[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]he cyclical nature of Hollywood has lead to an effort by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) to scale back the powerful hold that talent agencies have on the industry. The WGA has asked thousands of members to fire their talent agency, according to a report.
This comes after rising frustrations from screenwriters being left in the dark about packaging deals with studios and production companies affiliated with talent agencies.
“In the end negotiations are always a balance of power,” said Chris Keyser, on On The Frame. “We do not work for them.” The former WGA President and current co-chair of the WGA negotiating committee talked about how the issue is an imbalance of power.
“It doesn't make sense in a world in which budgets are skyrocketing, that writers alone should see their salaries decline,” he said. Another issue Keyser pointed to is the agency is more incentivised to work with a director in their agency. If writers want to work with a director in another agency they might have to split those packaging fees.
The move could be a blow to the Golden Age of Television that was spurred on by shows like Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, and The Wire. The WGA set April 6th as a deadline to negotiate a new agreement. The WGA met with agencies on Thursday but no agreement was reached. They are expected to continue meetings next week.