In the US, the writers’ strike in Hollywood has led to a halt in the production of TV shows and films. It’s also working here in New Zealand, where international releases seem to have frozen.
Hollywood writers and their supporters on the picket line at the end of June.
Image: Robyn Beck/AFP
Filmmaker Tom Burstyn is supposed to be in Vancouver right now, working on the third season of the Apple TV alien sci-fi series. Attack.
Instead, he is at home in Hawke’s Bay, writing a book and documenting his parents’ extraordinary life.
Drawing of Attack it’s being held by Hollywood writers, now in its third month – with no sign of an election.
Burstyn says the controversy reflects a rapid change in the industry, which affects not only writers, but also other areas, including his work as a filmmaker.
“All the executives are lawyers and accountants now. They used to be people who knew about the film and TV production process, but now they are people who know about the contract process,” says Burstyn, who has worked there. several major international and local works, including award-winning documentaries This Way of Life.
The strike, which affected more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, has led to cancellations and delays of movies and TV shows around the world, including New Zealand, and shut down TV screens every day.
“Without a script there is no show,” said the director of the Film Commission of International Screen Attraction, Philippa Mossman.
With international goods worth $900 million a year going to New Zealand, the strike is hitting hard.
“It’s a huge business with huge profits in New Zealand that’s stagnated,” he says.
None of the foreign-funded projects have been finalized so far, but several failed to get the green light.
“We still have a lot of faith that they will. Certainly the producers are using this time they have as much as they can,” says Mossman.
“They are still working on their budgets and looking at their locations, looking for people to work with, coordinating with New Zealand companies.”
They do Details that international production is moving faster in the economy, often employing local people and workers, spending money on accommodation, food, cars, construction and clothing manufacturers. It is also important to show the country to foreign visitors, through photography where they are or foreign workers who enjoy their experiences to their Instagram followers.
Three television shows and at least four films are in jeopardy, with Mossman saying they are “coming to the conclusion that New Zealand is their place, but they can’t run”, due to neglect.
The authors are calling for better wages and conditions, as well as protections against the rise of artificial intelligence, which Burstyn says is “infiltrating” the industry.
He explains how the model of using a group of writers, who work together in a writers’ room on different topics, is attacking.
“The head writer sends parts, or characters, or some part of the play to each character, and they compare scripts. It’s a very collaborative process and it’s expensive because the writers’ room can have 10 or 12 people in there.”
The directors want to reduce the number of writers and create a “mini writer’s room”; he wants to reduce the time the writers spend on the set; and wants to introduce artificial intelligence to writing.
“This is a risk for everyone,” says Burstyn.
Find out more about the introduction of AI in filmmaking in the rest of the podcast.
Find out how to listen and follow Details Here.
You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us Twitter.
Image:
#aftermath #strike #Hollywood #writers
