Daily Digest: Plight of the Modern Showrunner
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Daily Digest: Plight of the Modern Showrunner
Plus: Hollywood's support staffers are feeling the burn of suddenly being out of a job
Hollywood’s support staffers — production assistants, writers’ assistants, script coordinators, et. al. — were already an under-appreciated class of entertainment worker, slogging away at the unglamorous work of making a show or film happen without much, if any, of the glory. And the writers strike, in pursuit of longer-term gains, has meant many support staffers are out of a job now that writers rooms are sitting empty.
Assistants were expecting this, of course, and those who I’ve spoken to hailed the WGA’s efforts, particularly aspiring scribes who see the fight as their own. But it doesn’t make it any easier to weather, not in cities with insanely high costs of living like L.A. and New York, and especially as the finish line remains a hazy distance ahead.
Some production companies are implementing austerity measures. One PA I spoke to this afternoon said he had been on the verge of getting a full-time job at a production company — but when the strike hit, he was told they were freezing hiring. Now he’s back on the freelance path and works as a substitute teacher, the latter of which pays less per day than being a PA.
“I’m having to put in a lot more hours and days now, for sure,” he said. “When you’re making $300 to $400 on a job, it’s easier to live comfortably than when you’re making $100 to $200 [a day] to substitute at a school.”
The WGA announced today that it had filled the coffers of what was formerly known as the Actors Fund — now the Entertainment Community Fund — with more than $1.7 million in pledged donations, led by a list of bold-faced names: J.J. Abrams, Greg Berlanti, Adam McKay, Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, Mike Schur, and John Wells.
“Withholding our labor has proven to be the only way we can force the studios to give us a deal that allows writers to earn a fair, sustainable living at our craft,” said WGA negotiating committee co-chair Chris Keyser in a statement about the need-based emergency fund. “That said, the WGA is not insensitive to the toll that this work stoppage will take on the entire industry. Our guild’s strike fund is available to help WGA members, but other workers need assistance too. We are encouraging our members who are able to contribute generously to the Entertainment Community Fund, where these grants will provide relief to our fellow film and TV workers who most need it.”
Donations are being accepted here.
Elsewhere on The Ankler…
The always excellent Nicole LaPorte has a new feature on the plight of the modern showrunner. From her story:
“Suddenly showrunners are being saddled with doing all the work,” says Handmaid’s Tale’s [Yahlin] Chang, who is a member of the WGA’s negotiating committee. “Instead of having seven, eight, nine writers to do your show, you have no writers. By the time a mini room, say, is dissolved, “you have a bunch of scripts that need to be constantly reviewed based on production. Almost every time you go into production with a script, you’re told to cut a million dollars out of the budget, so you have to rewrite the script. You’re doing it entirely on your own.
“I’ve heard story after story from showrunners about how they’ve made themselves physically unwell in order to get the show done,” she goes on. “It’s this crazy sweatshop mentality for the person at the top.”
Read the rest of the story at The Ankler, with a subscription.
Today in Strike News
Vice President Kamala Harris was slated to appear in an MTV town hall event, but in lieu of the strike, she postponed it to a later date. (The Hollywood Reporter)
As the WGA negotiations trudge on, the Directors Guild has entered the fray, with its negotiations beginning today. Though the DGA’s 2008 deal was quick and painless, this time around looks like it could emulate the WGA’s current scuffle. (Los Angeles Times)
In the wake of the strike, Los Angeles film permit requests have dropped a whopping 51 percent compared to this time last year. (Deadline)
After being deemed a scab by another WGA member, Andor creator Tony Gilroy has confirmed that he’s halted all his producing services on the currently filming Star Wars series. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Sparks might not be flying in the negotiations, but they sure seem to be on the picket line. Over at Universal Studios, a singles event for strikers was held today from 1-5 p.m., followed by a 5-9 p.m. mixer at Roadside Taco. (The Wrap)
We’ll have more on this one in tomorrow’s edition of Strikegeist…
Picket Sign of the Day
Here’s one for all the Princess Bride and Better Call Saul fans out there: Mandy Patinkin (right) on the New York picket lines alongside Bob Odenkirk.
Additional reporting by Matthew Frank
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