A late morning GOOD MORNING!!! to you all! Yup, this one’s a bit late. But, better late than never right? I mean…I have been slacking.
Monday Musings Ed-vise today. Cause it’s MONDAY! So GET AFTER IT!
Strikes in Hollywood?!?! What!?!?
Yes, it does happen.
This one has to do with the writers of Hollywood trying to negotiate for a better contract. And, the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) don’t want it. Whatever it may be.
In addition, this one is probably going to be an ugly one.
The AMPTP set the tone by letting it be known that they will wait this one out and when people start losing their apartments, the tone of the Writer’s Guild will change. That is union busting language from executives. Add to that the president of AMPTP stated that writers were lucky to have term employment meaning they were lucky to have jobs in the first place.
Not good.
The issues revolve around technology.
For one, things like AI and ChatGPT, have made it really easy for anyone to write a story. Where before it took a creative person (a writer) to generate the content of a television program other than Reality TV. Now, you can simply type into the query bar on the Chat GPT site, whatever type story you want and “PRESTO!” there it is.
Well, that would put a lot of writers out of work.
The other big one that I just learned about has to do with streaming services.
Companies like Apple, Netflix, and Disney+, those type companies have that streaming service. Now, you might thing that streaming is simply television productions sent via internet versus cable.
Yes, that is what it is.
Thing is, when it comes to writers in Hollywood, those streamed shows were NOT in their collective bargain agreement. Meaning anyone could be a writer for the streamed shows and unions HATE when non-union people do work for companies that are signatories to a union agreement.
To clarify that it’s like this. The Writer’s Guild and, say, Disney Studios enter into an agreement where Disney agrees to employ union writers on their studio productions. OK, no problem. Done.
Those works coming out of the studio productions go to the theatres. It’s defined in the agreement.
Now, Disney starts making shows that are specifically going to streaming services. Meaning they are making stuff specifically for Disney+. They made an entity that is outside of the original agreement. Thus, they can use non-union writers, who get paid WAAAAAYYYY less that union writers. Or, they can use ChatGPT to write a story for the latest Star Wars installation.
Now, the Writer’s Guild has a problem. Non-union folks are doing work that should go to union folks. But, Disney made a loop hole.
You cannot stop the technology around streaming or around AI/ ChatGPT. Union is screwed there.
But, they can and will cause a lot of problems for the networks as we will soon see.
I’m just saying
That’s it for today. Be the person a stranger will do CPR on. Check in on each other and remember Pediatricians are always angry because they have…LITTLE PATIENTS!!! BWAHAHAHHAHA…doctor jokes!
Peace
Ed-vise 