I don’t plan on becoming a daily updater on the writer’s strike, but some interesting things happened yesterday.

Like… lost of TV actors walking out and refusing to work without the writers.

Now, this can be viewed in a few ways: A) “We believe the writers are being screwed.” B) “We’re prepping for our own strike in a few months and want solidarity.”

It wasn’t every show, but Ain’t It Cool News has been gathering reports of what shows have already shut down.  Actors are joining the picket lines, calling in sick, and just flat out refusing to continue filming.  The guys who run the shows are walking out also and joining the lines.

Gee producers… getting the hint yet?

I have never been big on the whole concept of strikes. Maybe it’s because every one I have ever encountered, I didn’t fully grasp. The Writer’s Guild of America strike though I can relate to, and I have to say I would gladly stand with them.

As of this morning, screenwriters for TV and movies are on the picket line. It is all over money, but understandably so.

As it currently stands, the average writer makes $.04 on the sale of a DVD, they are asking for an increase to $.08. The shocking portion though isn’t the DVDs, it’s legal digital downloads. As it currently stands, writers are paid no royalties on the sale of downloads.

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero.

The studios are refusing to budge on downloads, or they are asking for a “no residual” window that would kill the highest portion of download sales, leaving the writers with next to nothing.

I have always felt that writer’s get the shaft, and it’s about time they stood up to the studios. A writer in a good year, an exceptional year, will make around $200,000. Yes, that is most than more Americans, but when you compare it to what directors, actors, producers, studio heads and so on earn, it’s a pittance.

Hollywood has always seemed to not grasp, nor appreciate, how important to the process writers are. If it wasn’t for their concepts, their words, all of these all-star directors and actors would do a lot of standing around. All you have to do is look at any film’s poster to grasp the problem. Why does the director’s name go with the title? Take Transformers for instance. Why does it say “A Michael Bay film”? And I’m not picking on just Mr. Bay, this happens all the time, and it has always irked me.

But, I digress. It’s been 20 years since the writers went out on strike, and at that time it lasted for 5-months. In most cases you won’t notice it happening for a while, but as of tonight, all the nightly talk shows will be in repeats. Prime time shows are filmed months in advance, so those will be okay in to early next year, and film studios stockpiled scripts in anticipation.

This could be a long one as both sides are very set in their demands, and, like I said, I side with the writers. If the studio makes money from their work, then they deserve a cut. To think otherwise is just insane on the part of executives.

No, don’t worry, this isn’t a return to weekly recaps of reality shows.  That is long dead.

When CBS canceled Viva Laughlin, there was a benefit to those of us who love The Amazing Race… we didn’t have to wait until January for the new season!  Instead, it starts tonight at 8 EST/7 CST.

This is the12th cycle of the five-time Emmy-winning series.   While I fully admit most reality shows are tripe, AR is a non-stop,nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat ride across the world.  It is also the only show I have thought many times of applying for.  Finding a partner with all the necessary talents we would need would be the rough part, AND stand traveling the world with them, would be a heck of a chore.  Never the less, it would be grand fun.

For those who already watch the show, good news… NO MORE NON-ELIMINATION PIT STOPS!  WOO! This has always been the flaw in the show to me, and it is now gone.  I couldn’t be more thrilled.

So, for those that don’t know the show, please give it a try.  For those who already know of the joys of AR… I am so ready!

I hate Standard Time.

I know, you’re all shocked I hate something… you’ll get over it.

Since I work until 6 PM every day for the day job, I despise coming home in the dark… it’s just annoying.  And when I look in to the reasons behind WHY we even do this, no one seems to even agree.  It has come and gone over the past century, but finally settled in in 1966.

We’ve now extended Daylight Savings Time to save energy, so my question would be “Why don’t we just keep it year round?”  This is in addition to the fact we add more hours of darkness to the majority of people’s lives during the cold part of the year?  Why not keep the sun around later in to the evening?

If someone understands all this, or can point me to a better resource, please feel free to comment and let me know!

What has happened to business etiquette?

Has the Internet so deteriorated normal etiquette that has now gotten in to business also? There are some very basic rules that everyone should follow, and it just doesn’t seem to be happening any more.

There are two key ones that are annoying me the most right now.

No acknowledgment

If I send in an application for a writing job, at least take the time to drop me a note saying you got my app, or a rejection letter would suffice. I have applied to several blogs that I never hear so much as the word “boo” from them.

Did they get my app? Did I suck? Let me at least know something so you don’t leave me hanging! And considering I hold off on applying to other jobs when I have a certain number of apps out, so as to not get too many acceptances at once (HA!), and get bogged down with too much work.

It’s just plain rude to not at lease say SOMETHING!

Addressing me by my first name

When making the initial greeting with a business contact, I always address the person as “Mr.” or “Ms.” so-and-so. Until there is a certain level of familiarity, or I am given permission to use their first name, I will continue this practice. It is proper business procedure.

So, imagine my dismay when I get emails from people that just start out “Sean,…”

Excuse me? Do I know you? No, I don’t. And out of proper respect, I am Mr. Aune until I tell you otherwise, which will usually be within one to two emails. It has nothing to do with respecting me as a person, but respecting how business is done, and has been done for years upon years. I don’t particularly care for “Mr. Aune”, but I expect it as a standard business practice, but I can’t remember when someone actually did it. Between my day job and writing, I get a ton of emails each day, a lot of them being initial contacts, and no one does this any more.

Thanks, Internet!

No, Joss Whedon is not involved with The X-Files, but there is news about both today.

First up, Joss is returning to TV. For those unfamiliar with him, he was the man behind Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. Now it has been announced that he is teaming up with Eliza Dushku, who played Faith on Buffy, for a new series called Dollhouse.

From a report in the above linked article:

…stars Dushku as Echo, a member of a group of men and women who are imprinted with different personalities for different assignments. In between tasks they are mind-wiped, living like children in Dollhouse, a futuristic dorm/lab. They have no memories of their previous lives, until Echo begins to try to find out who she was.

The general premise leaves me a little bit cold, but then I also thought that Buffy sounded like crap when I first heard about it also.  Whedon hs proven to me countless times that he can turn just about any concept in to a winner with his rich characters and snappy banter style of writing.

All that being said… it’s going to be on Fox… I’ll enjoy the four episodes that will air…

But, speaking of Fox… July 25th, 2008 will see the release of a second X-Files movie.  Filming begins December 10th in Vancouver, and, yes, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are back.  Not only are they back, but Chris Carter, creator of the series, has penned the script and will be directing.

The big question has to be how they will handle the fact Mulder and Scully were no longer FBI agents at the end of the series.   A small thing, but, it will need to be dealt with.

Luckily Carter is saying the movie will be a stand-alone story and not be part of the increasingly odd alien invasion storyline that ran through most of the series.

Both projects have me nervous, but to be sure I will be checking both out.