There is one major difference here in all this. I do NOT 'need' Hollywood to distribute my video, audio or any other content. Sure, it helps and they have it down pat, but in the end... if I don't want to associate with the studios or the unions, then I do NOT have to. That is why there has been sooo much uproar from the major studios over everything about iTunes, the internet and Napster. In the days before the Internet, if you wanted to get heard as the artist, you had very little recourse than to go through their channels, IF you wanted or desired to be a big celeb and make big bucks.
Of course, my opinion matters very little on this topic as I am neither. (side note, I believe a good writer/author is well worth their weight in salt) The point of this post is that, the writers are striking over something that does makes sense from their business relationship with the studios, but to the rest of the content producers out on the Internet, well, their little squabble with the studios seems trite as I believe most web content producers don't use Union writers and to some degree could care less what happens with the strike. Hell, most content consumers of web content could probably care less as well, because they just might consume *more* web content. It is interesting times to be where we on this list are, web content producers as well as other software producers on the internet. Sorry if this rant seems off, but that is how I see it. Oh and I just joined the list not long ago and this is my first post from the shadows of a lurker. I am into Podcasting and expect to expand into Video as time progresses and I get some good vidoe editing software and skills going. Thanks, Rich Elswick Moya Entertainment http://www.MoyaEntertainment.com <http://www.moyaentertainment.com/> On 11/5/07, Jeffrey Taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > And writers may very well see the internet talent that profits out of this > situation as scabs, and at worst this could set off an adversarial > relationship between traditional content producers and web content > producers. > > It is a tough line to walk here, as there is a tremendous opportunity, but > it also could shoot one's self in the foot when this is all over with. > There > are no clear-cut answers about how to handle this. > > J > > > > > > > On 05/11/2007, Heath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Most of the conflict in this dispute is directly related to the > > growth of the home video market, first VHS and the DVD sales. You > > are probably going, "Umm, Heath they are talking about 'online' > > video" and I know, but the ROOTS of the issue go back to VHS and > > DVD's. You see when the last contract was agreed upon, VHS sales > > were just begining, no one knew how much money was to be made and the > > writers only got a very small residual. And of course the home video > > market became a HUGE money-maker with the studios. The writers do > > not want to make the same mistake, and quite frankly neither do the > > directors or actor's. Their contracts are up this June. > > > > This battle is HUGE, HUGE, for Hollywood. I suspect that if the > > strike goes on for a bit there will be a run at some of the few web > > stars out there. But I would caution them......cause once the strike > > is settled and it will settle sooner or later.....Hollywood will dump > > the "new" talent in a hot minute and they may find the reception a > > bit chilly from union members. If you have designs of "making" it in > > Hollywood, be careful is all I can say..... > > > > Heath > > http://batmangeek.com > > > > --- In [email protected] <videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com>, > > "Bill Cammack" > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected] > <videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com>, > > Andrew Baron <andrew@> wrote: > > > > > > > > The major studio writers are on strike starting today. They are > > > > interested in obtaining royalties or monetary compensation for > > their > > > > work that airs online. I think the studios are moving slow and > > can > > > > not agree on how money will be made in the future are have been > > > > unwilling to commit. Most of these people have contracts with > > terms > > > > well into the future that were defined a long time ago and thus > > have > > > > terms that make no mention of use online. > > > > > > > > > Yep. New ways of MAKING money call for new ways of DISTRIBUTING > > profits. > > > > > > > Many major TV shows, including The Daily Show, may need to revert > > to > > > > reruns today because they depend on writers for up-to-the-minute > > > > scripts. > > > > > > > > > Interesting side-effect that these shows are based on daily-fresh > > > material, NONE of which is written by the comedians themselves. > > > Therefore, no writers => no show. I'd love to see these guys hold > > > their own show just based on their personal skills at creating and > > > maintaining a conversation, as well as their own research. You'd be > > > surprised how much on-air talent is *completely* dependent on ghost > > > writers. > > > > > > > This is really a major shakeup for the industry. Many people > > expect > > > > this to go unresolved for months. > > > > > > > > What will happen next? How does or can this effect videobloggers? > > > > > > > > > How it affects us is that finally, somebody will start seriously > > > looking at how to monetize online video. It wasn't a big deal when > > it > > > was a bunch of hobbyists _not_ getting paid for putting video on the > > > internet. Now that people who are getting paid to be a part of > > these > > > MSM productions are getting shorted on their online residuals or > > > whatever writers are supposed to get, a lot of people are going to > > be > > > focused on how to determine the worth of online video, how to figure > > > out and report demographcs and how to convince advertisers that they > > > can deliver ROI. > > > > > > -- > > > Bill > > > http://billcammack.com > > > > > > > http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=writers > > > > +strike&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn > > > > > > > > Hollywood writers' strike begins as talks collapse > > > > 2 hours ago > > > > LOS ANGELES (AFP) Hollywood writers went on strike Monday > > after > > > > last-minute talks aimed at ending a standoff between studios and > > > > wordsmiths collapsed, with the union demanding a share of cash > > > > brought in from DVDs and online distribution of shows. > > > > > > > > "The strike is on," Writers Guild of America spokeswoman Sherry > > > > Goldman told AFP. > > > > The strike deadline was a minute into Monday in each US time > > zone, > > > > meaning writers in New York City were the first to walk off > > their > > > > jobs, according to Goldman. > > > > > > > > An 11th-hour negotiating session was held with the help of a > > federal > > > > mediator Sunday, but it broke down without achieving any results. > > > > > > > > Members of the 12,000-strong union plan to begin picketing > > Monday > > > > morning at major studios in the Los Angeles area and outside NBC > > > > studio at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. > > > > The first casualties of the walk-out are likely to be talk > > shows, > > > > soap operas, and comedy programs that rely on fresh scripts. > > > > > > > > Major motion picture studios and television programs typically > > have > > > > stockpiles of scripts that can insulate them from feeling the > > effects > > > > of the strike for a year or longer. > > > > Writers want a greater share of residual profits from television > > > > series sold on DVDs and money made from programs shown on the > > > > Internet, cellular phones, and other new media outlets. > > > > Producers acknowledge that online viewing is increasing and > > promise > > > > to study the issue, but argue that it is too early to say how > > > > profitable it will be. > > > > > > > > Writers are determined not to repeat a mistake made decades > > earlier, > > > > when they underestimated how lucrative home video sales would > > become > > > > and settled for a contract that gives them just three cents of > > each > > > > DVD film sale. > > > > > > > > "The biggest sticking point is new media, new technology," > > Goldman > > > > said after the strike began. "Our mantra is, 'if they get paid, > > we > > > > get paid'." > > > > > > > > Writers get 1.2 percent of revenues from shows streamed online > > for > > > > one-time viewing but get nothing from content downloaded to own > > from > > > > websites such as iTunes. > > > > > > > > "This technology has boomed," Goldman said. "We need to get paid > > for > > > > new media," she said, rattling off new-fangled ways movies now > > are > > > > viewed, including "webisodes," "mobisodes" and "snippets." > > > > "More of this is being shown on computer screens and we get > > nothing," > > > > she said. > > > > > > > > For example, if an entire blockbuster film supported by ads is > > shown > > > > free of charge on the Internet, writers get no money because > > studios > > > > label the display "promotional." > > > > > > > > The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) > > has > > > > refused to discuss anything related to new media in negotiations > > > > during the past three months, Goldman said. > > > > > > > > "There is no common ground," the union spokeswoman said. > > > > > > > > Producers reject the guild's demands as unworkable and too > > expensive, > > > > setting the stage for the first major strike by Hollywood writers > > in > > > > nearly 20 years. > > > > > > > > The strike call came after talks between the guild and the AMPTP > > > > broke down hours before an existing agreement expired on October > > 31. > > > > > > > > "We are very disappointed with ... the action they took," > > Nicholas > > > > Counter, president of the AMPTP, said of the unionists. > > > > > > > > Counter contends that the union's public argument is laden with > > > > "falsehoods, misstatements and inaccuracies" and promised > > specifics > > > > at a later date. > > > > > > > > Industry analysts predict a lengthy shutdown lasting several > > months, > > > > with one estimate of potential losses set at more than one > > billion > > > > dollars. > > > > > > > > A WGA strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry an > > > > estimated 500 million dollars. > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Jeffrey Taylor > Mobile: +33625497654 > Fax: +33177722734 > Skype: thejeffreytaylor > Googlechat/Jabber: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://twitter.com/jeffreytaylor > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > -- Rich Elswick http://www.moyaentertainment.com <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/scacast";><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/scacast.gif " style="border:0" alt="The Pain Bank - SCA and WMA"/></a> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/videoblogging/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/videoblogging/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
