Someone wrote it....

The Screenwriters have decided to strike in Hollywood. They are demanding a share of loyalty on DVD rights, internet and mobile content. Scripted televisions show will have difficulty in showing new episodes. Advertising on those shows will be affected. So revenue affected. The Writer's Guild of America has authorized the strike now. Currently 12,000 Writers have participated in the strike. Actors and celebrities are now supporting their cause. California Terminator Arnold is desperately trying to terminate the strike. Several shows are now been repeated. Many crew members are loosing work and finding it hard to find more work. Many will be forced to shut shop soon.

Sounds like some revolution happening there. Do we have the same power and voice in India ? Most writers are not even aware the kind of power and voice they have. Most directors and producers are still working without bound scripts. Sadly no one even realizes the importance of a good writer in a film. For the producer, the writer's work is never seen physically in the film. His pages are in the dust bin once the rough cut of the film is ready. What was his work in the film except write the story? Nothing really, the producer just has to pay a meager sum to write the story. He also writes a screenplay. Really? What's a screenplay? I have never seen one. The movie made money for the producer. Yeah of course it had stars, songs; yes also the idea was new and fresh. It was treated different. The writer did nothing for the film. He was someone hired to type away words for his film.

The director, the writer just gave me the idea, it was really my treatment. The writer is justified in his payment. After all what does the writer know about film making, the angles, the shots, making a film, and writing a film are two different jobs. His job is to just work like a typist to the story I have in my head. The writer knows no form, style and content. It's me. I created the story. He just wrote it. It's all my imagination. My office boy has told me some better stories than the writer.

The actor is now really concerned who the writer is, how much can I cry, emote, shout, scream do action in this story. What's the writer got to do with all this that I do for this film? Will my audience accept me if I do this role? What did the writer do for this role? It’s me, myself and my image. Screw the writer. Who is the writer ?

Cinematographer "what kind of lighting? The script? No why?... just tell me what you have in mind. I don't need to read the script. Anyways what does the writer know about cinematography, why should I care. It’s me anyway shooting it. Balls to the writer I follow the director and his vision. I have no connection to the writer of the film.

Same is the case of the rest of them involved in the film, the editor, the musicians, the technicians. The writer’s job is forgotten in the director’s and the producer’s office. The production companies are too busy listening to he directors and the stars. “Arrey…Don’t worry we’ll just hire a writer. It hardly costs anything? We’ll be anyway spending on the stars , promotions, songs, look, style, etc what the writer writes on the page has nothing to do with the cost of the film.” . Well this cribbing can continue forever, we don’t have the voice or the power. Most of them don’t know we exist. Did someone actually write about a film writer's job. I am reading this because I wrote it. Anyone else reading this ? Hello ? Is there anybody out there ?

Does anyone even know or care what’s a film writer’s job is?

Steven Spielberg once remarked " We all have a job in films , because there is someone to do a film writer's job."

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