Three months into the Hollywood writers’ strike, signs of progress are finally emerging. After weeks of no negotiations following the walk-off by the writers, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has expressed interest in meeting with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) to discuss negotiations. The AMPTP has been dealing with an actors’ strike as well. The primary issue at hand is the impact of streaming on the industry.
Streaming has transformed both movies and television, and writers want to ensure they receive a fair share of the revenue when streaming shows become successful. Currently, writers receive small residual payments for streaming shows, but they do not benefit further if a show becomes a hit. However, this requires streamers to provide viewership data, which they prefer to keep confidential.
The WGA also wants to enforce minimum staffing requirements when studios hire showrunners to develop shows. They believe that writers should have a presence in the “pre-greenlight room” where scripts are written before a show is officially picked up. Additionally, the union wants studios to return to creating larger writers’ rooms during production, contrary to the industry trend of using mini rooms with fewer writers.
Although these issues may seem technical, they all revolve around one company that has disrupted the industry: Netflix. Netflix has not only changed the way television is consumed by offering shorter seasons and keeping viewership data private, but it has also revolutionized TV production by minimizing writers’ rooms. In traditional writers’ rooms, writers are involved in various aspects of show production; however, mini rooms limit their responsibilities to writing or polishing scripts.
As a result of these changes driven by Netflix, writers are facing a decline in wages and less hands-on experience. The WGA aims to bring back larger writers’ rooms to support the future generation of writers and foster creativity. However, convincing Netflix, the most profitable streaming company, and other studios to abandon their current practices will be challenging.
The WGA is not only fighting for the return of writers’ rooms, but also addressing concerns about artificial intelligence (AI). They propose rules to prevent AI from writing or rewriting literary materials, while the studios are open to discussing technological advancements. The writers are trying to prevent a future scenario where AI generates rough drafts for writers to refine, sacrificing creativity for efficiency.
In negotiations between the studios and the WGA, it is more feasible to imagine compromises on AI usage rather than completely eliminating mini rooms. Studios prioritize efficiency and cost-effectiveness, which aligns with the industry ethos Netflix has introduced. While the WGA may be successful in preventing AI from fully taking over scriptwriting, the outcome regarding larger writers’ rooms remains uncertain.
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