Now I totally see what you’re getting at, I’m sorry.

I tend to think that the misinformation is not intentional, but I agree that it should be communicated more clearly. After all, they ARE writers.

Absolutely. Which is exactly why the writers should be entitled to a percentage of any revenue the studios generate online. The writers won’t actually see a pay out until the studios generate a profit. That’s the way these contracts work. I’m not sure why anyone would have a problem with that.

Are you arguing that the writers should accept 0% now and try to re-negotiate after the studios find the magic formula for making money online? That would be absurd. Anything the writers give up this time around will never be regained.

From the sound of it, quite a few of you believe that the studios will never make money online. That’s more or less what they thought in the early days of home video. Instead, home video turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to the studios.

The truth is, the studios that sell through iTunes are already doing quite well online, and they’re just getting started.

Look, in the newspaper, they don’t pay the writers of letters to the editor. They pay the reporters and columnists. The internet’s the same thing. Some people get paid, and others don’t, and some will want to get paid if they write something substantial.

I’ve given my writing away, but, it was my decision. I’ve also sold my writing. Again, my decision. Same for code. What’s the big deal? If anything, getting a standardized royalty rate on videos online will be GOOD for video on the internet. It’ll give the more ambitious more opportunities to earn a living online.

As for the comments from WGA Member Kevin, I do have this response:

Kevin, I fully support the WGA in their quest to earn residuals on products where the studio makes money. But there’s an awful lot of assumption going on that the studio is making money RIGHT NOW on product distributed via the Internet.

I doubt that they are. As Derek says, no one really is. We’re all hoping and working hard to change that model, but the fact of the matter is that RIGHT NOW the Web is like a boat–a black hole into which you pour money.

So please feel free to fight for your eventual residuals, but realise that RIGHT NOW there’s not much money to be found on the web. Unless you’re into porn.

Of course not. I’m only bringing ‘em up because the writers keep bringing it up. Did you see the woman with the “DOWNLOAD THIS!” t-shirt on the picket line? As if online viewers were now the enemy.

YouTube is a good example in one respect: In spite of their billion dollar valuation, they are still a money-losing venture. Catch that? It costs them more money to stream all that video than they make. Same goes for Hulu or NBC.com.

A percent of nuthin is still nuthin.

David then asked: Wouldn’t you agree that there’s a useful distinction between “user generated” content — which is published on a volunteer basis, with the user fully aware that the website they’re submitting to might run ads — and what comes out of Hollywood?

No, I wouldn’t. And that’s exactly the rub. When Ze Frank was doing his show, on his own site, he was pulling in more viewers than most of the new shows on TV. Why should you get a deal that excludes people like him?

If anything, I hope this whole schism causes more writers to realize they don’t need the studios anymore, and strike out on their own – just like musicians have discovered about the labels.

If you don’t like the people who own your content, then be your own owner. THAT’s the real opportunity of the web.

So, even on YOUTUBE, the studios have monetized their content, whereas user-generated content serves only to enrich YOUTUBE.

Kevin

It is the studio owners with whom we struggle who are trying to monetize the internet. However, hypocritically, as they carefully track downloads, build their own sites (HULU) to control ad revenue, fight against YOUTUBE, etc., they are tells US that we CAN’T get paid if YOU PAY to see it off iTUNES, but we CAN get paid if you watch it for FREE on TV. HUH?

All we are saying is if THE STUDIOS make money off our work on the internet, we should make the same 2.5% residual for whatever money the studios manage to squeeze out of advertisers or the consumers directly.

This is all about using the internet to roll back a hard-won tenet of Hollywood — with success, comes money.

It is brutally hard to get something produced, much less have a hit. It’s nearly impossible to have a career of hits. Residuals even out the ride and make it possible for the few who can to be full-time professional writers.

Hope this helps clarify things.

Best,

Kevin

http://tinyurl.com/yw5se9 since my URL ends up being 17 feet long. :-/