a special treat for those of us who enjoy watching sam reich torture his friends and/or employees
THIS^^^
And if you do get paid for your ideas/writing during the strike, that is considered scabbing and you will be barred from the WGA for life, as per this email from the Blacklist:
And, because a lot of people don't understand this bit, this is about you selling your ideas or writing to US-based TV studios or movie studios who are part of the AMPTP. There is no strike against book publishers. Nor audiobooks, graphic novels, or poetry publishing. Or just writing.
Read the above from the WGA.
Important additional note for early career filmmakers and students (like me!):
For pre-WGA writers (i.e. people who want to join WGA but cannot yet qualify / still earning early-career credits) - this FAQ by an authorized WGA representative is very helpful.
Notably, you are still allowed to:
1. Create student films to share in class
2. Upload student films to YouTube, Vimeo, Patreon, or your personal social media
3. Create indie films for *under $20,000*("micro-budget" films)
-->unlike WGA members, pre-members are still allowed to actively write and film. We are not "pens down."
4.Submit micro-budget films to film festivals
5. Send spec scripts to agents, sign with an agent
What you CANNOT do is sign any production or distribution deals. Nor can an agent submit your film or script to producers, streamers, studios, or distributors on your behalf.
This prohibition includes "major indie" studios unaffiliated with AMPTP, such as A24. Note that this is a key difference between WGA and SAG-AFTRA!
SAG-AFTRA allows student and early career actors to continue to submit reels and audition for non-AMPTP films. WGA does NOT want student writers to do this with our scripts. The WGA rep in the article gives good sample messaging if any studio or producer is interested in your script or self-published films. Emphasize that you would love to work with the studio after the strike is complete and WGA terms have been met, and you will reach back out at that time.
Essentially: as a pre-WGA member, you are allowed to do your film class homework! You are allowed to write scripts and film them yourself. You *are* allowed to self-produce, self-publish, and self-distribute your work on platforms that do not pay residuals (i.e. social media, etc).
You are NOT allowed to contribute to the pipeline of content that AMPTP studios and major streamers profit from. Do not submit or sign any deals for your scripts, nor for distribution of your independently created films.
__
Eta: direct questions and answers - this is most relevant to student + early career filmmakers.
MovieMaker: And that’s also detrimental to the agent, because they’re also going to lose money on you.
Christopher Kyle: Yes. The only thing I would say is, I would guess that agents have time on their hands right now. It may be a good time for an aspiring writer to send them a script to read. Because they may have more time to read it.
MovieMaker: Is that considered distasteful or tacky or anything?
Christopher Kyle: Tacky to sign with an agent? We’re not we’re not in conflict with agents. So if agents want to use this time to find clients that they’re then going to market in the future, I think that’s fine. But you know, they can’t start that marketing until after the strike.
MovieMaker: Got it. Okay. And there’s no conflict at all with using screenwriting platforms for coverage service?
Christopher Kyle: I don’t think so, unless their coverage service is somehow sponsored by one of the signatory companies, which I can’t imagine is the case.
MovieMaker: I get emails from contests that say, basically, “Here’s your chance to pitch your ideas to managers and agents” or to “pitch your ideas to producers.” It sounds like pitching to managers and agents is fine, but pitching to producers would clearly be out of bounds.
Christopher Kyle: Correct.
MovieMaker: Can independent filmmakers seek investors or crowdfunding during the strike?
Christopher Kyle: As long as the investments aren’t coming from a signatory company.
MovieMaker: Can independent filmmakers enter their films and film festivals during the writers strike?
Christopher Kyle: Yes, but as I said before, if they put their film in a festival and it leads to an offer of sale or option from a company that we’re striking against them, they wouldn’t be able to take advantage of that without running across the rules.
MovieMaker: So if Netflix or another signatory reached out to you and said, “We love your film, we want it,” what is the proper response? Is it no response? Or should you say, “Let’s talk when the strike is over”?
Christopher Kyle: That’s what you should say. “I really appreciate your interest in my work. I’m in solidarity with the striking writers. As soon as the strike is over, I hope to have this conversation with you then.”
-
TLDR version - pre-WGA writers can write scripts, post scripts to Blacklist or social media, pitch agents, sign with agents, create mico budget films, post films to social media or your online portfolio, submit films to festivals, get direct funding for films (via Patreon, Only Fans, or Kickstarter)
The only things you cannot do are: pitch to, meet with, actively write for, or sign with an AMPTP signatory studio or streaming service.
Hope this helps others, it definitely clarified things for me 😁
just an fyi for people who've let their social skills atrophy by spending too much time on tumblr:
this is generally not a good thing to say to a stranger on a nonsexual post
Tags of people who hit the nail on the head better than I ever could
so i noticed that graph is based on data collected in 2011, and i got curious. the most recent one they have now is 2016.
also the website is a wonderful resource i’ve been exploring. it breaks down the intimidating complexity of US politics to help busy folks who want to understand better but don’t know where to start. and as someone who is neurodivergent, the charts and graphs they use are so helpful for comprehension!
transcription by @jub3r7
"This is getting ridiculous now. Where did you find this contraption? How did you build it? You're not really rolling them straight :/ I'm not sure I like this at all, I don't like the noise. See what's the point! That didn't break with the contraption, so it doesn't coun- I liked that one. That one was neat and clean. It was a clean break. Don't like the noise - she was with chil- you're BEATING the child! It's just sick. It's twisted - HE was with child. Okay. Something about this is... where are these children coming from? Seems unnecessary that they're all pregnant. Just straight beating that Pepsi and their plastic. I don't like this - it's SADISTIC. This is sadistic. I don't - they're SPRITZING me!" *from other video, a man's voice, vaguely sounding like a moan: oooooooooh. oohhhh* lady: "I'm sorry. What was that?" *last bottle falls* (with disappointment) "No."
Divergent evolution in plague doctors
(I am nearly certain this has been done before but I couldn’t resist the shoebill stork doctor.)
coworker: I think those rich guys in the submarine were trying to investigate the titanic because there's nephilim artifacts on the shipwreck. that's why they sank it in the first place, the US government doesn't want us to know that they're returning. what do you think, deadname?
me: I mean maybe. lots of things like that are happening all the time. Like it wouldn't surprise me but i don't really know that to think one way or the other. I'm taking a smoke break btw
Push notification on my phone from a Tumblr mutual: I'm gonna neuter you then spray you down with a hose in the backyard
I hope this wave of of strikes pushes the veterinary industry to unionise. As corporations like VCA and Banfield (both owned by MARS, yes the chocolate company) continue to buy out independent clinics, the industry is shifting away independent businesses founded and owned by DVMs to corporate franchises.
Working conditions in the industry have been abysmal for years. But everyone working under the same company + significant staff shortages (in canada both DVM and RVT positions typically take 6+ months to fill according to a report by the CVMA) does provide opportunity both for community-building and an advantage for bargaining or, if necessary, striking. Staff are not easily replaced.
We all know we're being overworked and underpayed. It's time to fucking do something about it. Talk about your wages with your coworkers, make sure you're being reimbursed for overtime, see if you're getting enough vacation days. Find out what you want and take it.
Some clinics have already unionized, I hope more will soon.
There’s a lot going on in that little critter’s head right now.
1. Power move.
2. Why do people whisked away to magical worlds just automatically believe the first creature that tells them what side the person needs to help? Where’s my isekai where the MC slowly finds out they got in with like the deranged zealots and are part of the evil faction, and not the plucky rebels?
I think about this comic once per week. It’s funnier then anything I can conceive of. Mastery.
I mean, that’s basically what happened to Edmund in Narnia.
STOP THINKING THERE IS A DEADLINE. THERE IS NO DEADLINE. TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND TAKE YOUR TIME.
I'm starting to get smile lines.
How lovely to have smiled so often that happiness permanently etches itself into your face
How metal to have lived a life where your face now pre-warns people not to fuck with you
How resilient to have cared so strongly that empathy is now visibly displayed on your face
My first Tumblr post(idk what they’re called?)!
Welcoming Perucetus, the new large bodied Basilisaur that swam the shallow coastal waters of Peru. This boi was possibly the heaviest animal to ever live, but we still don’t have much of its skeleton.
Hey my friend made some memes of this
you can tell this website is autistic as hell because someone posts a video with a mildly catchy phrase in it and no one shuts up about it for an extended period of time. or image even. image with a mildly catchy phrase in it even. we love phrases here on tumblr dot com love to repeat them. due to the autism
