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Writers Guild Members Look to Internet Distribution
stevedcc writes "The Guardian is running an article about members of the Writer's Guild, still on strike, creating their own ventures to deliver content over the internet. The intention is to get their work to consumers while bypassing the movie studios. Their effort will include actors and directors, and it is not the first step they have taken to expand their interests during the strike. One particular project is said to include A-list talent, and will be released in roughly 50 daily segments before going to DVD. This is also relevant to the strike because, as the article states, 'at the core of the current dispute is the question of how to reimburse writers for work that is distributed on the internet.'"
There are ton of posts on the net about this.
I agree completely. These people are a bunch of writers and often primarily joke writers. The idea that they have a union is absurd; the idea that they could use this union to halt production in a billion dollar industry using Jimmy Hoffa-style tactics and street sign-waving is ludicrous.
They are allowed this charade because the studio heads don't want to appear anti-union to the predominately leftist Hollywood limo-liberal crowd. So they give the illusion of going along with the 'writer's strike' (an absurd concept) in order to manipulate and solidify their own positions.
Meanwhile, the internet is transforming the industry without their being aware of it.
They actually believe that they can simply package up and move their whole bullshit operation onto the internet in the same way that they moved the whole package from broadcast television to cable.
They're like Marie Antoinette's dressmakers commenting on the styles of the peasant's storming the Bastille.
They just don't get it.
Sorry, but how fucking amateurish are all these various proclamations of "We'll write video games" (bet ya won't) and "We'll take over the internets and fuck TV!"
First off, if the internet were a desirable business model for the traditional 22-48 minutes TV program, someone would already have monetized it.
Second, if the writers could pull their shit together and own their own studios and then sell the product to the major networks, all of this would be moot.
Third, the networks are owned by serious people with serious attorneys. They're not going to bow to some moronic argument made up by some dipshit who decides he's gonna take his football and go home.
When the strike ends it will end because of the same thing that ends all strikes -- pain. Either the networks' advertisers will cry uncle, and the nets pay up or else the writers will run out of ramen noodles and need food.
I scream. You scream. I assume that means we're both acquainted with the problem. We proceed.