2008 Woodie Awards
If standoff continues, movies will be impacted
By: Tim Ottusch
Issue date: 1/16/08 Section: Lifeline
The effects of the writers strike might be coming soon to a theatre near you.
The movie industry also could be largely affected if the strike continues, experts say.
"Something that you haven't seen yet and you won't see for a while - hopefully you won't see at all - is the effect on Hollywood ... the effect on motion pictures," said Jeffrey Smith, broadcast and cinematic arts professor.
Because movies usually take six to 12 months to make, the impact has not yet been noticed.
"When the writers strike started, everyone stopped writing movies, too," Smith said. "Those people are part of the writers guild as well. So, people haven't really thought about the fact that six to nine movies down the road we could see a whole lot fewer movies opening per month."
Chris Couling, general manager of Celebration Cinemas 3935 E. Pickard Road Mount Pleasant, said the strike has not yet affected the theatre.
"It looks like Hollywood got enough product stocked up to kind of sustain us for a probably a good year," Couling said. "We're all hoping the strike will end much sooner than that."
Even if a movie's script is complete, if rewrites are required, they cannot be done.
Another issue facing the movie industry is the cancellation or postponing of the Academy Awards, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 24.
If the strike has ended by late February and the Academy isn't granted a waiver (to obtain writers from the Actor's Guild), the Academy could be forced to postpone the show.
The Academy has not hired any writers for award shows and neither has selected host Jon Stewart. Last year's show required 14 writers, including host Ellen Degeneres. Stewart initially refused to cross the picket lines, but returned to television earlier this month with new episodes of "The Daily Show," alongside Stephen Colbert. Reports from the Academy have said that if Stewart backs out of hosting, there are no alternatives to take his place.
Bruce Davis, executive director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences told Reuters Jan. 9, "I'm not going to cite odds, but our hope is we can work something out or that the strike is resolved in time."
The postpoing of the Oscars has happened only three times in Academy history: in 1938, because of floods; in 1968, because of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.; and in 1981, in the wake of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
lifeline@cm-life.com
The movie industry also could be largely affected if the strike continues, experts say.
"Something that you haven't seen yet and you won't see for a while - hopefully you won't see at all - is the effect on Hollywood ... the effect on motion pictures," said Jeffrey Smith, broadcast and cinematic arts professor.
Because movies usually take six to 12 months to make, the impact has not yet been noticed.
"When the writers strike started, everyone stopped writing movies, too," Smith said. "Those people are part of the writers guild as well. So, people haven't really thought about the fact that six to nine movies down the road we could see a whole lot fewer movies opening per month."
Chris Couling, general manager of Celebration Cinemas 3935 E. Pickard Road Mount Pleasant, said the strike has not yet affected the theatre.
"It looks like Hollywood got enough product stocked up to kind of sustain us for a probably a good year," Couling said. "We're all hoping the strike will end much sooner than that."
Even if a movie's script is complete, if rewrites are required, they cannot be done.
Another issue facing the movie industry is the cancellation or postponing of the Academy Awards, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 24.
If the strike has ended by late February and the Academy isn't granted a waiver (to obtain writers from the Actor's Guild), the Academy could be forced to postpone the show.
The Academy has not hired any writers for award shows and neither has selected host Jon Stewart. Last year's show required 14 writers, including host Ellen Degeneres. Stewart initially refused to cross the picket lines, but returned to television earlier this month with new episodes of "The Daily Show," alongside Stephen Colbert. Reports from the Academy have said that if Stewart backs out of hosting, there are no alternatives to take his place.
Bruce Davis, executive director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences told Reuters Jan. 9, "I'm not going to cite odds, but our hope is we can work something out or that the strike is resolved in time."
The postpoing of the Oscars has happened only three times in Academy history: in 1938, because of floods; in 1968, because of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.; and in 1981, in the wake of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
lifeline@cm-life.com
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