A Working Writer's View of the Upcoming Negotiations

I highly recommend Julie's blog (see right column) to anyone just starting out in the business. Great thoughts. Great wit.

This post gives her perspective as a neophyte tyro trying to finish her current project and be sure there is one waiting in the wings, all from the female perspective - something sorely lacking in this biz. Check out the link.

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Writers focus on Web pay issues

As expected Web rights and residuals are the biggest issues in upcoming labor talks between writers and producers.

Also as expected, the studios and producers are claiming poverty in the face of writers demanding their fair share of profits generated from their labors.

Frankly, the entire work-for-hire scenario in Hollywood needs to be scrapped and writers paid properly for their work, especially on spec work. They should be able to keep their copyrights, just like novel and short story writers, and make money off of their words for as long as their is an audience.

For assignments, up front fees should be smaller, fewer writers should be used on any given project, and credited writers should be able to participate in gross revenues just like producers, directors and A-list talent.

Today's system is nothing more than serfdom. But until the higher paid writers stand up for everyone in the WGA, nothing will happen. And with the obvious "I got mine. You get your's" mentally that may be a while.

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Whose Stories Are We Telling?

The WGA West has released its annual report on hiring trends in Hollywood. And there's good news for you older writers out there. Writers ag 41-50 are getting paid more than other age groups. Woot!

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No More Vomit Drafts!

David Anaxagoras has lengthy post talking about problematic first drafts. What he calls vomit drafts. You know the draft you create by sitting down at the keyboard and literally vomitting it out without regard for quality. The purpose is just to get it out so that you can fix the inevitable structure and story problems in drafts 2, 3, etc.

David says he has abandoned the vomit draft in favor a lengthy process that starts with a logline and ends with, what he proposes, a higher quality first draft. Along the way you go through a 2-pager, outlines, and possibly a scriptment.

I applaud the tought, but I think that reduces the act of writing to nothing more than technical proficiency, while leaving little room for inspiration and whimsy. I know that David would disagree. I'm sure he has no desire to remove creativity for the process, but I think that that is exactly what could happen with his process.

I believe in a strong outline to do battle with that blank screen. And I'm not sure you need much more than that to get started. If your first draft is so bad that you can't stand to face the painful revision process, then I'm not sure adding steps and intermediate forms will do much to reduce the stench.

Some writers research so much they never getting around to writing anything. It seems that some screenwriters run the risk of writing everything but screenplays.

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NPR : On the Set with Garry Shandling

This is a great interview that I hear on NPR today. I've always been a big, big fan of Garry's. If you're not; you should be. Watching It's Garry Shandling's Show or Larry Sanders will give you a crash course in how to write TV comedy.

The interview talks about Garry's career, from its beginning write specs for Sanford & Son (3 of which were actually aired!) to his latest project Not Just the Best of "The Larry Sanders Show". The bits with Alec Baldwin are very insightful in regards to the late unpleasantness.

Anyway, check it out.

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Mel Shavelson Misses Being Young

The L.A. Times Big Picture segment has a great piece on writer/director Mel Shavelson. It's full of great advice and inside info on some of the biggest stars in Hollywood history like Carey Grant, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, and Paul Newman. Here's Mel's thoughts on working with actors:

"There's a difference between being the performer and being outside, watching the performer do the performance. It just makes it easier for you to judge what's going on. It's not that you're trying to control the actor. You're just trying to do what you can to help get the best performance."

There's no school like the old school!

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Producers prepare for possible strike

Hollywood producers are seeking to make their shows strike-proof. From the L.A. Times.

Unlike 2001, there doesn't seem to be a huge stockpiling going on, but producers and executives are using such talk in attempt to scare the WGA into a better bargaining positions as both sides prepare for contract negotiations beginning in July.

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