Back to work
The vote passed, with 92.5% of members calling to end the strike. Tomorrow, it’s back to the word factory.
Voting today was my last chance to see some of the WGA staffers I’ve gotten to know during the strike. Some were hired on just to manage specific areas (like picketing), and will be laid off in the next few weeks. I had the chance to thank a big group of them for their tireless work at a meeting two weeks ago, but for the folks I missed: thanks. Your devotion to a fight that won’t directly benefit you was remarkable. I’m sure there is a political campaign out there eager for your expertise.
The extra two days have been something of a blessing, allowing for a gentle re-entry to industry madness. There haven’t been any studio folks on my phone sheet yet, but there were several crucial what’s-still-standing conversations with agent and producer-types. I have no idea what movie I’ll be writing tomorrow afternoon. It’s a strange but exciting time.
Articles
February 12th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Glad to have you back.
February 12th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I was at the office today and everyone was getting ready for what will end up being a very busy few weeks. Nothing like cleaning up the script log just to mess it up again.
Can’t wait to see some people around the lot!
February 12th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
what richard said. i hope you’ll still keep posting.
February 12th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
So, uh…long time reader first time caller…I went to the Landmark Theater to see the 9’s when it was playing here in LA. One of my favorite things to do once a favorite movie is released to DVD is see how long it takes before it gets to the “used” stores…as a rather poor struggling writer, I’ll take used over new at the moment. But was incredibly delighted to see a copy of the 9’s in full cellophane wrap, highlighted, on a shelf at one of my favorite shops, standing out amongst the rejects – unused. It made me smile. Usually you see a ton of unwrapped, viewed once titles, resting on these shelves for their next owner, snug among other movies. But the 9’s shined like a new coin in an old tin jar, and it was almost the price of the movie at any other retailer. I had only wished someone had come by asking for a suggestion. I will keep reading and writing; Please keep on inspiring.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:04 am
Thanks for all the great postings during the strike and thanks for your accessibility, especially to us newbies. I know you have a bit of catching up to do now that the strike is over but please don’t stop posting.
Question: You mentioned a while back that you should get an assistant like one of your fellow writers (Craig?). Is this a possibility and if so, where does one apply?
Good luck!
February 13th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Thank you WGAers for hangin’ tough together and getting new media residuals into the contract. This means a ton to all writers everywhere.
Cheers & allthebest
John you’re gold dude.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:45 am
I’m actually surprised you didn’t title this post “Pencils Up”. :)
February 13th, 2008 at 2:25 am
So, John, did you do everything you set to do during the strike? Non-writing related matters, I mean. :)
February 13th, 2008 at 5:03 am
Glad to hear that the strike is finally over and that it resulted in something positive for the writers!
February 13th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Hooray! Those doughnuts were getting costly…
;)
February 13th, 2008 at 9:13 am
All of you. Vacation’s over. Get back to work, you lazy bastards.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Congratulations on getting back to work, John, and getting a decent deal out of the effort. I know I really appreciated the inside look at things you’ve been providing along the way – it’s been great insight not only into the mindset of the writers themselves, but into the whole Hollywood machine, and very interesting for those of us considering getting into that industry at some point. Cheers.
February 13th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I teach writing instruction at a university and I’m a freelancer from Philly (not a WGA member, not a movie buff). But I’ve been following the development of this strike closely, especially via John’s blog, kinda riding-the-pine with all of you. Glad to hear that you’ll all be getting paid soon, and that at least some progress has been made with the big-wigs. I published this opinion-editorial in the Baltimore Sun recently. Once you get past the first line, you’ll see that you have friends in many places. Keep the stories coming.
http://markfranek.wordpress.com/2008/01/28/striking_writers/
February 13th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Hi John,
With all the talk of what established writers will be doing in the aftermath of the strike, I’m curious to know what you’d recommend us fledgling writers do. I’ve been diligently polishing old specs and working on new ones these past few months and now have a solid portfolio of TV specs that I’d like to get out there in the hopes of finding representation.
That said, when do you think would be a good time to start sending query letters to agents? I don’t know whether to send queries now and risk getting lost in the the “back to work” frenzy, or send them out in a couple of weeks and risk bumping myself out of a possibly (probably) truncated TV staffing season.
Any advice on this front would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance, and thanks for this site.
-Brian
February 13th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
You really held down the Van Ness gate. It was a pleasure freezing together those early mornings before sun-up. Hopefully our paths will cross again soon… just not in front of the Windsor gate.
-Ryan
February 15th, 2008 at 1:06 am
HARLAN ELLISON ON THE WRITERS STRIKE SETTLEMENT
YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO RE-POST THIS ANYWHERE:
Creds: got here in 1962, written for just about everybody, won the Writers Guild Award four times for solo work, sat on the WGAw Board twice, worked on negotiating committees, and was out on the picket lines with my NICK COUNTER SLEEPS WITH THE FISHE$$$ sign. You may have heard my name. I am a Union guy, I am a Guild guy, I am loyal. I fuckin’ LOVE the Guild.
And I voted NO on accepting this deal.
My reasons are good, and they are plentiful; Patric Verrone will be saddened by what I am about to say; long-time friends will shake their heads; but this I say without equivocation…
THEY BEAT US LIKE A YELLOW DOG. IT IS A SHIT DEAL. We finally got a timorous generation that has never had to strike, to get their asses out there, and we had to put up with the usual cowardly spineless babbling horse’s asses who kept mumbling “lessgo bac’ta work� over and over, as if it would make them one iota a better writer. But after months on the line, and them finally bouncing that pus-sucking dipthong Nick Counter, we rushed headlong into a shabby, scabrous, underfed shovelfulla shit clutched to the affections of toss-in-the-towel summer soldiers trembling before the Awe of the Alliance.
My Guild did what it did in 1988. It trembled and sold us out. It gave away the EXACT co-terminus expiration date with SAG for some bullshit short-line substitute; it got us no more control of our words; it sneak-abandoned the animator and reality beanfield hands before anyone even forced it on them; it made nice so no one would think we were meanies; it let the Alliance play us like the village idiot. The WGAw folded like a Texaco Road Map from back in the day.
And I am ashamed of this Guild, as I was when Shavelson was the prexy, and we wasted our efforts and lost out on technology that we had to strike for THIS time. 17 days of streaming tv!!!????? Geezus, you bleating wimps, why not just turn over your old granny for gang-rape?
You deserve all the opprobrium you get. While this nutty festschrift of demented pleasure at being allowed to go back to work in the rice paddy is filling your cowardly hearts with joy and relief that the grips and the staff at the Ivy and street sweepers won’t be saying nasty shit behind your back, remember this:
You are their bitches. They outslugged you, outthought you, outmaneuvered you; and in the end you ripped off your pants, painted yer asses blue, and said yes sir, may I have another.
Please excuse my temerity. I’m just a sad old man who has fallen among Quislings, Turncoats, Hacks and Cowards.
I must go now to whoops. My gorge has become buoyant.
Respectfully, Yr. Pal, Harlan Ellison