Writers strike in Hollywood: studios demand showrunners to keep working

The writers strike in hollywood already has four days and different situations of tension occur throughout the industry. In that framework, Disney, HBO and some other studios they asked the showrunners (part of the writers union) that keep working in their duties outside of writing.

The showrunners They are a figure that became highly demanded with the series boom in recent years. Is about people who fulfill the role of head writer and producer of a show. Your task is to decide where the plot will go, monitor that scripts maintain consistency and that all the filming process is carried out correctly.

In a letter sent to workers of programs for ABC, owned by Disneythe channel says that showrunners and writer-producers “they are not excused” from performing their duties other than writing. In addition, he mentions that their services agreement requires them to continue working even if the writers union he will fine them for doing it.

“Your duties as showrunner and/or producer are not excused, suspended, or terminated. until and unless notified in writing by the studio,” reads the letter, seen by The Hollywood Reporter, adding: “The studio intends to keep working during the strike of the writers’ union and we are legally empowered to do so”

The specialized media IndieWire confirmed the veracity of the letter and that HBO and HBO Max had sent similar messages to their employees. “If you’re a producer who doesn’t have writing assignments and you’re not a member of the writers’ union they can’t stop you from working“, expresses the letter of the studies of Warner Bros. Discovery.

another source of a third studywho requested anonymity, confirmed that this It is not something that is happening together among the studies grouped in the PTAMP (who negotiates with the writers union) but who the situation changes all the time and more letters of this style could be sent.

In the ABC text, there is a question and answer sections who argues that they are empowered by federal law to work despite the strike and that the showrunners are “forced” to perform tasks other than writingincluding post-production work, such as cutting scenes, or even alter dialogues during the filming. The rules designated by the writers union make it clear that during the strike its members cannot perform any task that includes tweak or rewrite parts of the script. Failure to do so could lead showrunners to receiving fines or disciplinary action by the union.

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The organization that represents the big hollywood studios responded to the demands communicated by the writers union to start his strike. In a four-page document, the PTAMP argued that writers receive benefits that they do not have “almost nothing to do” with freelance jobswhich they accuse that the studies promote.

studies too they rejected the need for a minimum number of employees in writers’ rooms and stated that it is “incompatible with the creative nature of the industry”. The writers union proposed that for most series, a group of between six and 12 writers.

“We do not agree with applying a standard solution for all series when they are unique and different in their approach to hiring creatives,” the AMPTP explained, adding: “Some writers are the only voice on a show and others work only with small teams. These proposals prevent these cases.” This point was one of those who led to the strike call given that, although the scriptwriters raised it as a first offer, the studios refused to deal with it.

The AMPTP also referred to the union’s requests for the use of artificial intelligence. In this sense, the organization said that artificial intelligence “presents difficult and important questions for everyone both legally and creatively.” “For example, screenwriters want to be able to use this technology as part of their creative process, without changing how credits are determined, something complicated because artificial intelligence material cannot be copyrighted,” they argued and sentenced: “It’s something that requires a lot more discussion and that’s what we committed to.”

For the organization that brings together Hollywood studios, they made an offer that includes “The biggest base pay raise they’ve been offered in 25 years. The studios offered to raise salaries 4% the first year of a new agreement, with increases of 3% and 2% the following years. Instead, the writers union asks that their salaries be increased by 6% this year, 5% next and 5% before a new deal.

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debate. The Writers Guild of America will support the use of AI.

The writers union discusses every three years a new agreement with PTAMP, a chamber that brings together the major Hollywood studios and companies (Netflix, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox, Disney, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Apple and Amazon, among others). After the pandemic and in full business model crisis of streaming, the WGA considered that the situation of the scriptwriters became precarious to already unsustainable levels.

“The survival of writing as a profession is at stake”the WGA said in a statement detailing: “Hand in hand with the industry’s turn to streaming, we screenwriters find our work devalued in all its instances. While company profits remain high and content spending has grown, we writers have lagged behind.”

Within this framework, the union assured that “companies used the transition to streaming to cut the salary of screenwriters and separate the writing process from production, worsening working conditions at all levels” and they stated: “The AMPTP wants to create a freelance work economy where before you could have a full-time career.”