Despite their importance, writers haven’t been given much due in Hollywood. They work as employees for studios who pay them money in exchange for the copyrights to their scripts. Meanwhile, the studios then turn the scripts into TV shows and movies that go on to run for years, in reruns and syndication and on home video and DVDs and now on the Internet thru streaming and download.
Writers have banded together to form a union, called the Writers’ Guild of America, to make sure that, just like authors of songs or books, they get paid when the things they write become a success. These payments are called “residuals” and writers get them when their show reruns or is sold on DVD. The studios have a contract with the guild, and thus with all writers, specifying the minimum amounts they have to pay whenever something like that happens. The guild then audits the studios on behalf of the writers, makes sure they pay their fair share, and then determines which writers deserve the money and mails it out.
Studios are still upset about having to pay writers for their work, wishing they could keep all the profits for themselves. Writers are still upset about not having negotiated a better rate for home video residuals. Right now, when you buy a TV show on DVD, the writers get 0.3% of the price — something like six cents, usually. The studios want to pay them the same pitiful amount for online downloads and pay them nothing at all for online streaming. The writers, not surprisingly, would like to get paid a more fair amount.
So when the contract between the studios and the guild expired weeks ago, the two sides couldn’t agree on a replacement. The studios basically refused to seriously negotiate and that refusal has been going on (in various forms) ever since. So the writers went on strike: they’re no longer allowed to write a single word for a studio until the contract issues get resolved.
Along the way I’ve learned a great deal about the arcanaties of labor law (many of which, like Taft-Hartley, are everyday words in Hollywood), the oddities of Hollywood jargon (the Alphabet=ABC, hyphenates=writer-producers, etc.), and read many gripping stories about what it’s like to be fighting for your livelihood. (Note to future selves: Don’t get in a written debate with people who write for a living.)
But perhaps the most touching thing I heard came from J.J. Abrams, the creator of Alias and Lost, and his partner Damon Lindelof. Both are writers and both are bound by the “pencils down” rule of the strike, even though they’re in the middle of filming the new Star Trek film, presently Paramount’s biggest movie. John August describes the scene:
I am not the director of a big Hollywood movie, nor am I striking for my livelihood, or even doing much of anything, but I have to admit, that’s how I’ve been feeling lately. Now that I’m getting over being very sick, I find that I don’t feel terribly bad anymore, I just feel kind of tired. All the time.
So I go to finish up a new piece of software I’ve been working on (I’ve got dozens, just sitting here, waiting for the finishing touches), and I just can’t. I can’t type. I feel like someone who’s used to having lightning bolts fly out of their hands but now all I get are little sparks. Ssszzt. Szzzt. Bzzt. I’ve got nothing.
And so I’m stuck here in my room, lots of stuff I want to do, but nothing comes out. It’s like having your superpowers taken away. Damon, I really know what you mean.
:-(
posted by David McCabe
on December 19, 2007 #
You have my empathy. My wrists are playing up. For someone who lives online this is a BAD THING.
posted by David Gerard
on December 20, 2007 #
Hi Aaron!
I feel sorry for you and would like to help you.
The worst problem with being stuck is, that one tends to ask why-questions not to answer and can’t go on with “how” for several reasons, like: nothing comes out. One knows “how” would be better, but one has the feeling to have the right to ask for the unanswerable why and feel solutionless,empty.
This situation is dangerous..storytelling might help.
Just to tell you, storytelling, like you did with bubble-city, started at the wrong time in personal situations, can even increase the situation. You might get the feeling, that even your imagination feels empty.
I still think, that a fascinating project, quickly realizeable and with the right team highly sucessful but related to deeper aspects, would be the right thing for you.
Don’t get me wrong, I apply my projections on purpose.
I shared your experiences, in different times, I was a super-brain once, I had my burn-outs, I could overcome them, sometimes with very freaky methods, but I was aware of them, that was, why I recommended you an adventure.
Whatever you might think of me, it is porobably wrong - I like playing but tell the truth though, so that you met Lilo was probably not the easiest way to tell you about my project…but it clarified the child’s view I kept.
I believe in narratic approaches and I am sure this will soon be widely accepted, it is a logical consequence for several reasons not to be enrolled here…well, I play this a little freaky, I want it like this. (Basta ;-))
I still think you and your team should program my tool, detest running after you, but will have to say yes or no soon to a proposal by some entrepreneurs with several million dollar seed-capital, who will buy the center of a realizeable elaborated idea, only the center, while the rest id even more valuable, but I would stand alone with this then, somehow, this depends on the contract I can reach.
But I will get very little,compared to the value, quite a lot, maybe though, while this project could be programmed by your team within little time - and be foundation for all kind of related “augmented” (my use of the term augmented is different from the augmented reality term!) improvement tools and solutions.
The separatly realizeable part of the idea is, from the meta-view, an aid-project-creation-mashine, an addition that will converge fluently, started here in Austria together with an university I will name in my email. I changed the partnership, the recent is a lot more important internationally.
Can I trust you and expect an answer, if I send you as much of my serious project, as I have available in English,mostly explanations of the background - starting with a “story” though?
My project is truly related to Open Library, Real-utopias, developed years before I knew your interstes and projects or even know about you and includes a lot more of things which complement one another. But still the “center”, the tool is simple, really great and somewhat endlessly to elaborate, always producing valuable contents. And to be published separated from all “freaky aspects”!!!!
Infogami is so close to my concept too, I just have an all-in-one-solution, of which these approaches are a logical part.
I started with several partners, but left the cooperations because they misunderstood the simplest basics, this is not my fault, it is Austria, the recent proposal is by an American start-up, it lacks a lot of possible outcomes again, but I am close to give up, earn “a little” and go for the rest separated.
I am not out formoney, I could have realized everything long ago if so, this possible outcome makes me sad and depressive too, but I have donated enough of my life-time for my idealism, and I would not give up over all, just the best strategy.
I get money for the programming here, independently from the mentioned offer, I had to work hard for this - so I could even pay you for it, I am conviced you and your team would be the better ones to do it, better, than my Austrian contacts, better, than the Americans.
I can pay for the programming, but would prefer to partner, as the related concepts could be enroled easily and most important: together then, you are out for the same, unless your public image is wrong.
It is the best solution for a life-inventory, self-improvement tool and a lot more, to be created individually game-based by the users.
I know it seems crazy to contact you this way, but what should I do? If I know you are the right ones, I try to go for it, I have other solutions, but this would be the best.
I am convinced you will be interested and feel sorry, that I approached you with the freaky part, instead of the serious, I thought you would take it in a good way.
What I play with Lilo is similar to your “augmented” approach, like blocking your blog…but I have no technical knowledge - and a differnt story, focussed on the same topics, meant to start at a later point, this blog is just half-private preparation, the university accepted it.
This offline-girl approach did not prevent me from creating a demo-version for a technical tool that will turn facebook into one “nice” feature within an easily individually organizeable personal knowledge organisation structure.
Please delete this post when you read it, it is, like some of the others, not meant for public, but I do not really care what others think, so I just posted them, this one is too private.
I am ten years older than you are, so you have really not to be afraid I would have any personal interests in you, besides sharing minds and creativity and find a team that can understand what I am out for and work in a think-tank one day, with the right ones, maybe you too.
Take Care
“Lilo”
PS: something else: I never copy anyone, I am very puzzled or bewildered about what I call coincidences myself.
posted by Lilo
on December 20, 2007 #
Hi Aaron!
I feel sorry for you and would like to help you.
The worst problem with being stuck is, that one tends to ask why-questions not to answer and can’t go on with “how” for several reasons, like: nothing comes out. One knows “how” would be better, but one has the feeling to have the right to ask for the unanswerable why and feel solutionless,empty.
This situation is dangerous..storytelling might help.
Just to tell you, storytelling, like you did with bubble-city, started at the wrong time in personal situations, can even increase the situation. You might get the feeling, that even your imagination feels empty.
I still think, that a fascinating project, quickly realizeable and with the right team highly sucessful but related to deeper aspects, would be the right thing for you.
Don’t get me wrong, I apply my projections on purpose.
I shared your experiences, in different times, I was a super-brain once, I had my burn-outs, I could overcome them, sometimes with very freaky methods, but I was aware of them, that was, why I recommended you an adventure.
Whatever you might think of me, it is porobably wrong - I like playing but tell the truth though, so that you met Lilo was probably not the easiest way to tell you about my project…but it clarified the child’s view I kept.
I believe in narratic approaches and I am sure this will soon be widely accepted, it is a logical consequence for several reasons not to be enrolled here…well, I play this a little freaky, I want it like this. (Basta ;-))
I still think you and your team should program my tool, detest running after you, but will have to say yes or no soon to a proposal by some entrepreneurs with several million dollar seed-capital, who will buy the center of a realizeable elaborated idea, only the center, while the rest id even more valuable, but I would stand alone with this then, somehow, this depends on the contract I can reach.
But I will get very little,compared to the value, quite a lot, maybe though, while this project could be programmed by your team within little time - and be foundation for all kind of related “augmented” (my use of the term augmented is different from the augmented reality term!) improvement tools and solutions.
The separatly realizeable part of the idea is, from the meta-view, an aid-project-creation-mashine, an addition that will converge fluently, started here in Austria together with an university I will name in my email. I changed the partnership, the recent is a lot more important internationally.
Can I trust you and expect an answer, if I send you as much of my serious project, as I have available in English,mostly explanations of the background - starting with a “story” though?
My project is truly related to Open Library, Real-utopias, developed years before I knew your interstes and projects or even know about you and includes a lot more of things which complement one another. But still the “center”, the tool is simple, really great and somewhat endlessly to elaborate, always producing valuable contents. And to be published separated from all “freaky aspects”!!!!
Infogami is so close to my concept too, I just have an all-in-one-solution, of which these approaches are a logical part.
I started with several partners, but left the cooperations because they misunderstood the simplest basics, this is not my fault, it is Austria, the recent proposal is by an American start-up, it lacks a lot of possible outcomes again, but I am close to give up, earn “a little” and go for the rest separated.
I am not out formoney, I could have realized everything long ago if so, this possible outcome makes me sad and depressive too, but I have donated enough of my life-time for my idealism, and I would not give up over all, just the best strategy.
I get money for the programming here, independently from the mentioned offer, I had to work hard for this - so I could even pay you for it, I am conviced you and your team would be the better ones to do it, better, than my Austrian contacts, better, than the Americans.
I can pay for the programming, but would prefer to partner, as the related concepts could be enroled easily and most important: together then, you are out for the same, unless your public image is wrong.
It is the best solution for a life-inventory, self-improvement tool and a lot more, to be created individually game-based by the users.
I know it seems crazy to contact you this way, but what should I do? If I know you are the right ones, I try to go for it, I have other solutions, but this would be the best.
I am convinced you will be interested and feel sorry, that I approached you with the freaky part, instead of the serious, I thought you would take it in a good way.
What I play with Lilo is similar to your “augmented” approach, like blocking your blog…but I have no technical knowledge - and a differnt story, focussed on the same topics, meant to start at a later point, this blog is just half-private preparation, the university accepted it.
This offline-girl approach did not prevent me from creating a demo-version for a technical tool that will turn facebook into one “nice” feature within an easily individually organizeable personal knowledge organisation structure.
Please delete this post when you read it, it is, like some of the others, not meant for public, but I do not really care what others think, so I just posted them, this one is too private.
I am ten years older than you are, so you have really not to be afraid I would have any personal interests in you, besides sharing minds and creativity and find a team that can understand what I am out for and work in a think-tank one day, with the right ones, maybe you too.
Take Care
“Lilo”
PS: something else: I never copy anyone, I am very puzzled or bewildered about what I call coincidences myself.
posted by Lilo
on December 20, 2007 #
Hi Aaron,
very “nice” metaphor, I feel very much the same (including the bunch of unfinished projects, and often feeling sick). I recently asked for help on news.yc, some answers were interesting, I think: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=89861
At least in my case, there is definitely a mixture of several of the things people mentioned: too many projects, not knowing which one I am in love with, unresolved issues in social life and surroundings, reluctance to adopt other people’s coding styles.
As I mention there, the only thing that worked for me recently was to learn a new programming language doing project euler problems. Useless, but at least I could prove to myself that I have not become completely stupid yet.
Anyway, I enjoy your writings. Since not many other people were commenting, I decided to do it, even though I don’t really have a helpful advice.
posted by Björn
on December 22, 2007 #
You can also send comments by email.
Comments
:-(
posted by David McCabe on December 19, 2007 #
You have my empathy. My wrists are playing up. For someone who lives online this is a BAD THING.
posted by David Gerard on December 20, 2007 #
Hi Aaron!
I feel sorry for you and would like to help you.
The worst problem with being stuck is, that one tends to ask why-questions not to answer and can’t go on with “how” for several reasons, like: nothing comes out. One knows “how” would be better, but one has the feeling to have the right to ask for the unanswerable why and feel solutionless,empty.
This situation is dangerous..storytelling might help. Just to tell you, storytelling, like you did with bubble-city, started at the wrong time in personal situations, can even increase the situation. You might get the feeling, that even your imagination feels empty.
I still think, that a fascinating project, quickly realizeable and with the right team highly sucessful but related to deeper aspects, would be the right thing for you. Don’t get me wrong, I apply my projections on purpose.
I shared your experiences, in different times, I was a super-brain once, I had my burn-outs, I could overcome them, sometimes with very freaky methods, but I was aware of them, that was, why I recommended you an adventure.
Whatever you might think of me, it is porobably wrong - I like playing but tell the truth though, so that you met Lilo was probably not the easiest way to tell you about my project…but it clarified the child’s view I kept. I believe in narratic approaches and I am sure this will soon be widely accepted, it is a logical consequence for several reasons not to be enrolled here…well, I play this a little freaky, I want it like this. (Basta ;-)) I still think you and your team should program my tool, detest running after you, but will have to say yes or no soon to a proposal by some entrepreneurs with several million dollar seed-capital, who will buy the center of a realizeable elaborated idea, only the center, while the rest id even more valuable, but I would stand alone with this then, somehow, this depends on the contract I can reach. But I will get very little,compared to the value, quite a lot, maybe though, while this project could be programmed by your team within little time - and be foundation for all kind of related “augmented” (my use of the term augmented is different from the augmented reality term!) improvement tools and solutions. The separatly realizeable part of the idea is, from the meta-view, an aid-project-creation-mashine, an addition that will converge fluently, started here in Austria together with an university I will name in my email. I changed the partnership, the recent is a lot more important internationally.
Can I trust you and expect an answer, if I send you as much of my serious project, as I have available in English,mostly explanations of the background - starting with a “story” though? My project is truly related to Open Library, Real-utopias, developed years before I knew your interstes and projects or even know about you and includes a lot more of things which complement one another. But still the “center”, the tool is simple, really great and somewhat endlessly to elaborate, always producing valuable contents. And to be published separated from all “freaky aspects”!!!! Infogami is so close to my concept too, I just have an all-in-one-solution, of which these approaches are a logical part. I started with several partners, but left the cooperations because they misunderstood the simplest basics, this is not my fault, it is Austria, the recent proposal is by an American start-up, it lacks a lot of possible outcomes again, but I am close to give up, earn “a little” and go for the rest separated. I am not out formoney, I could have realized everything long ago if so, this possible outcome makes me sad and depressive too, but I have donated enough of my life-time for my idealism, and I would not give up over all, just the best strategy. I get money for the programming here, independently from the mentioned offer, I had to work hard for this - so I could even pay you for it, I am conviced you and your team would be the better ones to do it, better, than my Austrian contacts, better, than the Americans. I can pay for the programming, but would prefer to partner, as the related concepts could be enroled easily and most important: together then, you are out for the same, unless your public image is wrong.
It is the best solution for a life-inventory, self-improvement tool and a lot more, to be created individually game-based by the users.
I know it seems crazy to contact you this way, but what should I do? If I know you are the right ones, I try to go for it, I have other solutions, but this would be the best.
I am convinced you will be interested and feel sorry, that I approached you with the freaky part, instead of the serious, I thought you would take it in a good way. What I play with Lilo is similar to your “augmented” approach, like blocking your blog…but I have no technical knowledge - and a differnt story, focussed on the same topics, meant to start at a later point, this blog is just half-private preparation, the university accepted it. This offline-girl approach did not prevent me from creating a demo-version for a technical tool that will turn facebook into one “nice” feature within an easily individually organizeable personal knowledge organisation structure.
Please delete this post when you read it, it is, like some of the others, not meant for public, but I do not really care what others think, so I just posted them, this one is too private.
I am ten years older than you are, so you have really not to be afraid I would have any personal interests in you, besides sharing minds and creativity and find a team that can understand what I am out for and work in a think-tank one day, with the right ones, maybe you too.
Take Care “Lilo”
PS: something else: I never copy anyone, I am very puzzled or bewildered about what I call coincidences myself.
posted by Lilo on December 20, 2007 #
Hi Aaron!
I feel sorry for you and would like to help you.
The worst problem with being stuck is, that one tends to ask why-questions not to answer and can’t go on with “how” for several reasons, like: nothing comes out. One knows “how” would be better, but one has the feeling to have the right to ask for the unanswerable why and feel solutionless,empty.
This situation is dangerous..storytelling might help. Just to tell you, storytelling, like you did with bubble-city, started at the wrong time in personal situations, can even increase the situation. You might get the feeling, that even your imagination feels empty.
I still think, that a fascinating project, quickly realizeable and with the right team highly sucessful but related to deeper aspects, would be the right thing for you. Don’t get me wrong, I apply my projections on purpose.
I shared your experiences, in different times, I was a super-brain once, I had my burn-outs, I could overcome them, sometimes with very freaky methods, but I was aware of them, that was, why I recommended you an adventure.
Whatever you might think of me, it is porobably wrong - I like playing but tell the truth though, so that you met Lilo was probably not the easiest way to tell you about my project…but it clarified the child’s view I kept. I believe in narratic approaches and I am sure this will soon be widely accepted, it is a logical consequence for several reasons not to be enrolled here…well, I play this a little freaky, I want it like this. (Basta ;-)) I still think you and your team should program my tool, detest running after you, but will have to say yes or no soon to a proposal by some entrepreneurs with several million dollar seed-capital, who will buy the center of a realizeable elaborated idea, only the center, while the rest id even more valuable, but I would stand alone with this then, somehow, this depends on the contract I can reach. But I will get very little,compared to the value, quite a lot, maybe though, while this project could be programmed by your team within little time - and be foundation for all kind of related “augmented” (my use of the term augmented is different from the augmented reality term!) improvement tools and solutions. The separatly realizeable part of the idea is, from the meta-view, an aid-project-creation-mashine, an addition that will converge fluently, started here in Austria together with an university I will name in my email. I changed the partnership, the recent is a lot more important internationally.
Can I trust you and expect an answer, if I send you as much of my serious project, as I have available in English,mostly explanations of the background - starting with a “story” though? My project is truly related to Open Library, Real-utopias, developed years before I knew your interstes and projects or even know about you and includes a lot more of things which complement one another. But still the “center”, the tool is simple, really great and somewhat endlessly to elaborate, always producing valuable contents. And to be published separated from all “freaky aspects”!!!! Infogami is so close to my concept too, I just have an all-in-one-solution, of which these approaches are a logical part. I started with several partners, but left the cooperations because they misunderstood the simplest basics, this is not my fault, it is Austria, the recent proposal is by an American start-up, it lacks a lot of possible outcomes again, but I am close to give up, earn “a little” and go for the rest separated. I am not out formoney, I could have realized everything long ago if so, this possible outcome makes me sad and depressive too, but I have donated enough of my life-time for my idealism, and I would not give up over all, just the best strategy. I get money for the programming here, independently from the mentioned offer, I had to work hard for this - so I could even pay you for it, I am conviced you and your team would be the better ones to do it, better, than my Austrian contacts, better, than the Americans. I can pay for the programming, but would prefer to partner, as the related concepts could be enroled easily and most important: together then, you are out for the same, unless your public image is wrong.
It is the best solution for a life-inventory, self-improvement tool and a lot more, to be created individually game-based by the users.
I know it seems crazy to contact you this way, but what should I do? If I know you are the right ones, I try to go for it, I have other solutions, but this would be the best.
I am convinced you will be interested and feel sorry, that I approached you with the freaky part, instead of the serious, I thought you would take it in a good way. What I play with Lilo is similar to your “augmented” approach, like blocking your blog…but I have no technical knowledge - and a differnt story, focussed on the same topics, meant to start at a later point, this blog is just half-private preparation, the university accepted it. This offline-girl approach did not prevent me from creating a demo-version for a technical tool that will turn facebook into one “nice” feature within an easily individually organizeable personal knowledge organisation structure.
Please delete this post when you read it, it is, like some of the others, not meant for public, but I do not really care what others think, so I just posted them, this one is too private.
I am ten years older than you are, so you have really not to be afraid I would have any personal interests in you, besides sharing minds and creativity and find a team that can understand what I am out for and work in a think-tank one day, with the right ones, maybe you too.
Take Care “Lilo”
PS: something else: I never copy anyone, I am very puzzled or bewildered about what I call coincidences myself.
posted by Lilo on December 20, 2007 #
Hi Aaron,
very “nice” metaphor, I feel very much the same (including the bunch of unfinished projects, and often feeling sick). I recently asked for help on news.yc, some answers were interesting, I think: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=89861 At least in my case, there is definitely a mixture of several of the things people mentioned: too many projects, not knowing which one I am in love with, unresolved issues in social life and surroundings, reluctance to adopt other people’s coding styles. As I mention there, the only thing that worked for me recently was to learn a new programming language doing project euler problems. Useless, but at least I could prove to myself that I have not become completely stupid yet. Anyway, I enjoy your writings. Since not many other people were commenting, I decided to do it, even though I don’t really have a helpful advice.
posted by Björn on December 22, 2007 #
You can also send comments by email.