| Re: Writers Guild of America Strike |
Subject: Re: Writers Guild of America Strike
by chillyplasma on 2007/12/31 14:53:40
Interesting response, but I think some of what you wrote was misleading Moira.
Do I do my best work when I?m not getting paid? Yes, quite frankly.
Many times I have volunteered to work overtime knowing I would not be paid extra. And the work I did was the same quality (if not higher) than the rest. The extra work came with the job, I knew that, and when I was sick of the situation I quit.
And I?ll say once more, if the writers don?t like what they get paid, grow up and go get another job.
As for Kevin Smith, I suspect he loves making movies so much that he would do it for nothing if he could.
And here is where I started finding you misleading, I could not find a reference of Smith apologising for his movies, quite the opposite:
Quote:"I think Jersey Girl was just one of those flicks that was the wrong time, the wrong guy, the wrong everything. But I still love it." In an interview from the Clerks II DVD, Smith noted "All these people were just thrashing this movies' stars instead of looking at the movie itself. I get that a lot of people didn't like it but dude, I spent 2 years of my life on that movie."
Quote:Kevin Smith doesn't apologise for it. He's quite proud of it, actually. He charges straight in there and says [something along the lines of], "Yeah, so I've done some worthy stuff - and now here's the juvenile humour; I'm making it because I can and because it's not going to lose me any money, and I don't care what anybody says. Dick and fart jokes all the way."
The writers do have to take responsibility for a bad script. A writer comes up with the idea, a writer writes the script and dialogue, and another writer might rewrite it.
You know when it?s the actors doing badly and when they just have bad dialogue? how often can you sit in front of TV or movies and know exactly what words will come out next? (my flatmate does this all the time)
There are good writers, but the way to reward them is to scrap the union so that writers will be free to negotiate on their own merits.
And I would also like to see proof of writers striking in other countries. I searched for an hour and couldn?t find any reference to it. The closest I did find was rallies held in London, Paris, Berlin and Sydney one day in late November. Each rally was small (50 people or less). A rally is not a strike and writers in these countries are still working (unless they have hidden their strikes very well).
As for the "plethora of crap television" you mention, well we already see a plethora of crap TV from the U.S. so how is it any different? 90% of American stuff I see is terrible, and the really good shows get cancelled.
It will be interesting to see if shows like Battlestar Galactica are affected as I believe it?s made in Canada?
But even if there was a big effect here, it wouldn?t be that big. Most people I know don?t watch much TV and would simply use the time to do something else.
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