Even before an actor stands in front of the camera, the actual creative work in film and television usually begins with a blank sheet of paper. But what if all the authors suddenly go on strike? Streaming providers such as Netflix, Disney, Apple and Co. can now deal with this question – nothing works anymore.
Nothing works in Hollywood without scripts and the authors behind them. Anyone who works as a screenwriter in California organizes themselves in the Writers Guild of America. Most recently, she was again in negotiations with the country’s film and series producers.
Netflix and Co. are now on strike: authors stop working
However, the talks have collapsed. As a result go now Thousands of screenwriters on strike indefinitely. The Writers Guild of America has 11,500 members and an overwhelming majority of 98 percent voted in favor of the strike (source: Reuters via golem.de).
The most recent focus of the negotiations was the streaming provider like Netflix, Apple TV+ or Disney+. There was now no agreement on points such as a minimum size for teams of authors and a minimum employment period.
A victim of the writers’ strike 15 years ago:
Series and films: Delays and cuts are the result
The streaming services are creatively put out of action for the time being. In 2007 and 2008, the authors’ union went on strike. This lasted 100 days and had serious consequences, not least for the viewers. For example, they got fewer episodes than originally planned from the first season of “Breaking Bad” as well as the fourth season of “Lost” and “The Office”.
Or to put it in other figures: the Californian economy lost around 2 billion US dollars as a result of the strike 15 years ago.
Worrying: Nowadays, the business is even bigger due to the numerous streaming providers such as Netflix, Amazon or Disney +, a strike on the scale could cause more significant damageshould the parties involved not agree immediately.
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