The WGA made their voices heard loud and clear at the ATX TV Festival in Austin. They tackled important issues like AI and staffing minimums, which is the minimum number of writers a series must employ. They also explained why production shutdowns during the ongoing strike are crucial to their fight for a fair deal. FilmmakerFocus caught up with WGA negotiating committee member Greg Iwinski after his panel discussion with Julie Plec and Zoanne Clack. Iwinski has written for popular shows like Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
FilmmakerFocus asked Iwinski about the need for production shutdowns, and he explained that while nobody enjoys them, they are necessary to close the pipeline of production. The hope is that this will result in a sharp, quick, fast pain now, so they don’t have a prolonged thing later. Iwinski also addressed concerns from below-the-line workers who are losing out on jobs and not being able to support their families. He emphasized that they are not trying to hurt these workers and will always aim to get everyone paid while also stopping production.
Another topic of discussion was staffing minimums, which has triggered a lot of debate. Iwinski pointed out that there are only ten shows run by ten single people, so it’s not representative or fair to negotiate contracts based on such a small percentage of members. He stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of a writers’ room, which has led to all the television that people have known and loved previously.
Finally, FilmmakerFocus asked Iwinski about the negative attention some themed pickets and social media photos have received. He defended the idea of finding joy in the solidarity of fighting for your own dignity and called out those who criticize it as being out of touch with reality.
