Hollywood braces for potential strike as writers begin high-stakes talks with studios

[Frank Cox]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/20/media...ces/index.html

New York CNN —
Hollywood is holding its breath.
The Writers Guild of America commenced high-stakes negotiations with studios on Monday over a contract set to expire on May 1 — which could lead to the first strike in nearly 15 years, a prospect that would cause massive disruption to television and film projects across the industry.
The guild is heading to the Sherman Oaks bargaining table seeking higher compensation for writers, a boost in contributions to pension and health funds, and better workplace standards.
Most notably, the guild wants to factor in the streaming economy into compensation packages for its members. Residual fees — or money paid when a film or series is rerun or aired on broadcast — has helped pad the wallets of writers for years. But those fees are vanishing in the streaming era, which is where a great deal of projects ultimately land these days.
Additionally, with the rise of streaming, there are often fewer episodes in a show’s season than before. Shows that run on broadcast networks typically include more than 20 episodes in a season. That’s not the case with shows that are ordered by Netflix and others.
“It’s like seeing a bunch of Ubers on the road and thinking it’s a good time to be a taxi driver,” one entertainment lawyer told the FT’s Christopher Grimes on Monday. “Being a working writer is much harder than it used to be. The level of compensation, the treatment and expectations are all fundamentally different than they were.”
And with the artificial intelligence revolution being set into motion, the guild is also asking for studios to establish standards around the use of the technology. It wants the use of A.I. regulated, in terms of material created for the studios.
Of course, it’s unclear what precisely the powers that be in Hollywood will agree to and there are a number of hurdles the WGA will have to overcome to deliver its objectives to members.
The guild has advised members that the initial round of talks will last two weeks. At that point, there will be a break, during which it plans to update its members on progress. Negotiations would then resume with the aim of striking an agreement before May 1. The guild did not respond to a request seeking further comment on Monday.
For its part, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a trade organization that represents the Hollywood studios, said it is approaching the negotiations “with the long-term health and stability of the industry as our priority.”
“We are all partners in charting the future of our business together and fully committed to reaching a mutually beneficial deal with each of our bargaining partners,” the AMPTP said in a statement. “The goal is to keep production active so that all of us can continue working and continue to deliver to consumers the best entertainment product available in the world.”

Just what we need...

[William Kucharski]

There are still writers involved?

[Jon Dent]

Give it a few more years for the AI to take over.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

I suppose that soon, an entire movie could be done by AI. I wonder what the names in the credits would be like???

In reality AI needs to be stopped before it starts. We've already been warned by enough people in the know about that.

[Bobby Henderson]

There are still writers involved?

That was my immediate first thought, given the tyranny of the "Save the Cat" template bullshit ruling over the Hollywood. I'm all for the creative talent getting their share of earnings. But what kind of leverage do they have against the bean-counting douchebag droids?

[Marcel Birgelen]

Hollywood can write me a check to be their Chat-GPT frontend...

Can you come up with a new plot for a Marvel movie, complete with new characters, never seen before?

Title: Marvel's Vanguard

Plot Summary: In the distant reaches of the universe, the cosmic entity known as Epoch senses a grave threat to the balance of the cosmos. To counter this emerging danger, Epoch creates a team of superheroes called the Vanguard, each imbued with unique abilities and strengths. The Vanguard is entrusted with the mission to defend the cosmos and prevent the universe from falling into chaos.

Characters:

1. Captain Nebula (Elena Martinez) - A former astronaut from Earth, gifted with the power to manipulate and control cosmic energies. She becomes the team leader, guiding the Vanguard with her strong moral compass and extensive knowledge of the cosmos.
2. Blaze (Xander Pyros) - A rebellious young man from the fire planet Ignis. Blaze possesses the ability to generate and control fire, transforming his body into a living inferno. He struggles with anger issues but finds purpose in protecting the universe.
3. Terra (Kai'lee) - A humanoid being from the planet Geode with the power to manipulate earth and minerals. Terra is a gentle soul who learns to harness her powers to protect her newfound family and the universe.
4. Wraith (Thane Caelum) - A reformed space pirate with the ability to phase through solid matter and become invisible. Wraith is haunted by his past and seeks redemption as a member of the Vanguard.
5. Synapse (Dr. Aria Neumann) - A brilliant scientist who was transformed into a being of pure energy during a lab accident. Synapse can manipulate electrical energy and interface with technology, making her a valuable asset to the team.
6. Celestia (Seren D'lyria) - A celestial sorceress from the mystical realm of Astralos. She wields powerful cosmic magic and is the spiritual guide for the Vanguard, helping them navigate the more esoteric threats they face.

Plot:

The movie begins with the cosmic entity Epoch gathering the heroes to form the Vanguard. They are brought together on a floating space station, known as the Nexus, which serves as their headquarters. As they learn to work together and overcome personal conflicts, they begin to unravel the mysterious threat that has alarmed Epoch.

The Vanguard discovers that a rogue Celestial, called Aetheron, is planning to reshape the universe in his image by harnessing the power of the Cosmic Forge, an ancient artifact that can manipulate the very fabric of reality. To accomplish this, Aetheron has gathered a legion of powerful cosmic villains to aid him in his quest.

As the Vanguard battles Aetheron's forces, they uncover the secret history of the Cosmic Forge and learn that its power can only be controlled by the combined strengths of their unique abilities. They must race against time to stop Aetheron from reaching the Cosmic Forge, forging alliances with other cosmic entities and heroes along the way.

In the climactic battle, the Vanguard faces off against Aetheron and his cosmic legion. Each member of the Vanguard must confront their own personal demons and utilize their powers to their fullest potential. They work together, combining their abilities in creative ways to defeat Aetheron's forces and eventually confront the rogue Celestial himself.

In a dramatic final confrontation, the Vanguard manages to subdue Aetheron and secure the Cosmic Forge. They realize that they must destroy the artifact to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands again. With the combined power of Captain Nebula, Blaze, Terra, Wraith, Synapse, and Celestia, they shatter the Cosmic Forge, restoring balance to the universe.

Having proven themselves as a formidable force for good, the Vanguard vows to continue defending the cosmos against any threat that may arise. Epoch, impressed by their courage and teamwork, entrusts the team with the responsibility of being the guardians of the universe.

As the film ends, the Vanguard returns to the Nexus, now more than just a team of heroes but a family bound by their shared experiences and the knowledge that they are the first line of defense for the universe. Their adventures are just beginning, and the Marvel Universe has gained a new team of cosmic protectors.

The Marvel's Vanguard movie sets the stage for potential sequels and crossovers with other Marvel characters, as well as exploring the deeper cosmic aspects of the Marvel Universe.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Let us know when you're on the 18th rewrite... then you're on to something....

[Marcel Birgelen]

I usually charge by the click, but at 18 times, a bit of quantity discount is possible... So how much are you willing to pay for me clicking on "Regenerate Response" button 18 times? :P

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

I'm not the one buying it. But studios are more interested in scripts that have already been rewritten because they know that there will be a lot less kinks in it. And they may not have to rewrite it of at least not much.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Simple solution, just put Version 5.3 in the header of your script.

Maybe the current problem is that movie scripts are written and rewritten by committee instead of a bunch of writers with some kahonas.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

More often than not, producers actually do group read throughs of possible new productions with possible and tentative actors. I guess you have to hope they don't also want to see those other versions.

[Marcel Birgelen]

More often than not, producers actually do group read throughs of possible new productions with possible and tentative actors. I guess you have to hope they don't also want to see those other versions.

You need to handle that situation like a George Lucas: Big Brother-style. It wasn't a coincidence Orwell and Lucas share the same first name: Those other versions don't exist anymore, this is the only real version. As a matter of fact, those versions never existed and if that doesn't work out for you: Those other versions, are not the versions you're looking for.

Meanwhile, back in our current reality, hitting ChatGPT's Regenerate Response button 18-times will yield 18 different plots or VERSIONS so to speak with almost zero efforts.

[Mike Blakesley]

Since Disney is trying to cut costs companywide by the billions of dollars, they’ll probably write all of their movies this way going forward

[Marcel Birgelen]

Since Disney is trying to cut costs companywide by the billions of dollars, they’ll probably write all of their movies this way going forward

You know what the sad part is? It may actually improve the stories we're getting...

I've been playing around with this ChatGPT thing a bit as it's pretty obvious that this kind of technology will impact our future somehow and while it may not yet replace the best story writers out there, the problem is, they're evidently NOT using them anyway, or at least they seem to pull the stories they write through the same set of filters, resulting in bland and overly "political correct" templated boilerplate stories that nobody is getting excited about anymore.

The stuff I've already pulled out of those programs is pretty impressive, especially given where we were just a few years ago. Even the little example above, if you actually read it, may be more compelling, story-wise, as some of the more recent Marvel installments and this one comes with entirely made-up characters, each with their own little backstory. This story isn't a prefab loaded story, as you will indeed get a completely different story when you ask for it. Sure, it's based on what it has learned from all the stuff it has been fed from "out there", but that's not so much different compared to how our own brains learn, only that it has access to a much broader set of information, any single human could possibly learn themselves. Remember that we're probably just seeing the start of this technology, a few iterations down the road and story writer may be an almost extinct profession, among quite a few else...

[Paul H. Rayton]

2003, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines". Is that actually our future? It may not follow the script of the T3 movie, but it's getting c-r-e-e-p-y out there!