If memory serves, Jon? What Lucas is talking about is "The Hangover", this kind of typical-pee-fart comedy, which is still very marketable in North America, since he has met it, Ryan will definitely not miss it, but what he didn't expect was that Jon? Lucas went to Disney Studios and signed a letter of intent for the collaboration, but the project had to be temporarily suspended.

The reason is simple, as a member of the Screenwriters Guild, Jon? Lucas is responding to the call for a strike in the Writers Guild.

The largest writers' strike since 1988 inevitably erupted.

In fact, since the 5th of last month, hundreds of members of the Screenwriters Guild have gathered around major film and television companies to hold protests, holding signs to improve their salaries, and shouting "Shut down!" from time to time. Hollywood is the world of unions! and other slogans.

The marches in front of the headquarters of famous film and television companies such as Paramount, Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox continued into this month.

Screenwriters have a low status in Hollywood, and their income is lower than that of several other associations, and with the exception of a few gold-medal screenwriters, the vast majority of screenwriters are not able to enjoy the film's DVD and other revenue share.

The uneven distribution of benefits is arguably the biggest reason for the outbreak of this strike.

According to the last agreement between the Writers Guild and the Producers Alliance, the six major film companies paid a minimum of $106,000 for original scripts, and the major television networks offered about $21,000 for prime-time comedies and $31,000 for prime-time dramas.

Many screenwriters earn much more than that, with major studios paying at least $1 million for movie scripts, while well-known screenwriters may earn $4 million per film.

The average Hollywood screenwriter earned $200,000 a year last year, which is already high compared to the average annual income of Los Angeles County residents, as well as most Americans.

However, the screenwriters' eyes certainly don't look down, they stare at the actors, directors and producers, and the writers compare their earnings with those of actors, directors and directors of film and television companies. The interest appeal for a large salary increase was found.

According to the Writers Guild, the revenue increase rate of the association's screenwriters is less than half the profit increase rate of the entertainment industry as a whole, and many screenwriters also complain that they are dispensable in the eyes of large companies.

In fact, this is not unreasonable, except for the relatively good treatment of screenwriters who signed with Disney, other companies do not attach importance to ordinary screenwriters, and even do not like to use members of the Screenwriters Guild because of that agreement.

In the nineties. Ninety-five percent of screenwriters in the film and television industry are occupied by members of the Screenwriters Guild, and today that percentage is 55 percent!

The heavy use of cheap non-association screenwriters to produce dramas, cartoons and reality shows has also deepened the tension between the two sides.

As a result, the war between the Screenwriters Guild and the Producers Alliance was on the verge of breaking out.

Before December, the Writers Guild had negotiated with the Producers Alliance, arguing that the average annual income of its ordinary members was less than $40,000, which was below the average income of American citizens, and therefore called for an increase in their salaries, shares, and especially substantial dividends in terms of profits from new media. The most obvious table is the percentage of dividends for DVD and VOD.

As we all know, the DVD market in the United States and the emerging online pay-per-demand are quite huge, in fact, this is the main source of interests of the major Hollywood manufacturers.

Although not involved. But Ryan's own attitude is also tough, even if he wants to compromise, he won't be so light-hearted, otherwise there will be a mess of organizations such as the Actors Guild and the Directors Guild behind. will all jump out, as a representative of a large company, he will naturally stand on the side of the alliance of people.

Things are far from being as simple as they seem. After several failed negotiations, the film company and the producer alliance insisted on their position, and it could even be said that they took a tough attitude, after all, the requirements of the Screenwriters Guild would increase the cost of filming, distribution and other aspects of the film.

Just the day after Charlize's reception, the president of the Zuò Alliance, Nick? After a twelve-hour negotiation, the negotiating group represented by Conte flatly rejected a series of demands from the Writers Guild, and an industry strike that swept across North America finally broke out on Friday.

Even a company like Disney with a script reserve has inevitably been affected, and "The Hangover" is just a microcosm of it.

Still, Jon? Lucas is a smart man who understands that opportunities are rare and asks Julise in private? Stewart promised to sign a formal contract with Disney Pictures as soon as the strike ended.

The strike quickly spread throughout Hollywood, with 12,000 screenwriters taking part and many taking to Hollywood Avenue in protest.

The last time the Writers Guild went on strike was in 1988, lasted 22 weeks, and brought more than $500 million in losses to the entire industry, and this strike will inevitably cause even more pain, because the entertainment industry has now grown into a giant beast, accounting for about 10 percent of the U.S. economy, if you don't count peripheral industries, which means that it is about $50 billion a year.

But in the same way, from the perspective of the overall strategy of the future, Hollywood manufacturers, with the six major companies as the main body, will not compromise lightly.

A number of film and television dramas inevitably became temporary victims.

On the day the strike began, all talk shows were immediately suspended.

On December 17, "24 Hours" announced that this season was canceled, becoming the first unlucky TV series.

On December 20, the filming of the sequel to "The Da Vinci Code", "Angels and Demons", was postponed, becoming the first unlucky film.

On December 23, "007: Quantum of Solace" temporarily halted work and joined the ranks.

On December 26, just after Christmas, DreamWorks' major show, The Adventures of Tintin, was put on hold......

Even so, the coalition showed a tough attitude, and even if it returned to the negotiating table, it would not budge, and the strike continued.

The new year has arrived, there is not the slightest joy in Hollywood, and the shadow of the strike hangs over the heads of the whole of North America.

On January 4, 2008, the Writers Guild refused to write lines for the Golden Globe Awards and announced a boycott of the Golden Globes.

The Golden Globe Awards ceremony was cancelled and changed to a press conference, and Natalie won Best Actress in a Drama Series.

Everyone started to worry about next month's Oscars, and if the Oscars were also canceled, it would not only be a loss in terms of money, but also the face of Hollywood......

Wall Street even issued a warning that if the strike lasted for five months, the economic damage would be as high as $25 billion.

Against this backdrop, News Corp's Rupert? Murdoch, Viacom's Summer? Lei Shidong, CEO of NBCUniversal, Kiel? Yang, Chairman of Time Warner's Board of Directors, Don? Logan, along with Ryan, who represents Disney, held a secret meeting in Malibu.

"The strike cannot be sustained." Is it Summer who speaks? Lei Shidong.

This is the consensus of everyone, and while the $25 billion figure is pure Wall Street, if the strike lasts too long, it will definitely affect the earnings of the major groups.

"We can't compromise lightly." Ryan's attitude was clear, "Don't forget, the agreement between the Producers Alliance and the Directors Guild and the Actors Guild is also about to expire, and if we loosen our minds and agree to the conditions of the Screenwriters Guild, it will bring about a chain reaction." ”

He looked at the media giants present, "I don't think you want to share our interests too much with them, do you?" ”

"My people have done the statistics." Rupert? Murdoch said slowly, "As long as the Oscars end this strike before, our losses will be about $300 million." ”

Although they compete with each other, they are a natural community of interests in this matter, and as a well-informed media group, how can they not make some preparations in advance.

"Don't forget, it's not just us who loses." Ryan snorted, "The strike is expected to cost the writers up to $285 million in lost wages, while the loss of earnings for other motion picture association employees is $500 million." ”

The strike of the Screenwriters Guild is not only facing the production of the people's alliance, but also the suspension of crews and programs one by one, which will also damage the interests of other professions.

"So we're on an agreement?" Time Warner's chairman of the board, Don? Logan asked.

The others nodded, and Ryan finally said, "Go back to the negotiating table, drag the negotiations down, drag them until the Oscars are approaching, and let the Writers Guild and the Writers Guild face pressure from all sides, we must make some concessions, but we can't let the Writers Guild achieve the goal lightly." ”

The strike is damaging to the interests of the entire industry, and the Writers Guild will be under more pressure than the Producers Alliance, which is backed by major companies.

On January 15, under pressure from all sides, the Writers Guild had to announce that the Grammys were allowed to leave, and they first made a compromise.

Then, the Producers Union also made concessions and began a new round of 'informal negotiations' with the Screenwriters Guild.

Taking News Corp President Peter ? Sherney, Disney CEO Robert? Iger and Nick, president of the Coalition of Makers? The negotiating group represented by Conte met with Veron, president of the Writers Guild, and David Brown, executive director of the West Coast Writers Guild. Yang and the head of the association's coordinating committee, John? Bowman returned to the negotiating table, and the strike finally showed the light of the end.

However, as Ryan said, the alliance will not give in lightly, and it is bound to be a tug-of-war negotiation.

At the same time, the media group, which is the parent company of the six major companies, has also spread news in the media to exert pressure, such as claiming that the major companies have enough scripts to shoot until next year; For example, he has set his sights on overseas worlds, buying film rights from English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, as well as France, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, and even bringing in overseas screenwriters for experimental writing.

In fact, this is putting pressure on the editorial association.

Of course, Ryan and the others also knew that the alliance had to make concessions. (To be continued......)