TV and film writers should be paid more than they are. What writers are paid now is not enough and should be more proportionate to other salaries in the massive and constantly expanding film industry. Studios’ profits over the years have increased while writers’ salaries have actually decreased. Since writers play a pivotal role in creating movies and shows, their pay should reflect their contribution. This sentiment is shared by many in the industry and is what led to the Writers Guild of America strike last year. Famous actors, producers, directors and other production members can be individually talented, but without writers, they would have nothing. Therefore, it does not make sense why these actors, directors and producers become millionaires while writers barely make a livable wage.
If writers continue to be underpaid, the whole industry will suffer. With the high demand for TV shows and movies, there is an equally high demand for writers. However, because writers don’t earn livable salaries, many people turn away from the career even though they are talented and passionate. People who become writers do it because they love it despite the subpar pay, but if their salaries stay this low, they will most likely have to find a different, higher-paying or supplementary job to provide for their families. Additionally, due to streaming services, writers are not being paid as consistently from residuals. As a result, the pool of writers in the industry will dry up over time, which will then affect the quality of media, like movies and TV shows. If the industry truly valued its writers and those whose faces are not seen on a screen or a red carpet but who are the driving force behind the entertainment we love, they would not allow this to happen.
What makes the whole system even more unfair is that writers are not only underpaid but also overworked. Over the years, the TV and film industry has gone through a lot of changes, namely from satellite to streaming, and because of that change, the amount of new media that can be produced and the speed at which they are made has increased. This has put a significant demand on writers to write high-quality scripts in less time. They often have to work 35 to 40 hours plus overtime to meet deadlines without proper compensation. While we are impatiently waiting on streaming service platforms’ updates to binge the next season of our favorite show, writers are scrambling behind the scenes, and while a show can be canceled or does not get picked up by a studio, they are typically the ones blamed.
Despite this demand and pressure for exciting storytelling, writers also face a potential new challenge — artificial intelligence taking their jobs. Protection against A.I. was part of the Writer Guild of America’s demands in their 2023 strike. Writers should not have to fear A.I. if the studios were able to appreciate writing as an art, talent and skill and not just a regulatory process.
All of these alarming issues led to the five-month-long Writers Guild of America strike last year that put many productions on pause. Those on strike called for a raise and a change to how residuals work, because while some actors make hundreds of millions of dollars a year, some writers may not even make enough to qualify for health insurance. The strike finally ended after 99 percent of guild members agreed to ratify a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Hopefully, things will change with this new agreement and writers will begin to be more appreciated and properly compensated. If not, everyone is going to suffer from the greediness of the studios and production companies who only care more about making profits. In the meantime, everybody who enjoys binge-watching TV shows and movies should start appreciating the writing more so we can help change the attitude surrounding writers starting with us, the viewers. Underappreciation does not just affect aspiring writers like me but also exposes a bigger illness in our society — not valuing those who work behind the scenes to provide us with entertainment.
Lauren Wilner is a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial.