Here’s a fascinating excerpt from John August’s blog:
Two guys walking with us today didn’t need many introductions: Damon Lindelof and J.J. Abrams. . . .
Damon is producing the new Star Trek movie, which J.J. is directing. Which is shooting on the Paramount lot. Which we are currently picketing.
This combination of facts led me to email Damon yesterday, which led to a phone call, which led to us walking in circles at the Van Ness gate along with J.J., talking about the strike, its absurdities and impossible choices. Star Trek is the biggest movie shooting at Paramount. It’s directed and produced by WGA members, who are following the spirit and letter of the Guild’s rules. They’re walking the line while being forced to cross it.
“Forced” isn’t quite right, because there’s an alternative: J.J., Damon, and the other WGA producers could refuse to cross the picket line. They’d get fired, sued, and replaced by a less-conflicted director and producing team — all probably within a week’s time. What’s tougher to figure out is whether it would make a damn bit of difference.
Believe me, there are writers who would encourage (nay, demand) that they walk away, much the way the television showrunners walked away from their series. There’s the belief that the best way to end the strike is through big gestures — and that would be a very big gesture. (Basically, anything short of lighting oneself on fire is a betrayal of the cause.)
So when it got around the picket lines that Star Trek would be coming to the lot on Wednesday, I could foresee a situation that got awkward or worse. If you’ve been reading my daily updates, you’ll know that I’m the guy who is always concerned about avoiding stupid car accidents. This felt like a stupid car accident waiting to happen, so I suggested that Damon and J.J. spend some time walking, talking, and engaging with the picket line.
What I couldn’t have anticipated is that it would be so, well, engaging.
There are a few basic things that should get cleared up first.
Neither J.J. nor Damon are writers on the movie. But they are writers, and WGA members. During a WGA strike, you’re not allowed to write on movies or television shows, period. So they can’t change a word of the script, nor can anyone else. The script they had at 11:59 p.m. November 5th is the script they have to shoot.
To a screenwriter, that might seem kind of awesome. For once, the director can’t change things. But when its your own movie, it’s maddening. J.J. was describing a scene he was shooting the day before. Midway through it, he got a great idea for a new line. Which he couldn’t write. Couldn’t shoot. Couldn’t be in his movie.
Damon described it like having one of your superpowers taken away.
You can absolutely make a movie without changing the script. Big Fish and Charlie were shot just like they were written. But to not even have the option of changing something is a bizarre restriction, like making a Dogme 95 film with a $100 million budget. As feature writers, we’re constantly asking to be included in production, on the call sheet, on the set. Suddenly, we’re completely removing ourselves from the process. . . .
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