Putting together the entire package when selling spec scripts is more than just a lot of work; for new writers it's an insurmountable barrier. Virtually the only way to get a script to stars is through their agents and the best way to get to their agent is through yours. Needless to say stars' agents put such "offers" at the bottom of their pile, so you don't even get a pass for weeks. Your agent won't send it to more than one actor at a time and will lose interest completely after the third pass. All this of assumes you have an agent, and of course the bigger your name the better your chances. Like the ten-theater rule for Academy Award consideration, this emerging expectation just ushers real chances of success yet further up the food chain
The issue is how much do streamers make from content and how much are they willing to share with content creators. Also, clearly the content model is broken when most movies made are big tent pole events & there are no more sleeper or art house hit movies. As for TV, the chickens have come home to roost on the networks & the advertising feature of free television no longer works.
Streamers are proving that if you treat your customers poorly, you won’t have many customers left.
For people not in the business, $5000 a week sounds fabulous. And not to be a crank, but being a writer’s assn’t isn’t like being a truck driver or a coal miner. Kids can go to public schools, too.
I so feel for your writer, who watched a substantial paycheck turn into money for a three year gig. My last show was in development more than three years so the money was spread out over that time...I needed freelance scripts and two other development deals at the same time. I kept all those plates spinning...but didn't make more than 100k in any of those years. The show was ultimately picked up, announced and then killed by a vest wearing CEO with a penchant of saving money.
With the toothpaste out of the tube on a schedule-less development process...the only reason to even work in TV is on the hope that a successful show might net one more money than a series of painless freelance gigs (if you're lucky enough to string them together). But with the end of success-based residuals...there is no impetus whatsoever to invest any time or effort making shows.
Success-based residuals are the deal breaker in my mind. And if there aren't enough reasons to despise these tech-company robber barons, the idea that they might kill success-based residuals AND return to an add based model is especially reprehensible.
Putting together the entire package when selling spec scripts is more than just a lot of work; for new writers it's an insurmountable barrier. Virtually the only way to get a script to stars is through their agents and the best way to get to their agent is through yours. Needless to say stars' agents put such "offers" at the bottom of their pile, so you don't even get a pass for weeks. Your agent won't send it to more than one actor at a time and will lose interest completely after the third pass. All this of assumes you have an agent, and of course the bigger your name the better your chances. Like the ten-theater rule for Academy Award consideration, this emerging expectation just ushers real chances of success yet further up the food chain
The issue is how much do streamers make from content and how much are they willing to share with content creators. Also, clearly the content model is broken when most movies made are big tent pole events & there are no more sleeper or art house hit movies. As for TV, the chickens have come home to roost on the networks & the advertising feature of free television no longer works.
Streamers are proving that if you treat your customers poorly, you won’t have many customers left.
For people not in the business, $5000 a week sounds fabulous. And not to be a crank, but being a writer’s assn’t isn’t like being a truck driver or a coal miner. Kids can go to public schools, too.
I so feel for your writer, who watched a substantial paycheck turn into money for a three year gig. My last show was in development more than three years so the money was spread out over that time...I needed freelance scripts and two other development deals at the same time. I kept all those plates spinning...but didn't make more than 100k in any of those years. The show was ultimately picked up, announced and then killed by a vest wearing CEO with a penchant of saving money.
With the toothpaste out of the tube on a schedule-less development process...the only reason to even work in TV is on the hope that a successful show might net one more money than a series of painless freelance gigs (if you're lucky enough to string them together). But with the end of success-based residuals...there is no impetus whatsoever to invest any time or effort making shows.
Success-based residuals are the deal breaker in my mind. And if there aren't enough reasons to despise these tech-company robber barons, the idea that they might kill success-based residuals AND return to an add based model is especially reprehensible.