Bathed in the dawn, Megan lay on her side on the bed, and the "little wild cat" surnamed was not honest when she slept, her smooth and white little arms were exposed outside the quilt. The thin little lips were tightly closed, and two small dimples appeared on the white-red pink cheeks. Under the faintly curved eyebrows, a pair of slender eyes are closed as if smiling. Thick long dark brown hair scattered on a high white pillow.

Don't look at Meghan shining in front of the camera, but her posture when sleeping is really unsightly, and Lin Mingyang, who is lying on the other side of the bed, is not much better than her. The shoes on his feet were not taken off, and the shirt on his body still had half a sleeve on his arm. Last night, Megan "visited" at night, and the two carnivaled for half a night. In the end, both of them were exhausted, and Lin Mingyang fell asleep with his head resting on his arms. His eyebrows were stretched, and a stream of golden light peeked in from outside the curtains, drawing a soft smile on his half-open and half-closed mouth, and a faint trace of saliva could be seen on his jaw at the corners of his mouth.

The mobile phone vibrated and rang with "Di Du Di Du", which made Lin Mingyang really want to take a pillow to cover his ears. This is the third call this morning, the first two were hung up by Lin Mingyang in a daze, this time the phone kept ringing, and finally woke him up.

Lin Mingyang didn't even bother to look at it, he flipped out his mobile phone and put it directly to his ear, and before the other party could speak, he complained first: "Ex, is it okay to be Sunday today!" ”

Except for Ex, Lin Mingyang couldn't think of anyone else who would call him at this time.

Ex on the other end of the phone ignored Lin Mingyang's complaints, but told him bad news: "At the request of the Writers Guild of America, the writers of "Gossip Girl" officially announced a strike today. ”

"And then?" After hearing the news, Lin Mingyang still looked like he hadn't woken up while lying on the bed. The Hollywood screenwriters' strike that occurred in his memory at the end of '07 finally broke out, but a month later than he remembered.

The last negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the American Federation of Film and Television Producers to raise the pay of screenwriters have broken down, and Hollywood playwrights, who have been locked up in their homes and rarely seen up, have gone on strike after Christmas. They gathered outside the studios of eight major studios, including Warner Bros., Paramount, Fox and Disney's headquarters, holding placards claiming that the strike on the "Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers" would be a protracted and costly action.

Lin Mingyang had a premonition of this screenwriters' strike, in order to keep the filming of "Gossip Girl" ongoing, he had asked the crew to reserve the script in advance, and the screenwriters of the dramas they currently have in their hands are on strike, and "Gossip Girl" can still be filmed normally.

It is precisely for this reason that the screenwriting team of "Gossip Girl" has been very inactive in supporting the strike of the Writers Guild of America, and the plot of "Gossip Girl" is based on the original novel.

The strike began, and I have to sigh that the Hollywood screenwriters are so determined this time, and the screenwriters of "Gossip Girl" saw their peers taking to the streets, even if they didn't do it at this time, MGM couldn't find other screenwriters to replace them for the time being, so they followed the trend and joined the army of street protests.

The deadliest impact of the writers' strike on Hollywood is not the studios – they have stockpiled enough scripts to supply until at least early 2008, and the real victims will be the major television stations. The most directly affected by the strike are the talk shows that are broadcast, which mostly focus on current affairs and rely heavily on the real-time creation of screenwriters. As a result of the strike, these programs will be temporarily cancelled and re-broadcasts of previous programs will be replaced.

Directly affected are the TV series that are currently on the air, and since many TV series are written and filmed, once the writers strike, the sequel will not be sustainable. Most of the broadcasters were well aware that the strike was going to happen, but they had previously thought that it would not last long before it would end. In order to cope with this strike, although they also have some episodes in stock, as long as the writers' strike lasts for more than a month, those TV series will still be out of air.

It's not that Eckes is worried about the discontinuation of "Gossip Girl", which is currently in production, but that he is now worried about the future of Hollywood, because it is directly related to MGM's future development. The last American Playwrights Guild strike was in 1988, and it lasted for half a year, causing $500 million in losses to the entertainment industry. The annual profit of the Hollywood entertainment industry is $30 billion, and according to this calculation, the economic losses caused by the Hollywood screenwriters' collective strike will be as high as $80 million per day, which is an astronomical amount.

"Now that the strike has begun, no one knows when it will end, and it will be a disaster for Hollywood!"

Lin Mingyang yawned: "But I don't know how long this strike will last, did you wake me up early in the morning just to tell me this?" ”

"A protracted strike can cause enormous damage to the entire industry, and history has taught us that for this dispute to end, both sides must make concessions, but in the end no one will emerge as a winner." Ex said worriedly on the phone, "Aren't you worried about this at all? ”

Lin Mingyang tilted his head sideways and clipped his mobile phone between his shoulders, and talked to Ex on the phone while lifting his pants, "I don't think this strike will last too long... After the strike, the screenwriters have no financial resources, but they always have to eat, right? ”

Ex frowned on the other end of the phone, the big Hollywood companies probably had the same idea as Lin Mingyang, but Ex felt that this time the Writers Guild of America might surprise those who underestimated them.

"Are you overly optimistic about this strike?"

"But I think I'm already conservative!" When Lin Mingyang left the bedroom, he covered the sleeping Megan, and after walking to the living room, he finally let go of the voice he had been talking in a low voice.

"If the strike lasts for 1 month, what do you think will be the reaction of all parties in Hollywood?"

Ex looked a little embarrassed on the phone, "This is not easy to estimate!" ”

"In my opinion, the situation will be like this: the screenwriters gathered in the bar to make passionate and impassioned speeches, and they all expressed their determination not to return to work; The stars are happy to finally be able to rest and go out of the city for vacation; Each station desperately broadcast variety shows, and the ratings plummeted all the way; The Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild will stand in solidarity with the Screenwriters Guild... The big companies are starting to get anxious, and the audience has nothing to do. ”

Ex asked rhetorically, "Isn't that bad in your opinion?" ”

"That's good news for us!" Lin Mingyang shrugged, "I think this writers' strike will last at least a month, and "Iron Man" will be released at that time, and the audience that has lost from the TV will flood the cinema in large numbers, maybe this film can bring us a new box office record." ”

"And what if the strike continues?"

Lin Mingyang snorted softly: "If the strike lasts for 3 months, the screenwriters will still be tough verbally, and they will find acquaintances to introduce other ways of life in private; Celebrities have nothing to do, and the news of drunk driving and all-night partying is endless; The TV station began to broadcast classic old dramas from the past, inviting those old stars who are still alive to come out and appear on the show; The Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild held private consultations with the Film and Television Producers Guild to explore possible compromises... Many TV programs will be suspended because there is no new script, and the loss of TV viewers will be irreversible, and at the same time, advertising revenue will also be lost to other media. The entire Hollywood industry may face a new reshuffle, but the biggest loss is still those screenwriters, most of whom will bid farewell to the industry forever. ”

-- On the way to MGM's headquarters, Lin Mingyang encountered a strike procession composed of screenwriters, who attracted the attention of passers-by and tourists everywhere they went, and the word "strike" on the placard in his hand was particularly dazzling. During the strike procession, people continued to distribute leaflets to passers-by.

In addition to the march, the Writers Guild has rallied in front of major companies such as CBS, Disney, Fox, NBC, Sony, Paramount, Universal, Warner, and more, and members of the Writers Guild have been told that the strike is an obligation, and that the association requires them to spend at least 20 hours a week standing in front of these companies to demonstrate. Even MGM, which had just been acquired and reorganized, was not able to escape the fate of "being watched".

When Lin Mingyang drove to the company's headquarters, the security personnel at the gate watched the protesters gathered not far away. There are a lot of media reporters next to me who are interviewing and taking pictures.

Before his car drove to the gate of MGM's headquarters, the license plate number was recognized by a sharp-eyed reporter. A bold reporter ran directly to the middle of the road, if it wasn't for Lin Mingyang's timely braking, the old man would probably have been lying under the wheels.

Lin Mingyang was frightened into a cold sweat by this daring reporter, but the guy still didn't change his face. After stopping Lin Mingyang, he calmly walked around to the driver's seat of the sports car and knocked on the window glass very politely.

Lowering the window glass, Lin Mingyang took off his sunglasses angrily, looked at the other party angrily and took out his press card, and said, "Don't be stupid, you are telling me that you are a reporter?" ”

The other party was stunned, and then looked at Lin Mingyang blankly: "But I am indeed a reporter." ”

Lin Mingyang sarcastically said: "Okay, Mr. Reporter, in view of your brave performance just now, I think you should be a war correspondent instead of an entertainment reporter." ”

The reporter smiled awkwardly, "The situation was urgent just now, I was impulsive, but fortunately you reacted in time..."

Lin Mingyang lay on the steering wheel with both hands, and after the other party finished speaking, he nodded: "So I can go now!" ”

After speaking, he was about to start the car, and the reporter rushed to the front of the sports car with an arrow step, and opened his arms to block Lin Mingyang's way.

In desperation, Lin Mingyang poked his head out and shouted at the guy, "What do you want?" ”

"I have a few questions, I just need to delay you for a few minutes..."Before the reporter finished speaking, Lin Mingyang retracted his head.

Without hesitation, he raised the window, and the silver sports car slowly retreated. Seeing that the car was getting farther and farther away from him, the reporter who stopped in the middle of the road was wondering. The sports car, which had stopped retreating, accelerated suddenly, and sped past the reporter like a gust of wind in the rapid lane change. By the time the reporter reacted, Lin Mingyang's car had already entered the headquarters of MGM, and it was too late for him to chase it.

After parking, Lin Mingyang did not go directly to the headquarters of Ex, but first went to the visual effects team of "Iron Man" to check the progress of the compositing of the CGI picture of the film. In the end, it was Ex who called him personally and asked him if he had arrived, and Lin Mingyang remembered that he had made an appointment with Exx to meet.

When Lin Mingyang passed, Ex was standing at the door of his office with a gloomy face. He pointed to his watch, "You're half an hour late!" ”

"I'm so sorry!" Lin Mingyang shrugged helplessly, "I actually arrived a long time ago, but I stayed with the crew of "Iron Man" for a while... When I came, I met a psychotic at the door, and the guy actually stopped my car, saying that he wanted to interview me, and as soon as he stirred up, I forgot about the time we had made! ”

"Even if it's a make-up, please make up a slightly more decent reason." Ex didn't have time to be angry with Lin Mingyang at this time, he pointed to his office, "I invited a reporter, about this strike, the media are very concerned about your position and attitude, let him give you an exclusive interview... I'm no longer your agent, but I keep getting bored when reporters call me and want to book an interview with you! ”

"And what are you going to say to the media?" Lin Mingyang didn't expect Ex to give him such a problem.

"You've always been more experienced than me when dealing with journalists." Ex patted Lin Mingyang's shoulder, put his head to his ear and whispered: "As long as you can make those reporters stop pestering in the future, you can say whatever you want!" ”

-- Ex "coaxed and deceived" and finally pulled Lin Mingyang into his office. When he saw the reporter invited by Ex, Lin Mingyang was stunned.

"Surprised, huh?" Jinni, who hadn't seen her for a long time, stood up with a smile and took the initiative to stretch out her right hand to Lin Mingyang.

Today, he is wearing an OL suit, with light makeup painted on his face, and the whole person looks delicate and capable. If it were in normal times, Lin Mingyang would definitely compliment her a few words, which was a common means for him to pick up girls. But today, Lin Mingyang's eyes were staring at Ginny's back, to be precise, the guy standing behind Ginny.

"Why are you again!" Lin Mingyang frowned, secretly screaming bad luck in his heart.

Ginny looked at Lin Mingyang in confusion, and then at her assistant Saville, "You know each other?" ”

Lin Mingyang pointed to the person behind Ginny, turned his head to Ex beside him and said, "This guy is the neurotic I met at the door... He suddenly ran into the middle of the road, and if I hadn't braked in time, he would have crashed me into the air! ”

At first, Ex thought that Lin Mingyang was just making up an excuse to "comfort" herself, but she didn't expect that there was such a thing, but Ginny pulled Savile aside, and the other party explained for a long time before she understood what the whole thing had happened.

Ginny apologized to Lin Mingyang for her colleague's "recklessness", "Felix, I think it's a misunderstanding!" ”

Lin Mingyang shrugged indifferently, even if this matter was revealed, although there was a small accident, Ginny did not forget her "mission" this time, after the American screenwriters' strike, Lin Mingyang has been silent about this matter. As one of Hollywood's top screenwriters, he has the most say in this matter, and his attitude has become the topic of most attention in the media.

Ginny took out a voice recorder and began to ask questions, but Lin Mingyang didn't care about anything else, asking her about her experience after graduating from Harvard, and then asking her where she worked now, anyway, he didn't answer her questions positively.

Finally Ginny got angry, "Felix, if you don't want to be interviewed by me, then you can just chase me, do you think it's fun to go around in circles like this?" ”

"Can I invite you to lunch after the interview?" Lin Mingyang "cheekily" put forward a condition.

Ginny turned her head in anger, but she didn't think about refusing.

Lin Mingyang studied psychology, how could he not guess Jinnie's thoughts at this time. He sat up straight and put away the playful expression on his face: "Okay, we can start!" ”

"Which side are you on this Hollywood screenwriters' collective strike?" Ginny didn't say anything polite to him, and asked very directly as soon as she came up.

"In fact, I also received an invitation from the Writers Guild of America, even though I never joined the organization... They wanted me to support the strike with concrete actions, but I couldn't stand in front of MGM with a sign and protest to myself, right? ”

Ginny then asked, "So you're not going to support this strike?" ”

Lin Mingyang shook his head: "I can't say that, the current status and income level of screenwriters are too low, and the pay is not proportional to the return, I am very clear about these situations." I'm a big proponent of Hollywood screenwriters trying to fight for their position through all sorts of legal means, but I personally doubt the effect of a collective strike. ”

"Screenwriting is a very different profession, and I know that among the 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, who earn an average of $200,000 a year, there are TV writers and producers like Shaunda Remus who make $5 million a year, and there are a lot of young novices who make less than $50,000 a year. And according to the Writers Guild, 48% of its West Coast chapter members are unemployed. Even if the Producers Guild compromises this strike, it will still be those high-income screenwriters who will really benefit, and it is difficult for those screenwriters with low incomes or even no jobs to change their situation significantly. And because of the strike, screenwriters who are now working are likely to lose their jobs, which I think people don't want to see. ”

Another indisputable fact is that Hollywood is increasingly favoring non-screenwriters from the Screenwriters Guild, which in the mid-'80s accounted for 95 percent of the filmwriting jobs in the film and television industry, which was now down to 55 percent after the 1988 general strike, as the entertainment industry began to use non-Guild writers to produce cartoons and reality shows. Collective strikes can only make the influence of the Writers Guild of America gradually diminish, and if people only expect to solve the problem in this way, then in the near future, with the choice of the market, the Writers Guild of America will finally cease to exist! ”

(To be continued)