Besides halting the airing of beloved television shows and putting thousands of writers out of work, the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) has made an impact on entertainment-loving Jumbos.
At a university marked by an array of performance groups and original entertainment, the WGA strike got students to the picket line - and may potentially lead to job openings for those hoping to make it big in the entertainment industry.
When the 100-day strike ended last month, the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) settled with the WGA to allow writers to be compensated for their work that is being shown on the Internet and sold on DVDs. Previously, their contract had not allowed for those residuals.
Howard Woolf, director of media technology for the Experimental College, said that the resolution allows for a fairer relationship between studios and writers.
"I absolutely agree with the strike," Woolf said. "The amount of potential income for writers from those sales is huge. No one knows how big the Internet will be."
While the actual strike remained in Hollywood, its impact was felt on the Hill, where many Tufts alumni and students are associated with the writing industry.
Allan Rice (LA '04) is the script coordinator for "The New Adventures of Old Christine," a show starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus on CBS. "I basically am in the writer's room, working with them and shadowing everything they do," he said.
Rice said that because the strike left him without any work, he became an active participant.
"In the entertainment industry, you're used to jobs coming and going, but this time there were no other jobs to move to," he said. "So I went out and picketed whenever I could.
"[The environment of the strike] was very cordial. It's a weird thing; you're in very close quarters and picketing at the studio you worked for. I worked for Warner Brothers, so I would stand outside the gates and see my bosses as they crossed the picket line driving into the studio."
Junior Rachel Chervin, a member of the sketch comedy show Major: Undecided and daughter of a member of the WGA, said she participated in the strike on the picket lines in front of studios.
"My dad is a screenwriter, so that's why I got involved in writing and Major: Undecided," Chervin said.
Chervin said she followed the progress of the strike while she was abroad in China and became an active participant when she returned.
"It was a positive atmosphere," she said. "Everyone was so serious but supportive. You would sign in and get a sign; then, you were assigned gates in front of different studios. It was three hours a day marching around to the different gates."
Because many of the actors' and directors' contracts with the AMPTP would not be up until May, Woolf said he was surprised that strike ended so abruptly last month.
"The strike settled sooner than anticipated," Woolf said. "I anticipated the strike to end in May because of the Screen Actors' Guild contract."
Rice, who was also surprised by the length of the strike, said the Oscars and the high demand for new entertainment were likely critical to the strike's end.
"I was surprised it ended so soon," Rice said. "I thought it wouldn't end until the actors' contract was up in May. But the strike was effective. It was hurting everyone financially. Plus, the Academy Awards, which is basically the Super Bowl of the entertainment industry, probably had something to do with the timing of the strike ending, too."
As the final contracts are worked out among the writers and their studios, many opportunities could open up for college graduates and other newcomers to the industry. Woolf said that the industry is always expanding, and new workers will be needed.
"[The end of the strike] will open up lots of opportunities for work," he said. "The amount of work in the entertainment industry is expanding exponentially, and the long-term effect will be very positive."
Chervin was pleased that her time on the picket lines paid off.
"I'm glad that everyone gets to go back to work," she said. "It shows the power of the strike and the solidarity of the writers."
While acknowledging the positive outcome of the strike, Rice recognized that because of economic reasons, there may be a setback for new writers.
"The strike and its final agreement definitely laid out a groundwork for the future," Rice said. "But I think that the opportunity [for work] might have shrunk a little bit because of studio finances."
But Rice was also optimistic about new industries opening up and offering many chances to students, emphasizing the potential for new media and the Internet to create openings for those on the brink of entertainment careers.
"The Internet offers a new medium," he said. "Maybe a student who knows the Internet really well will come up with something completely new and different for it and open up a whole new can of worms."
