If we love TV shows, we should also recognize the people who make them.

Screenwriters: Underrated, Underpaid

Compared to acting and directing, writing has taken a backseat in terms of recognition and appreciation. The right actors can help a series or movie succeed. Directors can bring an important perspective to a show. But the main thing in the success of a series or film is its script. Nobody would look Seinfeld - “a performance about nothing” - if he did not have an excellent script, but instead he would be in fact about nothing. Breaking Bad, with his stellar performance, still wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t for the experienced people in the writer’s room. And we wouldn’t be thrilled now succession if it wasn’t for the creative genius coming from the people who actually turn the Roys into a luxury car wreck that we can’t look away from - and no amount of “method play” could lift the show to the astronomical heights it has. has reached.

So why then, despite being one of the most important artists in the entertainment industry - they are, and we must fully admit it - they are not paid as much as their more visible counterparts? With a changing industry and wages that have not kept pace with the increasingly expensive times we live in, it’s getting harder and harder for writers to make a living. As one WGA picketer wrote on his poster, “CEOs have yachts. Writers have mortgages.” Making their financial situation even more precarious is that most screenwriters live in or around expensive Los Angeles, which is 51% higher than the national average. But before we can truly empathize with their plight, we must understand what led them to organize the first writers’ strike since 2007.

One of the problems writers face is that with the rise of AI, they feel like their careers may be in jeopardy. While the AI ​​is new to tasks like writing articles, it learns quickly. There are concerns that the future of the narrative could be hijacked by something created by humans but still inhuman and unable to truly relate to the human condition. Advances in technology are exciting (and sometimes terrifying), but we can’t forget, and the entertainment industry can’t forget, that the best computer in the world is still the human mind. We love to tell stories because they allow us to get in touch with our own humanity. Our ability to tell stories is one of humanity’s unique accomplishments.

Writers have a hard time

The last decade is considered the “peak television” period for television. In the era of streaming, viewers have a lot more options than even ten years ago. There’s a reason so many of us don’t watch the same things. There’s a reason the Collider has so much to write about. The stories that are told have been greatly expanded, allowing for a more personalized viewing experience. But despite the ever-expanding entertainment industry, the salaries of the writers who are the lifeblood of the shows and movies we love are stagnating in ways that don’t match their creative output.

Changes in the way shows are made have taken their toll on writers as well. “Mini Rooms” are now used in place of staff writers. Mini-rooms are when a small group of writers are already scheduling a series before it’s even released. Writers are paid less in mini-rooms and have fewer working periods. And in the series, many plot and script changes occur during the production period. Since writers are no longer used after the mini-room, it becomes more difficult to rewrite elements of the series if necessary. This has led to screenwriting often becoming a one-time job that is far less stable and reliable than a full-time job.

Leftovers were also a problem the writers faced. In the past, screenwriters received residual payments for the films and shows they created, which were distributed in syndication and on DVD. The writers now receive a fixed balance from streaming services like Amazon and Netflix, which has reduced their earnings from the project.

modest offers

The WGA proposals weren’t gigantic. Some of these proposals include increasing the percentage of minimum and residual bases; 50% is paid at the beginning of work, and the remaining 50% is paid weekly; guaranteed minimum of 10 consecutive weeks of work; earning foreign streaming balances; and maintaining a writer’s room with at least six full-time writers.

Going forward, Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, should receive a $40 million compensation package, the same as last year. Reed Hastings, co-CEO and chairman of Netflix is ​​also likely to receive the same as in 2022, with a $650,000 salary and $34 million worth of stock options. And last year, the CEO of Disney, Bob Chapekamounted to $ 32.5 million. Obviously, you can make money in the entertainment industry.

Writers Matter

Writers also play a critical role in California’s economy. The 2007 writers’ strike cost $2.1 billion after it finally ended after 100 days. Talk shows have gone black. We have already suffered huge losses since Jennifer Coolidge was going to host the season finale Saturday night life, which would have been her first hosting; just imagine how phenomenal it would be.

The entertainment industry is made up of many different components. While we often praise actors and directors, it is the writers who truly create the stories we love. Highly paid CEOs wouldn’t be as successful without the people who actually create these stories. As with many things, the people behind the scenes are often overlooked despite their significant contributions. For too long, writers have remained unrecognized because of their great talent. They are the heart and soul of films and series that touch us on a deeply human level. Their success in this strike will lead to more successful films and TV shows. You cannot pour from an empty vessel. So they have to make sure they are replenished for all the imagination they have put into the world.