On Monday morning, the production and future of certain films and your favorite TV shows will be submerged into murky waters.

So here is the official statement that was released yesterday by the President of the WGA (West), Patric M. Verrone:

“The Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, West and the
Council of the Writers Guild of America, East, acting upon the
authority granted them by the members, have voted unanimously to call a
strike effective 12:01 AM, Monday, November 5.

As many of you know, three weeks ago the Members of the Writers
Guild of America voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if we could
not reach a fair and reasonable deal with the Alliance of Motion
Picture and Television Producers.

To avoid this outcome, we have been engaged in negotiations for more than three months to resolve our differences.

Over that time, we dropped nine of our proposals in the interest of reaching a resolution.

However, the studios have not responded to a single one of our
important proposals. Every issue that matters to writers, including
Internet reuse, original writing for new media, DVDs, and jurisdiction,
has been ignored.

In recent years, these conglomerates have enjoyed tremendous
financial success off the backs of literally tens of thousands of
people – including members of the creative community. One part of that
community is the writers, whose work serves as the blueprint for
programs and movies.

And, although the industry’s pie is continually growing, our share continues to shrink.

Rather than address our members’ primary concern, the studios made
it clear that they would rather shut down the town than reach a fair
and reasonable deal. This past Wednesday, the AMPTP called a halt to
talks by demanding that the Guild accept the extension of the current
DVD formula to new media.

This is not an action that anyone takes lightly. But it slowly
became apparent that the studios are not prepared to deal fairly with
writers and the rest of the talent community.

The companies have refused to agree that writers must receive fair
compensation when the writers’ work is broadcast on the Internet or
downloaded on iPods and cell phones.

The companies are seeking to take advantage of new technology to
drastically reduce the residual income that sustains middle class
writers and keeps them in the business. Their proposals would destroy
the very pool of creative talent that is the basis of their immense
revenues and profits.

Twenty years ago, the companies forced writers to accept an unfairly
low residual for home videos so that the market could grow. And, even
though those markets did grow to become an extremely profitable revenue
stream, the residuals never did.

The fact is there was no need for conflict on this issue – the
companies are doing very well in the marketplace. As the chairman of
one of the Big Six media conglomerates recently stated, the Internet is
a source of additional income. Television and film sales to the
Internet have not to date cannibalized viewers from broadcast and
cable. And the economics of digital distribution are even more
favorable than the economics of DVDs. Digital has no hard media costs,
no boxes, no marginal extra shipping and handling. The only substantial
economic issue for Internet reuse is the residual payment to directors,
actors, and writers.

That is why our position is simple and fair: when a writer’s work
generates revenue for the companies, that writer deserves to be paid.

For the creative community, for the city of Los Angeles, and for all
viewers who have come to appreciate our work product, we are sorry that
the studios have put us where we are.

We are committed to seeing this through and are willing to engage in any further discussions if the studios so desire.”

If you’re like me, you might be thinking about how this strike will affect specific shows. For now, take a look at The TV Grid from the LA Times. Even if production stops on our favorite series’ and new episodes air only until December, they will return at some point once this is resolved. But there are pressing issues beneath the surface of this strike…

I sided with the writers immediately. And I fully support the idea that they should receive residuals when their work appears in any kind of digital media format. But after skimming through the details of the strike and reading various industry blogs…it is important to recognize that there are other parties whose livelihoods will take a direct hit as a result of this strike.

I obviously do not know the whole story, but I will do my best to keep up with the details and provide you with information about some of the popular shows that I know you love and obsess about, like Lost.

What do you think about this whole thing?

Does the name Brooke Smith ring a bell? It should, and it will. Up until now, she was what I would deem a character actress (although some people object to that designation); one of those women on TV and in films that you recognized but couldn’t place.

In my estimation, Smith is criminally underrated, but she is finally on the verge of making that transition from part time to major player on the small screen. Though most know her now as the newly hired Dr. Hahn on Grey’s Anatomy, I have been following her career for a while. Here is quick look at some of her more high profile work:

1991. Silence of the Lambs. Smith was the infamous girl in the well.

1996. First appearance on Law & Order. Also appeared in 2005 and 2007.

2001. Starred in Series 7: The Contenders, a disturbing film about a reality television show which rewarded contestants for murdering one another.

• It was written & directed by Dan Minahan, who has directed several episodes of Grey’s Anatomy.
• Her co-star was Glenn Fitzgerald, who is currently playing Rev. Brian Darling on Dirty Sexy Money.

We just experienced a rolling 5.6 earthquake. The chandelier is still swaying slightly, and the cats are less than thrilled. All of the updated safety training I helped to present last week at work? Gone. Hi, my name is panic. I can be the most prepared adult girl scout in the world, but the minute the ground beneath me begins to shake, my legs become weak and so do I.

** Comments are now open again on all entries. Write away!

- Jo

That atmospheric music you hear during each episode of the television show Friday Night Lights is the work of Austin-based instrumental band Explosions in the Sky. They also provided the entire soundtrack for the 2004 Friday Night Lights film (although it remains a mystery why none of their tracks appear on the actual CD from the TV series).

The music of Explosions in the Sky sets the perfect emotional tone each week on Friday Night Lights, and I love listening to them while I’m writing. I highly recommend that you buy any of their four albums, or at least download the following songs on iTunes:

• First Breath After a Coma
• Remember Me as a Time of Day
• Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean
• Your Hand in Mine