Category: News

Here’s Why More Writers are Turning to TV than Film Writing

Short answer: TV writing employs more people and pays better. But you probably want specifics, so:

Once upon a time, the term "golden age" referred to quality. But in today's economy, who's got time to worry about that?
Once upon a time, the term “golden age” referred to quality. But in today’s economy, who’s got time to worry about that?

WGA West Annual Report Shows “Golden Age of TV” Continues for Writers
by Jonathan Handel

The WGA West’s latest annual report, released Tuesday, provides continued good news for television writers, along with a smidgen of hope for feature writers as well — but an analysis by The Hollywood Reporter of almost a quarter-century’s worth of WGAW data underscores just how completely the 1990s surge of independent cinema has transformed into a new golden age of television

From 1992 through 2006, aggregate TV and theatrical earnings for the WGAW’s members were roughly equal. That changed after the 2007-08 WGA strike, and THR’s review shows that the two industries have trod very different paths since then. Aggregate TV earnings have nearly doubled since the walkout, rising from $462.5 million in 2008 to a THR-estimated $859 million last year. Meanwhile, theatrical earnings, which spiked to $526.6 million in 2007 as studios stockpiled in advance of the strike and slumped to $375.1 the year after, trended slowly down for several years and have gradually increased since 2012 — but at $387.4 million (THR est.) last year, they have never fully recovered. read article

DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS WANTED

Embedded Moviemaker Capture

If you’re a documentarian looking for a chance, here’s something that might be just that. The New York Times and PBS are looking for new filmmakers for a new project about race and ethnicity. And if the Times and PBS don’t sound legit enough to you, the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is on on this as well.

Titled, the “Embedded Mediamaker,” the “project will allow a documentary filmmaker, creator or creative technologist rooted in documentary storytelling to work for 20 weeks at The New York Times alongside some of its most creative journalists. The mediamaker will work with The Times and POV to create new forms of documentary and interactive content with a team of Times writers, editors and visual storytellers involved in Race/Related, a newsletter and reporting project exploring race as it is lived today.” read article

Writing Gig Ops: Wanna be a paid film blogger?

writing op

No, sorry, not for us. TVWriter™ can’t afford that – yet. (Although if you want to work out a trade, the Deal Line is always open.)

The sharp operators looking for your help are at a site called whatculture.com, and as for the deal they’re offering…hey, check it out

Native American TV Writers Lab Participants Announced

Native Film Lab Writers

This just in re a subject close to our TVWriter™ hearts, the LA Skins Fest, a Native American film festival, in partnership with Comcast/NBCUniversal, CBS Entertainment Diversity and HBO, last week announced the selection of seven participants for their first Native American TV Writers Lab., a talent development program that aims to boost the careers of Native American writers.

The Participants read article

Google Tolls the Death Knell of Old TV

As fans of excellence in all arenas, but especially TV, this affirmation of the future we’ve always hoped for makes us wanna shout!

Hollywood Googleby Matthew Hussey

Not content grabbing ad dollars from TVnetworks across the world, Google went a step further by announcing that the adverts it serves on YouTube are better at convincing watchers to buy stuff.

In a report seen by the Guardian, Matt Brittin, Google’s head honcho in Europe will say that 80 percent of the time, YouTube ads were more effective than TV ads later this week at an advertising conference. read article