CREATOR NEWSLETTER
Issue #133 | May 11, 2023
For those who don’t remember the last writers’ strike in 2007, the central issue on the table—brought about by South Park, no less—was how much studios were willing to pay for “new media” content. Back when Netflix still sent you physical DVDs, and “on-demand” movie transactions were all done through your iTunes account, the WGA’s 12,000+ members held strong for over 14 weeks and cost the entertainment industry a record $500 million for the right to earn 2% on streaming residuals.
But more important than the residuals, the writers had the prescience to secure future rights that would lock in studios to use Guild members for any streaming-produced series that went over a certain budget. What seemed like a hypothetical at the time paid off once Netflix and other streamers got into the original content game.
So what can we, as creators, learn from this? Lots of things, which is why you’ll be seeing a lot of coverage of the current strike on Passionfruit. The WGA was prescient last time when they came together for collective bargaining, helping shape the future of the TV and film landscape. Imagine what we could do.
– Drew Grant, Passionfruit Managing Editor
THE HIGHLIGHT
What creators can learn from the Writers Strike, Part 1: Corporate vs. Content
In a new weekly column, writer Lon Harris examines how the WGA’s organizing can work for the creative industry.
By Lon Harris, Passionfruit Contributor
SPONSORED
Create more content on the move
Introducing the McKinnon Cube Pack—the most functional camera cube ever. Perfect for the nomadic content creator, this cleverly designed, customizable camera cube even expands into a backpack when you need to carry more.
ONE GREAT TIP
“I think content creators need to really familiarize ourselves with the strike and the WGA’s requests. There’s a non-zero chance that the networks/studios reach out to creators to somehow try to fill the gap during the strike—friends, say no.”
—Writer and creator Clara (@colormeloverly) tweets in solidarity with the WGA.
THE DARK SIDE
PewDiePie’s Twitch channel was banned, and fans are puzzled why
The notorious gamer’s channel had finally started streaming again, until it was seemingly randomly banned.
By Steven Asarch, Passionfruit Contributor
IN THE BIZ
- Amid the ongoing writer’s strike, writer Corey Deshon shared how much people really get paid for writing scripts, and it might not be as much as you think.
- Massive YouTuber MrBeast caught heat for buying an entire neighborhood for his staff to live in—with some users drawing comparisons to feudal lords and massive corporations.
- Fitness creator Brittany Dawn reached a settlement in a lawsuit over her alleged health scams. The case exemplifies the dangers of creators misleading their fans about their qualifications.
- After being fired from Fox News, conservative broadcaster Tucker Carlson announced he is bringing his show to Twitter. Some creators said they were done with the platform after hearing the news.
- Tarte is facing heat for a brand trip where white creators received better accommodations than BIPOC creators. Tarte’s CEO released a highly criticized, tone-deaf “GRWM” response video to the controversy, which has now been deleted.
- Apple launched an iPad version of the video editing app Final Cut Pro and the music studio app Logic Pro.
GAMING MADE ME DO IT
We’re getting excited for the Tears of the Kingdom release after watching these videos.
