TV Writer: Star Trek: Prodigy, Wu Assassins, The 100. Comics: Green Arrow, Birds of Prey. Likes tea, wine, and world peace. Late ADHD diagnosis club. Streamer!
Periodic reminder that I maintain Twitter lists of pro writers w/ verifiable credits and am always looking for more. If you know someone who should be added, let me know! WGA/TAG/Int'l welcome
TV writers list:
Feature writers list:
My old college roommate, who I haven't talked to much in the last few years, sent me a card today, completely by surprise. The card had $100 cash in it and a message to stay strong.
I can't stop crying.
Saw him walking the picket line at Netflix in the early days of the strike. Was impressed that he was there solo, just carrying his SAG sign like, 'yep, this is what we do.' Mad respect.
Netflix paid
@theJuliebenson
and me as a writing team the same as one person. Meaning we each split one paycheck.
But then they turn around and want to charge each of us for sharing one account?
Not cool, bro. Not. Cool.
#wgastrong
#paywriters
#CancelNetflix
Now that I'm back from picketing with
@thejuliebenson
at Netflix this morning, I finally have a moment to share my thoughts about the news that Paramount+ is pulling Star Trek: Prodigy off their service.
#startrek
Here begins the thread... 🧵 1/
Unless you have been part of a writing team, you do not know how huge this win is for us. More than increases to minimums. Getting P&H for both of us?? I don't cry easily, and I'm sitting here tearing up, delirious with joy I haven't felt in over 2 years.
Thank you,
@WGAWest
.
WGA: Hi, we would like feature film writers to be guaranteed a paid 2nd step (rewrite) in their deals, rather than be asked for endless 'tweaks' without pay on your multi-million dollar films.
AMPTP: Hmmm, no. But we will hold some meetings about your concerns!
#wgastrong
This story about studio execs whining about the actors not rolling over for them a then crying to mommy government to make them roll is just...
SAG-AFTRA: hold fast. You've got them where we want them. AMPTP better get serious with their negotiations REALLY fast.
It's so funny how someone will tell you to find a job you love 'and you'll never work a day in your life', but if you ask to be paid commiserate to your experience, talent, and abilities for that job, you suddenly are being unreasonable and should find some other job...
Dear
@disneyplus
, I love you, I really do. But could you please be better than the others and list the WRITERS of your films/tv shows as well as the director? Someone had to write the thing before it was directed, as you well know. Kisses and Pixie Dust, Shawna Benson - a writer
I am ALL IN on "Star Trek: Bounty Hunter" with Seven of Nine. Please allow the Bajorans to get in on that with her -- Ro and Kira would make fantastic wing women.
My dream is that every single person nominated for an Emmy tomorrow tells the AMPTP that they won't be doing any publicity or campaigning for the awards until BOTH strikes are settled.
I love finding TV writers on Twitter I didn't know about and by following one it leads me to a chain of others in the suggested follows. It's like a scavenger hunt.
Yoooo
@WGAWest
members!!
💔 Congrats! ❤️
If the strike is officially over tomorrow you’ll have til midnight to have one last meal at Bob’s Big Boy or Swingers!
GO CELEBRATE!
Love you all!
I think a key difference between the 07-08 strike and this one is the high level of awareness of issues that affect writers across the board. Ask a TV drama writer and they are more likely to know the feature writer issues. Feature writers know the struggles of Comedy/Variety...
I love our members who are also recognizable faces to the public using their notoriety to get the message out. Even better when they can really break it down and articulate it well.
#WritersStrike
#wga
#SAGAFTRA
#TedLasso
stars, writers and executive producers Brendan Hunt and Jason Sudeikis explain why they're striking to THR's
@Snoodit
outside Warner Bros. on day four of the
#writersstrike
Two years ago, I took the love of my life -- James Rocchi to the hospital. He died hours later, around 4:30 AM. One thing most people don't know is that he did not die from a heart attack, as was assumed and reported at the time.
He died from an aortic dissection. 1/
If you're a Trek fan who watched Prodigy, thank you. If you weren't a fan but gave the show a chance anyway, thank you. If you introduced kids to Trek with Prodigy, thank you. I may never get another chance to write Trek again, and that's ok. Because I'll always be a fan. 21/
I am more calm now than before the strike. These articles are a gift. We know our worth and no one can tell us otherwise. We have each other's backs. We have thanked SAG and other union members we see on the line as often as we can. They are here for us and we are here for them.
@trishlindsay_
It's mostly a dark joke about Hollywood accounting, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me it really isn't considered profitable for lots of shady reasons.
These decisions are personal to those affected. But Viacom/Paramount should remember: they may own Star Trek as IP, but more than any other franchise, Star Trek belongs to its fans who keep the torches lit, even in dark times. And they definitely take these things personally. 12/
My twitter TV Writer list is pushing 1500. I know some of you are out there and need to be added. Shout out if you've got credits (not just US -- anywhere AND animation counts!) I will add you to the list.
#wgasolidarity
#wgastaffingboost
Star Trek: Prodigy wasn't a WGA covered show. There are no residuals to collect and no financial incentive for us regardless if it disappears or is licensed/sold elsewhere. But we hope it won't completely disappear. We hope people continue to discover the show and enjoy it. 15/
@jonrog1
@_suecasa
It seems like Zaslav and his execs personally profit from a longer strike. In March, WB (he) changede how they are paid -- now from free cash flow. Logic dictates, the longer the strike goes, the more free cash there is for them. A curious happenstance.
"It's not personal, it's just business." We hear that a lot these days as the entertainment industry tries to save themselves from... well, themselves. But we all know that saying is a lie. It is personal, to every person who contributes to making the shows we watch and love. 11/
Hey,
@WGAEast
and
@WGAWest
members -- it ain't over until our
@sagaftra
brethren get their deal. I know we're busy putting our lives back in order, but carve out an hour or two to get back out there for
@sagaftra
. We leave no one behind. They've had our backs, now we have theirs.
🧵To Our Fellow
#SagAftraMembers
:
It is with profound disappointment that we report the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter our latest offer. (1/11)
I'm not gonna lie, this hurts a lot. Already animation is treated as lesser than live action. Already we are paid less for the same amount of labor to work on this show as any other Trek show. Already we felt like we were given less consideration because it was 'for kids'. 19/
Day 73 for WGA.
Day Zero for SAG (a lot of people will count it as Day One, and rightfully so).
WE are waiting for the AMPTP to negotiate in good faith. They can't ignore most of our demands (decline to counter) and say we walked away from the table.
THE STUDIOS did this.
Star Trek in a way belongs to its fans. The franchise owes its existence to the fans -- the true believers who poured all of their love and passion into this show. When the show was off the air the fans kept the legacy alive by forming fan clubs and holding conventions. 5/
In 2017, 19 sources came to me with allegations of harassing & inappropriate behavior from Andrew Kreisberg, then an executive producer on a number of DC CW superhero shows, among them TheFlash & Arrow. (Kreisberg denied any & all misconduct.) That story:
It will be unfortunate that now, at a time when all of Trek is finally under the same corporate umbrella that Prodigy will be the lone entity in exile. It doesn't make it any less canon to fans, but it definitely feels like a kick in the gut to all who worked on it. 17/
Animation is as hard if not harder than live action to write and produce. The amount of talent and passion that went into Prodigy is awe-inspiring. I hope it will find a new home where it can be found by viewers and appreciated. Because we all deserve to have our work seen. 20/
Ya know, back when Deadline was more gossip rag than studio mouthpiece, they at least knew how to write headlines that weren't completely tone deaf. People are homeless. There are casualties. Finding a Hollywood 'angle' for this awful news is a new low.
One week later. I like having it in my feed, so retweeting again. THIS is the question to ask. I would follow up with 'Stop telling writers they are greedy when they are asking for 2% of the profit pie and start asking studios why they think that is unreasonable.'
#WGAStrong
So when we met
@brothershageman
and they hired us to write for Star Trek: Prodigy, it was a literal dream come true. I cried with joy when we got the job. Why? 3/
We are proud of the work we did on Prodigy. Proud to be Star Trek fans, who embrace the principles and ethos espoused in the series. More than any other Fandom, Trek fans are by and large inclusive and eager to share their love of the Trekverse with others. 8/
We all went into the creation process with those two goals in mind -- how best to introduce young viewers to a 50+ year-old franchise simply, but not so much as to talk down to or bore fans? Prodigy had to service both audiences to succeed. I believe we achieved that goal. 14/
I'm not advocating for boycotts or other actions, because there are other Trek shows that deserve attention and support. ST: Prodigy was always an underdog. We heard it over and over -- what Star Trek fan will watch a show for kids? And what kid will watch Star Trek? 13/
Star Trek more than any other "big" sci-fi IP started life as a little show with a small audience. When Star Trek: The Original Series was canceled in its 3rd season, it didn't die, like most shows do. It actually got more popular, because its small audience loved it so much. 4/
So while I'm heartbroken that Prodigy is being taken off Paramount+ I know it isn't the end of the world or of Trek. The show itself is quality and I believe the reasons behind the decision have nothing to do with the show and everything to do with financials. 10/
Those of you who have followed
@thejuliebenson
and me for any length of time know that we are both die-hard Trekkies. We went to conventions. Watched the shows. Devoured every book and comic we could find. The universe is practically encoded in our DNA. 2/
Every level -- yes, EVERY level is experiencing the same pain. Lower, Mid, Upper, Showrunner -- we're all told there's money for someone, just not at your level. It's a shell game. Living in our own bubbles for 2 years made us all believe we were the only ones not getting hired.
Sometimes I get embarrassed when I’m on the picket line and someone asks “what have you been up to since B99 ended” and I have to say well, nothing, I haven’t staffed since 2020! But then I’m able to be like, and that’s why I’m out here!! And why so many other writers are too!!
Today is Giving Tuesday. If you wish to honor the memory of James, consider making a donation to the John Ritter Foundation, who also died from aortic dissection.
I miss this ridiculous and wonderful human every day. ❤️
Back to the third tweet - why did I cry actual tears of joy when we were hired to write for Prodigy? Because I'm one of those fans. I bought the merch and taped the episodes and
@thejuliebenson
made me a Dr. Crusher uniform. And now, we could talk to a new generation of fans. 7/
The joy and pride
@TheJulieBenson
and I have for Star Trek: Prodigy is next level. A big reason for that pride was having an opportunity to write for
@TheKateMulgrew
and Captain Janeway, who is such an important character in
#startrek
lore. Can't wait for you to see her again!
I won't detail what happened in the wake of the cancelation (but I highly recommend reading
@markaaltman
's fantastic book chronicling the history of Trek) but I'd say with a great deal of confidence that there would have been no Star Trek: The Motion Picture without the fans. 6/
That may be hard to do for awhile, until we know more about where it may land. There is some hope that they are committed to finishing production on season two, which would improve its chances to be picked up elsewhere. 16/
During the 2007-08 strike, I was still working at Disney in the I.T. department. But I wanted to support the guild I hoped to one day join. I did what I could: At lunch, took off my name tag and stood with the writers on the picket line. Tweeted out my photos and support.. 1/
Are there disagreements? Of course. What one fan hails as brilliant can be trash to another fan. It doesn't make either one any less of a fan. In fact, the Fandom is stronger because it can entertain wildly different POVs. And this Fandom has endured for over 50 years. 9/
Taking a quick break from writing to tell you a story from my SDCC weekend. I did something I pretty much never do... I called out a troglodyte on his shit.
We expected the skepticism, the mockery and even disdain for what we were creating as the show was announced. But we believed that in time the fans would embrace it... maybe not everyone, but enough. IDIC, after all... 18/
To anyone who thinks writers are overpaid crybabies:
Their actions tell us we are right to be out here. They know they don't pay us enough -- And if this is even half-true, they believe we will all be broke and broken in FIVE MONTHS.
Doesn't she look absolutely fantastic? A huge thanks to the
#StarTrekProdigy
team for bringing this next iteration of Captain Janeway to life. An honor to be back among my Trek family with a new show targeted at the next, next generation!
@brothershageman
@StarTrek
I hear we are posting photos of ourselves at age 20. I have a couple of modeling photos from when I was 19. That will have to do since I don't think I have any photos scanned in from the year I was exactly 20.
Day 3: Didn't see many writers I know, and I still can't quite overcome my social awkwardness to just talk to random people. So, if you recognize me, please say hi because I'm terrible with name/face recognition/association. And we ain't wearing name tags out there so...
James would want us all to live our best lives, fearlessly. I'm grateful I had a second chance to know him. I love him and miss him already. Hug your loved ones, adopt a cat, wear a hat, be kind to everyone from every walk of life... these things would please James Rocchi indeed.
We need to have a conversation. Showrunners, when you allow the production to cut or consolidate roles on your support staff there are several consequences, some that will hurt your show and some that will hurt the business.
While Netflix is funneling millions of dollars into tax havens and spending billions of dollars on content, they're cutting writers room support staff hours down to pay them less. A WA on a 40 hour week makes $582.80/week before taxes.
#PayUpHollywood
#PayUpNetflix
So excited to be part of the continuing mission. To say that working in the Trekverse is a dream come true for
@TheJulieBenson
and me is a massive understatement!
It warms my soul to see so many people finding and loving Star Trek: Prodigy. Everyone who worked on that show poured all of their love and reverence for the franchise and great sci-fi storytelling into it.
Thank you so much for watching!