We’re now knee deep into the ENDGAME of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Association of Talent Agents (ATA) strike reaching its fever pitch. The WGA and The ATA are at a standstill in their negotiations to reach an agreement in a showdown that is being referred to as "Wrexit." If you’ve been under a rock you’re probably unaware of why and/or how long this strike has been brewing.
RECAP:
Writer/ Producer Gavin Polone wrote a scathing article in The Hollywood Reporter, highlighting blatant examples of talent agencies abuse of the television pacts of agencies double dipping, i.e., deals being cut on the studio side as well as on talents side.
The standoff between the WGA and the ATA at the core is over agency packaging and affiliated production companies.
Agencies have landed TV packages and won on both ends between writing and actors and hiring people with the bigger star power for studios so ATA’s profits rise through the roofs.
The agents are eating both the filling and the crust of the pie, and (*Birdman hand rubbing) all the way to the bank.
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Agents are getting fired, leaving writers without agents. That doesn’t mean the negotiations and/or offers stop though, as writers are still in need of work. To offset the workload the WGA has launched an initiative to land work for other writers. The initiative suggests writers hire their managers and lawyers to handle their business information, in the meanwhile.
LONG STORY SHORT...This entire writers strike is a debacle that we all should hope gets resolved quickly, as this could push back or cease a great bodies of work in the coming months.
They’re both playing the long game so we’ll see who blinks first; the WGA (looking for a title shot) or (the reigning champ)the ATA.
Quote of the day
Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win. - Stephen King
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