetary value of our contracts, we\u2019ve gotten to the point where most people who are not in the incredibly lucky position that I\u2019m in, they can\u2019t negotiate for a fair living wage,\u201d Walter said. \u201cAnd we are in a position where a lot of people have to take second and third jobs just to be able to afford the astronomical rent of places like New York and Los Angeles where most of us work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Gina Prince-Bythewood, the multihyphenate who directed 2022\u2019s \u201cThe Woman King,\u201d said the fight this time has shades of 2007, the last time the WGA went out.  Gina Prince-Bythewood: I remember the last strike actually pretty clearly, because we had our young son out there with us to really teach them about what we were fighting for, and what it means to fight for fair wages. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cAt that time, it was really interesting, because streaming was just on the come up. And we were told, don\u2019t worry about it at that time,\u201d Prince-Bythewood said. \u201cAnd now look at where we are. We\u2019re out here mostly because of streaming, and not to able to be a part of that success of streaming. We all know it starts with the writers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Prince-Bythewood said she has strong memories of the 2007 work stoppage. \u201cWe had our young son out there with us, to really teach (him) what it means to fight for fair wages,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DAY_2_May_3\"><\/span>DAY 2 (May 3)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Day 2 of the WGA strike saw pickets arrive bright and early outside key industry locations in Los Angeles and New York. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Many guild members say they have been energized by the organized picketing efforts and the opportunity to compare notes and vent frustrations with fellow scribes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    WGA leadership was out in force on Day 1, walking the walk as they talked the talk. David Goodman, former WGA West president and co-chair of the guild\u2019s negotiating committee, said the collective will of the membership will be crucial in determining the course of the work stoppage<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cWe\u2019re here as leaders of our union to stay in touch with our members to see how they\u2019re faring, to give them whatever help we can. There\u2019s a lot of support that the union provides and also the Hollywood community provides for our members in a situation like this,\u201d Goodman told <em>Variety<\/em>. \u201cI have a great deal of confidence in this membership. They understand what we\u2019re fighting for. And we\u2019re here to listen to them, and they will make the determination of the success of this fight.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"NETFLIX_Los_Angeles-2\"><\/span>NETFLIX\u00a0(Los Angeles)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  alignleft size-large is-resized alignleft\">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:316px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((398\/316)*100%);\">\n<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/JennaOrtegawga.jpg?w=812\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/JennaOrtegawga.jpg 2664w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/JennaOrtegawga.jpg?resize=119,150 119w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/JennaOrtegawga.jpg?resize=238,300 238w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"398\" width=\"316\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-font-family-secondary lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-text-align-left\">\n<p>                    <span class=\"lrv-u-font-size-14@desktop lrv-u-margin-t-050\">Writer Brandon Cohen outside Netflix in Los Angeles<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Michele Mulroney, VP of WGA, told <em>Variety<\/em> that the mood she encountered a picket locations on Tuesday was a mix of frustration and expressions of extreme support with the WGA\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of solidarity and positivity. There\u2019s a lot of frustration about where the deal stood when we were forced to go out on a strike, but the deal that was on the table on Monday would not have been accepted by this membership,\u201d Mulroney said. \u201cYou never know how long a strike has to go. We\u2019ll stay out for as long as it takes to get what we need.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    As for the timetable of the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers trying again at the bargaining table, Mulroney said, \u201cWe\u2019re ready to go back to the negotiating table whenever they\u2019re ready to get serious about our agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Lila Byock, whose credits include HBO\u2019s \u201cWatchmen\u201d and \u201cThe Leftovers,\u201d put the onus of the strike on the AMPTP member companies. \u201cIt\u2019s clear from the studios\u2019 response they weren\u2019t engaged in a serious negotiation and that they were inviting this labor action. We had no choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    We will stay out here as long as we need to, until the studios are prepared to make a fair deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Wrter Phil Morgan praised WGA leaders for the organization they\u2019ve brought to the contract process. \u201cThey\u2019re doing an excellent job. They communicated their message clearly and concisely,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cAnd the things that they have asked for (in the contract) are the things that all of us as the working writers have been asking for for years. So I think that they\u2019re listening to their membership.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"NETFLIX_New_York\"><\/span>NETFLIX (New York)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    A few hundred pickets turned out within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time Wednesday outside Netflix\u2019s New York outpost on Broadway near Union Square. The chant of \u201cNo wages, no pages\u201d was heard up and down the block along with drums and other noisemakers. After a while, the chant turned to simply, \u201cNetflix sucks.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    At one point, the picketing group was so large that it was able to wrap around the entire city block in a continuous rotation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Among those in attendance were WGA East president Michael Winship, WGA East executive director Lowell Peterson, and Emmy-winning late-night writer Greg Iwinski, who is a WGA East council member that participated in the negotiations with AMPTP.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI think that the studios want to control all aspects of writers careers, unfortunately,\u201d Peterson said to <em>Variety<\/em> while on the line. \u201cThey\u2019ve discovered this new technique in having so much of the writing on the season done preseason, they like the fact that they had more work for less money, and they liked the fact that writers become more desperate because the gigs are shorter and the gaps between gigs are longer. So it\u2019s really about power, power is money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Everyone <em>Variety<\/em> spoke to said they were prepared to hold out the strike for \u201cas long as it takes\u201d because, as Iwinski put it, \u201cit\u2019s an existential threat.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI\u2019m a late-night TV writer,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd what they\u2019re pitching to us is taking a 13 week at a time contract that we\u2019ve had since Jack Paar was hosting late-night shows and said, what if we paid you by the day and you went home at night and the next morning found out if you had a job. That\u2019s existential to me and every late-night writer, just the idea of breaking up 13 weeks and us getting paid week by week. It\u2019s not how it works in a job that\u2019s so stressful that they make other shows about how stressful it is write late-night TV.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Those who spoke with <em>Variety<\/em> also addressed the issue of AI possibly becoming a major force in entertainment, which has become a significant sticking point in recent months. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI think initially, when we were talking about it, we didn\u2019t perhaps take it as seriously as we needed to,\u201d Winship said. \u201cBut now we increasingly realize what their intentions are and their intentions are to use it to basically wipe us out and create robot-generated screenplays that just ultimately aren\u2019t going to work. So we have to get on top of it. We\u2019re not totally against it for some subsidiary uses but what people have to realize is that the writers are the only generative aspect of the industry. We\u2019re the ones who generate the material that everyone else interprets \u2014 the director, the camera person, the props, the hair, the makeup. It all comes down to, like they say in the theater, if it ain\u2019t on the page, it ain\u2019t on the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  aligncenter size-large is-resized aligncenter\">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:512px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((384\/512)*100%);\">\n<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9129.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9129.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9129.jpg?resize=150,113 150w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9129.jpg?resize=300,225 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"384\" width=\"512\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-font-family-secondary lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-text-align-left\">\n<p>                    <span class=\"lrv-u-font-size-14@desktop lrv-u-margin-t-050\">Several hundred WGA pickets target Netflix\u2019s New York offices near Union Square<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI am a writer on strike right now,\u201d Shonda Rhimes stated Tuesday evening. The \u201cQueen Charlotte\u201d creator and Shondaland head, who is a WGA member, was accepting a BAFTA Special Award in New York, being honored for her career in front of press, cast members, students and other guests. The event was sponsored by Delta, Virgin Atlantic and her \u201cBridgerton\u201d home Netflix.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI feel the pain of the people who are dealing with the strike. But for me, for writers to get paid what they do in a fair way, is far more important,\u201d Rhimes said. \u201cTo have somebody devalue art, it\u2019s bad enough as it is right now. That\u2019s happening everywhere. But for writers to not be able to make a living wage, while making a television show or making a movie is a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DAY_1_May_2\"><\/span>DAY 1 (May 2)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Just hours after the Writers Guild of America called for a strike, members started picketing in New York City.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    The first picket took place at the Peacock NewFronts advertiser presentation on Fifth Avenue, beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. More than 100 writers and supporters showed up within an hour, with that number swelling to approximately 200 as the day progressed. It was the only scheduled picket in New York today, and had a lively turnout despite chilly weather.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Chants included \u201cNo contract, no content. The workers united will never be defeated,\u201d \u201cGet up, get down, N.Y. is a union town,\u201d and \u201cNo money, no funny!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Among the signs were several clever and pointed messages, including, \u201c\u2018What we\u2019ve got here is a failure to communicate\u2019 was NOT written by a producer,\u201d \u201cWhat would Larry David do?,\u201d \u201cPay nerds a fair wage,\u201d \u201cWe are NOT in \u2018Severance,&#8217;\u201d \u201cPay your writers or we\u2019ll spoil \u2018Succession&#8217;\u201d and many more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cDopesick\u201d writer and creator Danny Strong spoke with <em>Variety<\/em> at the NewFronts picket line about why the strike is essential to the union.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cThese issues are so profound and so important,\u201d he said. \u201cThe entire <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> landscape has wildly changed because of streaming. These issues were issues we should have addressed three years ago, but because of the pandemic, the writers graciously agreed to not pursue it. In those three years, streaming has only taken up a bigger share of the market while the other ancillary distribution outlets have only gotten smaller and smaller. So the issue has blown up into a bigger and even more important one for writers to get a more fair share of streaming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    <em>Variety<\/em> also spoke with Our Lady J, who received multiple Emmy nominations for her work on the groundbreaking FX <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> \u201cPose\u201d and has also worked on shows like \u201cAmerican Horror Story\u201d and \u201cTransparent.\u201d To her, the biggest issue is fairness in writers\u2019 residual pay. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cIt\u2019s interesting that the CEOs and the executives at the streamers are telling stockholders that the future is in streaming and that they are a strong industry and worth investing in,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd yet they\u2019re telling the Writers Guild the opposite, saying that they are unsure of the future of the industry, and therefore they cannot meet our requirements for fair residuals and due pay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Hilary Bettis, who has worked on shows like FX\u2019s \u201cThe Americans\u201d and the Hulu limited series \u201cThe Dropout,\u201d attended the picket line in New York with her two small children in a stroller. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cThis is the whole reason I\u2019m here,\u201d Bettis said of her kids. \u201cI\u2019m the reason that they have health insurance. I\u2019m the reason that they have daycare. I\u2019m the reason that they have a roof over their head and have food and all of it is because I\u2019m a writer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cThis isn\u2019t a sustainable career,\u201d she continued. \u201cThis is how I support my family. We deserve fair residuals. We deserve to be paid fairly for the rooms that we\u2019re in. I\u2019ve staffed on a lot of shows. I\u2019ve developed a ton of pilots and still, from year to year, I just barely make my health insurance. I have to take on more than I have the bandwidth for just to get by.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Picketing is scheduled to take place outside studio gates across the Los Angeles area, including the Fox lot in West Los Angeles, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon and Apple headquarters in Culver City, Netflix and Paramount Global in Hollywood, NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. in Burbank, among other locations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Here\u2019s a rundown of Day 1 picketing activity by location in Los Angeles. Check back regularly and refresh for updates.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"NETFLIX\"><\/span>NETFLIX<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Outside Netflix headquarters at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, at least 200 pickets were out in force by Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Many SAG-AFTRA members joined WGA scribes to make their voices heard. Writers traded notes and spoke of their emotional last day at work in writers rooms. Pickets were energized by being together and the strong response from passing cars, which mostly honked and shouted messages of support for the strikers. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI\u2019m here because I feel like there are eight giant corporations controlling the industry now,\u201d said \u201cCODA\u201d writer Sian Heder as she demonstrated outside of Netflix. \u201cAnd the work of creatives working in that industry has been continually diminished over the last 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Heder said she was \u201cshocked\u201d to see in information distributed Monday night by the guild that the major studios did not engage on the timely question of how AI fits in to literary endeavors. \u201cThese are issues that if we don\u2019t resolve them now, they\u2019re only gonna get worse,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Heder also addressed the deep concerns that writers at all levels have about the worsening showrunner drought. With fewer writers kept on staff through the entire post-production process, far fewer people are getting the requisite experience to advance to the top of the TV writing ladder as showrunners. Heder noted the dramatic changes that have ensued just in the decade since she got her start as a baby writer on Netflix\u2019s \u201cOrange Is the New Black.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI was a staff writer. The next year I was a story editor. I was a co-producer then I was a producer,\u201d Heder said. \u201cThat was a career ladder, where I was actually starting to make a living and support myself. What\u2019s happening now with these mini versions is that writers are being stuck at staff writer level for years. \u2026 Half these writers can\u2019t even make their (health) insurance (minimum earnings) because these mimi rooms are not long enough to make your insurance quota.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Among the chants heard on the line were \u201cHey, hey, ho, ho, this corporate greed has got to go.\u201d Picket sign messages of note included \u201cNetflix and Shill,\u201d and, in a nod to the slogan famously scrawled on Woody Guthrie\u2019s weather-beaten acoustic guitar, \u201cThis Sign Kills Fascists.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"PARAMOUNT_GLOBAL\"><\/span>PARAMOUNT GLOBAL <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    The turnout at the Melrose Avenue plant was strong. The crowd included a snow-white pup named Dash who had a sign fashioned around his collar that read: \u201cYou\u2019re barking mad if you think we\u2019ll settle.\u201d Another picket sign hoisted in front the studio\u2019s distinctive iron gates read: \u201cWe Have Beef.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  size-large is-resized alignnone\">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:350px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((467\/350)*100%);\">\n<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_3139.jpg?w=768\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_3139.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_3139.jpg?resize=113,150 113w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_3139.jpg?resize=225,300 225w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"467\" width=\"350\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-font-family-secondary lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-text-align-left\">\n<p>                            <cite class=\"lrv-u-color-grey u-font-family-basic\">Adam B. Vary<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DISNEY_and_WARNER_BROS\"><\/span>DISNEY and WARNER BROS.\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    The two mega studios in Burbank were encircled by pickets. Outside Disney\u2019s iconic gate, protestors stretched far and wide down Alameda Avenue. A large group milled in front of the main gate in front of the corporate headquarters building featuring the Seven Dwarfs of \u201cSnow White\u201d fame.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  aligncenter size-large is-resized aligncenter\">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:707px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((530\/707)*100%);\">\n<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_8815.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_8815.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_8815.jpg?resize=150,113 150w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_8815.jpg?resize=300,225 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"530\" width=\"707\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-font-family-secondary lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-text-align-left\">\n<p>                            <cite class=\"lrv-u-color-grey u-font-family-basic\">Michael Schneider<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    WGA members and supporters actually continually walked around Disney\u2019s sprawling Burbank lot, also picketing the studio\u2019s other two major gates on Buena Vista Blvd. and Riverside Drive. The picket line also stretched across the street on Riverside to the front of ABC headquarters. In front of Disney, one writer grabbed a paint bucket and drum sticks and kept a beat going, while media gathered to interview some in attendance. WGA strike captain Chris Maddox (\u201cDynasty,\u201d \u201cA Million Little Things\u201d) said this was his first strike, \u201cand I thought it was important to show solidarity and build community while we\u2019re striking for equality. That\u2019s why I decided to join the ranks. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI was holding out hope that I deal would happen,\u201d he added. \u201cSo we\u2019re here, showing that we finally need to come up to 2023 and equality in pay. And that we ask what\u2019s fair now, so we don\u2019t have to do this again in another three years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    As traffic passed by the strike, vehicles frequently honked their horns in support. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting, everyone is here, I think SAG sent out a release saying where we were going to be and I think some actors are going to join the ranks and show their solidarity. We\u2019re in it for the long haul, for how ever long we need to be, we\u2019ll be here,\u201d Maddox said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    At Disney, clever picket signs included \u201cPicket Up to Series,\u201d \u201cTime for Revisions,\u201d \u201cSteamboat Willie NOT Chatbot Willie,\u201d \u201cMy Home Economics Don\u2019t Work Without Pay,\u201d \u201cFrankly, Studios, You Should Give a Damn,\u201d \u201cBlank for a Reason,\u201d \u201cNo Pages Without Fair Wages,\u201d \u201cAMPTP Better Have My Money,\u201d \u201cThis Sign Is Your Last Piece of Free Work,\u201d \u201cNice Try, AMPTP, But in Hollywood, The Bad Guys Always Lose,\u201d and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    At Warner Bros., another featured a hand-drawn clenched fist with the slogan \u201cBatman Supports Fair Pay.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  alignright size-large is-resized alignright\">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:349px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((465\/349)*100%);\">\n<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/DavidChaseWGA2023-2.jpg?w=768\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/DavidChaseWGA2023-2.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/DavidChaseWGA2023-2.jpg?resize=113,150 113w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/DavidChaseWGA2023-2.jpg?resize=225,300 225w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"465\" width=\"349\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-font-family-secondary lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-text-align-left\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FOX_CORP\"><\/span>FOX CORP.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Bada Bing! No less a literary eminence than \u201cThe Sopranos\u201d creator\/showrunner David Chase was spotted walking the beat outside the Pico Boulevard plant studio formerly known as 20th Century Fox. Chase also repped for Tony Soprano\u2019s beloved Garden State flag with a Newark M.O.S.T. baseball cap. Count Chase among the WGA veterans who went through the 2007-08 strike as well as the nearly six-month walkout in 1988. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cTo me, it\u2019s always the same \u2014 it\u2019s just greed. Greed and fear,\u201d Chase observed of the contract wrangling process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Feature writer E. Nicholas Mariani hoisted a sign with \u201cNorma Rae Reboot\u201d in the message field. \u201cIt\u2019s all about free work and it\u2019s about compensation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    John Dale pointed to the short duration of many writing jobs these days as unsustainable for anyone who wants to make a living. \u201cif we can only get one job a year and it\u2019s eight weeks, that\u2019s not sustainable,\u201d Dale said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading larva \/\/   lrv-a-font-accent-m   \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AMAZON_STUDIOS_and_PRIME_VIDEO\"><\/span>AMAZON STUDIOS and PRIME VIDEO\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cIf we don\u2019t get it, shut it down.\u201d That was a popular chant along Ince Boulevard in Culver City outside the citadel of Amazon Studios and Prime Video. By 3 p.m. PT, approximately 200 writers and their supporters (including SAG-AFTRA members) had checked in to the picket line. The crowd was smaller than at other picket sites, but the red placards couldn\u2019t be missed outside the Southern Gothic mansion that was once home to David O. Selznick\u2019s Selznick International Pictures. Another frequently-heard rally cry: \u201cAlexa, Pay Us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cFor all of our demands to be met only requires studios to give us less than 2% of profits on our work, so it seems unreasonable not to give us that,\u201d said Jonterri Gadson, a WGA strike captain and a writer for HBO\u2019s \u201cA Black Lady Sketch Show\u201d and the animated series \u201cEverybody Still Hates Chris.\u201d \u201cI think sometimes the writers are made to look like we\u2019re unreasonable or we\u2019re spoiled, but when I heard that number, I wanted people to know that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Gadson has been in a whirlwind the past 24 hours. Monday was a long scramble to get as much writing done as possible before the May 1 contract expiration deadline. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    \u201cI was actually working to finish things up until 11 p.m. They had called the strike. And we were still trying to finish by 11:59.\u201d The \u201cEverybody Still Hates Chris\u201d writers room started in September 2022 and was about halfway done. Showrunners Sanjay Shah and Chris Rock ensured the show was under the WGA contract because writing happens throughout the animation process, Gadson said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    Gadson maintains that guild members are ready to tough out a long work stoppage in their pursuit of a fair deal. <br \/>\u201cWe\u2019re prepared to go as long as we need to get the deal we need,\u201d she said. \u201cThis union is hardcore. We will walk out; we have walked out. And so we\u2019re gonna hold the line until we get a reasonable deal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n    <em>Jennifer Maas, Joe Otterson<\/em>,<em> Jazz Tangcay, Selome Hailu, Adam B. Vary, Michael Schneider, BreAnna Bell, Angelique Jackson, Gene Maddaus<\/em> <em>and Cynthia Littleton contributed to this story.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m lrv-u-text-align-center  \">\n    <strong>VIP+ Data: The Media Companies Most Impacted in a Strike<\/strong>  <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/plain\" class=\"optanon-category-C0004\">\n  !function(f, b, e, v, n, t, s) {\n    if (f.fbq) return;\n    n = f.fbq = function() {\n      n.callMethod ?\n          n.callMethod.apply(n, arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments);\n    };\n    if (!f._fbq) f._fbq = n;\n    n.push = n;\n    n.loaded = !0;\n    n.version = '2.0';\n    n.queue = [];\n    t = b.createElement(e);\n    t.async = !0;\n    t.src = v;\n    s = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n    s.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s);\n  }(window, document, 'script',\n      'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '586935388485447');\n  fbq('init', '315552255725686');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2023\/tv\/news\/wga-writers-speak-out-studios-execs-picket-line-1235601261\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UPDATED: Day 4 of the WGA strike began with a plot twist on the weather front. A typically overcast May morning in Southern California gave way around 8 a.m. to a heavy downpour that rolled quickly across the region. The rain was gone in West L.A. and Culver City by 9:30 a.m., but the drops&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":573362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Jeopardywriters-e1683352470874.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-573361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=573361"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573361\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=573361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=573361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=573361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}