Story Analyst Local 854

Most writers are aware that there are readers. But are you aware that there is a reader's guild? The Story Analyst Local 854 joined up with the National Editor's Guild in May of 2000. At that time, both guilds had a membership of 5,600. In the past, most readers were not guild members since being a member reduces the number of production companies a reader could work with from hundreds to a handful - the studios. Additionally, studio readers, while they get health insurance and benefits commensurate with a regular job have - well - a regular job. Meaning full time at a desk. Something most readers loathe.

Recently, there was a big shift within the guild relative to its relationships with production companies and as of June 11th, non-guild readers may no longer work for production companies with studio deals. Overnight, dozens and dozens of readers were out of work. Any Rouge Wavers thinking about getting into reading - think twice. The number of jobs available just plummetted and the number of readers looking for them just doubled. But it gets better: the guild is not accepting new membership. So what is a non-guild reader to do? And how will production companies respond?

The Wave-inatrix placed two calls earlier this week to the Assistant Director of the Guild to do some fact-checking. My calls have not been returned. If they are, I shall addend some pertinent facts and most importantly - the point of view of the guild to this blog post. It is my suspicion the guild is not keen to share their strategy or methodology with a non-guild member. If only I could join - oh, that's right, it's impossible and the bylines for membership are secretive and apparently completely arbitrary. If only I could fact-check and dialogue with the guild. Oh - they probably only dialogue with guild members. If only I could become a member...

So what's the upshot for writers? Will production companies with studio deals simply switch over to guild members without a hitch? We have to imagine that guild story analysts are significantly more expensive than freelance readers. Production companies are famously stingy when it comes to getting coverage in the first place. The going rate - $60 per script - is already quite low given the expertise of the readers, the hours involved and the fact that readers literally have to jump in their cars to go collect their work and in some cases to return it. So how will production companies respond to paying, say, $80 or $100 per script to guild members?

Production companies unwilling to pay guild fees for their coverage will turn to interns and overworked assistants. Insert collective gasp here. While there are plenty of perfectly nice, intelligent interns out there, reading for them is a by-product of an internship and maybe one internship among a few while they decide whether they're cut out for the entertainment business. It's a pitstop not a destination. Interns have not read numerous scripts for numerous companies for years. Interns are inexperienced, in other words, and are literally not paid - so how carefully will your script be reviewed? Again, with all due respect, I'd rather have a seasoned reader give my script a thumbs up or down than an intern from Nebraska who has read a sum total of 10 scripts before mine.

We all know how hard assistants work - and script reading is definitely part of their job description; but it is my guess that many an over-worked assistant's job just became twice as exhausting because the workload just shot up. Now how well will your script be reviewed? An assistant, no matter how tired can still identify negative and positive aspects of your script. But will they be open to really unique, extraordinary stories? Will they see your potential as writer at 12:30am in Red Bull number three?

Many people are concerned about the potential WGA strike; SAG's contract runs out months later and there has been some talk of another potential strike. But few know or care about Story Analyst Local 854. It's a small story, one nobody cares about. In the larger machinations of Hollywood it seems not to matter. And yet readers are the very first professionals to review and analyze scripts. They are the gatekeepers.

What does this mean for readers who make a living analyzing material? It means they have to go find a day job because guild membership is not an option. What does this mean for writers? It means the suspicions you already harbored, out of insecurity, that your scripts are not being read carefully might just be true.

Perhaps things are not so dire. Perhaps the guild has an inclusive plan to ensure that all readers are given their due as professionals. Or perhaps, as the Wave-inatrix suspects, this is one guild which operates in unfair secrecy and is ironically unconcerned about the quality of readers out there and worse - their welfare. If the guild cared about readers why is membership not an option? Why is there no transparency when it comes to membership? I would love to have my suspicions and prejudices about this guild dispelled - and they may well be when we can get the guild to participate in the dialogue. Hopefully we will have an update soon. Just don't hold your breath.

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