3 myths about the work of Hollywood screenwriters

“TV writers are rich and live a glamorous life”

Leaving aside some prominent names like Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, there is nothing glamour, fame or wealth in the work of a screenwriter – even for those who work on successful productions.

O jornal The Washington Post mentions that TV writers receive around 4 thousand dollars per week of work. However, the market is competitive and the dynamics of television productions have changed over time, with TV series having fewer seasons and programs being canceled at the last minute. Because of this, screenwriters claim that they face periods of uncertainty in the market and experience months of unemployment.

It's worth remembering that, years ago, well before the streaming boom, TV series seasons used to have 22 episodes. Nowadays, few exceed ten. As a result, work for streaming platforms lasts just a few weeks – and that means lower pay.

In recent years, writers have had to work for multiple shows a year to earn the same income as in previous years, when writers typically worked for just one show, according to the Writers Guild of America, the union organizing the strike.

“TV is popular, so there is a wide range of jobs”

According to research from FX Networks, more than twice as many original English-language shows were released in 2022 compared to a decade earlier. But while a typical TV show might have 10 to 12 writers or more, streaming services tend to hire between six and eight.

There is a hierarchy that involves beginners to more experienced and veteran screenwriters. One complaint raised by the WGA is that as studio executives look to save money by reducing writing budgets, jobs are being cut. As a result, many writers are now doing the work of several people without any extra pay.

“The greater the success of the TV series, the greater the financial return”

Writers of streaming programs receive the so-called “residual right”. This fee is fixed based on how many subscribers are on the streaming service. For example, a writer whose work streams on Netflix will make more money than one who writes for a smaller platform like Paramount Plus. But within a given streaming service, the payment is the same. Scriptwriters for famous productions like “Stranger Things” or “Bridgerton” earn the same salary as those who write the lowest-rated programs on the platform.

“If you do something and a billion people watch it, you don't make any more money than if it were a disaster. This is not good for creativity because it takes away a lot of motivation from creative people,” writer-director Judd Apatow told Variety this month.

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