For Film Writers, a Strike Over ‘Free Work’ Has Been Decades in Development
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The 2023 writers strike has focused attention on recent developments like artificial intelligence and the transition to streaming.
But for film writers, the key issue in the strike has been a constant battle for more than a generation: How do you get paid for a script once it’s finished?
Screenwriters have long been asked to do free revisions before turning in a “first draft” to the studio, which triggers payment.
Typically they agree, even though the Writers Guild of America contract sets out minimum rates for revisions and polishes. “I have boxes of scripts in my garage that are just draft after draft after draft,” said Emily Fox, a WGA strike captain who was walking the picket lines last week. “And it was all ‘first draft.’ But it was like First Draft A, First Draft B.
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