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Striking screenwriters will resume negotiations with studios on Friday

Striking screenwriters will resume negotiations with studios on Friday
Everyone is hoping for *** resolution to the strike but it might not be that easy to get people off the picket lines central to the debates is payment for episodes. People rewatch on streaming, otherwise known as residuals and the use of artificial intelligence in script writing. And both sides seem to be standing firm with the WG *** saying they need money and protections and the studio saying they don't have the money to pay up because they're still recovering from pandemic losses. Now, this is the first time to this since the strike began on May 2nd that the Writers Guild of America and the alliance of motion picture and television producers have met again and it can't come too soon because August 9th will mark 100 days since the strike began as well as the union that represents actors. S *** has also went on strike last month. So really there's been *** stoppage across entertainment. I know this is *** tough question but you've been reporting on this for so long, which side is more likely to. You're right, Hannah, it's *** tough one and right now, many analysts believe that the studios may have the upper hand. So streamers had ordered more content than usual to prepare for an entertainment industry strike. And they can also rely on international shows to include *** new programming television networks have stocked up on reality TV because that doesn't require working with union members. And on top of this, they're kind of getting rewarded by Wall Street not having to uh content to purchase. Has given some media companies including Netflix and Warner Brothers, Discovery More Cash and this is helping them recover some of those massive losses due to the pandemic, as I mentioned and also due to the cost of building up their streaming services. However, today, the WG *** recently said in *** letter to its members that these reports are quote calculated disinformation. They call it *** myth that the strikes are benefiting the studios. They wrote union writers and actors are so essential in this industry that the companies cannot even attempt to do the work without us. It is not *** viable business strategy for these companies to shut down their business for three months and counting no matter how hard they try and pretend it is. Now, this is getting pretty heated in response to the *** MP TP called the sentiment quote. Unfortunate saying its goal is not to try to put the studios against the people. Its goal is to get people back to work. And part of the strike rules mean that union members can't promote their own work. We've seen that *** lot of the networks, how can this affect those upcoming movies and TV shows coming up for the fall line up. This rule has mostly affected actors who can't talk about their upcoming or past project. Hanna, it's putting *** lot of marketing plans on hold and even social media influencers are caught in the middle. They've been told by SA ***, if they promote TV, shows and movies during this time, they will not be allowed into the union in the future. So recently, Zachary Levi who was *** Shazam told *** Manchester Comic Con crowd that he thought it was quote dumb. He couldn't talk about his projects. This of course has lit *** firestorm online. He has since released *** statement to People magazine. He said what he was saying was taken out of context, adding quote, I fully support the union, the WG *** and the strike. I remain an outspoken critic of the exploitative system that artists are subject to work in since I started my journey in this business 25 years ago. And as more content is released that was filmed prior to the strikes, this is even going to become *** bigger issue.
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Striking screenwriters will resume negotiations with studios on Friday
The guild that represents striking film and television screenwriters says negotiations with major studios and streaming services will resume Friday.Video above: What's likely to come out of latest WGA meetingThe Writers Guild of America sent a message to its members Thursday saying they expect the studios will respond to their proposals. The two sides met last week to discuss possibly restarting negotiations, but no negotiation dates were immediately set."Our committee returns to the bargaining table ready to make a fair deal, knowing the unified WGA membership stands behind us and buoyed by the ongoing support of our union allies," The Writers Guild told its members.The screenwriters have now been on strike for 101 days, surpassing a 2007-2008 work stoppage that ground many Hollywood productions to a halt. This time the writers have been joined on picket lines by Hollywood actors, who are also striking to seek better compensation and protections on the use of artificial intelligence in the industry. It is the first time since 1960 that the two unions have been on strike at the same time.Both guilds are seeking to address issues brought about by the dominance of streaming services, which have changed all aspects of production from how projects are written to when they're released.For the writers, the services' use of small staffs, known as "mini rooms," for shorter time periods has made a living income hard to achieve, the guild has said. It cites the number of writers working at minimum scale — which has jumped from about a third to about a half in the past decade — as proof.The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of the studios and streaming services, has said the writers' demands would require that they be kept on staff and paid when there is no work for them.The strike has delayed numerous film and television productions, forced late-night talk shows into reruns and delayed the Emmy Awards, which will now air in January.There is no indication yet that actors and the studios will return to the negotiating table anytime soon.Their union, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, said Thursday it was ready to represent reality show performers in response to "Real Housewives of New York" star Bethenny Frankel's push for performers to receive residuals and have better working conditions on sets.The union urged reality performers to reach out "so that we may work together toward the protection of the reality performers ending the exploitative practices that have developed in this area and to engage in a new path to Union coverage."During the last writers strike, reality television was one way networks filled their schedules.

The guild that represents striking film and television screenwriters says negotiations with major studios and streaming services will resume Friday.

Video above: What's likely to come out of latest WGA meeting

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The Writers Guild of America sent a message to its members Thursday saying they expect the studios will respond to their proposals. The two sides met last week to discuss possibly restarting negotiations, but no negotiation dates were immediately set.

"Our committee returns to the bargaining table ready to make a fair deal, knowing the unified WGA membership stands behind us and buoyed by the ongoing support of our union allies," The Writers Guild told its members.

The screenwriters have now been on strike for 101 days, surpassing a 2007-2008 work stoppage that ground many Hollywood productions to a halt. This time the writers have been joined on picket lines by Hollywood actors, who are also striking to seek better compensation and protections on the use of artificial intelligence in the industry. It is the first time since 1960 that the two unions have been on strike at the same time.

Both guilds are seeking to address issues brought about by the dominance of streaming services, which have changed all aspects of production from how projects are written to when they're released.

For the writers, the services' use of small staffs, known as "mini rooms," for shorter time periods has made a living income hard to achieve, the guild has said. It cites the number of writers working at minimum scale — which has jumped from about a third to about a half in the past decade — as proof.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of the studios and streaming services, has said the writers' demands would require that they be kept on staff and paid when there is no work for them.

The strike has delayed numerous film and television productions, forced late-night talk shows into reruns and delayed the Emmy Awards, which will now air in January.

There is no indication yet that actors and the studios will return to the negotiating table anytime soon.

Their union, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, said Thursday it was ready to represent reality show performers in response to "Real Housewives of New York" star Bethenny Frankel's push for performers to receive residuals and have better working conditions on sets.

The union urged reality performers to reach out "so that we may work together toward the protection of the reality performers ending the exploitative practices that have developed in this area and to engage in a new path to Union coverage."

During the last writers strike, reality television was one way networks filled their schedules.