Stagnant Blood
By David Bishop
Mini-writing rooms are destroying entertainment.
With the writers strike, everyone is zeroing in on the concerns over AI. Let’s talk about mini rooms for a second, though, shall we? It’s less sexy, but, while AI's threat is still a ways off, the mini rooms are destroying the entertainment landscape right now.
Hollywood has always had gatekeepers. It’s often said that it doesn’t open the door for you unless you're already in the room. Studios are risk averse and are not focused so much on winning as much as they are on not losing. It’s safer for them to stick with the tiny group of writers who have already made them money in the past. For instance, of the five-hundred-odd scripted series currently on TV, two hundred of those pilots were either written or produced by one guy: Greg Berlanti.
What does that leave the viewer with? Nothing but rehashed stories and old ideas. The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and Wendy, Pinnochio, The Lion King, Indiana Jones, Star Wars…need I go on? Audiences aren’t biting, box office returns are tanking, and beloved franchises are being obliterated. Still, Hollywood is committed to not taking a chance on untested stories. Making matters worse? Enter the mini-room.
It used to be that when a pilot was picked up by a studio, the writer would be given a budget that would enable him to hire a handful of writers. Of course, as he wants to sell the bloody thing, he’s going to bring in a couple of top-tier writers. He’d then bring aboard a few mid-level writers. Then, it was standard practice to hire one or two beginning writers. What’s the future of the industry going to look like if newbies aren’t given a shot?
This old model is falling out of fashion. Nowadays, when a pilot is being considered, the network will give the writer a shoestring budget and also tell him to write a few more episodes before they decide whether or not to bring it to air. With such little funds, writers are now only turning to the top-tier giants of the industry to get their projects going and green-lit. The little guy stands no chance. When looking at the reboot of Frasier, for instance, who did Paramount turn to to write it? Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Cristalli (Maggie).
Hollywood does not take risks: not on innovative stories, not on upcoming writers. We should all be concerned about the possible apocalyptic scenario ushered in by AI, but we are watching a disaster film unfolding right now! Aspiring writers need to have something to aspire to, and audiences need fresh films that entertain, challenge, and uplift them.