This journal is devoted to the entertainment industry, and to the challenges that technology and the web pose to it.

Friday, November 23, 2007

STRIKE: Showbiz shows unity with the Writers Guild of America!

STRIKE!

The Writers Guild strike: The creative arts business is among the stranger ones in the world. Musicians, writers, and actors who went from labor to management in some aspect of "the business" can also be employees. In the world of society music/party music, a musician can be an employer (band leader) one day, and an employee for someone else the next. Such a musician may be a pianist who works weddings to pay the bills, but also has a jazz trio which doesn't have great commercial appeal. Perhaps a few nights a month, such a musician would prefer to accept less money, not take an engagement for a wedding, but rather, do something that fulfills his/her artistic need to play music that matters to them, rather than entertaining an audience of semi-drunk, less appreciative people who are really there for something other than the music.

On that same note, most people who are showrunners in Hollywood were once staff writers somewhere. Most of them are still sensitive, creative people who feel for the writers, and believe the cause to be a worthy one. Essentially, you have management striking against other management.

But with this strike, the whole "management striking against other management" thing goes up a notch. Garry Marshall and Norman Lear came out for the writers! Norman Lear created All In The Family—perhaps the greatest sitcom of all time. He created and was the driving force behind MANY other sitcoms. He is a Hollywood giant. Once upon a time he was a staff writer for television shows too. He feels for the writers. That's one of the many things that makes showbusiness so amazing. Norman Lear is, by his actions, telling Rupert Murdoch that he (Murdoch) has no idea what it's like to put words in actors' mouths, be paid a pittance, get none of the credit, and be treated like dirt in comparison to the cast of the show. Without the writers, the cast would be nothing. Norman knows it at least as well as anyone else in Hollywood, and he's in a position of tremendous power. And yet HE comes out to support the writers. That's awesome.

Garry Marshall once wrote for The Dick Van Dyke Show. He conceived and directed episodes of Happy Days. He is now a major player in Hollywood also. He also directed many huge hit movies. Garry Marshall and Norman Lear bonded in support of the writers, and came out to one of the rallies. Now THAT is a show of unity.

On a Garry Marshall note, right after Robin Williams got famous for his role on Mork and Mindy, he would perform standup comedy for little or no money in "hole in the wall" clubs in California and elsewhere. He would frequently get calls from the audience asking for "Mork". He would respond to those calls by saying "No, no....Not doin' the Mork. That's why I come out here..to do something DIFFERENT." That would get tremendous applause from the audience.


Why are the writers striking? Without the writers there are no TV shows, no movies..in fact, not much of anything in commercial programming, really. Much of television production has come to a standstill in the past few weeks; movie production at the major studios is down to less than nothing; and all because the writers want a small taste of digital media sales of their intellectual property. The studios are losing millions right now, with no production going on.

And yet, late night TV show hosts SUPPORT THE WRITERS. Jay Leno, Conan O' Brien, and David Letterman were/are all writers. They understand and sympathize with the writers' demands for compensation. Leno and Letterman are contributing to the writers' strike funds, and are doing their part to ensuring the writers don't starve during the strike.

Jimmy Kimmel hosted a major awards show, and did so (semi) unscripted because he wasn't allowed to write for it. Jimmy is a member of the Writers Guild, and takes that membership seriously. Part of his job is to be funny, and look good on television. He chose to risk embarrassing himself in front of a huge audience rather than break the WGA strike. Because he's a professional, he was able to make the evening somewhat funny, but there were many presenters who couldn't do much more than read the names of the nominees, and subsequently read the winner's name.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart requires fresh takes on the day's news (most) every Monday through Thursday. Jon's a very funny man, but there's no way he could possibly write every joke in 4 monologues a week, AND bits they do within the show, AND prepare properly for interviews with his guests. It's just not possible.

So what happens? The Daily Show is in reruns now. This will be the 4th week of reruns. When the strike's over, Viacom will require a major marketing campaign just to tell the regular viewers that there'll be new episodes on the air. Advertising dollars, production costs, and so many other things contribute to major losses. I'm guessing the studios might be willing to give up a small taste of digital media sales, and acknowledge the writers' contribution to their multi-gazillion dollar industry, and put an end to everyone's losses.

Many famous actors have come out for the writers. The writers are doing a great job of conveying their message too. They send effective messages about both the reasoning behind their stance, and their feelings about the offers being put forth by the studios/producers. The actors know they'd be nowhere without great writing. Ray Romano (also a standup comic and writer), Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, Rachel Griffiths, Elliot Gould, Rob Lowe and Kathy Griffin.

Even a few famous musicians came out to support the writers.

So where's government in all this? How will government affect the future of the internet? Some candidates clearly don't get it, or are in the pockets of media conglomerates. Others, like John Edwards, not only get it, but will advocate for those who need it.

John and Elizabeth Edwards just cancelled an upcoming appearance on The View because he wanted to support the writers, and wouldn't cross a picket line. YAY, John!

So what does all this mean? The top of the Hollywood food chain doesn't want to give up 4 cents of internet back-end profits to the people who write the scripts which make everything in Hollywood move. Many people in positions of power support the writers. And yet, the strike's in its 4th week. There is one longer writers strike on record, from 1988. Most writers in Hollywood don't make much money. If their work product is the backbone of Hollywood, those at the top of the food chain ought to consider for a moment what happens when the writers think of themselves and their families, and tearfully put aside their craft, just to figure out how make a living wage.

Smarten Up, Conglomeratis! You have more than enough money to give the writers what they need.

My thoughts are with you great creative people.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Major Record Labels, Darwinism, and the Future of Intellectual Property

It's been over a month since my last post here. However, nothing has changed, and everything has changed in the world(s) of major purveyors of intellectual property. And with the Writers Guild on strike, it makes ya think (okay, it makes me think) about the whole intellectual property landscape, and how physical media are overvalued.

The short version: Intellectual Property is about what's in the mind(s) of its originator(s)! So many are concerned these days with the media on which the darn things are sold. The physical forms by which some entrepreneurs choose to sell intellectual property are but one means of capitalizing on it. Even those who focus on the digital transmission of music, lyrics, screenplays, and whatever else, are often myopic in their view.

Sorry, I'm full of big words and complex sentence structures today.

Let's review what's gone on in the past 6 weeks or so.

  1. Radiohead has released their current album without the backing of a record company. They've made some money, and are sufficiently tired of the record companies' b.s., that they've decided to sell their album directly, and to make it available via their website for download (or purchase of physical media). That's pretty impressive. What's even more radical about Radiohead's move is that they are charging on a "pay what you wish" scale. When a friend first told me about it, I didn't believe it, so I downloaded it for free. I'm not a Radiohead fan, but I'm sure a fan of their marketing tactics.


  2. The RIAA sued an individual for file-sharing/downloading music illegally. They were probably mistaken in going after the one they sued. No one could prove that the alleged file-sharer was even the one who did the deed. But before we get into the analysis of this event, let's continue with the next one.
  3. Madonna has signed a $120 million record deal. The deal is not with a major record company, but rather, with Live Nation—a concert promoter and ticket sales outfit. She walked away from Warner Brothers, when they wouldn't "step up" with a viable offer. Warner was the first major label to sign her.
  4. The Writers Guild of America is on strike right now. The only issue they have with movie and television studios is back end profits on digital media sales. Everyone there is being somewhat forward-thinking in their understanding that there's real money in selling and broadcasting over the internet.
There's some commonality in the lessons we can learn from these recent events. There are hundreds of others which made the news this year, and in recent prior years, from which we can learn similar lessons.

How about these for starters?

- Myopia has little to do with your personal collection of hallucinogens. (Okay, that was an awful pun). There are many ways in which someone who could have profited from the above-mentioned events, chose to lose money, because they had tunnel-vision about how they sell intellectual property, and/or how the profits should be divided.

- Profit centers change. Some are so stuck to the old models /their old ideas about how to make money, and/or what makes money, that they eschew change, in favor of their "old faithful". This is nothing new.

Blacksmiths aren't making quite as good a living these days as they did before cars were commercially available. Those who loved being blacksmiths, and learned their trade weren't about to give it up. They probably had to focus on different audiences. That's one way to stay in business.

When VCRs first came out, the MPAA was against them. They said that home taping and viewing would mean the end of movies and movie theaters. You tell me: How are movies doing today? :) G'ahead...tell me. Say it. They're making a dollar or two, aren't they? And DVD sales? Not bad, ay? The studios know where the money is. That leads to the next point...and the next post.