Hollywood already has someone to write for him Again. screenwritersstarred in a TV series 148 days of strikereceived this tuesday Green light for your union meetings to return to work midnight In California, hours after those boards and the negotiating committee unanimously supported an agreement reached with representatives of major studios and platforms on Sunday and an end to the strike. And now it’s left 11,500 affiliated screenwriters Approval of the agreement with a vote starting on Monday and continuing until October 9but the writers’ strike, which began on May 2 and joined the yet unresolved actors’ strike in mid-July, has officially ended.
unanimity Distribution of the agreement was authorized by the western and eastern boards of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) agreement will manage workers’ relationships with work in the coming years three years and approval is recommended. And a seven-page summary confirms some of the successes of the screenwriters’ mobilization, answering most if not all of their demands.
Payments, business and AI
For example, writers will see Increase your minimum wage by 5 percent in the first year An agreement will be reached at 4 percent for the second and 3.5 percent for the third. Moreover, first time, studios will share with them accurate information between hours viewers spend on streaming servicessomething they’ve kept secret until now.
Screenwriters will also receive awards for the first time extra compensation your shows or series reaches 20% of national viewers in its first 90 days on a platform. And they achieved this: “Leftovers” who charge fees for their works to be displayed abroad increased by 76%. For example, until now, Netflix charged $18,684 for an hour-long episode, now this fee will increase to $32,830.
Although they were unable to get the studios to respond to their requests for at least six people to be interviewed “writer rooms”The team that developed the scripts managed to secure a cast and minimum running time. For example, in projects that are under development and have at least three screenwriters, there must be at least three writer-producers and they must have a work guarantee of at least 10 weeks. If shows that have already been confirmed don’t have a single screenwriter writing the entire season, At least three screenwriters for the series up to six episodes, five for those with seven to 12 chapters, and six for those with 13 or more chapters.
Another issue that has become fundamental in this strike is Artificial intelligence, and there the screenwriters also achieved some victories, although they did not get everything they wanted. studiesAccording to the agreement, They will not be able to use these tools to rewrite the original material. though yes for scripts they already have. Screenwriters can use technology if they need help, but Their use cannot be imposed on them. Although writers cannot guarantee that their scripts are not being used to train AI tools, they should at least be informed by studios whether the material they are given has been created entirely or partially by AI.
“We won,” said Meredith Stiehm, president of the Western WGA, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, discussing a deal the union had already called “exceptional” on Sunday and estimated its value at around 200,000. $233 million a year.