I’ve said for some time that I believe the value of actors is overrated (not that they’re not very important… obviously they are) and the role of the writer is VASTLY underrated when considering what makes a movie good or not. I have a lot of empathy for writers in that sense. They’re the ones who create the stories, write the dialog the actors speak, conjure the characters that the actors portray and weave worlds that we inhabit for 2 hours. But what credit does the average film fan give the writers? Next to zero. We’d rather rush to credit the actors.
Well, the movie industry in general has undervalued these artists, these creators of worlds and myths, and it’s all coming to a head with a writers strike looming in the distance… and honestly, I don’t blame them.
You see, the current deal between Hollywood and the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) has very little provisions in it for material streamed or downloaded. The writers want a share in that new revenue source as well (since it is taking away from the revenue they get from the more traditional media formats). The good folks over at Cinematical give us this:
While studios would like negotiations to begin between the two parties this January, the WGA doesn’t like that idea and would rather postpone talks till September, leaving only two months before the end of the world as we know it. Wait, writers aren’t that important, right? I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? It’s not like the entire industry will fumble about before being brought to its knees. Right?
This stalling technique is nothing new for the WGA; their current contract wasn’t finalized until five months after the previous one expired — and, with online streaming and movie downloading bombarding the industry, serving as yet another medium for which studios can use to screw writers, expect this one to go right down to the wire … as per usual.
I still do not like the idea of residual contracts. I think someone should be fairly paid for their work, and then not be owed more money later… but… it the film industry is going to do it for actors (which they shouldn’t) then they sure as hell better do it for the writers too. And if you’re going to do it for the writers, then it should definitely include revenue the studios make from streaming and downloading (since that also takes away from the writers in the other mediums).
Interesting times could be lying ahead… we’ll keep an eye on how this turns out.
Hey Darren,
Well.. then you haven’t been paying much attention. :P
Here’s just one example:
https://www.themovieblog.com/archives/2006/08/less_money_to_the_actors_more_money_to_the_screenplay.html
“I’ve said for some time that I believe the value of actors is overrated (not that they’re not very important… obviously they are) and the role of the writer is VASTLY underrated when considering what makes a movie good or not”
I heard you say the former (actors) many times, but this is the first time, John, I ever heard you say writers are vastly underrated. In fact, there were several times in past posts and AE’s which you would suggest differently. It’s possible you said these things before July 2005 (when I discovered MB) – but from then til now I’ve NEVER heard you say that.
I know my rant was bit off topic but you get the gist of it….
The studios need the talent and the talent need the studios.
I don’t see why it is a problem for the creators of the films. to get a cut of the action. The studios still take the big piece of the money in general..although with the deals new line made to get rush hour 3 made they had better hope it makes a lot of money…but in most cases they still get most of the money…I don’t thinkl anyone is looking for parity with the studios but lets take something like Pirates for example … the studio has made an absolute fortune on that film….a fucking fortune. Sure they put up the money but was the film a success due to them solely? actually in this case I firmly believe that the success is due completely to Johnny depp. the character was not written in the script as he played him. he came up with the mannerisms that made the character the hit he became. he has points in the film and deserves every one of them…..and the same goes for the writers..I hope they are being rewarded big time as they came up with a franchise that is now worth billions and billions…..same goes to the exec that ultimately greenlit the first film….
I think they should all get a piece of the pie
The studios take the risk but that is their job. that is their function – to make movies. to put up money for a film to be made and if it hits the people involved should receive residuals and if their deal includes points then good on them.
A lot of studios don’t know what the hell they are doing anyway….Fox thought star wars was going to be such a gigantic turkey they happily gave lucas the sequel rights and merchandising rights as they thought they were worthless. Studios have a history of not being the most imaginative people in the world and in most cases if they had gotten their way some of the best films of all time would have been horrible.
Pirates again .. the disney executives saw the rushes and though depp was purposely sabotaging the film and hated him.
It goes all the way back to The Wizard of Oz when the execs wanted “somewhere over the rainbow” cut out as they thought it was awful – it is now one of the most famous songs of all time and one of the most famous scenes in film history.
Every studio in town turned down LOTR. They couldn’t see the potential New Line did and they got rewarded…..
But if a film bombs you can’t expect people to give their money back. that is silly. If your boss came to you and said
“you know bob we didn’t make as much as we thought we were going to so we want half this weeks pay back please” people would hit the roof….the bosses always get more and that is the risk of being the boss. you can’t start demanding the “workers” to give their pay back because profits werent as good as you thought they would be…
studios are crafty with their accounts enough as it is….The makers of forrest gump still claim it hasn’t made a profit….if they thought the actors would have to give money back if the film didn’t make a certain amount you would creative accounting to a whole new level.
I think any studio who offers points on the first dollar are a bit nuts….if they want to risk that much that is up to them entirely….but points on the profit margin is fair enough. no one has a deal that gets them as much as the studio would get and the studio have made their money nback plus profit and the people responsible for delivering them the film get a nice financial thank you. in my eyes there is nothing wrong with that at all…..
There are still tons of Writers/wannabe Writers outside the WGA. John, do you think this could this be an opporunity for new blood to get into the studios?