But will he have a problem answering to 'Scab'?

There's at least one Hollywood writer who says he plans to cross a picket line, according to a Craigslist post that begins:

"To Interested Parties (studio execs/agents/producers):

"I’ve made a big decision. I am driving out to Los Angeles with the full intention of breaking the Writers Guild picket line. It’s clear the writers on strike are greedy and full of themselves.

Studios pay them millions of dollars and look how grateful they are. I am available immediately for work as an entry level writer or producer or assistant director while the writers are striking.

I graduated in May from Seton Hall with a 3.1 GPA majoring in Creative Writing (screenplays, plays, free journaling) and have almost 4 years of dialogue writing experience. My one-act play 'Putting With Papa' detailing a young boy’s final round of mini golf with his grandpa was a finalist at our university Autumn Theater Def Blowout. If you’d like to contact me and do business, please respond to this post...."

The post went on to include an Internet address and telephone number should opportunity come knocking. It was not immediately clear whether the message was a hoax or the real deal. A voicemail left for the self-confident writer was not immediately returned.

More news on the strike

 

--Rene Lynch, Times Staff Writer

Comments

[Paul taegel]

compelling stuff. too long have the writers flaunted their millions and ground the sharp heel of oppression into the backs of the long-suffering networks and studios and the corporate conglomerates who own them.

[Making Rent]

Uh oh, Rene shouldn't have used his/her name. Now we'll all be on the lookout for someone who doesn't understand what's going on out here. Sure, if Rene is coming out to replace John Wells then he can say that writers are paid millions of dollars. But the truth is that the great bulk of working writers make around 30 to 40 thousand dollars year working in all sorts of non-primetime media. We live off our residuals when we're not working but the shows we wrote are still generating income...and we're looking down the barrel of an offer that basically eliminates collective bargaining from all new media now and forever. Not much of a deal for me, or Rene...

[Guido]

" It’s clear the writers on strike are greedy and full of themselves.
Studios pay them millions of dollars and look how grateful they are. I am available immediately for work as an entry level writer or producer or assistant director while the writers are striking."
What is clear how naive you are about how the business works. First off, the writers making "millions" are few and far between. Secondly, let's say you write for a show that the studio decides to release only via the internet, for example. This means that you, the writer, will have zero cut of profits. Zero. If that sounds good for you why don't you stay at home write for yourself since apparently you don't need to make a living off your work. Thirdly, what do you think that it's greedy to want to get paid for your work? Are you a socialist or something? But it's ok for the studios to keep all the profit? Do you think the studios aren't making enough money and are barely surviving? Maybe you missed out on remedial math classes earning your 3.1 GPA (like a studio cares).

[G.H.]

According to Seton Hall's website there is no major available in creative writing.

[Sam P.]

Tarrantino got started by putting himself out there with one great script. I admire the tenacity, but I'm not sure what will happen to this Seton Haller when the strike ends. It's been my experience that scabs usually turn into scars.

[Bob]

While I appreciate the the work the writers do, many people in this country would appreciate earning $30k-40k per year for working as little as a WGA member needs to earn that little. Not to mention the health package worth a bundle, and a pension. And when these working folks are out of work, they don't get residuals. Perhaps the WGA would be less likely to strike if their residuals were forfeited whilst on strike.

The regular working crew who manufacture the "product" work all year with no hope for future residuals. We take major pay cuts working on "independent" films, but receive no participation in the project if it does well. Not even a bonus back to our normal wages for the work.

While the writers strike for more money, the rest of us will be out of work waiting to continue earning less for the same work we have done for years.

[Megan Ross]

...many people in this country would appreciate earning $30k-40k per year for working as little as a WGA member needs to earn that little...

I'm sorry but lots of writers especially in television work very long, sometimes 14-16 hour days to earn their 30-40K and are very much involved in manufacturing the "product". Many independent writers don't get paid at all or take the same pay cuts as anyone else. The WGA minimum for an original screenplay is 38,000 dollars...most writers only write/sell 1-2 a year, if that. Some screenwriters, even the good ones only sell a few screenplays in their lifetime. Do people really know how hard it is to write a screenplay...a good screenplay? It takes months and months of work, sitting day in and day out in front of a computer screen. Try it sometime. Maybe you'll understand. And to Rene's original imdb post...the east side of Los Angeles is full of gangs! Please...silverlake, echo park, los feliz, atwwater village are great, come on over and spend your millions on a 800,000 bungalow after you walk on to your new staff position writing for Heros....

[Actual Writer]

All I have to say about this "kid" is that his level of contempt for what should be his art and craft is, to say the least astoundingly naive.... I can guarantee 100% that he WILL not get hired. Even if he does, after the strike; will NEVER work in this town again... I hope for his sake that a picture of his face does not become available.

[SCREENWRITER-NON-UNION.COM]

I'M SORRY, ABOUT THE WRITERS WHO ARE UNION. HOWEVER, IT'S A HISTORY LESSON THAT'S NEEDED HERE. IN 1943 THE ''UNIONS'' GAVE AWAY YOUR RIGHTS TO PROFITS THEN...AND, ANY FUTURE PROFITS. THIS DEAL WAS MADE WITHOUT THE WRITERS CONSENT. TO THIS VERY DAY...YOUR ''UNION'' HAS YET,,, TO RECOVER THOSE LOST REVENUES. THE INTERNET AND OTHER MEDIA, HAS BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. IT'S KIND OF LATE..TO JUST BEGIN NOW, TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS, AND MONEY. I'M AN AWARD WINNING WRITER, I WRITE ONLY ORIGINAL CONTENT FOR FILM AND TV. IF YOU HAVE SKILLS...UNION OR NON UNION, GREAT TALENT WINS IN THE END. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THE MILLIONS, ON MY WORK.. PAY ME! I MAKE MY OWN DEALS, I DON'T LET OUTSIDE GROUPS OR OUTDATED UNIONS RUN MY BUSINESS, OR MY LIFE! UNFORTUNATELY, THE LESS TALENTED...WILL SUFFER. WRITERS DON'T NEED UNIONS...

STRIKES ARE PLOYS...TO KEEP TALENT PAYSCALES LOW, HUNGRY WRITERS...IN ABUNDANCE...WORK FOR LESS MONEY.

THIS TRICKERY...IS WHAT HOLLYWOOD WAS BUILT ON.

IF WHAT I WRITE...IS SO UNIQUE, AND, IT MAKES YOU HUGE MONEY...I GUESS YOU'RE FORCED,, TO BE HONEST IN YOUR DEAL WITH ME! END OF STORY.