The Hollywood Writers' Co-op

A group of American screenwriters have sent shockwaves through Hollywood by establishing a writers' co-operative. And if the idea of a co-op conjurs up images of malnourished idealists struggling to earn enough to pay for their next cup of FairTrade coffee, think again. This co-op is based at Warner Brothers and is the brainchild of top writers John Wells , Nick Kazan and Tom Schulman. The aim is to get a better deal for screenwriters and to bring them closer to the heart of the prodcution.

As Michael Fleming reports for Variety: "Over the next four years, the Writers Co-Op will generate at least 18 scripts from writers who will risk their usually high upfront salaries for the reward of receiving first-dollar gross, the right to participate as producers and a guarantee they will not be rewritten without their consultation and approval. The scribes will also have a say in the decision making process from development all the way to post-production."

It's an appealing prospect, and one that has fired the imagination of American screenwriting bloggers. Craig Mazin believes that the terms of the Co-op's deals sound very favourable. There is some risk associated with foregoing up-front payments, he concedes, but the potential benefit of having a share of gross revenues is huge. Mazin is also struck by the  group of writers involved:

"What’s fascinating about this particular group is that it bucks a number of trends. I don’t think any of the writers (save Benioff) is under 40. Quite a few are in their 50’s. Most write challenging fare. If we’re to believe the conventional wisdom, studios are frightened to death of older, high-priced intellectual scribes. Turns out they’re not, and that’s good news for any of us in the business who plan on aging or being serious."

Mazin also points out that many of the Co-op's writers are well-known Writers' Guild of America activists, and it appears that they are also keen to raise the standing of all writers.

"Our mission is to make better films and to promote a process and a model which is more creative, fulfilling and nurturing than presently exists within the industry," Nick Kazan told Variety. "We believe in ourselves, in the value of writing and in a spirit of true collaboration."

Article first published: 22.03.2007