WGA/SAGAFTRA Strike Discussion Thread | SAG Ratifies Contract

[Cmasterclay]

Great terms. Between these terms and President Biden visiting UAW picket what an amazing week to prove how well unions and solidarity work. I am still worried that ending the work-stoppage element of the strike before SAG even meets could affect leverage, especially since I could see the producers assholeishly wanting to score a supposed "W" after giving such great terms to the writers. Let's hope not. Color me cynical. Of course, I'm certain writers will still support SAG strike on the picket. That goes without saying. 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Cmasterclay

[Torontofan]

11 minutes ago, Jonwo said:

I'm guessing the late night hosts will be back on Monday. As I've said, I think SNL should wait until the SAG strike is resolved given the cast are part of SAG but also they'd struggle with guest hosts since no movies and TV shows can promote.

No one really watches late night shows these days as before.

 

A viral tik tok or ig reel about a movie or tv show gets more eyeballs then promoting on a late night channel in 2023. 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Torontofan

[21C]

Summary of the 2023 WGA MBA (wgacontract2023.org) 

 

Quote

Post-greenlight rooms: The following requirements are triggered depending on the number of episodes ordered, unless a single writer is engaged to write all episodes:

A bit confused about this. So shows written by a single writer are still allowed?

[Shawn Robbins]

3 minutes ago, Torontofan said:

No one really watches late night shows these days as before.

 

A viral tik tok or ig reel about a movie or tv show gets more eyeballs then promoting on a late night channel in 2023. 

It depends on the movie or TV show. You're absolutely right when it comes to younger-leaning content.

 

The likes of M3GAN or Five Nights at Freddy's don't need that kind of promotional window much in this day and age. But on the other hand, it still does matter for things like Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Next Goal Wins potentially, and even Aquaman 2 (for Mamoa's older crowd) and Wonka this holiday season if they're going to capture the adult audience that has been challenging to bring back into theaters post-COVID.

[Kon]

12 minutes ago, 21C said:

Summary of the 2023 WGA MBA (wgacontract2023.org) 

 

A bit confused about this. So shows written by a single writer are still allowed?

 

I guess a show with a single writer is still possible, since there is a condition for the development rooms:

 

• Development rooms: Once 3 writers are convened before a series order, at least 3 writer-producers (including the showrunner) are guaranteed 10 consecutive weeks of employment.
  
  Development rooms where writers are guaranteed 20 weeks of work or more are treated as post-greenlight rooms. For these rooms on first season shows, the minimum staff size required will be 3 writer-producers (including the showrunner). For these rooms in the second or subsequent season of a show the required minimum number of writers is determined by the anticipated episode order.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Kon

[Porthos]

 

[Squire]

41 minutes ago, SpiderByte said:

FINAAALLLY. Now just hopefully a week and a half till productions resume, The Great Reshuffling, and then things are back to normal

Highly doubt SAG will be resolved that quickly.

[Eric the IF]

8 minutes ago, Shawn said:

It depends on the movie or TV show. You're absolutely right when it comes to younger-leaning content.

 

The likes of M3GAN or Five Nights at Freddy's don't need that kind of promotional window much in this day and age. But on the other hand, it still does matter for things like Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Next Goal Wins potentially, and even Aquaman 2 (for Mamoa's older crowd) and Wonka this holiday season if they're going to capture the adult audience that has been challenging to bring back into theaters post-COVID.

Sooooooooooooooooo ready for the Wonka press tour. My baby's gonna be legendary

[Shawn Robbins]

4 minutes ago, Eric the Creator said:

Sooooooooooooooooo ready for the Wonka press tour. My baby's gonna be legendary

I want this for you and the world so badly.

[Porthos]

A compare/contrast/contrast of the proposals as of May 1st and the actual deal:

 

https://strikegeist.substack.com/p/heres-the-new-writers-guild-contract

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Porthos

[SpiderByte]

So do these terms apply to current shows or just future ones?

[Water Bottle]

Just now, SpiderByte said:

So do these terms apply to current shows or just future ones?

 

Some apply to new seasons, some are immediate, some based on the date. Depends on the term. 

[21C]

Struggling to make sense of what the residual agreement is. It's just a bonus if 20% of the subscriber base watches a show or movie?

[Bob Train]

So the studios will share streaming numbers with WGA under an NDA...Meaning unless studios report it publicly, we won't know them. 

[Kon]

30 minutes ago, 21C said:

Summary of the 2023 WGA MBA (wgacontract2023.org) 

 

A bit confused about this. So shows written by a single writer are still allowed?

 

 

Reading the details carefully, it isn't really impossible to have shows with single writers.

 

Development rooms for 20 weeks or more will require 3 writers minimun, which implies that this requirement is not necessary if you have fewer weeks.

 

In Post-greenlight rooms, a show could have a single writer.

[Porthos]

3 minutes ago, Bob Train said:

So the studios will share streaming numbers with WGA under an NDA...Meaning unless studios report it publicly, we won't know them. 

 

"aggregate information" can be shared.  I don't want to presume the layman's definition applies there, fwiw, but it obviously means something. 

 

Also suspect folks like TVGrimReaper or others will get leaks about official streaming numbers that are confidential as this still is Hollywood (see my comment it about it being leakier than a sieve).

Edited September 27, 2023 by Porthos

[Water Bottle]

2 minutes ago, Bob Train said:

So the studios will share streaming numbers with WGA under an NDA...Meaning unless studios report it publicly, we won't know them. 

 

 But writers can share it amongst themselves. So at least within the industry it will be very public secret. 

[Kon]

17 minutes ago, 21C said:

Struggling to make sense of what the residual agreement is. It's just a bonus if 20% of the subscriber base watches a show or movie?

Yeah. The condition to receive the bonus is quite demanding for the program. Also, the 20% should be reached on the first 90 days from its release in the streaming service.

 

The positive point is that it does not matter if the streaming service real numbers are low to receive the bonus.

 

 

 

10 minutes ago, Bob Train said:

So the studios will share streaming numbers with WGA under an NDA...Meaning unless studios report it publicly, we won't know them. 

The streaming services would never not protect themselves that way.

 

The WGA could share the information with the writers, but I assume they won't be allowed to share that information with the audience.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Kon

[Jonwo]

11 minutes ago, Kon said:

 

 

Reading the details carefully, it isn't really impossible to have shows with single writers.

 

Development rooms for 20 weeks or more will require 3 writers minimun, which implies that this requirement is not necessary if you have fewer weeks.

 

In Post-greenlight rooms, a show could have a single writer.

Single writer shows will still exist, Yellowstone and The Gilded Age come to mind unless Taylor Sheridan and Julian Fellowes are forced to hire writers. 

[Plain Old Tele]

2 minutes ago, Jonwo said:

Single writer shows will still exist, Yellowstone and The Gilded Age come to mind unless Taylor Sheridan and Julian Fellowes are forced to hire writers. 

In terms of Sheridan, it’s a relatively open secret that he had his assistants and coordinators help out with the writing (not credited of course).