Perspective from an old hand, rookie
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A spirited group of about 70 strikers rallied at the Melrose Avenue gate of Paramount Pictures where a parade of Mercedes, Porsches and Priuses drove past to report to work.
As horns from passing autos blared their support, one could barely hear the strike leader’s bullhorn that led such chants as: “Hey, hey, ho, ho, union busting has got to go!” and “Are you ready to fight? Damn right!”
The writers were joined by representatives of the Screen Actors Guild and were supplied with fresh coffee from actor William Baldwin, who later joined the picket line.
“We’re facing a lot of the same issues as the writers, particularly in new media,” said Ray Rodriguez, SAG’s deputy national director for contracts. SAG’s contract ends in June. “We are in the same boat and we are fighting the same fight.”
David Wyatt, a former writer for the sitcom “Martin,” held up four strike posters to passing motorists. He was pitching shows before the strike, but otherwise had been out of work. He’s counting on residuals to help him through the strike, but there isn’t that much.
“You can stream for free the show. And it runs with commercials, so the studios are getting paid for it, but nobody is paying the directors, actors or writers and that’s what this strike is about,” Wyatt said. “They say it’s promotional, but we should be getting something for that.”
Bernard Lechowick, a writer for “The Young and the Restless” who struck for 22 weeks in 1988, said he expects the financial loss to be rough, but he’s prepared.
“It’s a huge stress when you lose your income, which I did starting today,” said the longtime television writer and executive producer. “But what would be worse is to take a lousy contract.”
“When you sign up for a job in Hollywood, you’re guaranteeing yourself irregular employment,” he added. “And if there’s one thing this industry teaches you is to budget. Because as writers we always see our current job as our last one.”
Also at the Paramount gate was first-time screenwriter Matt Lazarus, who officially joined the WGA in July. The 23-year-old high school dropout from Vermont who moved to Los Angeles in 2003 made his first writing sale in May when he was hired to write a remake of the 1945 Boris Karloff movie “Isle of the Dead.” He finished his latest draft just before midnight today.
“I’m the youngest guy on this line,” he said. “It’s easier for me to be out here because I’ve got to live with this contract much longer than anyone else here. The real test of character would be if I were old would I be out here protesting for a contract that really wouldn’t affect me that much.”
His script sale wasn’t the kind of huge payday you read about in the trades, and he may have to take a night job in a couple of months to support himself.
“I’ll survive, I’m young,” he said. “I don’t have a wife, kids or a mortgage.”
-- Martin Miller