Now I am not one to Blog Bash but the heavily traveled “The Movie Blog” (The Home of Correct Movie Reviews) has really gotten in my craw.  Their recent rants against the WGA strike show a complete lack of general information of how Hollywood really works. These normally good natured Canucks, with an overwhelming love of Gladiator Movies, have made an interesting and manipulative podcast condemning the writer’s recent actions. They may have had a change o’ heart recently as their banners for “We Don’t Support The Writers” have recently come down. Perhaps they fear the wrath of the Crackpot Press. Or not.

Here are some bullet points:
 

A)    In “the real world” when a carpenter makes a chair he doesn’t get paid for it every time someone sits in it. The writers are asking for more than their fair share. 

B)     The writer’s claim that they need the residuals to live on because business longevity peaks around age 40.. So they should just get another job.

C)    The producer’s take all the risk, therefore they should get all of the reward. 

D)    They also claim in follow up blogcast that the writers of “good” scripts  (“American Gangster”) should get paid more than the writers of “bad” scripts (“Transformers”)

In a follow up, The Movie Blog defend themselves by stating that the whole residual system should be banned. Our friends from the land of free Health Insurance  (we have to fight for that here) don’t get Hollywood. The main hole in the argument is that in Hollywood, we don’t live in the real world.

In the “real world” assistants to millionaires make more than $400 to $1000 a week. Also in the “real world,” they don’t have to use superhero skills to avoid tossed bagles and staplers.  In "the real world," a video clerk doesn’t win the top Golden Palm in Cannes.  In the “real world” there aren’t doggie hotels or $400 lunches or premieres. TMZ doesn’t hang outside your gym eating French fries with double pesto mayo. Yes. we are spoiled, self-righteous and maligned. In Hollywood this is a privilege to be earned and savored. We’ve been beaten up enough.

This is an alternate reality. So you can’t use “real world” analogies. In Hollywood you don’t get off at 5 and go see your kids. It’s a world of hustle, hustle, hustle.. your nanny brings the kids to the office for a playdate with Mom or Dad.  It’s truly something you can’t understand unless you have been there. Most folks burn out after a few years. 

The argument that TV writers should “just get another job” is insane. Most writers pick up extra cash through other mediums.  They lecture, write magazine articles and always have a couple of extra money making gigs. But the intellectual property is something that should be rewarded as many times as people pay to see it. There has been a series of  commercials for Nissan featuring “The Clash,” should the record label or the publisher be the only ones cashing in? Of course not. The person who wrote the song should cash in.  If you should be fortunate enough to create a product that people are enjoying 50 years later (and profiting from), you should get a check.

The Producer’s don’t take all the risk. Producers get a flat fee in exchange for their services.  Just like the writers, EXCEPT they get ownership and complete control of the property. The Movie Blog has curtailed their argument for feature films, which is misleading. Most of this scrawmcguffinclusterfuck is about TV residuals, which is a completely different world.  A few years back, the TV writers gave in on residuals for DVD. The general logic was “DVD?? That’s just for movies.” Well, the innovators at Warner Bros opened a whole new ballsack o’ fire when they released “Friends” in 400 different kinds of ways. Can you believe the folks who bought “Friends: Season 1-7” then “Friends: The Thanksgiving Episodes?” The real genius was the guy at WB who put the HBO stuff on DVD. My GOD I can finally watch all of “The Sopranos!” WB’s gang made a ton more off of DVD than HBO subscriptions. 

 The Movie Blog suggests the writers should get paid more on the front end. However, there is no way to factor a technology created in the future to a current contract. And going back to renegotiate is impossible.

So, new markets have opened. And yes, the writers should get a check. Not a big one but more than the average tip on a lunch at the Grill. 

As far as “Good Scripts vs. Bad Scripts” this is just rookie film student mentality. There was a time in my life where I read 15-20 scripts a weekend. During this time I think I read  6 that were ready to shoot. Six out of hundreds of scripts completely blew me away. When they finally shot, they bore very little resemblance to what I had read. They were flops, so there is no correlation between a good script and profit once everyone’s fingers have been in it.  The studios don’t know good.  Fox’s torture of Seth McFarlane is the best example of this. When the Comedy Central folks came in they cancelled the “Family Guy” until it became a hit in reruns. Fox re-greened it and they have a Sunday night line up again.  Seth was smart enough to request a second show. He should get something for making Sunday Night profitable for Fox again.

The bottom line is that in grand scheme of things, the writers do okay. They make much more than I do, until they are 40. In the “real world” you peak at 40 or 50. But it’s a different world.  These reasons behind the strike are important, albeit for rich Hollywood weirdos, so don’t let the good meaning folks at The Movie Blog steer you wrong. 

Oh and Movie Blog, if hockey strikes, you can explain it to me. I heard the Mighty Ducks won some cup or something….

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