The Writers Strike – Can Amateur Video Fill the Gap – YouTube To The Rescue?

Implications: Content is king.  Will we see any real competition from the amateur filmmakers and writers?   Will YouTube content fill the gap?   Will we see the writer’s back at work in 6 months?

Analysis: The Writers Strike is going to have long term impacts on the entertainment industry.  The amount of lost advertising revenue for the broadcast networks and even the cable networks will be huge.  The other impact will be on any series’ lifespan.  Some series that were just gaining momentum may suddenly lose their audience.

What impact will this have on the carriers?  As soon as the strike is settled, the telecom carriers like Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility will need to factor in the cost of the settlement.  The writers guild settlement won’t be felt immediately but it will be felt eventually.  It is unlikely that Hollywood will be altruistic and eat the cost of the settlement.  The cost of settling the writers strike will be passed onto consumers.

Will amateur video fill the gap?  Maybe for awhile but do you honestly believe that amateur filmmakers are going to let any make a dollar without them sharing in the wealth?  A smart amateur filmmaker will hire a lawyer and an agent as soon they get wind of a YouTube or the like profiting greatly from their videos.  In the beginning the desperate filmmaker will let themselves be taken advantage of for the sake of exposure.  But once they become famous forget about whatever agreement the online companies signed with the filmmakers, that agreement will get re-written to ensure the filmmaker makes money.

The reality is the Writers Guild of America has enormous impact of what is being seen and what will be seen online and in the wireless world.

The traditional telecom carriers are now a part of that entertainment revenue stream.

What the carriers need to worry about is what the Producers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America, and the Screen Actors Guild will do after the writers strike?  The telecom community is just part of the distribution chain and has no say in these entertainment discussions.  Imagine this one:  The telecom carriers are now mobile movie theater seats and mobile television sets.  If I were a telecom carrier, I would begin worrying about my role in this mew media age.