WGA Strike Day 6

The pickets weren't as loud today (at least at the one studio I saw) but they still had pretty big numbers. They worked two shifts from 6-10am and 10-2pm.

Here's a pretty good video about the size of internet revenues for the networks.

Why the WGA is striking.

Here's a short video that explains what the writers are pissed off about.

WGA Strike Day 5

The WGA focused everything on a major rally at Fox. Seth McFarlane was the highest profile animation person there. (And the funniest.)

The local media outlets barely covered the event. Of course, the fact they are owned by the very people the WGA is striking against probably had nothing to do with it. Maybe it was a busy news day.

Week 2 of the strike will have the picketers working different hours. They're going to start at 6am. (Is that when the bars close?) The second shift will end at 2pm. Picketing has to be weirdest of all to the sitcom writers. They're not used to being outside during daylight hours. Wear some sunblock fellas.

WGA Strike Day 4

Yesterday a group of showrunners picketed outside Disney. Word on the street is that the networks are cancelling their holding deals with actors left and right.

A "holding deal" is a way to keep an actor exclusive to one network for a set amount of time.

There's a big WGA rally at FOX tomorrow morning. Any TAG members going?

Basically, live action is grinding to a halt and animation keeps rolling along.

WGA Strike Day 3

It's only the third day - but are the writers cracking?



You have to admit. The writers have a pretty good sense of humor about themselves but did you notice at the beginning where it said they couldn't write "animation?" Not according to our union...

WGA Strike Day 2

Picketers are back at all the studios. I drove past a few studios today and from my amateur guessitmating point of view there seem to be more than yesterday. I heard a rumor that they are seeking out location shoots and trying to shut them down somehow.

There's something we don't have to worry about in animation.

Why TAG Can't Strike

It's pretty simple, really. Timing. The WGA can strike and have an almost immediate impact on TV production. But the long production schedules in TV animation means that most artists and writers will be starved to death before the studios feel any impact.

Which is one reason why, if you think about it, we should embrace new technologies like Flash. The faster an animated show can be produced, the faster a strike would have an affect on the studios and the more effective the threat of a strike becomes.

Another Voice

Steve Marmel's blog for "animation writers" is discussing the WGA strike if you are looking for more info about the strike (or apparently the Green Bay Packers.)

http://animationwriters.blogspot.com/

The View From The Sidelines- WGA Strike Day 1

Well the WGA has gone and done it. They're on strike. They'll be manning the pickets lines Monday with their wittily written (but badly drawn) signs.

Most of us in animation will be relatively unaffected by the strike. The deflector shield know as the Animation Guild keeps us safe from the strike. And fair pay. And overtime. And residuals.

I thought I'd start this blog so we could discuss our WGA brothers, er... cousins... er... distant relatives (who never invite us to their fancy parties.)

Maybe topic number one should be - how did you feel crossing the pickets lines? (If there were any where you work.)