I frequently hear Carson Daly credited with inventing the TRL show concept, but the funny thing about that is that I saw a show exactly like TRL – except it was actually good – as early as July 1995 in Quebec. It was on a music channel called Musique Plus which I watched frequently while I was there.

Even the set was the same, down to the wall of windows looking out on the street. The very first time I ever saw TRL I thought, “Hey, this is just like that show on Musique Plus…except it sucks!”

There is a large difference between someone who creates a concept and someone just commissioned to script out a concept.

3 monkeys with 2 pots of coffee could have written the script to Transformers. The screenwriters did not CREATE the Transformers. The transformers was already a multi-million doallar concept that was going to make. The screenplay did not make that movie a success. The BRAND and the VFX made that movie a success, and your notion that the monkeys who wrote the script should stand to be rewrded for something they didn’t create, or were responsible for is confusing.

Hey, if The Transformers didn’t already exist and the writers came to a studio with this concept and script, and the studios see it as a multi-million dollar idea, then that’s great. But don’t confuse contract writers with those who create their own properties.

And again, your assertion of “YOU CAN”T KNOW WHAT IT’S WORTH UNTIL IT’S OUT” is 100% true, and yet 100% refuted by the fact that it’s overridden by common practice. Producers estimate, budget, and then movie forward. If the producers are wrong, they take the hit, if they’re right they reap the rewards.

Residuals do… not… work. never really have, and they never will. Someday it will change, and talented writers will be much better off for it.

never. ever. going to happen.

you said about studios deciding a scripts worth:
“The studios do it with every single solitary film. They estimate a worth of a film before setting a budget for every movie they make, before hiring the actors or visual effects companies or the number of extras.”

there is a big difference between determine the worth of a film and determining how much a studio is willing to spend on the film based on that script. a huge difference.

scream was a huge finanacil hit. the writer sold his script very cheaply because at that time slasher films were not big and it was jokey and they had no idea how well it was going to do so they paid what they were willing to pay but when it came out turns out the script was worth a lot more than they paid because it was a gigantic unexpected hit for dimension.

and in this business the only way to ever judge what something is ultimatelty worth is after it has been released. that is the only way.

and that is why residuals will always be in place no matter what genius tries to change the world!!

you’re trading one unfair system for an extremely less fair one. its such a dumb idea i cant believe Scott Holleran didn’t think of it first.

You said:

you see without a script the film doesn’t get made.

Yup, and without a cameraman, no movie gets made. Without a location manager, no movie gets made. Without a lighting tech, no movie gets made. It’s just that simple. That argument doesn’t fly.

There are MANY people and roles whom without a movie can not get made. Those who do their jobs the best get paid more and get more gigs (in general). The screenwriter is no different.

Who should get paid more? The excellent pitcher who plays on a terrible team that loses a lot, or the bad pitcher who plays on an amazing team and wins the championship? Obviously the better pitcher, because sane people don’t reward the poor work of people for the excellent work of the others around them.

“But John…” you’ll say. “If the bad pitcher didn’t pitch, there would be no game”. True, and thus he should be compensated for playing his part, but (forgive my use of caps lock here) HIS COMPENSATION IS MADE RELATIVE TO THE PERFORMANCE HE HIMSELF GIVES AND NOT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THEIR ROLES AROUND HIM.

You also said:

i am glad your opinion is the minority

Geniuses who change the world often are. :)

I find the whole concept of a 100% united union who all agree with eachother complete bull.

you see without a script the film doesn’t get made.

no transformers script…no film. it is really that simple.

we can argue all day about whether or not the script was good…well actually i agree with you….it wasn’t..it was not a very good script….in fact it was terrible but it was a script that got greenlit and ultimately wound being a film that made hundreds of millions of dollars.

so the writers should get a cut.

until films with no script whatsoever repeatedly make hundreds of millions it is not going to change.

the script is the blur print of a film or t.v. show.

no scripts….no films.

i am glad your opinion is the minority.

… the Coen Brothers wrote “No Country For Old Men.” These are writers that certainly command very high fees no matter what they’re writing.

I’m a bit confused here, int’l friends.
(1) What script did the Cohens write or re-write that was directed by someone other than Joel Cohen?
(2) The Cohens tend to stick to modest to low budgets
(3) they tend to produce/co-produce thier own films.

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I’m not a big fan of Carson Daly. But I happen to agree with his actions in this regard. If Conan O Brien (who I am a fan of) chooses to pay out of his own wallet for his crew to stick around, so be it. Personally, I think it is the networks knee-jerk reaction to the strike itself to lay off production crew..and as a indirect result makes the strikers look like bad guys. Look, let be clear so there isn’t any misunderstanding I’m not a fan of Ellen. I detest some of the ways she reportedly treats her writers who are striking.

But if she, or any other hosts chooses not to have opening stand-up, skits etc. But simply wants to have other guests, so be it. The pickings for such guests maybe scarce, say the band plays two numbers instead of one. Perhaps it could even go “live”, and things said is unscripted and on the moment (at least with a five second delay)

These are “talk” shows. People talk. People are interviewed. If a talk show host (such as Jay Leno) honors the line, so be it. That’s cool in my book. But I think lashing out on Carson -even though I don’t give one bean about him- is uncalled for.

If need be, show disapproval later on.