On May 2, with the help of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), screenwriters went on strike because their pay was too low. According to Today News, negotiations for a contract agreement didn’t work out with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu have made it hard for writers to maintain a steady income because viewers don’t have to wait a certain time to watch a certain show. There are a lot of reruns for different shows, and some writers get paid very little for that. This little pay is still not enough to make a dent in their income.
According to the writers, their average pay is usually between 51,000 to 70,000 dollars per year, while a directors pay is usually an average of 108,500 dollars per year. Now that writers are on strike, they’re not getting paid at all. It’s hard for some to provide for their families, especially in New York City and Los Angeles, because those are some of the most expensive cities to live in right now.
Siouxsie Easter, Upper School Theater Director, had the opportunity to teach students at her previous job at a university who now write for Netflix. She reached out to some of those students and said that many have had to get side jobs. Some of those jobs include substitute teaching and working in restaurants.
“It’s a job where you almost have to have another job, and you’re writing for one of the most popular shows ever,” Easter said.
Olivia Kersh ’24 is a senior at FWCD. She has written several screenplays that have been produced in the Fort Worth area.
“[Hollywood] is supposed to be a place of opportunity and excitement, and if I’m doing something I love as a job, and then what I love most is not getting me paid and I have to pay for my family, I’ve got to feed everyone, I’ve got to house everyone… I think definitely I would [have made the same decision to go on strike] just because it’s not fair to be pouring your heart out and mentally trying to do so much, like trying to entertain the world and then not be paid…” Kersh said.
Kersh added that it is important to do something oneloves, but it’s even more important to be able to provide for oneself and one’s family.
There are funds set up for writers so that they are still able to provide for themselves and their families during the strike. Viewers can donate to Entertainment Community Funds and Humanitus: Groceries for Writers to help support them.
Trinity Marroquin ‘26, said “American Dad,” “Family Guy” and “Stranger Things” were the top shows she missed with the strike.
The 2023 Emmy Awards were supposed to be in September, but have been postponed until January 2024. Many other shows have also had to be postponed or canceled.
There has also been the actors’ strike and SAG AFTRA, which has been going on since mid-summer. Both the writers and actors strikes have a similar cause. USA Today states that people are worried about a decrease in jobs due to AI and ChatGPT. Hollywood is looking to use ChatGPT instead of writers to write screenplays, and they would use an image composer to come up with new characters for movies and video games. It is a big deal for AI to be an issue during these negotiations because it gives another concern for jobs and salary for many people in the U.S.
On September 24, the WGA came to an agreement with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The New York Times says some agreements are for writers getting paid when their shows or movies are streamed and that there will be less artificial intelligence use. Some late night shows are scheduled to come back as soon as next week.
