For What It's Worth

Are TV Writers Fine Wines or Expired Cereal Boxes?

Are television writers like a fine wine that improves with age, gaining a little more body and fullness of experience? Or are they like the cereal that's gone stale after the expiration date and bound for the garbage can?

That's the issue that's been debated for over ten years in the courts. The answer may be that some few are treated like fine wine but the majority are expired cereal. Enough for the metaphor...

You've probably heard that a number of talent agencies, networks and production studios have just agreed to a $70 million settlement on the issue of age-discrimination against older writers. They've settled but they admit no liability.

People ask me what I think, as a writer who's made most of his living in television and who's been on the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America and also served as Chairman/CEO of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. This is a tough question. Many of the people at those agencies, networks and studios are friends of mine or co-workers at one time or another, or just people I have professional respect for. Yet this may be one of those times where you have to at least just speak the plain truth. Namely, yes, writers are discriminated against as they age. Not all writers and not all the time. But most writers at least some of the time.

If you were to ask most people in Hollywood who are in the know, once they got you to agree not to quote them on-the-record, they would likely just shrug and admit it. Yes, it's a fact. Age discrimination exists.

In 2008, my wife, Jackie, and I won the WGA Award for "Outstanding Long-form Original." It made us very happy to see our work recognized, but it didn't seem to change our lives. Having a good friend who has a corner office in a network or studio probably means even more than an award... or your age...

There is no perfect answer. I do know that it will do my career no good whatsoever to blog angrily on the subject. So I hope my writer friends and my producer friends will simply appreciate the simple acknowledgement that discrimination exists and not just in the television writing business. Hopefully, out of this settlement, change will come.

I just wish it never had to happen. Because the truth is most writers just like to write. It's in their blood. I think I am a better TV writer today than when I sold my first script when I was thirty years old. In fact, I'm sure of it. Whether the people who hire and fire in the TV business think so goes to the heart of the issue.

Final note. I salute the gutsy plaintiffs in this suit who put it on the line. That was an act of courage.

VOTE NOW: Who Wrote 2009's Best Screenplays?

 2010 WGA Awards (of 2009 Films) Announced 

The Writers Guild of America has announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen during the past year. Winners will be honored at the 2010 Writers Guild Awards held on Saturday, February 20, 2010. Our Movie Smackdown poll winners will be announced earlier than that.

No one could ever call the Writers Guild Awards predictable. Even the most enthusiastic Avatar booster admits to having some issues with that film’s script (or at least, with the occasionally clumsy dialogue). The brilliantly scripted In the Loop makes for a glaring omission that can be explained; the film was not included in the list of candidates for nomination. 

Original screenplays nods are certainly original and surprising this year; all-over-the-map choices vary in tone from lightest to darkest. Nominated screenplays include: light romantic comedy of (500) Days of Summer, gross-out funny with a heart of gold The Hangover, ambitiously epic Avatar, searing war drama in The Hurt Locker, and the equivocating comic-spiritual journey of A Serious Man. Comedies may be ignored by other awards, but writers know better than anyone. Comedy is hard.

Adapted screenplay nominations include obvious choices from industry darlings Nora Ephron (Julie & Julia) and Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) and the clumsily titled Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire. Joining them in the race are two slightly darker horses, Crazy Heart and Star Trek. 

These WGA nominations may not be the tip-off to the eventual Oscar picks because several high-profile films that might ordinarily get a nom -- like Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," Nick Hornby's "An Education," and Tom Ford and David Scearce's "A Single Man" -- didn't qualify because they weren't filmed under the WGA's contract or covered by guilds in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand. Why they weren't, well, that's another post.

Vote for your favorite screenplay (or at least your perception of the writing)…not your favorite film. There is a difference.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

Online Surveys & Market Research

Crazy Heart, Screenplay by Scott Cooper; Based on the novel by Thomas Cobb; Fox Searchlight

Julie & Julia, Screenplay by Nora Ephron; Based on the books Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme; Sony Pictures

Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher; Based on the novel Push by Sapphire; Lionsgate

Star Trek, Written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman; Based upon Star Trek, Created by Gene Roddenberry; Paramount Pictures

Up in the Air, Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner; Based upon the novel by Walter Kirn; Paramount Pictures

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Online Surveys & Market Research

(500) Days of Summer, Written by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber; Fox Searchlight

 Avatar, Written by James Cameron; 20th Century Fox

The Hangover, Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore; Warner Bros.

The Hurt Locker, Written by Mark Boal; Summit Entertainment

A Serious Man, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen; Focus Features

Josh Olsen Will Not Read Your F***ing Script

Lee Goldberg is a working screenwriter, novelist and blogger who writes regularly on A Writer's Life.

I know a lot of screenwriters who can sympathize with Josh Olsen, who wrote a column in the Village Voice about all the reasons why he "will not read your fucking script." He writes, in part:

Which brings us to an ugly truth about many aspiring screenwriters: They think that screenwriting doesn't actually require the ability to write, just the ability to come up with a cool story that would make a cool movie. Screenwriting is widely regarded as the easiest way to break into the movie business, because it doesn't require any kind of training, skill or equipment. Everybody can write, right? And because they believe that, they don't regard working screenwriters with any kind of real respect. They will hand you a piece of inept writing without a second thought, because you do not have to be a writer to be a screenwriter.

[...]What they want is a few tough notes to give the illusion of honesty, and then some pats on the head. What they want--always--is encouragement, even when they shouldn't get any. Do you have any idea how hard it is to tell someone that they've spent a year wasting their time? Do you know how much blood and sweat goes into that criticism? Because you want to tell the truth, but you want to make absolutely certain that it comes across honestly and without cruelty. I did more rewrites on that fucking e-mail than I did on my last three studio projects.

I found this article especially timely since today I received over two dozen requests from complete strangers to read their scripts or listen to their great ideas for TV series. Here's one I got just a few minutes ago from a stranger on Facebook:

WGA Politics 2009: One for the History Books?

This year I served as a member of the Writers Guild of America west's "Officers Nominating Committee." It was our job to come up with two candidates each for the offices of President, Vice-President and Secretary-Treasurer.

We've just concluded by phone conference our final meeting. While I'm sworn to secrecy until the WGA announces those candidates and the candidates who will also run for the Board of Directors in this year's election, I think it's pretty safe to say that this is going to be one astonishingly competitive election, maybe even one for the Guild history books.

Some people around town already know what's going on (obviously, since the candidates and their supporters talk). The likelihood is that either Daily Variety or the Hollywood Reporter or even Nikki Finke are likely to break this news before the WGA gets around to announcing it. Hell, at dinner on Friday, one of my friends told me what the news was and he was spot-on. That was 48 hours ago.

Anyway, after last year's strike, the WGA is about to put a couple of presidential and vice-presidential candidates out there who will have dramatically different takes on what it meant, what we won or lost, and what we should do next. That's democracy, folks, and the WGA is about to practice it, big-time. Stay tuned...

Writing on the Wall?

Fighting Words

The program I write most of my scripts on is "Screenwriter."  It's got a great look and feel.  They have a new program they're marketing now called "Streamline" which, without cheating, gives writers input and tools about changes they might make to shorten their scripts.  This is good news because most methods of making a script shorter also make it look crammed and unreadable and, the truth is, anyone who knows anything about scripts knows it's been cheated anyway, so what's the point?

I digress.  In the mailing today about this new product are some words that could strike fear in the halls of Microsoft.

"Streamline 1.0 is available for Macintosh only.  Streamline for Windows is in development, but no release date has been announced."

That's right.  The program is built for Macs first.  Windows is the afterthought.  Wow.  Maybe that says something about how screenwriters favor Macs, but it struck me as the thought for the day.  "Macintosh only."

Why We Fought

Striking a Blow for Fairness

Aaron is a current member of the Writers Guild of America, west Board of Directors.  FWIW endorses his 2008 re-election and urges WGA members to cast their votes for him.  This is a re-print of his official candidate's statement.  Read more at AaronMendelsohn.com

It should’ve been easy.

On the Negotiating Committee, I’d voted to recommend a strike authorization vote to the Board.  On the Board, I’d voted to send the strike authorization vote to the Membership.  But when the authorization ballot arrived at my desk, and it had come time to check the “yes” box, I was gripped by a sudden spasm of fear and doubt.

You see, I was broke.

The movie I had written – the one that was supposed to go into production before the strike – had pushed.  And the spec script I had rushed to complete before Columbus Day was sitting on the shelf of my agent, who refused to go out with it because of the “de facto thing.”  I was seriously running on fumes, and here I was, with a mortgage, two kids and a sizable debt load, about to advocate for voluntary unemployment.

The Amazing Reality of "Reality" TV

Hollywood Sweat Shops

This column originally appeared in The Huffington Post.

First, a familiar story from America's past.

Around the previous turn of the century, the nation was plagued by sweatshops raking in outlandish earnings while their employees struggled under inhumane conditions. In one infamous example, a factory reported profits of $200 million, one proprietor taking in $50 million himself, yet its employees were discovered to be working loathsome 18-hour days, seven days a week. Lunch breaks weren't allowed, or rest breaks. No basic healthcare, and, obviously, no protective pensions were provided. The conditions of work mills were such a national embarrassment, the outcry so loud that the creation of government protections and unions were understood, even demanded by most of the compassionate nation. Today, we cringe at the memory, yet are proud for the basic protection America has long-since provided its workforce.

Okay, I have to admit that I wasn't totally honest there.

Just Doing It

When Life Throws You Bricks

This column originally appeared in The Huffington Post.

One of the most-asked questions about the business-end of Hollywood is -- how in the world do movies ever get made?? As the level of hoops to jump through grows, it's a question that gets asked even by professionals, who can see years pass before a film comes to life.

For Rob Hedden, the answer is simple. It happens because of a brick being thrown through his car windshield.

Four years ago, Hedden was chaperoning his son and some school friends, caravaning down the California coast into Mexico on a birthday trip. On the way back, driving along the freeway, a brick came crashing into the car, thrown from an overpass above.

When you're at a standstill, this is not a good thing. When you're moving at highway speeds -- it came close to being deadly. Glass went flying, dangerously cutting in to some people. Speeding off, Hedden quickly called one of the other cars to explain the situation, headed out of the pack to desperately find a hospital, and what could have been a tragic experience, turned into a mere harrowing one that allowed for eventual recovery.

WGA Makes Deal - Gives Awards - We're Celebrating!

Talk about everything happening at once...

On the same night that the WGA leadership presented to the membership the details of a tentative deal that looks almost certain to end the strike this week, the Guild also announced the winners of the "Writers Guild Awards '08" and PANDEMIC, a screenplay I co-wrote with my wife, Jackie, actually won the "Long Form Original" category! 

This odd merging of events happened because, pre-strike, the Writers Guild Awards were scheduled for February 9.  Once the strike was on, all attention had to go to that, so the black-tie and gown festivities were sacrificed.  A simple posting of the winners on the web-site was substituted. Then, as fate would have it, the tentative deal came together this past week, and the membership meeting got scheduled for -- you guessed it -- February 9!

Who cares?  Jackie and I are thrilled that the long nightmare of a strike is almost over and with a deal that seems to be reasonable, if not everything we'd want.

"Pandemic" was a Hallmark miniseries, four hours, that was, as the award states, "original," meaning that it was not based on any pre-existing material. It's a number of interlocking stories about an unexpected strain of Avian flu and how an outbreak in Los Angeles leads the military quarantine of the entire area. In its struture, it's a bit like "Crash" with microbes.

On a personal level, Jackie and I are so honored because this award comes from a panel of writers who actually read the scripts instead of watch the movies.  We think it's humbling to be among the honored screenwriters who demonstrate why the work of writers is valuable and worth fighting for at this critical moment in the WGA's history.  Here's to everyone going back to work in the days ahead!

WGA coverage
Daily Variety coverage
Los Angeles Times coverage

Download a PDF of the PANDEMIC screenplay - Click Here

Jon Stewart on the WGA Strike

What's the WGA Writers Strike all about anyway? Well, since America gets so much of its news from the Daily Show, let's let John Stewart explain.

Makes you think, huh? How about they just offer a fair deal, we take it and it's over? Well, first somebody has to offer the deal...