I was going to take the day off but first wanted to clear up a misconception: The WGA 'DVD' issue has been going on for a few years now. It is not a case of the writers suddenly pulling the subject out of their hats to fatten their wallets.And the 'video streaming' issue has to be dealt with now and built upon as the technology and usage grow over the years to come.
Gee, how many ways can creative people be ripped off?! And frequently by inimitably non-creative types. Let me count the ways...
The picture montage I posted above speaks volumes, I think.
For a more text based angle to the argument, not to mention evidence, check out...
http://tvshowsondvd.com/
2 comments:
I'll have a look at my other rambling remark, but here's something from a zoetrope screenplays discussion board:
David Shultz says:
15,000,000,000 is what they say DVD sales will be
.......47,000,000 is what they will pay to writers current %
.......94,000,000 is what writers want.
And a small percentage of the hundreds of millions that will be generated through other media.
Anyone can see its better to give up the extra 1/3 of 1%
It was all a ploy by the AMPTP to simply be able to not give writers everything they were asking for in the first place.
My call:
5% is whats agreed upon for DVD sales
with alot others going out the door
and maybe .025% of all other media agreed to.
LAST STRIKE costed 500,000,000
Heck, give the extra 47,000,000 and lets get back to the business of making good movies.
thats a 453,000,000 dollar profit for AVOIDING A STRIKE of 22 weeks.
Thanks for the interesting comment.
This reminds me of a guy I worked for years ago: He was about to write me a cheque for the amount owed to me when my term was up. He actually said something like, "I'll give you 80 per cent of the amount... it's still money you don't have."
As for striking, well, you do lose money but it is fighting for what is fair. Nobody would stike otherwise. And your sacrifice benefits those souls who work in your job in the future.
What is sickening about this whole equation is that there is SO much money being generated by tv DVD sales. It is not as though the 'business owner' is being asked to give away the farm... the farm with no animals or good soil.
As a poster said on the previous blog entry, it sounds as though the producers are trying to maximize profits at the expense of the creative people.
Believe me, that NEVER happens in the wonderful world of business.
Again, thanks for your comment.
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