I haven’t written in a while. Not a lot of interesting things have happened…well, not in my life. My mom came. That was cool. I had an orientation for the program where they basically told us all the things we will be learning at the real orientation in January. Oh, and all the people working in one of my dream professions have gone on strike…two months before I am set to go and learn from them. And their work. Which they aren’t currently doing. Uh oh.
I am hearing conflicting stories. My professors here keep reassuring me that it will be over by January. Then I get home, log on to Variety and see articles like this. Obviously, someone will be wrong. I’m not too worried though. I mean, if I go out there while there is still a strike, I’m sure there will still be some opportunity for internships. But there will also be other, more interesting, life opportunities. On my first free day, I am looking up the addresses of strike areas, and I am joining in. I’ve authored spec scripts. I’m interesting in writing. Why shouldn’t I go picket with the people who are picketing for my possible future? What better story 20 years from now than to say that even though I wasn’t a writer then, I helped fight the good fight for writers and possibly for my future self.
Just to be clear, no matter what happens with me personally, I support the writers. What is happening to them, for lack of a better word, sucks. I hate seeing people taken advantage of, especially smart, creative, talented people who work endless hours for the love of a project and not for the profit to be made from it. What they want isn’t crazy or greedy. They want to be able to write for months without worrying about how they are going to keep their lights on or how they are going to pay for the gas to get downtown for the meeting that could finally give them a break. They deserve the money they are asking for, not only for their hard work, but for the hours of enjoyment they provide all of us. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t catch Pushing Daisies or Grey’s Anatomy online, since I work slash watch The Office, when they air. It’s upsetting that the writers, not to mention the actors and directors, get nothing from this so called “promotional” streaming of the episode, even though this is the only way I actually watch the episode. They get no money from my viewership and my enjoyment. Writers should be compensated for all the times their work airs and people are entertained by it, no matter where it is people are watching. It is almost sickening that anyone can side with the studio heads and CEO’s, making millions a year, and then look at the writers as the ones who are being unreasonable.
Everyone should go to unitedhollywood and pamie.com for more articulate assessments of the situation. You should also watch this video if you don’t understand what the writer’s are actually striking about. Power to the people.
In Development 