With the rise of AI technology, many are concerned about the security of their jobs. Among those who are fearful about being replaced are the writers of Hollywood, the people who create the scripts for the many movies and series produced each year. 

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The last writers’ strike occurred in 2007, in response to the beginning of streaming services and how they changed the industry. The current strike comes with a new development in technology, artificial intelligence, or AI. According to Miranda Murray, author of "Sean Penn: Studios' AI Stance in Hollywood Writers Strike a 'Human Obscenity,’” The Writers Guild of America, or the WGA, is calling for large companies to restrict the use of AI in writing scripts. She adds that writers are concerned about the security of their jobs with the development of this new technology and are seeking some form of job assurance.

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Other demands of the WGA revolve around the lack of residuals in the industry due to the rise of streaming, The Associated Press informs. 

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Residuals have been a foundational way for writers to make money; every time an episode of a show aired, the writer(s) responsible for creating that episode would be compensated, reports the Writer’s Guild of America West. However, now that shows are released all at once on a streaming platform, those reruns no longer occur, meaning that many writers have lost one of their foundational methods for making money. 

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Another major demand of the WGA is in regard to staffing requirements. In an effort to save money, large producers have taken to the practice of using “mini rooms” when creating the script for a series, Eric Thurm, journalist for GQ Magazine, says. Within these “mini rooms,” there are only a handful of writers working on a series during the development stages, he adds. This means that these writers are working on a show that has no assurance of getting picked up by a producer. This practice has circumvented some of the protections from being overworked and understaffed that the WGA has in place. 

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Also connected to streaming, many popular series are restricted to 6-8 episodes per season. Previously, series that aired could expect to have 22- to 25-episode seasons, meaning that writers could expect to have almost a year of work on just one season. Now, shorter seasons have begun to diminish writers’ per-episode pay and have limited them from working on other programs if they have longer terms of exclusivity with one program or company, according to Thurm.

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Finally, at the root of all these demands is a call for greater compensation. In the last five years alone, writer pay has declined by 14%, The Associated Press reports. With inflation on the rise this percentage is only expected to continue to increase. Many writers aren’t even making a living wage. 

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With this strike continuing, it brings into question how the lack of writers will affect tv series and movies. According to Alex Kerai, work in the writers’ room and on set is being paused and a shutdown in production for many series and movies are the most immediate results of the strike. Even shows with finished scripts are impacted, since they still need writers on set for any adjustments that need to be made, whether due to unforeseen circumstances or budget issues, Kerai adds. Taken together, this means that many shows currently being created and produced will see and decrease in quality the longer this strike continues. 

 

Hopefully, for the sake of these programs, an agreement between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) can be reached. 

 

Works Cited:

Kerai, Alex. "What TV Shows and Movies Are Affected by the Writers' Strike?" CableTV.com, 19 May 2023, www.cabletv.com/news/wga-strike-productions-and-cancellations#:~:text=multi%2Dinstallment%20franchise.-,Scripted%20television%20and%20streaming,not%20crossing%20the%20picket%20line.

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Murray, Miranda. "Sean Penn: Studios' AI Stance in Hollywood Writers Strike a 'Human Obscenity.'" Edited by Andrew Heavens. Reuters, 19 May 2023, www.reuters.com/world/us/sean-penn-studios-ai-stance-hollywood-writers-strike-human-obscenity-2023-05-19/#:~:text=The%20Writers%20Guild%20of%20America,year%2C%20according%20to%20the%20guild.

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The Associated Press. "What Do Striking Hollywood Writers Want? A Look at Demands." AP News, 3 May 2023, apnews.com/article/wga-writers-strike-demands-d403f5b4666f20e2ce3e379bcaef5f2a.

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Thurm, Eric. “All about the Writers Strike: What Does the WGA Want and Why Are They Fighting so Hard for It?” GQ, 5 May 2023, www.gq.com/story/writers-strike-2023-wga-explained. 

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Writers Guild of America West. "Residuals Survival Guide." Writers Guild of America West, Mar. 2022, apnews.com/article/wga-writers-strike-demands-d403f5b4666f20e2ce3e379bcaef5f2a https://www.wga.org/members/finances/residuals/residuals-survival-guide#:~:text=Residuals%20are%20compensation%20paid%20for,and%20not%20the%20original%20use.