Tinsel-Town Rebellion: Writers, Moguls and Hollywood's Day of Reckoning, Steven Mikulan, LAWeekly
The industry that fuels mid-American fantasies and largely propels the massive economy of Southern California has just stepped back from the brink of a major shutdown. Over this past weekend, the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) agreed on a contract, thus avoiding a strike that would affect the entire entertainment industry. Steven Mikulan's article for the L.A. Weekly explains the issues behind this recent Hollywood showdown. Long fuming under the iron hand of the cigar-chomping, money men of the film and TV industry, writers have struggled for years to get a bigger piece of the payoff pie. During this most recent standoff, the WGA sought not only a greater percentage of residuals and royalties, but also 'respect' in the form of 'possessory credits' and the right to be present on the set, in screening rooms, and at premiers.
--Al Paulson
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