Writers' Strike - My interviews at Warner Brothers with those who entertain us - and demand fair pay!
It'd Take Just a Fraction of Rupert Murdoch's Divorce Settlement ...
Hey there, Jenn here!
Yesterday, May 2nd, began the first Hollywood writers’ strike in 15 years. The reason? Writers aren’t getting their due after the dramatically slashed payments and benefits that have come along with streaming content.
I went out in-the-field in front of Warner Brother’s studios and interviewed writers, actors, costumers, stage crew, and makeup artists about what’s going on.
It’s time for solidarity, folks!
The answer? It’s what’s happening all over this country to workers – all the money is being funneled straight to the top. The executives, corporations, and conglomerates are living large (larger than EVER before) while cutting payments to writers and workers setting up contracts that don’t work in favor of those who bring us the stories that entertain us.
I’ll be posting more interviews later, but Eric and Willow had a lot of wonderful and important things to stay about what’s going on so I wanted to get them out to you right away.
WATCH my interview with writer/WGA member Eric Nazarian:
Find Eric’s work as an award-winning writer, director, and producer
Transcript of above:
J = Jenn, E = Eric
J: Jenn here, and what's your name?
E: My name is Eric Nazarian, and I'm a Writers Guild member, active.
J: And what are you all doing out here? This is the first strike since 15 years ago - What's going on?
E: We're here asking for the basic necessities of what it requires to be a working, living, functioning writer at a time when the conglomerates and the studios and the streamers are making bajillions of dollars
They don't want to meet us to the bare minimum that we're asking.
What we're asking for is basically a fraction of Rupert Murdoch's divorce settlement, and I think people need to take into perspective that this is truly an existential fight.
We're fighting because we do not deserve - no artist - no working artist in the media – deserves to be devalued or undervalued, especially in a time of great, great overabundance and plenty with a new generation of film and TV and streamers. We need to be heard and we will be heard.
J: What have the discussions been like with some of these executives? Are they willing to budge at all or is it just kind of hard no - we don't need you guys?
E: Well, the problem is they're treating everything like the old Russian serfs and the oligarchs, because ultimately nobody wants a strike, especially the writers - no union [does] - because a strike has ramifications on the entire industry and we do everything we can because we're working writers.
We create the foundation that all content that goes into media [uses], which includes our brothers and sisters at SAG, the Directors Guild, and all the IATSEs – we are all one family, and unfortunately, that family has to keep fighting for crumbs at a time when the conglomerates are making billions and billions of dollars.
It is not fair but, unfortunately, that's a law of capitalism and so we're here to demand our rights and fight for it until we get it, because the knife has reached the bone marrow.
It's no longer about just this clause or that clause, this is about the gross undervaluing of writers' jobs and livelihoods. It ultimately affects everybody and we stand in solidarity with all our union brothers and sisters.
J: And that's one thing that… I've heard some discourse online where it's like, “oh, these are, you know, Hollywood people. They don't need our support,” which is clearly not true - but what is your response to that?
E: Well, I don't know what “Hollywood people” means - we're all creative artists that are working, we're all creative artists that are working – it's like architects, first responders, we are workers.
You know Guillermo del Toro, the Great Director, said it perfectly. He said the pandemic has proven one thing: that people need medicine, people need food, and people need stories.
And so, ultimately, storytelling is one of the oldest public services in world civilization, and we're just following that tradition to create and continue to create what we’ve spent our lives doing. But the older we get and the harder we work, the less we make. What's wrong with that?
J: Exactly, that makes a lot of sense. if you were sitting in front of those decision-makers right now, as you have been, what would you say directly now that the strike is definitely on?
E: I would say come to your senses because there is strength in numbers; there is strength in unity. American history has proven that - world history has proven that, and ultimately, greed inevitably - maybe it won't fail, unfortunately, because that's the way of the world, but it will start to show cracks, and it's the workers that always uphold civilization, not the people sitting at the top far far away.
Just like the same people that start wars, never go fight them. It's the working people that go and fight them and die and sacrifice. so workers need to be respected.
This is America. It's not the Soviet Union. It's not Putin's Russia. This is America. What does that mean? They should stop acting like oligarchs and start acting like responsible citizens. And what corporations at best can do, which is be a leading model for what democracy is supposed to be.
J: Absolutely. What can people who are sitting at home do to help to support the cause?
E: To show up through the strike. To understand that sometimes the media distorts the truth of what's happening and that this is not something that the writers feel is kneecapping the industry. It's not far from it.
I think the most important thing is to become educated and stand up for unions and stand up for the rights and work of people in the media, as I think we all should.
[Stand] for each other and do a better job of integrating all our unions together and fighting the common fight, so that it's not one guild leading the other, but it's a common effort to make sure that the masters of the money understand that they need to change.
J: Absolutely incredible. I really appreciate you…and solidarity, for sure!
WATCH my interview with actress Willow Hale, who has been striking to support workers and creatives since the ’80s:
Watch Willow’s work (Agents of SHIELD, Mrs. Davis, Criminal Minds, and a lot more!)
Transcript of above interview:
J = Jenn, W = Willow
J: Jenn here at the writers' strike, and who do I have here?
W: Willow Hale
J: And you actually have a history with strikes - tell us a little bit more about that.
W: Well, I was in New York in ‘82 and ‘83 when we struck with the actors over ___ and, you know, that kind of stuff. And then in ‘88 I was coming out from New York and we struck the writers' strike for 5 and 1/2 months.
It was insanity to get what we needed.
I'm telling you, you better take this seriously because the last one was 100 days. Writers rule. They will go as long as they need to. They do not cave.
So I hope that something will happen because we just came out of the COVID and we need the material. We don't want it to all be reality shows. You want it to be narratives and comedies and you know really good writing.
J: It's been about 15 years since the last strike, right? What has happened this time around? Why are they not coming to the table?
W: Well, a lot of it has to do with the COVID shutdown. I'm sure we've all suffered - everybody's suffering.
But this time, it's all about streaming. Well, that was not even really an issue 15 years ago. Amazing I know. And there's a lot in the streaming that's not as much as we had before that. You know with just regular television and that needs to be addressed because that seems to be the way we're going.
J: Well there's a big disparity, right? If you're writing for let's say a show that's gonna show up on a broadcast network there's a big disparity in pay between that and say a streaming service. Is that the way it’s happening?
W: It's exactly right. Now, I'm an actor, you know I worked with the WGA, but I'm primarily an actor and we're going through the same problems with streaming- we have to wait for residuals rather than it being a pay again after there is _____.
And you know streaming is great for the consumer, but for those of us who are making entertainment. I would say that it hasn't really worked out in the same pay range, and now with inflation, you have to understand it's just not the same.
You know, $4000 week is not like it used to be, right? Now it's more like $2000. But ultimately, it's always about protecting those who are creating the material. That's the most important thing we have. Without that we don't have anything, really.
And I think a lot of viewers maybe don't even think about what goes into it, that writers play such a crucial role, and it seems like maybe executives are forgetting that as well.
J: What are some of the demands that the WGA is asking for?
W: I can't give you all the breakdown because I'm not actually sure - I'm supporting as an actor…
J: Which is amazing! That's awesome. Solidarity!
W: We all support one another! Yeah, but the main thing I think is the streaming and there's just … it's always been – when I was in college, I remember Edward Albee came to speak to our college and someone asked him about the pay – and this was way back when I'm old - and he said the writer always eats in the kitchen.
So, I think the writer is always the one that people kind of take for granted a little bit. They're not the ones out front, the ones with the limos. And so this brings attention to where the creation is.
J: What can people who are watching at home do to support everybody here?
W: Well, you can always write in and contact those in charge - the producers and the top of Paramount and Warner Brothers and everything. And say, we want good material for our children. We want good narratives. Good comedy.
Please listen to them [the writers].
And, of course, they can always do more drastic things. But I think a lot of it has to do with – if anyone wouldn't mind getting out here with us, walking with us, we welcome that. And inviting, calling, and emailing.
J: Absolutely! Willow, you are incredible. You have a great – obviously a great history standing with workers, standing with other creatives, so I appreciate you. Thank you!
W: And thank you, Jenn!
More footage, interviews, and photos to come! (I will also improve formatting)
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Peace and Love,
Jenn
Solidarity Forever,
Jenn
Thanks Jenn. It's so important to have a thriving arts community.
Now that the powerful space of entertainment middle class is being squeezed just as if they were the downcast of the American worker, I wonder would they be as solidarity with Starbucks, etc.? One thing that the liberal class fears the most is losing their Hard work for a place in Cass down to the homeless they drive by every day to go to work 47% of which are working class families!