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1/ I will give a shit about these letters when I read a single leaked "agents implore their bosses to go back to the bargaining table." deadline.com/2019/05/wga-ag… via @Deadline
2/ Hey, remember when the agencies big offer was 1% of the package, with 0.2 of that going to "diversity"? Sell THAT'S some good faith bargaining.
3/ This is always the attitude of the press and power when this sort of conflict emerges: "Why can't [not the giant corporate money] be more reasonable when negotiating with [the corporate money]."
4/ "Why are we playing hardball with people WE LITERALLY USED TO PAY MONEY TO BECAUSE THEY WERE SO GOOD AT PLAYING HARDBALL?" is just ... we'll say "naiveté to be kind.
5/ I understand this is unsettling. Loss of control is always unsettling, but there was never any control anyway, the agents just gave you a comforting *illusion* of control.
6/ This is us having to take actual control. And a lot of people are not wired for that. They are not equipped for the new market where you also have to sell yourself besides writing, and learn how deals work, and network.
7/ Well, listen folks, coal miners don't want to learn how to fucking code but we sure as shit look down our noses at them when they refuse to take those learning annex classes at the community center. Same. Thing.
8/ Real talk: we are *probably* looking at this lasting six months to a year, if not actually entering a new paradigm. We have *started* to build ad hoc databases and networks. Those will have to evolve and formalize over the next few months.
9/ I'm not giving the BRAVEHEART speech. This is going to be hard, and some people will wash out of the business who feel they were cheated by fate. We can understand both "that happens to 80% of people in the business anyway" and "sure sucks when it happens to ME."
10/ I do not dig this. I want my legendarily good agent to be handling my deals. But I have to think about the mid-level writers and less fortunate writers who got boned on their salaries because THEIR agent put their agency's interests first.
11/ A year from now, will I feel the same way? I don't know. But I know that your agency making more money from a show than you do is wrong.
12/ So we do this until we win or lose -- and we may well lose, only a fool assumes success. And whatever "losing" in this new "10 episodes a season, three seasons and out" infrastructure.
13/ But in the meantime ... six months to a year. (and I'll happily play the asshole if they suddenly figure this out tomorrow). Prepare accordingly.
14/ Wait, was this one of my bad pep talks again? GODDAMIT I thought i was getting better at these ...
