WGA strike seeks to author new future for film, television writers

Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began protests on May 2 in pursuit of equitable compensation, job security and regulations against artificial intelligence. The Chapman community shared with The Panther their experiences attending protests, being a WGA member and graduating during the strike. WikiCommons

It was a gloomy day in Los Angeles on May 2. Raindrops fell upon the city of angels, but in the blocks between Beverly and Burbank, a different kind of storm was brewing. Clouds darkened the idyllic Hollywood sign, whose name once evoked images of fortune and fame. Today, the iconic beacon for aspiring creatives can hardly offer steady work, at least for the writers whose efforts keep the machine churning.

Chants of “Heads up… pencils down… LA is a union town” rang from members and supporters of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) outside of the eight major film studios — Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony — as their indefinite strike took its first steps. 

Chapman University screenwriting lecturer Mark Saraceni, who has been a WGA member since 1996, stood outside Studio City in what would be his second writers strike. Surveying the scene, he would find both beauty and pain in the moment. 

“Writing is kind of a solitary thing where you don’t see other people, and then all of a sudden, you see all of your fellow writers,” Saraceni told The Panther. “On that level, it’s kind of a joyful experience — it's its own little social event. That being said, everyone knows in a very serious way that what’s at stake is their career, their livelihood and their family’s livelihood. It becomes really important that we all show support for each other but also for the seriousness of what we’re trying to achieve.”

What are they trying to achieve? Equality in the streaming era of film and television. Without residuals that were attached to cable television, writers have struggled with making a living and job security in what is transforming into a “gig economy.” The WGA argues that their compensation hasn’t caught up with the exponential growth in content and spending by the aforementioned studios. 

Negotiations with the representative of the studios, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), began on March 20 with demands including an increase in pay, better residuals, staffing requirements, shorter exclusivity deals and assurance on artificial intelligence (AI). When the WGA and the AMPTP failed to reach an agreement, the WGA unanimously called for a strike on the evening of May 1, effective 12:01 a.m. on May 2. 

“The storytellers in the WGA are on strike for equitable treatment and also because we sincerely want to keep the dream alive for the storytellers of the future,” Saraceni said. “(The WGA) is looking at trying to even out the economics. When I look at the chart that says over the last five years, (the studios) have tripled their investment and writers are making less over that same five years, that shows me that there’s economic parity that needs to be addressed.”

Thrusting signs in the air reading “ChatGTP doesn’t have childhood trauma,” “Give up just one Yacht” and “Where is Jenna Ortega,” the protestors will remain outside the studios every day until the strike is broken. 

Junior screenwriting major Hayden Westerfield, who hopes to one day be a WGA member and write episodic television, showed his support outside of the Netflix picket. He told The Panther that he’s thankful for the WGA’s efforts in establishing a basis for young writers and found the environment to be far more communal than expected. 

“I was definitely surprised by how strong the community of writers was and how welcoming they were,” Westerfield said. “I didn’t know if they were going to be mad because they’re all not working right now or if it just wasn't my place to be there. They were very encouraging of future writers who were there and wanted to show support. (WGA members) are required to be there, so they were thankful that we were there adding to it all since we didn’t have to be there.”

Although the WGA is working towards a better future for writers, the tradeoff is a lack of immediate gratification for graduating students hoping to enter the industry. Senior television writing and production and public relations and advertising double major Martina Moussa will be leaning on a public relations internship and writing in the meantime until the strike is complete and jobs open back up again.

“I was somewhat aware of the fact that (a writers’ strike) was coming, but nonetheless, seeing it makes it a little bit harder to be fully excited about graduating,” Moussa said. “The opportunities are a bit slimmer right now, but honestly, it’s so important that it’s happening. When we (seniors) do get into the industry — even if it’s a little delayed than what we hoped it would be — I’d rather be there when writers are respected for what they do. In the long run, it’s a very good thing, but it might be a little tricky and nerve wracking right now.”

The previous WGA strike began in November 2007 and lasted until February 2008. Back then, the writers sought an increase in DVD residuals and to extend their union to animation and reality programming. Saraceni recalled that during the previous strike, studios were prepared and had a backlog of scripts ready to go so production could continue during the strike. 

This time, the WGA has pivoted to not only picketing outside of the studios but outside of filming locations. During protests on May 2 and 3, Saraceni said the WGA was able to disrupt productions and shut down sets for the day. 

“I'm going to call it a satisfying tactic because shutting down something that was already budgeted to go forward — that means money got spent and that means it's now costing those companies,” Saraceni said. “It costs us to go on strike so now it costs them to be on strike as opposed to last time where it didn’t cost them anything.”

One of the main components of the WGA demands is the regulation of AI. While studios view AI as a potential way to save money, writers view it as an angel of death, which could strike them down into an abyss of irrelevancy. The WGA is asking the AMPTP to agree to not using AI for the purposes of writing or rewriting scripts. The AMPTP countered by proposing an annual meeting where they could discuss the advancements in technology. Neither side budged. 

“I’m trying to stay open-minded, but I don’t think that AI is going to replace good human writers,” Westerfield said. “If you’re really good at what you’re doing, then you’re writing your personal experiences, which I don’t think a robot is able to do. Writing your own personal story in a way that’s honest and authentic is really hard, and I don’t think AI is ever going to be able to do that. Will they be able to tell a joke on a sitcom? Maybe. But I don’t think you’re ever going to see them get to the level where they’re writing such personal stories.”

The effects of the strike will be felt in waves. Late night shows with hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert and more were the first to stop production since writers are typically working the day of shooting. Writers’ rooms on shows such as “Stranger Things,” “Hacks,” “Yellowjackets,” “Cobra Kai” and “Abbott Elementary” have halted development of future seasons. 

If members of other guilds choose not to cross the picket line on current shoots, that could potentially delay current distribution as well. 

While there may not be an end in sight for the strike, many forecast that the WGA will be picketing beyond summer. During this time, Saraceni recommends for all writers to support WGA members across Los Angeles and use this time to write screenplays. Moussa will use this time to write a project that hopefully propels her into her dream of being a showrunner. 

“I really hope it works out because writers really work their asses off, and they’re creating amazing content that makes my days better,” Moussa said. “I support them not working right now because if they’re putting in that much work, I feel like they should be able to get the correct financial compensation for the amount of effort and time they put in.”

In order to assist WGA members who are struggling to support themselves during this time, the WGA has also established the Emergency Community Fund which will provide financial assistance to those in the entertainment industry who meet their need-based requirements. The WGA West Board, WGA East Council, WGA Negotiating Committee and contributors (headed by J.J. Abrams, Greg Berlanti, Adam McKay, Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, Mike Schur and John Wells) have pledged $1.7 million which also includes human services and health and wellness resources.

The WGA will be posting updates on their website and Twitter. Non-members of the WGA are welcome to support the strike and can find strike rules and picketing schedules on the WGA website.