1. I’ve Been Anxiously Waiting to Write This

    strike-is-over3.jpg

    …But not anything like those waiting over three months to write, period. The letter from WGA heads Patric Verrone and Michael Winship to Guild members on Tuesday night:

    On Tuesday, members of the Writers Guilds East and West voted by a 92.5% margin to lift the restraining order that was invoked on November 5th. The strike is over.

    Writing can resume immediately. If you were employed when the strike began, you should plan to report to work on Wednesday…The decision to begin this strike was not taken lightly and was only made after no other reasonable alternative was possible. We are profoundly aware of the economic loss these fourteen weeks have created not only for our members but so many other colleagues who work in the television and motion picture industries. Nonetheless, with the establishment of the WGA jurisdiction over new media and residual formulas based on distributor’s gross revenue (among other gains) we are confident that the results are a significant achievement not only for ourselves but the entire creative community, now and in the future.
    (Full text, via Nikke Finke.)

    Thanks and congratulations go out to all the guild members and other hard-working stiffs that had their wallets lightened up by the strike, and can now get back on their grind. There’s a movie in this whole ordeal, and I’m sure someone has already drafted it in their head over picket line pacing and free coffee and donuts.

    Moving forward, here’s an idea to recoup some lost earnings, and I’m not talking about for the studios. What if some some interested party (like, United Hollywood?) got their hands on those taped SNL - Live and/or 30 Rock - Live performances that I’m sure must be locked up in a security box somewhere (humor me, or confirm that the tapes exist), added the best of the WGA strike videos from YouTube (such as) and the Speechless Without Writers campaign, and then packaged it all on a DVD or pay-to-download video (how apropos!) with the proceeds going to strike affected families?

    Won’t happen? Buy some strike swag, it’ll serve the same purpose.

    tedzee | Permalink | February 12 2008 | Comments (View)

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