Social protest everywhere
A strike by thousands of American television and film screenwriters was called in Hollywood on Monday evening because they could not agree on an increase in their pay.
Threat to Late Shows and Series? On Monday evening, May 1st, a strike was called by thousands of American television and film screenwriters in Hollywood for an increase in their pay. Key issue: Finding an agreement with studios — including Netflix and Disney — to set out how screenwriters will be paid for streaming.
Board members of the powerful writers’ union Writers Guild of America (WGA) “acting under the authority vested in them by their members and voted unanimously to call for a strike” effective after midnight (9 a.m. Paris time on Tuesday), the WGA tweeted.
Through the voice of this union, screenwriters are demanding an increase in their compensation and a larger share of the profits made from streaming. For their part, the studios say they are having to cut costs due to economic pressures.
“Everyone has the impression that there will be a strike”
This strike could lead to the immediate disruption of successful programs such as “late night shows” and significantly delay TV series and films scheduled for release this year. The last major social movement in Hollywood dates back to the 2007-2008 screenwriters’ strike that paralyzed the American audiovisual industry. A 100-day conflict that had cost the sector $2 billion.
The screenwriters say that with wages and salaries stagnating or even falling due to inflation, they can barely make a living from their craft while their employers make profits and raise the salaries of their executives. They believe they have never been so numerous to work for the minimum wage set by the unions, while television networks are hiring fewer people to write shorter and shorter series.
stream
One of the biggest disagreements concerns how screenwriters are paid to stream shows, which often remain visible on platforms like Netflix for years after they are written.
For decades, screenwriters have been collecting “residual rights” for the further use of their works, for example in TV reruns or DVD sales. It’s either a percentage of the revenue the studios make for the film or show, or a fixed amount paid for each rerun of an episode.
When it comes to streaming, authors receive a fixed amount every year, even if their works are global hits such as the “Bridgerton” or “Stranger Things” series, which are seen by hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. The WGA calls for the revaluation of these amounts today “much too low in view of the massive international re-use” of these programs. She also wants to discuss the future impact of artificial intelligence on the screenwriting profession.
Netflix, “the only profitable platform”
The studios, represented by the Alliance of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP), point out that “residual rights” paid to screenwriters hit a record $494 million in 2021, compared to $333 million a decade ago previously on the explosion of screenwriting jobs related to the rising demand for streaming.
After being wasteful in recent years when competing broadcasters sought to increase subscribers at any cost, bosses are now under intense pressure from investors to cut spending and turn a profit. And they deny faking economic difficulties to strengthen their position in negotiations with screenwriters.
“Do you think Disney would fire 7,000 people for fun?” said a source close to AMPTP. According to her, “right now, there’s only one platform that’s profitable, and that’s Netflix.” The film industry “is also a very competitive industry.”
To update : Tuesday, May 2 at 6:50 a.m. with the effectiveness of the strike.