Re "Written out of the script," Opinion, Nov. 11
Sean Mitchell's essay was an excellent and revealing piece on the sad but true back story of the Writers Guild of America. I never fully understood why TV and film writers are treated more like bricklayers than artists. Mitchell's article made it clear. I support my fellow bricklayers and hope they huff and puff and blow their way to a fair wage for the new age.
Susan Amerikaner
Camarillo
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I think that the quote of Jack Warner's position says it all -- a playwright sells a product, the screenwriter sells a service. Now, isn't it all about money and, hence, greed? If an author writes a sufficiently good product, he has the right of ownership and copyright and can sell the work as a book, a magazine article or whatever, including the foundation of a movie script.
If a studio has the means and is willing to take the risk of developing that product into an economically successful vehicle via the work of capitalists, management, producers, directors, actors, screenwriters, technical staff, special effects, scenery makers, camera operators, production and post-production staff, composers, musicians, gaffers and so on, well, good for all of them. A movie is not made without all of and more of the aforementioned talent.
So writers, be good enough to command a price for your product or a salary for your work and get on with it. If you do not own it, then you have no more to expect than to be employed, and that is as it should be.
I am an engineer; the products that I design are those that I receive a salary or bonus to develop. I take no risk except that of maintaining employment, nor do I expect to receive residuals as the product is sold and modified or incorporated into other uses. If I care to form a company and build products for sale, then I have advanced beyond that of an engineer (writer) and then reap the profits (residuals) of having taken the risk to do that.
George W. Zeissner
Fountain Valley
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In his remarks about screenwriters being marginalized, Mitchell quotes our contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers: "the studio, hereinafter referred to as the author," in a context that suggests the Writers Guild marched serenely into the ovens in a quest for money, bribed by the studios. This may have been so for some, but the problem goes deeper.
