{"id":1203,"date":"2007-11-28T10:34:00","date_gmt":"2007-11-28T10:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/filmchat\/2007\/11\/how-the-writers-strike-may-affect-star-trek-xi\/"},"modified":"2007-11-28T10:34:00","modified_gmt":"2007-11-28T10:34:00","slug":"how-the-writers-strike-may-affect-star-trek-xi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/filmchat\/2007\/11\/how-the-writers-strike-may-affect-star-trek-xi.html","title":{"rendered":"How the writers’ strike may affect Star Trek XI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Here\u2019s a fascinating excerpt from John August\u2019s blog<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Two guys walking with us today didn\u2019t need many introductions: Damon Lindelof and J.J. Abrams. . . .<\/p>\n

Damon is producing the new Star Trek<\/a> movie, which J.J. is directing. Which is shooting on the Paramount lot. Which we are currently picketing.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s directed and produced by WGA members, who are following the spirit and letter of the Guild\u2019s rules. They\u2019re walking the line while being forced to cross it.<\/p>\n

\u201cForced\u201d isn\u2019t quite right, because there\u2019s an alternative: J.J., Damon, and the other WGA producers could refuse to cross the picket line. They\u2019d get fired, sued, and replaced by a less-conflicted director and producing team \u2014 all probably within a week\u2019s time. What\u2019s tougher to figure out is whether it would make a damn bit of difference.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s the belief that the best way to end the strike is through big gestures \u2014 and that would be a very big gesture. (Basically, anything short of lighting oneself on fire is a betrayal of the cause.)<\/p>\n

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\u2019ve been reading my daily updates, you\u2019ll know that I\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n

What I couldn\u2019t have anticipated is that it would be so, well, engaging.<\/p>\n

There are a few basic things that should get cleared up first.<\/p>\n

Neither J.J. nor Damon are writers on the movie. But they are writers, and WGA members. During a WGA strike, you\u2019re not allowed to write on movies or television shows, period. So they can\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

To a screenwriter, that might seem kind of awesome. For once, the director can\u2019t change things. But when its your own movie, it\u2019s 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\u2019t write. Couldn\u2019t shoot. Couldn\u2019t be in his movie.<\/p>\n

Damon described it like having one of your superpowers taken away.<\/p>\n

You can absolutely make a movie without changing the script. Big Fish and Charlie<\/a> 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<\/a> film with a $100 million budget. As feature writers, we\u2019re constantly asking to be included in production, on the call sheet, on the set. Suddenly, we\u2019re completely removing ourselves from the process. . . .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Here\u2019s a fascinating excerpt from John August\u2019s blog: Two guys walking with us today didn\u2019t 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1116,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHow the writers' strike may affect Star Trek XI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here's a fascinating excerpt from John August's blog:Two guys walking with us today didn\u2019t need many introductions: Damon Lindelof and J.J. 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