> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Striking writers gamble on odds - URL: https://www.smdp.com/striking-writers-gamble-on-odds/ - Published: 2007-11-07T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T03:50:12.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: local, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Santa Monican screenwriters weather the strike* WEST LOS ANGELES Frank Cappello remembers the great strike of 1988 like it was yesterday. The Santa Monica screenwriter had just moved to Southern California from Florida and inked a major deal for the first script he had written, a screenplay called “Suburban Commando,” which would later be produced and star Hulk Hogan, Shelley Duvall and Christopher Lloyd. Three months later, the screenwriting industry shut down as the disgruntled creative minds decided to go into strike against the studio powerhouses. Luckily for Cappello, then a new member of the Writers Guild of America, the earnings from the script was enough to subsist him and his family through the historic 22 week-long strike. Cappello is among the thousands of screenwriters, many of whom live in Santa Monica and on the Westside, that went on strike Monday after negotiations stalled with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers, the trade association responsible for negotiating with the unions on behalf of Hollywood producers. At issue with the 12,000 members of the WGA is a larger share of residuals from downloads on the Internet and cell phones. The guild declared a strike effective 12:01 a.m. on Monday. The strike has already had an immediate impact on daily programs that rely on a constant stream of fresh ideas, like evening talk shows, which need to be produced every day in order to keep up with current events, and soap operas. Sitcoms and dramas, on the other hand, are not expected to go off the air anytime soon in favor of reruns, as studios have stocked up on scripts in anticipation of a possible strike. Representatives with the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers did not return a request for comment by deadline on Tuesday. In a statement posted on the alliance’s Web site on Sunday, president Nick Counter said it was unfortunate that the guild chose to take “irresponsible action.” “We made an attempt at meeting them in a number of their key areas, including Internet streaming and jurisdiction in New Media. Ultimately, the guild was unwilling to compromise on most of their major demands,” Counter said. The effect a prolonged strike would have on the writers remains to be seen, working in an industry where they could spend months, and sometimes years, between development deals. Still, spirits remain high. David Arata, who wrote the screenplays for “Brokedown Palace” and “Children of Men,”was walking the picket line Tuesday at the Fox Studios on Pico Boulevard. A member of the WGA since 1990, the Pacific Palisades resident said morale was high. “The mood is up,” he said. “There were a lot of cars honking and people waving.” Arata had hoped that both parties would have settled on an agreement to avoid a strike, which devastated the industry 19 years ago, to the tune of nearly $500 million. “It seems like (both parties) aren’t all that far apart,” Arata said. “It seems like we can work it out.” Not all guild members have had to picket yet. Cappello just wrote and directed a film, “He Was a Quiet Man,” which is due out in select theaters on Nov. 30\. In the past couple of days, Cappello has been busy working in anticipation of the movie’s release and expects to picket sometime next week. As a producer and screenwriter, Cappello is in an interesting position in terms of the strike and tries to view the situation from both angles. “Most of the producers I know have no problem with what the writers want,” Cappello said.“It’s more the conglomerates.” The strike will test just how long screenwriters will be able to stay away from a pen and paper, or laptop, putting the creative juices aside for the time being. But for screenwriters like Cappello, that won’t be easy. “You can’t just shut down your brain,”he said. In Santa Monica, the strike seemed to be far away from the minds of people shopping and spending their day on the Third Street Promenade. Some shoppers admitted they didn’t know many details about the strike, while others simply shrugged, unaware that such a contentious situation was going on in Hollywood. Singer Maya Thaman, who was putting away her equipment following a performance on the promenade Tuesday, has a few friends who are guild members. Thaman said she can hardly stomach many of the shows on television right now, believing it is consumed with poorly scripted shows or reality television. She believes the strike will give the industry time to get their act together and start cranking out more high-quality program-ming. Chad Holowatuck, who is visiting Southern California from Canada, said it’s tough to take sides on which side should prevail. Writers have the burden, struggling in a competitive industry, but the producers are the ones who take the financial risk on a project, Holowatuck said. If anything, what many people following the strike will realize is the importance of screenwriters to their everyday entertainment, he said. “It’ll be good for people to understand how important a writer is,”Holowatuck said, while sitting on a bench at the promenade on Tuesday. “It’s better to get more awareness on how tough it is (to be a writer).” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 7, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/110707.pdf?ref=smdp.com)