Breaking & Entering: The WGA Strike – What’s Happening, How We Got Here, and Why It Matters to You

Writers working to break into the industry have a lot of questions about the WGA Strike – what’s going on day-to-day, what they should be doing, what they should not be doing, and what will happen next. Not only will I not pretend to be an expert, I’ll go so far as to posit that, at this point perhaps no one is.

As for the nuts and bolts of WGA Strike, at the end of the article, you will find links to the WGA for more information, guidelines, and how you can support the guild that you hope to become a member of someday.

Here's the basics: The strike went into effect on May 2, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. PDT, when the agreement between the Writers Guild of America, the labor union representing 11,500 writers, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which includes studios, networks, and streamers, expired. The WGA and AMPTP failed to reach an agreement on compensation for streaming projects, as well as Artificial Intelligence.

I’ve been through WGA strikes before, but this one feels different. Hollywood, is at a crucial inflection point, and no matter what your role is in the industry, I think we all feel it.

I read everything I could get my hands on in preparation for this column. One piece that stood out was from Matt Stoller’s excellent Substack, BIG, “Time to Break Up Hollywood.” is an expansive view of corporate consolidation in film and television that was regulated in the past, but streamers have become the new frontier, the Wild, Wild West.

Stoller’s article is well worth the read, but for those who are not fascinated by politics and monopolies, let’s think of it as a story. Like all good stories, there are conflicts and twists. This story is about growth and contraction, booms and busts, big business versus the little fish, and new media and emerging tech turning everything upside down, all in service of feeding our relentless hunger for stories. It is a cycle that has repeated itself in film and television since the beginning. As past is prelude, let’s start there, with the backstory.

Once upon a time, or actually in 1878, a wealthy man made a wager that as a horse ran, at some point all four hooves were off the ground. To settle that bet, he had photographs taken in rapid succession. He won the wager.

And – pardon the pun – moving pictures was off to the races!

The late 19^th Century saw the film industry spring up in America and France, as inventors raced to create cameras for filming and methods to project movies. At first, capturing day-to-day events left audiences spellbound, but soon filmmakers began to incorporate stories and music, launching "The Silent Era."

The Silents gave way to “The Talkies.” While not every actor was able to make the transition, this ushered in the “Golden Age,” from the late 1920s to 1940s. The US became the largest and most prolific creator of films in the world.

The industry had found a home in sunny Southern California, providing the ideal climate for filming. And thus, Hollywood, well the idea of Hollywood, was born, and spread across the globe.

The moguls who established the top studios, known as the Big Five – Paramount, MGM, Fox, Warner Bros., and RKO – built companies that owned the production, the distribution, and the exhibition, as they owned the theaters. This ensured that they would always be the big fish, compared to the Little Three – Universal, Columbia, and lastly, United Artists, which just as its name implies was founded by a group of artists – Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith – precisely because the Big Five were so controlling and they wanted creative freedom.

Under the “Studio System” they created, top talent was under contract for years, and paid a salary. Occasionally, they were “loaned out” by their respective moguls to other studios for a picture. Stories were churned out by groups of writers on staff, often each contributing their specialty to a single script. Top directors were drawn to Hollywood from around the world. And the stars were American’s royalty, whose carefully crafted images were romanticized as both pristine and glamorous.

But the government decided that studios owning everything from top to bottom made them monopolies. Not exactly the board game of our youth, but a fairly close approximation if your competitor owned houses and hotels on every street, extracting exorbitant rent, while you were just trying to Pass Go and collect your two hundred bucks.

Accused of conspiring to set ticket prices, and crowding smaller studios and independents out of theaters, the 1948 Supreme Court decision known as the Paramount Decree, forced studios to sell off their theaters. Coupled with the advent of television, studios feared this would be their death knell. Given the financial squeeze, to cut costs, they stopped keeping artists on multi-year contracts, and turned to independent hires and single-film deals.

This changed the landscape of the industry.

However, it opened the door for independent productions, ushering in the American New Wave of the 1960s through the 1980s. Old Hollywood’s biggest names made way for the rise of younger filmmakers who had been inspired by them, and by the New Wave movements in Europe. These films became the new classics: The Graduate, Bonnie and Clyde, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Easy Rider, Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, Midnight Cowboy, M*A*S*H, Taxi Driver, Annie Hall, The Last Picture Show. It launched the era of the auteur, the writer-director who wanted creative control, to realize their vision. Others worked with writers who had strong perspectives and sharp commentary on our society. Actors portrayed complex, troubled characters, and became the new, decidedly imperfect stars. Distinctive styles and edgy stories left an indelible mark on the medium.

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws, was such a financial success that it was responsible for the now obligatory summer blockbuster. So before you complain about these, remember it’s because we all enjoyed that particular big fish story so much that it started a new tradition.

The three television networks thought vertical integration was a mighty fine business model. They only aired their own content in prime time.

This smelled fishy to the Federal Communications Commission, and in 1970 they sought to stop the Big Three networks from monopolizing broadcast television by prohibiting them from owning any of the programming that they aired in primetime. By law, the U.S. airwaves belong to the public. Broadcast networks are granted permission to use certain frequencies for free. In exchange, they must provide public interest programming, such as news and information – even if it means the stations lose money. The FCC – good government – was watching.

They enacted the Financial Interest and Syndication Rules, known as the fin-syn rules. These rules changed the balance of power between networks and TV producers, who were forced to agree to exorbitant profit participation in order to have their shows aired.

Again, this opened up the market to other, riskier but wonderful shows. If you liked it, you tuned in. 

The Nielsen ratings showed just how many eyeballs were watching. That determined how much the network could charge advertisers that paid for the shows. And TV thrived.

This helped bring about a golden era of independent television production by companies such as MTM Enterprises, founded by Mary Tyler Moore and her then husband, Grant Tinker, creating The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP In Cincinnati, Hill Street Blues, and St. Elsewhere. Norman Lear's Tandem Productions, gave us All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time.

Cable television opened new marketplaces with the rise of “Pay TV.” Throughout the 1980s, Home Box Office and Showtime were the crown jewels of cable. There were new voices on your television – if you wanted to pay out of pocket rather than pay by watching commercials. When the cable network got you to bite, their subscribers went up. If you didn’t like it, you ended your subscription and revenues went down. So HBO and Showtime worked hard to make their content delicious, moving into original programming, offering something you could not get for “free” with the networks. And cable prospered and grew.

New networks arose to compete with the Big Three, peeling off parts of their audience. New technologies were created and changed everything again. VCRs led to video rentals, evolving to DVD players and DVDs sales, and it was profitable.

Multinational conglomerates, who had not a clue about the entertainment industry, started snapping up studios and networks. Sony did not just want to sell you TVs, VCRs, and DVD players, they wanted to diversify. In the late 1980s, they purchased CBS Records, Columbia Pictures, and video game companies, and kept buying. General Electric nabbed NBC. AT&T, founded by Alexander Graham Bell in 1875, expanded from landlines to acquiring Warner Bros.

If the studios and networks were sharks, the multinational conglomerates were the killer whales in these waters.

All the mighty studios the pioneering moguls created and built – with the exception of Walt Disney – were all eaten up, becoming minor revenue streams for multinational corporations who knew nothing of storytelling. And then the studios and networks bought each other up.

Theater chains bought more theaters, and then created multiplexes. Popular movies played on multiple screens, edging out smaller films. And this changed everything. When studios had to compete for screens to reach the most buyers, they chose to only make films that their marketing divisions believed had the potential to be hits, easy to sell to you, while not taking any chances to deliver profits to their corporate overlords.

Instead of an array of interesting movies that gradually gained interest through word of mouth, the studios were only going to make movies that returned a good investment when they distributed them around the world. Theaters were only going to show movies that filled the most seats the fastest and move on to the next.

Naturally, this drove franchises and content based on IP. Since you already knew you liked this, it was easy to get you rush to the theater. Therefore, as much as you might complain about being inundated by the sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and reboots, and the cinematic universes - you were eating it up! And so they made more.

If by chance you missed it in the movie theater, or you wanted to see it again, no worries. Just head to your local video store and rent it. And eventually, they were on DVDs. It made more money for the studios, and it was good.

And then came Netflix. 

It ended the Mom & Pop rental shops, and eventually took down the ubiquitous Blockbuster, with more than 9,000 stores at its peak, down to one. Because why would you schlep to the store, when Netflix would deliver movies to your mailbox, and let you mail them back for free when you were done?

And then, thanks to the advent of the Internet, a new technology, streaming, was born. A feature of those new awesome smart TVs that Sony must have known would somehow pay off, decades in advance of their existence.

Without having to trudge back and forth to the mailbox, Netflix would beam anything you wanted right to your flat screen. It was good, it was easy, and it was there whenever you wanted. Movies, and TV, and virtually every piece of content ever made, oh my!

Netflix was familiar. So did it matter much what they cooked up as long as there was a lot available at the buffet? Nope. Then came Hulu – with a big Super Bowl ad touting TV without ads. TiVo was awesome, but Hulu sparred us of the anguish of zapping through commercials.

Soon the streaming spigot was gushing. New players kept diving in. Amazon had a lot of money, and a lot of customers were already used to going online and “poof!” whatever they wanted was delivered to their door. 

Apple arrived on the scene with deep pockets. To compete meant they all needed to offer mouthwatering new content.

At first, the people that thought up the stories were happy. More places were hungry for their creative product. Yay!

And when a pandemic came, all of us who had spent some time on our comfy couches, started spending all our time there. It was good, right? Safe and delicious.

The media companies that had eaten up the studios and the networks needed a piece of that pie for their corporate overlords. They took their content away from Netflix, and showed it on their own channels. Creating their specific buffets for you to peruse and choose.

But as Netflix lost content, it decided that it should begin making its own. They would no longer just distribute, they would produce.

As the streamers turned into raging, white water rapids, they made it very clear to the people who thought up stories that it was their way or the highway. It was not so very good for those who were working very hard to cook up appetizing stories to keep us on our couches, binging. Couches where there were no ticket sales or Nielsen ratings that the storytellers and story sellers could see, to let them know how much of their stories were being gobbled up.

And then all the media companies began making their own new content. Just like in the good old days, before the mean government broke them up, they once again would be both the producers and the distributors.

According to Matt Stoller:

As each era gave way to the next, it was the best of times, and it was the worst of times. It was the end, but it was the beginning. However, the hunger to make money never diminished among the studios and the networks. And their pursuit of that singular goal – profits. After all, it is and always has been “show business.” Only now they also had to deliver results to their mega-corporate overlords.

But we had been there before. In the past, the government stepped in, saw that it was too big, that it was not fair too many little fish telling the stories for a big bad shark and a giant whale to own everything. Back then they made laws that said, “Hey, you can’t do that!” Surely, they could do it again?

But it was too late. The giant media conglomerates with armies of powerful lobbyists, could make a very big splash, drowning the people who were making the laws, even the ones who cared a lot about all the little fish getting their fare share. This meant they could get whatever they wanted. And they wanted to eat up almost every bit that there was.

And then it got worse. Something new had arrived, but this is something no one fully understands. A new technology was being born – Artificial Intelligence. AI could learn from all the work done by those who thought up the stories. It could replicate digital likeness of the actors that starred in stories. It could learn to do the work of many of the massive number of people needed to get the stories made. Government has no idea how to regulate this. No one knows what it means. That’s the horror story ending that makes this a scary story.

So that, boys and girls, is the least frightening way I can tell you how we got to this WGA Strike. 

And why all the unions: SAG-AFTRA, DGA, and IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and even the Teamsters – because self-driving trucks are on the way – will stand in solidarity, will not cross the picket line – because they are next. We may all be next.

And this is why, in the end, the fate of all Hollywood is being carried on the shoulders of the storytellers who, instead of sitting at their computers, are walking the picket lines.

This brings us back to Matt Stoller and his global political point of view:

Thanks for sticking around my little fishies who are hoping to get into the pond, wend your way upstream against the current, and eventually wind up in the big ocean. In the wake of this strike, apparently we now have a name for you – it’s Pre-WGA.

Many Pre-WGA writers have lots of questions. So I’ve gathered a range of the most articulate and informed points of view from inside the industry to weigh in. I am very grateful to those who gave their time and energy to contribute to this piece.

THIS IS NOT AN INVITATION TO REACH OUT TO ANYONE HERE. Seriously. They are offering up their insider perspective and advice so you might benefit. They are busy. They are stressed. They are uncertain of what will happen next too. And while, as I’ve written, that is a great feeling to have in stories, I think we all understand that it is not so great IRL.

If there is one takeaway, it would be that those working in the industry outside the WGA are definitely not sitting on their hands. As a group, everyone is busy, honoring the strike, and doing their best to prepare for what needs to be done for when the strike is over.

One manager-producer offered up this “cut-to-the-chase” advice:

Brandi Nicole is a feminist filmmaker, performer, and artivist whose work centers on women fighting to return to themselves.

While she started off as an actor, Brandi fell in love with the storytelling process after writing and producing MUTED, a short film about media discrepancy when a child of color goes missing, that was acquired by HBO and to date has just over 170k views on YouTube via Issa Rae’s #ShortFilmSundays. 

She followed that up by making ALOHA, a short film awarded the Emergence Filmmaker Grant based partly on her experience of developing H.E.L.L.P. Syndrome, a life-threatening complication, while pregnant with her third child. A proud HBCU grad, HBO Writers Program alum, and sexual assault survivor advocate, her goal is to use story to spark discussion, create community, and help facilitate empathy and healing. These efforts are underway with her latest short film about intimate partner violence, SPIN, a prelude co-directed by Jen West, to what they hope will be their first feature.

Recently wrapping up her role as a staff writer and recurring character on season two of Showtime’s YOUR HONOR, Brandi splits her time between Memphis and Los Angeles, and has her eye on adding New York to that list very soon! When she’s not spending time with her sons, you can find Brandi pole dancing, baking delectable cookies, belting show tunes for Broadway shows in her kitchen, and railing against white supremacy in all its insidious forms.

Why is this strike so important for our industry from your perspective?

Brandi Nicole: This strike is incredibly important because we are at a moment in time where if we don't put up guardrails now, TV and screenwriting will become an expensive hobby as opposed to an actual career. With the advent of mini rooms and the abysmal residual rates for streaming, writers are already struggling to secure work that can sustain themselves, let alone a household if they're caretakers of any sort. Add A.I. into the mix and it's pretty clear that we must fight for worker protections now if we hope to have any future where creators will once again share in the success of our work.

What are you doing other than picketing in terms of writing or creativity – in other mediums, material for post-strike, or?

Brandi: I've been doing The Artist's Way and have really gotten into writing morning pages, which has been a godsend for helping me process all of the anxiety and clutter that this strike has brought on. And from that, I ended up writing my first one-act play, which I wasn't expecting. I'm also spending time doing things that make me feel good, like taking dance classes, trying new coffee shops, and exploring interests outside of the industry to feed other parts of myself during this time.

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

Brandi: Join us on a picket line if you can! If not, drop off water, popsicles, or other supplies for those who are picketing. Amplify our message online with digital solidarity. And use this time to write the things that your soul wants you to explore. Even if it's weird or non-commercial or in a medium you've never written in before. This is a great time to tap into your creativity solely for artistic sake.

Heroes and Villains Entertainment is a production and management company specializing in content creation for Film, TV, Video Games, Comic Books and New Media, as well as the representation of content creators in those arenas. 

Chris Coggins is an experienced executive and producer who is highly skilled at discovering and fostering creative talent, particularly writers and directors, as well as identifying high-brow, commercial stories for feature films and television series. She is also able to manage a healthy project slate on a deadline while working with a team to realize goals. The continuously changing content landscape is always a fascinating, enjoyable study for Chris, and she is continually excited to see where the expanding platform marketplace will take the audience and its media. Chris maintains and continually enhances her network while appending it with executive contacts in entertainment-adjacent fields. “Exceptional, economic storytelling is not only my job, but my passion.”

What are you doing during the strike?

Chris Coggins: I am working just as hard as I did when there wasn’t a strike. I’m developing with clients, re-familiarizing myself with clients’ work, examining scripts that didn’t sell, and seeing if they could be re-developed into a different medium. I’m looking at IP, taking meetings with potential clients, making lists of what to send to who after the strike. I’m sending manuscripts to book agents, and continuing talking with my unscripted producer friends.

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

Chris: Write! They should be developing and writing. The creative process doesn't stop for a strike. Pre-WGA writers should also be on the picket lines – making friends and hearing other writers’ stories.

Any predictions?

Chris: I’m smart enough not to make predictions. I do know this strike is vastly different than the last one - I was on the development side during that one but I can still tell this is different. There is much more energy around this strike and more cohesion among the writers. This strike is going to have wide-ranging impact on everything - some departments like the writing rooms will be affected quickly, but other departments, like hair and make-up, transpo, and crafty will be impacted down the road a bit.

I remain an optimist, even when I get a bit depressed about capitalism. And it must be so hard for the WGA negotiators to have to try to appeal to the AMPTP negotiators when one side talks about humanity and the other seems to only care about P & Ls. [Profit & Loss] I was hoping in an Occupy Wall Street, me too, BLM, queer rights era, where a large part of the electorate is active on workers rights, the left could go so far left they go right, and the right goes so far right they go left to have everyone meet in the middle to take on The Man.

J. Todd Harris is founder and president of Branded Pictures Entertainment. Branded Pictures Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based content company that acquires, develops, and packages branded intellectual properties to play across multiple platforms in both traditional and new media. 

The company was formally established in 2014 by independent film and theatre producer J. Todd Harris and veteran development executive Marc Marcum. Todd has produced or executive produced over 50 feature films, including Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated films in addition to five Sundance Film Festival entries. He has produced three stage productions with several more in development. He's a 23-year member of the Motion Picture Academy and a founding board member of the Napa Valley Film Festival. Originally from New York, he earned his BA and MBA from Stanford.

Credits include: Bottle Shock, The Kids Are Alright, Stage Mother, 12 Mighty Orphans, Heathers: The Musical

What are you doing during the strike?

J. Todd Harris: I have two projects that are close to going, but I'm monitoring the other guilds to see if there will be a wider work stoppage, which I fear. I'm working on theatre projects, which aren't impacted. We are working on some podcasts, which are less vulnerable to the WGA strike. We are reading new writers. We're mostly leaving lit agents and WGA writers alone. We're working on raising a production fund while trying to keep a positive spin on the business.

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

Todd: Write. And read other accomplished writers and quality material. Watch successful movies and TV shows. Consider podcasts. Maybe join the picket line in a show of solidarity.

Any predictions?

Todd: I'm very concerned it will suck in the DGA and SAG and will last all summer. I think many issues should find compromises – streaming transparency, residuals, working conditions, etc. I do not think AI will be solved at this time. I would make an aggressive proposal to start talks about that once the strike is resolved.

Lindsay Goffman is the founder and head of Gratitude Productions. Gratitude has projects set up with Apple, FX Amazon Freevee, Perfect Storm (Justin Lin), The Roots, Day Zero (Trevor Noah), Get Lifted (John Legend), Jon M. Chu, MGM, Universal Television, and is most recently producing THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, based on the Korean format she acquired the rights to and packaged for 20th / ABC. Starring Milo Ventimiglia, the series premiered in February 2023.

Previously, Lindsay helped start up and head 3AD, Daniel Dae Kim's production company. While at 3AD, she sold eight projects to broadcast networks and premium outlets. One of the projects she found the format for and championed is the hit series THE GOOD DOCTOR. The show became ABC’s #1 new series and was awarded the Humanitas Prize.

Prior to 3AD, Goffman served as Vice President of Development for three years at Gross Entertainment (BODY OF PROOF). Before Gross, Goffman was a development executive at FremantleMedia (AMERICAN IDOL and AMERICA'S GOT TALENT). She was a development executive on "Wedding Band" for TBS and "Secret Girlfriend" for Comedy Central and sold scripts to several other premium cable outlets. Additionally, Goffman produced "Dumbstruck," a critically acclaimed feature documentary about ventriloquists that was released theatrically in 2011 by Magnolia Pictures.

What are you doing during the strike?

Lindsay Goffman: During the strike, I've been focusing on a mix of tasks. I'm definitely taking the opportunity to catch up on recommended scripts and explore new IP. Additionally, I'm keeping an eye on the ongoing projects in various stages of development while also using this time to figure out what the future looks like with AI. It's been a mix of keeping productive and staying informed about the strike's progress.

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

Lindsay: For Pre-WGA writers, I believe this is a great time to hone their craft and build their portfolio. They can use this period to create new material, revise existing projects, and study the work of other writers they admire. Networking is also crucial, so engaging in online communities and attending the picket lines can help them make connections and stay informed.

Any predictions?

Lindsay: As for predictions, it's tough to say how long the strike will last and what the specific outcomes will be. However, I believe the WGA is fighting for the rights of creatives in the industry, and their efforts will have a significant impact on the future of our business. I hope the outcome will be one that benefits everyone involved in the creative process.

Jeff Astrof’s credits include: Shining Vale creator-showrunner, Trial & Error creator-showrunner, Ground Floor, The New Adventures of Old Christine, In-Laws, Friends Seasons 1 & 2

Liz Astrof’s credits include: Pivoting creator-showrunner, The Conners, 2 Broke Girls, Kath & Kim, The King Of Queens

[Yes, I’m also wondering what their parents fed them, and how much TV they got to watch, to raise TWO series creator-showrunners?]

Why is this strike so important for our industry from your perspective?

Jeff Astrof: I’ve been a member of the Guild for so long that I’ve been through the death of television at least three times – TiVo, reality, and now streaming mini-seasons. I hate striking – writing and producing is my signature skill – but the studios have changed the rules of the game, paying writers a weekly minimum rate as opposed to an episodic rate.

For those of us who get paid episodically, seasons used to be 22 episodes that took 40 weeks to produce. The show I run is 8 episodes and it takes 40 weeks to produce. That means a writer’s salary gets cut into roughly a third. It’s no longer a sustainable career for many.

What are you doing other than picketing in terms of writing or creativity?

Jeff: Striking is exhausting – physically and emotionally draining. I have not had a single creative thought other than, “How long can I last before I drive Uber?”

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

Jeff: I don’t know what people are allowed to do. But hone your craft – write and rewrite. Give yourself a job – come up with a killer sample with a really fresh take. That’s your job.

Jane Goldenring is a film and TV producer with over 30 years of experience. She started out producing documentaries for Turner Broadcasting and then worked as an executive for 12 years at Walt Disney Pictures where she supervised over 40 films including: THE ROCKETEER, WHITE FANG, PHENOMENON, THE REF, and ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING. She has produced numerous TV movies for Disney Channel, Lifetime, Hallmark, and ABC Family.

Most recently, she exec produced the Hallmark movie, FAMILY HISTORY MYSTERIES: BURIED PAST, which premiered in January 2023. She exec produced A JOLLY GOOD CHRISTMAS, which aired in the winter of 2022, and A MAJESTIC CHRISTMAS in December 2018, both for the Hallmark Channel. In 2015, she exec produced JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS for Hallmark Hall of Fame. For the Disney Channel, she exec produced ZAPPED starring Zendaya, and RADIO REBEL, which won a Humanitas Award. She produced Indie films MY FIRST MISTER starring Albert Brooks, $5 A DAY starring Christopher Walken, and BOYCHOIR starring Dustin Hoffman and Kathy Bates.

She has developed TV pilots for Warner Bros, A&E and SyFy Channel and Fox TV. She recently set up the fantasy YA project, THE GRIMM LEGACY at Disney +. She is currently packaging indie films NORTON FOREVER by Peter Gethers, and THE LAST ROMANTICS with Lisa Ohlin attached to direct. She also has ONE SWEET SUMMER in development at Hallmark Channel.

She teaches at NYU, USC, and Wesleyan University – her Alma mater. She is a former Member of the Board of Women In Film and a member of the Producers Guild and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences.

As a footnote: her first "real" job was working as Legislative Assistant for U.S. Congressman Chris Dodd for five years, so she is toughest on scripts dealing with D.C. politics.

What are you doing during the strike?

Jane Goldenring: I’m trying to package a couple of scripts with talent so I can shop them to financiers. I’m always looking for books, short stories, and articles to adapt, and that is now even more of a focus. I teach, so I will be prepping for my Fall classes.

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

Jane: I know that writing spec scripts during the period of the strike is OK and I’m assuming that’s what most writers will work on. Other possibilities are books, articles, and graphic novels as alternatives.

Why is this strike significant for our industry from your perspective?

Jane: It’s important that writers and other creatives that make the shows and movies we watch are given their fair share of a rapidly changing financial pie. The usual standards have given way to practices that diminish the financial security of the vast majority of writers, directors, actors, and producers.

Credits include: Sweet Magnolias, Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, The O.C.

Norman Buckley is a prolific director whose work spans various networks, genres, and styles. He is a member of the DGA and ACE. A native of Fort Worth, TX, he majored in history at the University of Texas at Arlington before graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in film and television production. He is an adjunct professor at UCLA, teaching both directing and editing classes to graduate and undergraduate students. He was married to the late artist Davyd Whaley, until Whaley's death in 2014. He established The Davyd Whaley Foundation in honor of his husband to support aspiring artists.

Why is this strike so important for our industry from your perspective?

Norman Buckley: We are at a watershed moment for our industry, in terms of what our relationship as artists with the capitalistic corporate structure will be in the future, as well as how the developing world of AI will affect our creative work. It is very important for the DGA, WGA, SAG and IATSE to stand together and demand fair treatment.

What are you doing during the strike in terms of creativity?

Norman: I have reached an age where I feel that it’s important for me to pass on what I know to others. I am using this time to mentor and encourage the next generation of filmmakers. I feel a responsibility to share what I know.

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

Norman: This is a time to develop one’s own voice, but also to imbibe in the rich heritage of creative work from the past. I find it perplexing that so many young people have no sense of cinema history; not to mention theatre, literature, art, and music. Learn from the past. At the same time, AI is something that must be embraced for the future. I encourage everyone to learn what they can about it – its benefits, but also its dangers.

David McInerney is a literary Manager/Producer representing writers/directors for film/tv at MaCroManagement, and has previously worked at WMA and Sony Pictures. He resides in Los Angeles but will always be from the city of Boston. Go Celtics!

What are you doing during the strike?

David McInerney: Reading submissions that came in pre-strike, I have a backlog of scripts that is reminiscent of Sisyphus. [laughs] I’m gonna try to roll the rock to the top of the hill again. I’m keeping a log of what I read and will reach out to either the writer or the referral once the strike concludes.

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

David: Keep grinding on your material. Understand that once the strike ends there will be a ton of new material going out. Understand that you aren’t just competing with other Pre-WGA writers, but also with the best of the best. And you need to bring your A-game. Consider joining some of the picket lines, it’s a great way to network with other writers. But don’t go there with an agenda, go and support the cause and let people get to know you. Absolutely do not pitch your ideas, pitch you as a person. And get to know others as people as well.

Any predictions?

David: Unfortunately, I see this as a line in the sand for the guilds. I believe that specifically, the WGA found some solidarity when they eliminated the packaging fees a few years back. They need to ride that momentum into this strike and not settle for less. They need to stand strong and send the message that writers are a crucial part of this industry. They deserve to be paid a fair wage. I sadly see this going through the summer and finally settling in the fall, but that’s just my personal opinion.

Vicky Petela is the producer of the Netflix Original feature TREES OF PEACE (2022), Screenlife comedy #FBF (2023) starring Ashley Judd and Cree Cicchino, and the documentary LA WOMAN RISING (2019), narrated by Rosario Dawson. Originally from the U.K, Vicky studied at the National FIlm and Television School before producing projects for Universal, The Walt Disney Company, ITV Studios and Endemol. She was named one of BAFTA Los Angeles’s ‘Newcomers to LA’ in 2015 and 2016.

What are you doing during the strike?

Vicky Petela: I'm reading scripts that were sent to me pre-strike, and making notes so that I can pick up dialogues with the associated writers once the strike is over. I am also reading manuscripts, novels, books, etc., to look for IP, as well as watching festival shorts and features. Meeting-wise, I am taking generals with directors, executives, and other producers.

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

Vicky: Write! Keep writing and reading. Use this time to keep learning and expanding your skill set.

Educate yourself on the strike and the business in general. Read the trades. Read articles about the strike. Listen to what the industry is saying.

Myself and several other producers I know, despite us not being struck companies, aren't reading new material or taking generals with writers so as not to cross the picket line. So I would say that now is not a good time to send your material to producers or companies – not that you should be sending any unsolicited material at any time. It probably also isn't a good time to try and meet with new producers or companies.

Any predictions?

Vicky: With what we've seen so far and with the complexity of the issues that need to be addressed in a new agreement, I think the strike is likely to be months. As with anything in our business, I think we all have to hope for the best and expect the worst. So make plans for this to go on a long time, all while hoping that there is a quick resolution. Our industry is nothing if not adaptable and enduring, so there is no reason that we cannot work out a way forward that is both fair and equitable for everyone.

Tab Murphy’s credits include: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan, Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Jessica Welsh’s credits include: Shania! A Black List 2021 screenplay acquired by Sony, and she is a staff writer on Stillwater, the Apple TV+ animated series

Tab Murphy was raised in Olympia, Washington. He attended Washington State University, where he studied forestry and wildlife biology before having an existential crisis and transferring to the USC Film School, where he studied directing and screenwriting. His major breakthrough as a screenwriter came with a writing credit on Gorillas in the Mist, the story of Dian Fossey's crusade to protect the endangered mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Tab received an Academy Award nomination for his effort, which he admits he didn't fully appreciate at the time, choosing to eschew the awards ceremony in favor of yellowtail fishing in Baja. 

Tab went on to spend nearly ten years in the Disney machine, writing such feature length animated movies as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Brother Bear, which was nominated for an Academy Award Best Animated Feature. During that time Tab also wrote and directed Last of the Dogmen, a western fantasy starring Tom Berenger and Barbara Hershey. Tab has written several Warner Bros DC animated screenplays, including Green Arrow, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse and Batman: Year One, based on the Frank Miller graphic novel. In 2010 he wrote a thriller, Dark Country, directed by Thomas Jane, who also starred. Most recently, Tab wrote the nature documentary, Kangaroo Valley, directed by Kylie Stott, which won Best Nature/Wildlife Film at the 2023 Cannes World Film Festival. Read more about Tab’s participation in the film in his ScriptMag interview here.

Why is this strike so important from your perspective?

Tab Murphy: This is the fourth strike of my career. The longest ones have always come when there has been a shift in the business model, either current or looming out there on the horizon. This strike is about both: the current – the rise of streaming, fewer jobs, declining pay – coupled with the spectre of AI bearing down on the industry. Regarding AI, the all-too-familiar and disingenuous refrain of “we'll figure it out later” from the companies is an invitation to be shut out. We writers understand that. Hopefully, the directors and actors will agree. We are at an important crossroads in this business. Either the companies will acknowledge us as necessary partners and make a fair deal, or they will devalue our overall contributions to film and TV production and look to minimize our participation.

What are you doing other than picketing in terms of writing or creativity?

Tab: Now is a great time to catch up on reading and creating new material. And traveling. And drinking. A lot.

How can Pre-WGA writers use this time wisely?

Tab: Those future writers hoping to become WGA members should continue doing what they hopefully have been doing all along: Reading. Writing. Creating. Watching movies – new and old. The truth is, the strike will be over at some point. Whether it's one month or six months. Make good use of the time. Keep your brain and body active. Walk the picket line in a show of solidarity. For the WGA's future. For your own future.

NEGOTIATIONS: THE SCOOP

WGA Proposals and AMPTP Offers as of May 1, 2023

HOW TO HELP

The WGA Strike Hub – Everything you need to know about joining the picket line and other ways to support WGA Writers, from how to make a donation to showing your solidarity, plus graphics for posting to social media.

A Google Doc with opportunities for Pre-WGA writers to show your support by showing where and when you can bring water, snacks, coffee, ice cream, gift cards, or donate to help fund these efforts.

Get Pre-WGA Merch here: Proceeds go to Entertainment Community Fund

“Looking for Ways To Support the Writers’ Strike? We’ve Got You Covered” by Kimberly Terasaki for THE MARY SUE

INFO for PRE-WGA WRITERS

“Writers Strike Dos and Don’ts for Pre-WGA Writers, Explained by the WGA” by Tim Malloy for MOVIEMAKER

“What it’s like to support the WGA strike as an Aspiring Union Member” By Naina Rao for RECKON NEWS

“How to Get Through the WGA Strike as an Aspiring Writer” by Priyanka Mattoo for VULTURE

SUPPORT FROM OTHER UNIONS

“DGA Is United, Prepared and Ready to Fight for Our Future Guest Column” by DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter for VARIETY

“Meet the Writers Strike’s Secret Weapon: Hollywood Teamster Boss Lindsay Dougherty” by Joy Press for VANITY FAIR

“AI in the Arts Is the Destruction of the Film Industry. We Can't Go Quietly | Opinion” by Justine Bateman for NEWSWEEK

PERSPECTIVES

“Daily Digest: Why This Strike Feels So Different: ‘We never talked about Wall Street in '07,' says one showrunner. 'Now ‘it’s about the whole corporate dominance of America’” by Elaine Low in Strikegeist Substack

“WGA Strike: Michael Schur On 'Manufactured' Narratives, Inter-Guild Solidarity, Solo Showrunners’ Willingness To Expand Their Rooms & Why A Concession On AI Alone 'Would Not' End The Walkout” by Matt Grobar for DEADLINE

“The Algorithm is a Lie: Debunking One of the Biggest Myths About Netflix and Streaming” by Entertainment Strategy Guy in Substack

FOR THE LAUGHS

“Striking WGA Late-Night Comedy Writers Launch YouTube Show Lampooning The Studios” by David Robb for DEADLINE

“Single screenwriters hope to 'Strike Up a Romance' on the picket lines” by Mandalit del Barco for NPR

“Writers Get Creative With Picket Signs: 'I Can’t Fix Greedy Buttholes In Post' – Update” by Lynette Rice for DEADLINE