I drove by Fox (Century City, CA) today and the writers are picketing in full force. My daughter, a production assistant and USC film school grad, clued me in about the steaming platforms not paying residuals. She is anticipating this will last past August. But could you imagine writing a script that airs and then the popularity of that film blossoms into 10 million + streams and the streaming platform that has the technology to track viewership like never before not paying residuals for streaming? Most of these writers make a nominal set fee for a script and rely on the residual checks, which the old school tv networks pay. This is the industry norm.
But while I was driving by, I noticed a dapper gay gentleman in a well tailored shorts suit and hat carrying a sign that read “I always dress up when someone is trying to screw me!”
So I texted my daughter and her roommate (who is also on the industry) and they LOVED it and cheered them on textually.
Go writers!!