Comments on: At the gates of Paramount

By: Not Yet Famous, Future WGA member

Not Yet Famous, Future WGA member — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 09:27:51 +0000

Great speech. You’ve just renewed my determination to keep writing and most of all, support the WGA by telling my friends what this is all about. Next to say, soldiers, aid workers, police, fire, medical personnel, etc, writers take so much crap from EVERYONE. Survival. Not about having the cake and eating it too, but actually getting a slice. And not even a big one at that. Without writers (aka storytellers), what kind of society would we be living in? A pretty boring one I’m sure.

By: Dennis S.

Dennis S. — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:12:08 +0000

We thank you for the work being done now to secure our future. As a member of The Dramatists Guild of America (and future WGA member), I stand with you in solidarity. I just wish I was standing in that sunshine in L.A. instead of the rainy northwest…

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:03:17 +0000

Nice picture of you with a sign… http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/strikediary

By: rich dahl

rich dahl — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 06:56:20 +0000

"...itâ€™s nothing compared to the 20 years ahead"

Very nice job of bringing relevance to future WGA-ers joining in.

John it seems you are one of the few pros that really welcomes all who want to stand up for the WGA and a fair system... your non-elitist attitude is fresh air and is necessary IMHO for a healthy industry future. -Cheers

About time the AMPTP was reminded the studios and walls were built with ideas birthed first by the creatives (inside their heads).

By: Jake Hollywood

Jake Hollywood — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:53:43 +0000

Actually, Eric, this strike has given the AMPTP the opportunity to explore "new media:"

AMPTP Discovers a Cash Cow, aka "The Internet"

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:08:42 +0000

Bittersweet!

Part of my heart is torn for you guys out there without work, making sacrifice after sacrifice so that someday others (like me, hopefully) can follow your path towards a better destination.

But the other part of me is giddy with anticipation on "necessity being the mother of invention." If the AMPTP keeps screwing this thing up, I am certain that creativity will berth new partnerships and methodologies for a more fair tomorrow!

Thank you all, WGA'ers! If I am ever blessed enough to make it where you are this karma will be repaid in some way. I will swear to that!

May your holidays be the merriest ever, despite these difficult times!

By: Paul Ramos

Paul Ramos — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:14:13 +0000

As a complete outsider to the Hollywood process, I have a question. Is it totally outside of the realm of possibility that the WGA can form it’s own production house that offers the terms that writers are looking for? Or is it just completely financially un-doable? Why must writers deal with production houses that don’t want to play ball? I realize that these questions probably seem rather naive. But wouldn’t distributors of media still be interested in a movie shot by the WGA vs. by Paramount or some other large production house?

By: Erik Harrison

Erik Harrison — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 22:15:16 +0000

Should the Zomilypse happen, I have a phone tree, and a series of preset, distributed meeting points throughout the city.

I swear to god. I wish I was kidding.

By: Samantha

Samantha — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:48:16 +0000

Not gonna lie -- that made me a little teary.

Love, Future-WGA

By: james

james — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:34:42 +0000

I'm a big fan of the blog and a big supporter of the strike. However, as an LA resident, I'm also concerned about the many people who work as crew and support staff who are currently unemployed. I'm wondering - what's the best way to provide support to those people, particularly as the strike goes longer and longer? Is the WGA doing anything to help out those people? Are there things that I or other members of the public can do?

For example, in this age of the interwebs, it seems like it would be relatively easy to set up some support systems for those who are struggling the most. After all, if websites like Kiva let me loan money to farmers in Uganda, then it shouldn't be all that hard to get resources to people right here in LA.

A really simple example: you could imagine setting up a website where unemployed crew members could post a gift that their child wants for X-mas, and writers (and/or fans and members of the public) could "adopt" a crew member and volunteer to buy that gift for that child. A small gesture, but one that would help to convey goodwill to those who are unemployed during the holidays.

If X-mas gifts seem too frivolous, then perhaps similar systems could be set up to help crew members who are struggling to cover basic needs.

I don't know the industry that well. Those of you who do know the industry might know reasons why these ideas are not feasible. (For example, I'm sure lots of crew members might, like many of us, be too proud to ask for help, even if they need it.) Mostly, I'm just thinking out loud here. Obviously, feel free to suggest better ways to address this problem!

By: emily blake

emily blake — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:32:40 +0000

It was a good speech. The idea of the castle went well with Harlan Ellison’s assertion that we should break in and kill somebody.

I was there – in fact I’m in the sunglasses directly to your left in that picture there – but you were really into the conversation you were having during the walking so I didn’t say anything.