Last Writes
The Directors Guild and the Producers Alliance reached an agreement on a three year contract after just a few days of negotiations. At issue were the same terms covering electronic downloads from the Internet that have been such a sticking point for the Writers Guild. It puts a huge onus on the writers now to either accept essentially the same deal as the directors or hold out for a sweeter deal. Still, there's something else that could drive a wedge through the striking writers, the demand that reality television be covered by the Writers Guild. The assumption, which everyone of course already knows, is that to a large degree reality shows are in fact written, or at least follow some sort of pre-planned blueprint. What, you thought that the spats between Simon and Paula were real?
posted by John M Crowther @ 7:55 AM
4 Comments:
I'm glad you've finally exposed the truth about so-called reality shows --not written perhaps but certainly improvised according to a very specific plan:John loves Mary, John hates Mary, Mary saves John, etc. We'll soon see if the WGA, unlike the DGA, a vast army of the mostly unemployed, will bite the bullet and agree. If not picket lines into the summer.
I abhor people holding other people to ransom but I guess if there's no other way... whatever happened to good old fashioned negotiating skills... is diplomacy dead? But there I go being way to simplistic yet again...
In defense of the WGA, the average writer in Hollywood is about as low on the rung of cinema success as you can get --treated shabbily, endlessly re-written, constantly shelved, universally abused by everyone. As the great Wm. Goldman once pointed out --everyone and his brother thinks they could write a script if only they had the time; few think they could photograph a film or edit a movie. Consequently I can't blame the legions of the unemployed WGA members, most of whom work very rarely, for stubbornly fighting for more share of the pizza instead of the usual cold slices of pepperoncino they've gotten handed to them in the past.
I think it's kharma. Whoever scripted Denny out of Grey's Anatomy has gotta pay ~grin~
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