Pencils Up!

Signe speaks on the strike!

The Strike Is Over! Now what?

For months I’ve been fielding anxious calls and emails from writers, wondering what the strike means to them. Writers wanted to take advantage of any opportunities the strike offered them, but weren’t sure exactly what those opportunities were. And they didn’t want to risk ruining their careers before they even began, so what protocols should they have followed? And what would it mean to the pitchfest? Would it still go on?

Our advice to all our writers has always been to support the WGA. The Writers Guild of America was established to protect writers, and it is in the interest of every professional and aspiring screenwriter to support their efforts. Like the WGA, the Great American PitchFest was started BY writers FOR writers, and we congratulate the WGA and thank them for their hard work in negotiating the strike to an end.

But we also want to thank all our writers who contacted us over these past few months with their questions and concerns. It raised a lot of questions for us as well, and we’re all relieved that the strike has finally come to an end.

Despite all the uncertainty during the strike, the one thing we can tell you is that the demand for material has never been greater. In fact, we’ve received more calls than ever from companies looking for material, and asking to hear pitches at this year’s Great American PitchFest. We put a number of writers in touch with various companies who contacted us, looking for specific material with the caveat that they should absolutely meet and receive pitches, but under no circumstances, should anyone sign or present a contract until the new WGA terms were firmly established, and the strike was over. From the companies we spoke to (struck and non-struck), all were in agreement on this and supported our efforts in supporting a fair deal for all writers. Now the flurry of phone calls from companies seeking new material and writers has increased even more, and we look forward to hosting more companies than ever at this year’s Great American PitchFest.

Our advice to writers during the strike was to join the picket lines and support their fellow scribes in the march for change. By walking the front lines, many of our writers were able to better understand the issues and challenges facing the WGA, and many made valuable connections with established writers and showrunners while there. One of our participants flew from Toronto to walk the picket lines in LA, and met one of the head writers for CSI while there. He made such an impression that the two have now exchanged scripts, and there may be a writing opportunity for this writer in the story department now that the strike is over. No matter what happens, a relationship was formed – and a new writer must take advantage of every opportunity they can. You never know who you might meet who can help to further your career.

So now that all the uncertainty is over, now what? NOW you can sign an agreement with a WGA signatory company. NOW you can write letters thanking the showrunners and other professionals who bravely risked themselves and supported the efforts of the WGA against the strong voices of the studios because they believed in what they were doing. NOW you can attend this year’s Great American PitchFest knowing that companies are looking for material and new writers more than ever, and that when you enter into a WGA agreement, you are protected by a fair contract that will be enforced by an organization of individuals committed to a common cause. NOW you can write for hire, and sell that screenplay.

Thank you to everyone who contacted us with their many questions, and to those who answered so many of ours. But most of all, thank you for those who took the risk to standup for us all.