Strike

As the WGA nears the start of negotiations with the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) on July 16th, rumors run rampant – will there be a strike? And if so – what does it mean? A day after the Wave-inatrix heard from an in-the-know employee of Disney that there will not be a strike, articles continue to appear in various news outlets that there very well might be. Television shows are stockpiling episodes and studios are picking up the pace of production and stockpiling material in anticipation.

There is an urban myth among aspiring screenwriters that a potential strike is advantageous. If studios are snapping up material – it will be easier to get your material snapped up, right? Not really. Aspiring screenwriters, particularly unrepped, newer writers really are not affected by the looming strike and here’s why: unrepped, less experienced material isn’t in the running for being snapped up anyway. The door will not magically swing open because the studios are desperate. Studios are only so desperate, remember that. They have scripts stockpiled on their shelves going back years. Old options, scripts in turn-around, scripts that were on the “maybe” list anyway.

Because the studios are owned by huge corporate conglomerates, they have very deep pockets. A strike, in other words, is something they can withstand longer than say, a mid-sized department store. We’re talking Viacom here, people.

If production is sped up in anticipation of a strike, whether the strike happens or not there is a bit of a defacto strike, meaning that work slows for everybody. Scripts are rushed into production and therefore wrap up earlier. That way when the strike happens, the studio has product lined up in any event. A strike or even the threat of a strike means that the market will be sluggish. Hollywood will be in coping mode. And that slow down will precede and antecede the strike by months on either end.

Writers trying to break in to the industry should simply keep their heads down, their spirits up and their keyboards clicking and clacking. Keep generating material. Remember, the beast must be fed. But do not labor under the delusion that a strike or even potential strike is going to make something magical happen to you or your script. If you aren’t repped you aren’t yet on the playing field anyway. And if you are, your script still be better be A+ material. The Wave-inatrix is the first person to reiterate again and again that the perfect storm which enables a sale to happen is a mysterious one at best. Could a writer with an amazing script somehow get that script snapped up just before the strike? Sure. But that sequence of events would also involve a rep, relationships and a great script.

Don’t ignore the strike, pay attention to the issues. Hopefully you will be a member of the WGA someday and these negotiations could have a significant impact on you, your career and your income. Writers interested in learning more about the issues on the table should visit the WGAW website.

If you enjoyed this post, follow me on Twitter or subscribe via RSS.