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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