Now as an amateur screenwriter in Australia this issue seems a million miles away. Does this impact me in any way shape or form? Now i'm guessing that the hoards of other amateurs out there are probably only dimly aware of what is going on. They are still likely to be writing those spec scripts and sending them in to agents / studios / favourite directors and actors?

Should all writers in a stand of solidarity hold back on their scripts? It would be kind of funny to see hollywood try and make film and TV with no scripts at all - no professionals, no amateurs no nobody. And when you say: "Well what do you think reality TV is all about?" then think about the announcers, voice overs and all the scripted elements that make a story from the foolish one liners, arrogance, tears and anger.

Film started something like funniest home videos, with slapstick played by unemployable actors. Writer's gave them structure and emotion (then directors flounced them up as art or dumbed them down in to blockbusters).  But somewhere along the way the writer as God (think Shakespeare) didn't take or ask for credit. The actor on the screen - a valid role that does deserve credit - took all the credit. We took a baby step back in the right direction when the dawn of the director as draw card came about with Scorsese, Spielberg and Lucas stepped on to the scene. But the time of the writer has come again. We have come full circle.

Maybe we haven't come full circle but by god we are going to get paid right for getting ignored for our creations (see how I make myself important by including myself in a group that i'm really not yet a part of )

So through all that waffle I was basically trying to say that I think writers are undervalued and like all undervalued industries (Go Teamsters) strike action is the only way to show how important you are. Now we'll see who the genius is when Letterman wings it for an hour!

All glory to the writer!

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