Even with the 2023 strikes in the Hollywood rear view mirror, the writers still feel the pinch.
Friday, the Writers Guild of America published new employment statistics highlighting recent decreases of television writing jobs at different levels of the hierarchy. Post-pic TV, people in the profession have been the greatest victims (in number).
Of the 1,319 fewer television writers jobs for the 2023-24 season (against 2022-23; pre-frappes), 642 jobs were lost-a 40% drop-at the co-executive or more level (up to a showrunner). The lower level writers (staff editor, editor -in -chief of Story, editor -in -chief of history) were the next more affected with 378 less jobs compared to the previous season, down 46%. Intermediate level positions (co-producer through the producer’s consultation / supervisor) decreased by 299 (-42%).
All in order, there were 1,819 television writing jobs last season, a drop of 42% compared to the 2022-23 season. The figures for last season are much less than the 2019-2020 cocovated season, which employed 2,722 writers.
The rope cutters and the greed of companies are to blame, says the WGA.
“With a transitional industry – cable television subscriptions and the drop in cable programming, a massive frame, then a withdrawal from streaming series, because Wall Street requires faster profits from the streaming platform – the number of television work has decreased,” said the latest WGA job report.
The report indicates that the “prolonged reluctance of studios to negotiate a fair agreement in 2023” was also to be blamed because it shortened the 2023-24 television season.
The WGA writers’ strike took place from May to September 2023. Directors Guild of America concluded an agreement with media companies, but the actors also took picking lines while the Sag-Aftra strike took place from July to November. The seasons of scripted shows have been cut and some microphones were canceled. About 37% of episodic series covered with WGA are broadcast in 2023-24, according to the report.
The report was sent to WGA members on Friday morning by the WGA West board of directors and the East WGA council; The Hollywood Reporter obtained the email.
“The editorial staff of careers has always been difficult to access and maintain, but the contraction made it particularly difficult,” said the e-mail to the members. “We are all subject to the decisions of companies which control this industry, which have withdrawn the expenses in content according to the requirements of Wall Street. By aggravating this, the current administration seems determined to provoke economic chaos and undermine our democracy. ”
WGA Solid data for the 2024-25 television season still in 2024 years are still in months, the guild said. The new WGA contract with the studios should help jobs to bounce back – to some extent.
It’s not just about needing more jobs, but that is certainly part of the current WGA mission. The 2023 negotiations were an attempt to thwart the reduction in staff, yes, but also to “ensure that many projects that companies carry out, jobs are good,” said a spokesperson for the WGA THR For this story.
For fear that writers do not think that films are a safe refuge in this post-pic television period, they are not. Although the number of WGA covered films has been quite stable in recent years, the number of scriptwriters working is decreasing by 15%. The profits of the screenwriter are down 6%.
