Breaking In: The WGA Strike – Jimmy Kimmel’s Horchata

Photos courtesy of Valerie Perez

Everyone knows that free food just tastes better, but there hasn’t been much study into taste differentials within the free food category. Due to the current Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, I can confidently report that free food provided by your local celebrity is no better than that provided by your local grocery store. In fact, in the case of Jimmy Kimmel’s horchata, which tasted vaguely like a liquid version of cinnamon gum, it can be fairly disappointing. (Don’t mean to sound ungrateful, Jimmy! Your free food was much appreciated. And I am sure those burritos were great, but I had just had lunch.)

A few months ago, when the WGA strike was simply a threat hovering in the air, my biggest concern was how it would affect me and my fellow brethren struggling to break into this amorphous world we call Hollywood. I read some pessimistic premonitions that the strike would make it even tougher for us. Reportedly, after the last strike in 1988, the already tight-knit Hollywood community got even tighter. And, with the loss of a TV staffing season, the strike would inevitably further delay the possibility of landing a first gig. Additionally, networks would seek more non-fiction and reality programs to fill their new programming gaps, which would lead to less fiction programming in the near future, and thus fewer opportunities for writers in the years to come. And, as I mentioned before, for many, it meant almost immediate job loss. For others, it simply meant those dreams of leaving current gigs would have to be put on hold, as the LA job market was going to be flooded with newly laid off job seekers at a time where just as many positions no longer existed.

Yet I have witnessed unwavering support from young, aspiring WGA members. Why? Yes, the strike might make our current situation a little bumpier, but upon closer look, we realize that the picketers are really out there fighting for us. For many of these writers, the new media residuals they fight for will not make up a significant portion of their future income. In fact, for high-profile writers like Tim Minear (“Angel”), they stand to lose much more income from lost months of work than they would gain if all strike conditions were met. So now you may wonder, why did over 90 percent of the WGA membership vote to authorize the strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers (AMPTP)?

To understand their reasoning — and to fully understand the importance of the current strike — we have to go back to 1985. Cable and home video, much like the Internet and TiVo today, were relatively new. The AMPTP argued that it was too early to understand how they would fit into the overall picture, and that the overhead costs of video cassette production and packaging were prohibitive. The writers agreed to a cut of around 80% in their residual payments for cable television and home video with the understanding that, once the AMPTP ironed the kinks out, a better agreement would be put in place.
In subsequent negotiations, after it had become quite clear that home video was no passing fad and the cost of video tape production had sharply declined, the AMPTP refused to give the writers their fair share of the pie. So in 1988, the WGA went out on strike. After five long months, the strike ended, but the writers gained very little. The measly 0.03% share of the home video market profits remained the same.

Spring forward to 2007. The AMPTP claims that the Internet is too new to be understood. They again ask to be allowed to work out the kinks – this time offering a resounding 0% of internet profits. And they again refuse to revisit the lopsided DVD residual formula put in place 19 years ago. To this day, on average, writers pocket roughly 4 cents per DVD sold.

If, as many experts predict, TV and the Internet were to merge into one unit, “new media residuals” may be the only revenue from residuals future writers see. It’s already happening. Many shows, such as Lost, have never aired a repeat on-air. Instead, these full-length repeats are aired on the network websites, and writers never see a dime from the advertising that is tied to them.

Why are residuals so crucial to writers? Residuals – and smart saving! – are what allows writers to survive in-between projects. Though some writers may be lucky enough to land on ER in its first season and be employed for the next 14+ years, most writers are not so lucky. For every ER, there are dozens of shows each year that end after less than a full season – or never even air at all. And so, each year, these writers are back on the job market again, writing spec scripts to “audition” for new positions, and networking hard to find another break. Income from residuals is the only thing that allows scriptwriting to be a full-time profession.

This brings me to another free food item: actress Sarah Michelle Gellar’s donuts, which were, by the way, quite tasty. (Thanks, Sarah!)

Check back for a full review of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s donuts.

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Juliana Weiss is an aspiring Television writer in Los Angeles. She currently works as the head of the web content department for the star of an Emmy-nominated reality series. In this column, she will share with you her own experiences, thoughts, and theories about making it in the business, as well as the stories of other women who are working to make it-or have already make it-in Hollywood.

For news on the strike, she recommends visiting United Hollywood or Nikki Fincke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily. To find out how you can help, visit Fans4writers.com.