writers' strike and Trek

[F. King Daniel]

How do people think the writers' strike will affect Star Trek going forward?

I'm pretty sure Section 31 is the first two episodes adapted into a movie and that was written years ago, so I suspect it's safe. And if it wasn't going to adapt the first two episodes, it certainly will now! Prodigy 2 and Lower Decks 4 are written WAY ahead of time, it's animation that takes forever, so I suspect they're safe too.

But obviously the Infinite Content Machine will need feeding again soon, and ChatGPT isn't quite there yet (we'll know if you try, Paramount!). Perhaps they'll make that Ceti Alpha V three-parter that was going to be a series, then a podcast and has been quiet since. Or dust off old movie scripts and adapt them as multipart limited series'? The 1988 Starfleet Academy would be my first pick.

Starfleet Academy will likely be delayed further.

 

[valkyrie013]

Most of this year is in the can or in VFX or editing, SNW, Disco, Lower Decks. Prodigy? I don't know, since I have no idea when a S2 will be premired. Probably next year, but likely scripts have been written.

Thing is, this also affects Re Writes, so anything filming has to stay true to whatever script is in hand. I think Prodigy is the only one in this area, rest are locked down.

https://deadline.com/2023/05/writers-strike-what-went-wrong-1235353267/

 

[Timofnine]

I fully support fair pay, representation and equality in the work place, so I hope that the writers get what they deserve. In the meantime, I hope that we have enough Star Trek to be getting along with, perhaps Legacy can be comprised of clip shows of archived footage and a back catalogue of unfilmed Phase II scripts until TPTB sort this out?

 

[James Cole]

LOWER DECKS and PRODIGY aren't listed in the WGA database I've used to uncover the writing credits for the latest seasons of PICARD, DISCOVERY, and SNW. Both might not be covered under the WGA agreements.

Interestingly enough, TAS in the early 70s benefited from not being a WGA show, and was able to recruit several TOS writers during that period's writers strike.

EDIT: the WGA lists RICK & MORTY as non-WGA covered, while Mike McMahan's Hulu series SOLAR OPPOSITES is WGA covered. There is nothing STLD related under his name that comes up.

PRODIGY writer Aaron J. Waltke (who has guested on TrekYards) has posted on his Twitter that they're under IATSE's Local 839's The Animation Guild.

 

[James Cole]

If Paramount+ is starved for content, it might give new momentum to remastering DS9 & VGR in HD.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Hopefully, it will lead to them hiring people with actual talent.

I've always wondered what long-term effect the '88 strike had on the franchise as a whole -- not just seasons 1 and 2. I don't know much about the inner workings of the time, but I've often wondered if the strike made Paramount a bit more lenient and accepting of Piller's hiring at the time. (Moore, Taylor, Behr, Braga, etc.)

Similarly, I wonder if it made them more open to his script-submission policy, of which @Serveaux would obviously have my more knowledge than I.

 

[The Wormhole]

I'd say we should be good for Trek content throughout 2024. Disco S4 is more or less done, SNW S3 is currently filming, which the strike shouldn't impact. I imagine because of how, S5 of Lower Decks could already be written.

So, at the moment, 2025 could be a Trek Lite year, but that's two years away, I'm not going to start worrying about it yet.

 

[Firebird]

SNW S3 is currently filming, which the strike shouldn't impact.

It absolutely would impact SNW because on-set rewrites happen on every project. It's the nature of the beast once you get on stage and figure out the old adage, "you can write this shit, but you can't say it."

 

[fireproof78]

It absolutely would impact SNW because on-set rewrites happen on every project. It's the nature of the beast once you get on stage and figure out the old adage, "you can write this shit, but you can't say it."

Ok, Harrison.

 

[Tosk]

Oh man, I hope we get another clip show.

 

[thribs]

I imagine Lower Decks seasons 4 and 5 are written so we should be alright.

 

[locborg]

I'm pretty sure Section 31 is the first two episodes adapted into a movie and that was written years ago, so I suspect it's safe.

you’d still have to make huge rewrites to that story. They (now) know that S31 will not become a show of its own (at least not with Yeoh as a regular). Today, streaming pilots usually do not offer a satisfying conclusion, something which should be incorporated into a good „one off streaming tv movie“ script.

As for the writers strike: pretty sure that Matalas (who is a good writer btw) has substantial parts of Legacy season 1 already written down. They can easily write the rest of it with support from GPT 4.0 (this is not a joke). Problem solved..

 

[The Old Mixer]

It absolutely would impact SNW because on-set rewrites happen on every project. It's the nature of the beast once you get on stage and figure out the old adage, "you can write this shit, but you can't say it."

Indeed, that's what infamously happened with TNG's "The Neutral Zone". If SNW S3 is currently being filmed...expect some roughness that season.

 

[Christopher]

Oh man, I hope we get another clip show.

The "Shades of Gray" clip show had nothing to do with the strike -- it was made 8-9 months after the strike ended, and it still needed to have its frame story written, so it couldn't have been done during a writers' strike. Clip shows are a routine television practice done strictly to save money. In the words of "Shades" director Rob Bowman, "It was Paramount saying, 'We gave you more money for "Elementary, Dear Data" and the Borg show. Now do us a favor and give us a three-day show.' So that's what you do. It's an accepted part of the medium." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 182) https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Shades_of_Gray_(episode)#Story_and_production

Indeed, that's what infamously happened with TNG's "The Neutral Zone".

Also "We'll Always Have Paris," according to the TNG Companion. The strike happened before the climax was locked down, and the director and Rick Berman more or less had to improvise a climax on the day of filming. (Which might be why Data says "It's me" even though he wasn't supposed to use contractions.)

 

[HotRod]

As for the writers strike: pretty sure that Matalas (who is a good writer btw) has substantial parts of Legacy season 1 already written down. They can easily write the rest of it with support from GPT 4.0 (this is not a joke). Problem solved..

 

[locborg]

https://gizmodo.com/ai-chatgpt-screenplay-hollywood-writers-guild-1850251985

 

[HotRod]

https://gizmodo.com/ai-chatgpt-screenplay-hollywood-writers-guild-1850251985

Yeah.... that's not gonna happen.

 

[XCV330]

"you can write this shit, but you can't say it."

wasn't that something Harrison Ford said to Lucas?

 

[Firebird]

https://gizmodo.com/ai-chatgpt-screenplay-hollywood-writers-guild-1850251985

Cutting down on the use of AI was one of the biggest items on the WGA’s list. The studios refused it, didn’t counter, and only offered to have bullshit meetings to talk about its implementation.

 

[Yistaan]

It's kind of amazing how it worked out that Picard wrapped just before the strike. There would've been a massive dissonance in tone in regards to marketing etc. (the IMAX screening for example) if the strike had happened while Picard was airing.

Lots of Trek crew including Terry Matalas, Matt Okumura, Bo Yeon Kim, etc. are taking part in the strike and openly showing support for it. Todd Stashwick also tweeted support. I am sort of surprised that Jonathan Frakes, whose Trek job in recent years has shifted to primarily being behind the camera as a director and although I assume he's not a writer himself would obviously work very closely with all the writers on all his directing credits, hasn't said anything as far as I'm aware right now.