WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME!

forever_town · Nov 8, 2007

Am I the only person in America who doesn't give two shits about this writers strike?

As long as it doesn't affect football, I'm good.

Write-brained · Nov 8, 2007

forever_town said:

Am I the only person in American who doesn't give two shits about this writers strike?

As long as it doesn't affect football, I'm good.
Click to expand...

It doesn't? It would certainly explain Tony Kornheiser's suckitude.

STLIrish · Nov 8, 2007

I read somewhere it might whack the entire season of Lost, which, like 24, doesn't start until January and is still in production.
They are done with The Wire, right? Please?

Chi City 81 · Nov 8, 2007

STLIrish said:

I read somewhere it might whack the entire season of Lost, which, like 24, doesn't start until January and is still in production.
They are done with The Wire, right? Please?
Click to expand...

Look up eight or so posts.

Write-brained · Nov 8, 2007

STLIrish as Mr. Short-termed Memory.

Hi, I'm STLIrish, what's your name?

Oh, hi. I'm STLIrish, what's your name?

EStreetJoe · Nov 8, 2007

Damn. I wonder what this means for The Shield.
Hopefully all of Season 2 of Dexter has been shot or else I'll be really pissed.

forever_town · Nov 9, 2007

Write-brained said:

It doesn't? It would certainly explain Tony Kornheiser's suckitude.
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Problem is, his writing muse has been on strike for the last three or four years. The writer strike hasn't lasted THAT long.

Inky_Wretch · Nov 9, 2007

Write-brained said:

Where do we go to become scabs? Not for the money. I just want one episode of CSI-Miami so I kill off David Caruso.
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Oh, where do I sign up to help with that?

How could we do it? How about a criminal puts poison on his sunglasses that slowly seeps into his bloodstream? Horatio, woozy from the drug, then tries to dramatically put his sunglasses back on after a pithy one-liner to "Mr. Wolf," but misses and stabs himself through the eye with earpiece of his sunglasses. He falls forward, driving the sunglasses through his brain and killing him.

ServeItUp · Nov 9, 2007

forever_town said:

Am I the only person in America who doesn't give two shits about this writers strike?

As long as it doesn't affect football, I'm good.
Click to expand...

Not the only one at all. With no cable and a crappy set of rabbit ears, I've read more books in the last 18 months than I did in the previous 10 years. A liberating experience, to be sure.

STLIrish · Nov 9, 2007

Write-brained said:

STLIrish as Mr. Short-termed Memory.

Hi, I'm STLIrish, what's your name?

Oh, hi. I'm STLIrish, what's your name?
Click to expand...

Ah, my bad.
Witty, there, by the way.

BYH · Nov 9, 2007

ServeItUp said:

forever_town said:

Am I the only person in America who doesn't give two shits about this writers strike?

As long as it doesn't affect football, I'm good.
Click to expand...

Not the only one at all. With no cable and a crappy set of rabbit ears, I've read more books in the last 18 months than I did in the previous 10 years. A liberating experience, to be sure.
Click to expand...

If you're a writer at any level, you should care about this strike. Very much.

Those who develop the content are regarded the least. It's about time someone stood up to get a bigger piece of the pie.

pseudo · Nov 10, 2007

EStreetJoe said:

Damn. I wonder what this means for The Shield.
Click to expand...

A friend passed along this e-mail:

From the Creator of The Shield, Shawn Ryan:

Fellow Showrunners and Television writers: As you all know by now, we are on Strike. It's sad that we have arrived here and I don't know each and every one of your opinions, but I wanted to share my personal plans for what I intend to do until we have a fair contract.

I am currently quoted in today's Hollywood Reporter as saying that I will do some producing work, but won't do any editing as I consider that to be writing. While I said something similar to that earlier last week (I've learned you can't trust a word of what these trades report), that was before I went to the Showrunners Meeting yesterday and became very crystalized in what I need to do. Like many of you I have spent the last week contemplating what to do in case of a strike. What are my responsibilities to my writers, my cast, my crew, my network and my contract? How do I balance these various concerns?

At the Showrunners Meeting it became very clear to me that the only thing I can do as a showrunner is to do nothing. I obviously will not write on my shows. But I also will not edit, I will not cast, I will not look at location photos, I will not get on the phone with the network and studio, I will not prep directors, I will not review mixes. These are all acts that are about the writing of the show or protecting the writing of the show, and as such, I will not participate in them. I will also not ask any of my writer/producers to do any of these things for me, so that they get done, but I can save face.

I will not go into the office and I will not do any work at home. I will be on the picket line or I will be working with the Negotiating Committee. I will not have an avid sent to my house, or to a new office so that I can do work on my show and act as if it is all right because I'm not crossing any picket lines.

I truly believe that the best and fastest way to a good contract is to hit these companies early, to hit them hard and to deprive them of ALL the work we do on their behalf.

How do we ask our staff writers to go out on strike as we continue collecting producer checks? How do we ask the Teamsters to respect our picket lines if we won't ourselves or if we're sneaking around to do the work off-site?

Just so you all know what I am prepared to give up....

Tomorrow, we begin to film the Series Finale of "The Shield". I think it's the best script our writing staff has ever written. This is the show that made me. This is the show that is my baby. If the strike goes on longer than two weeks, I won't be able to step on set for the final episode of the show. I won't have a writer on set, as I have had on every episode since the fourth episode. I won't be able to edit this final culminating episode. I won't go to the wrap party that Fox TV and FX are paying for. You can't tell me that any episode of television is more important than this one is to me, and I am ready to forego all those things in order to strengthen my union.

Tomorrow, we begin filming a new pilot, The Oaks, that I am Executive Producing. It's an amazing script that David Schulner wrote and I signed up to help him make this show. Until we have a fair deal I cannot do that now and it kills me.

We are currently filming Season 3 of The Unit, a show that does fairly well, but against House and Dancing With The Stars, usually finishes in 3rd place. We have no guarantee that we will back for a 4th season. I just gave a director friend of mine his first TV directing gig. I'd like to see him succeed. He'll have to finish the show on his own now without a writer on set, or my help in the editing room.

Some people have made the argument that if they don't do this producing work or this editing, that someone else will do it, and this act won't hurt the companies. I respectfully disagree. If we ALL stop ALL work tomorrow, the impact of this strike will be felt much more quickly, much more acutely and it most likely will end sooner, putting our writers, our cast and our crews back to work sooner!

I spent nearly 12 hours today in the Negotiation Room with the companies. I watched our side desperately try to make a deal. We gave up our request to increase revenue on DVD's, something that was very painful to give up, but something we felt we had to in order to get a deal made in new media, which is our future.

I watched as the company's representatives treated us horrendously, disrespectfully, and then walked out on us at 9:30 and then lied to the trades, claiming we had broken off negotiations.

I can't in good conscience fight these bastards with one hand, while operating an avid with the other. I am on strike and I am not working for them. PERIOD.

You will use your own instincts and consciences to decide your own actions. But if you would like to follow in my footsteps (and those of many, many others who made this pledge at the showrunner's meeting on Saturday), I encourage you to sign the trade ad that the WGA will be putting out on Tuesday by the dozens and dozens of showrunners who will simply not work at all beginning in the morning.

I'm only writing to those writers whom I have e-mail for. Feel free to pass this on to your fellow writers and to your showrunners if you feel inclined.

I respect you all and look forward to discussing these issues more on the line. Feel free to write or e-mail and good luck!

-- Shawn Ryan
Click to expand...

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WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME!

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WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME!

forever_town Well-Known Member

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