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writers' strike and Trek

(although in Willow's case considering how poorly Disney seemed to back up the show, I'm REALLY wondering now if there's something Jonathan Kasdan did that seriously ticked someone off at the studio, first the Willow cancelation and now this)

I think it's just symptomatic of the modern Hollywood-executive mindset to put maximizing profit above everything else, which means there's no support for anything with relatively modest profit potential such as a series based on an '80s cult movie. The same thing is happening all over Hollywood -- Warner Bros. cancelled Batgirl, The CW is eliminating most of its scripted programming, etc.
 
The Sith rather famously acted to crush workers' rights, as documented in Andor.

Back in reality: You're either on the side of workers or the side of capital, @locborg . Which is it?
If they don't want to answer, that's their right. At the end of the day, the opinion is theirs and theirs alone to be shared only if they wish.
 
Any idea how much Trek is "in the can" presently? Strange New Worlds season 2 is good, Prodigy season 2 should be too. Any ideas about Lower Decks? Discovery season 5 mostly is, the ending re-shoot (making it into a proper finale) is buggered though. Section 31 is based on a series which was written ages ago, but is likely stuck.
 
Any ideas about Lower Decks?
Lower Decks is unaffected by the strike since it's writers are affiliated with the TAG (Television Animation Guild) and not the WGA. It can proceed business as usual. Regardless, because of how animation works season 4 of Lower Decks would already be in the can, and while a season 5 has not yet bee officially been announced, off-hand comments made by some actors implies there are already scripts.
Discovery season 5 mostly is, the ending re-shoot (making it into a proper finale) is buggered though.
That's not so clear-cut. There seem to be contradictory statements circulating as to whether the reshoots are done or not.
 
Any idea how much Trek is "in the can" presently? Strange New Worlds season 2 is good, Prodigy season 2 should be too. Any ideas about Lower Decks? Discovery season 5 mostly is, the ending re-shoot (making it into a proper finale) is buggered though. Section 31 is based on a series which was written ages ago, but is likely stuck.
I think that the Star Trek animations come under a different union so are not affected by these strikes, though their writers may wish to join in and support the live action show writers in unison with their fellow Trek gang. Animation writers may also be Pre-WGA.

Someone correct me if I am wrong?

I can see Strange New Worlds season 3 being affected by the strikes, luckily Discovery will not be affected as that show was cancelled, but the Academy show may very well be. A future Star Trek movie is also being delayed. Section 31 would indeed be stuck because they would not be allowed to perform rewrites or even minor script alterations.

Am I the only person here who thinks that *secretly* the Stat Trek writers may still be writing for their respective shows/projects regardless of the strike? I know that writing is a job which needs fair representations and financial compensation, but working on something like Star Trek is also a labour of love and passion. How on earth do the writers put a lid on to their creativity whilst on strike instead of putting their ideas and imagination down on to paper? Also, if they do all of the writing now then they can be paid for their work in the future when they are not on strike and no one would ever know?

Allow me to clarify, if people who work in the porn industry were to go on strike, would they stop having sex with those that they wish to make love with? Probably not, they would more than likely quite simply just refuse to film it, but they can still refine their techniques and skills for the future when they are not on strike.

Perhaps the striking rule should be that *anything* written during a strike period is nul and void, therefore being unfilmable? This would lead to proving when something was written though, writers would need to be observed by the studio/production company as they write… this would also ensure that they are not using AI to assist in their projects. This is also what universities and colleges should do in regards to assignments, essays and coursework to make sure that no one cheats.:shrug:
 
I think that the Star Trek animations come under a different union so are not affected by these strikes, though their writers may wish to join in and support the live action show writers in unison with their fellow Trek gang. Animation writers may also be Pre-WGA.

It's more accurate, I believe, to say that they're not allowed to strike. They certainly are affected by the issues the WGA is fighting for; indeed, they're already about as badly off as the live-action writers will be if the studios get their way.


I can see Strange New Worlds season 3 being affected by the strikes, luckily Discovery will not be affected as that show was cancelled, but the Academy show may very well be. A future Star Trek movie is also being delayed. Section 31 would indeed be stuck because they would not be allowed to perform rewrites or even minor script alterations.

All of which could be avoided if the studios would simply deal fairly with the writers. Instead of saying these things are delayed by the strike, we should say they're delayed by the AMPTP's refusal to make a deal that would resolve the strike.


Am I the only person here who thinks that *secretly* the Stat Trek writers may still be writing for their respective shows/projects regardless of the strike?

That's specifically prohibited by the strike rules.

https://www.wgacontract2023.org/strike/strike-rules

See paragraph 1 and paragraph 8 in particular. Not only can't you do any writing, rewriting, consultation, pitching, or negotiation for a struck company, not even writing at home, but you have to preserve a date-stamped copy of all your work as of the onset of the strike to prove you didn't change it during the strike.

So I was wrong earlier in the thread when I assumed that it was okay to write things down on your own time as long as you didn't deliver the work. It's pencils down, period.

As for what is allowed:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/b...-strike-rules-wga-what-to-work-on-1235478494/

You can write your own spec scripts, as long as you don't try to market them until after the strike. And you can write for non-struck companies, e.g. writing prose fiction or news articles. Maybe writing for an overseas film or TV studio that isn't part of AMPTP would be okay.

Although I figure many writers are spending their time out on the picket lines and wouldn't have time for that.


I know that writing is a job which needs fair representations and financial compensation, but working on something like Star Trek is also a labour of love and passion. How on earth do the writers put a lid on to their creativity whilst on strike instead of putting their ideas and imagination down on to paper?

As I said, there are always spec projects, things you write on your own initiative as opposed to work you're hired to do for someone else. Everyone has their own ideas they want to develop.
 
If they don't want to answer, that's their right. At the end of the day, the opinion is theirs and theirs alone to be shared only if they wish.

Sure. And other posters have the right to keep asking them:

Which side are you on, @locborg -- the side of capital or the side of workers?
 
Sure. And other posters have the right to keep asking them:
No they don't actually. That's the sort of thing where "No means no" comes in, and if this were a real world setting and I kept pestering a coworker on this question I would be fired immediately the next day.
 
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