Andor's Tony Gilroy
Plus: strike back.
Fight the Empire
In a really good new podcast episode, Andor creator Tony Gilroy (Rogue One; the Bourne movies; Armageddon) discusses getting hot on a project, writing vivid scenes, the incremental building of a series, The Cutting Edge, Dolores Claiborne, and his disparate influences.
Plus: In the first of many conversations with writers on strike, I chat with M3gan’s Akela Cooper (Star Trek: Brave New Worlds; Luke Cage) about her hopes, fears, and why we're taking this action.
Get the podcast via Apple or Spotify or Acast or your favorite podcast app.
What a reckoning sounds like
It’s electric out there. I think No Good Nick showrunner David H. Steinberg put it best on Twitter:
If you’re wondering why we’re striking, The Hollywood Reporter, of all outlets, did a good interview with our union negotiators that is canded and clarifying.
Communication from the WGA on these issues and now, during the strike, has been terrific. If you’re not following writer/comedian Adam Conover on Twitter, you’re missing the clearest explanations of our current situation. The day the strike was called, Adam posted the list of the WGA’s proposals and the AMPTP’s responses. This side-by-side comparison was startling and galvanizing to many of us.
I’ve been out at Warner Brothers the past couple of days (and will be there later today too), marching, carrying signs, catching up with old friends, making new ones, and listening to everyone’s mostly frustrated stories about working in this industry for the past five to ten years.
The concerns range from the personal to the political to the global. I’ll talk about some of them in coming weeks, but for now, I wanted to share some thoughts from my fellow writers as well as some great insights and resources from writers on social media.
My friend Kathryn, a drama and comedy writer, left me this memo (the day before the strike was called) about a very specific, yet universal, worry:
Author Peter Clines was writing for a screenwriting magazine during the ‘07-’08 negotiations and strike and offers a really interesting timeline of those events. What’s fascinating to me is how drastically the industry has changed in these 15 years, but also how much the demands of workers—and the response by management—has remained the same.
And, of courtse, you can’t stop writers from being creative. I highly recommend going on your social media platform of choice and checking out the great strike signs.
I don’t know who’s behind the WGA Strike Missed Connections twitter feed, but it fills me with vicarious glee.
They’ve already connected a few crushes with each other! [Edit: looks like they’ve taken down this profile. Driven out by trolls, I think? Ah well]
I know there are a lot of pre-WGA writers on here who want to know how they can support the cause. Teresa Huang (Tom Swift; SEAL Team) has three ways you can help:
The massive support for this action has been overwhelming. I was genuinely moved to read THR’s recap of last night’s meeting—which they refer to as a “solidarity rally”—at the Shrine Auditorium, where nearly 2000 writers and allies showed up, including leadership from the Teamsters and other unions.
One of the things we’re fighting against is the fact that, in the past ten years, employment as a writer for TV and film has become unsustainable. Many of us, myself included, have had to find or create (ie, podcasts, live shows) other means of support.
I love teaching, but of course I’d rather make a living full time as a writer. But that’s not the Hollywood we live in. So, I’m taking shorter picketing shifts, starting today, so I can do my other work, the work that actually pays the bills.
Next week, I want to address some of the misconceptions about this strike, so please leave a comment with any questions you might have. If I can’t answer them myself, I’ll talk to folks at the Guild who can.
Ultimately, for those of us on the groud, this is an emotional and existential issue. We are fighting for the future of the industry and for the sustainability of a career for writers, as well as all of the other workers behind and in front of your favorites entertainments.
I met Danielle Nicki in 2020, before she was a professional writer, when I read her terrific Handmaid’s Tale spec as part of the WGA Solidarity Challenge. I’ve been a fan ever since and have devoured any writing she’s sent me, including her excellent feature satire, The First White President.
Dani left me this memo to post, and I’ll give her the last word here today:
Great stuff here, Ben! Thanks so much. Standing in solidarity with ALL writers and the WGA - but especially on behalf of those who have dealt with all of the pain points of the industry and the studios/streamers. The voice recording from Kathryn, WOW. It might have to turn into a cash upfront biz! Pay for play.
Actually making a trip over on Thurs so I’ll be joining!