Tell me, what's the difference between Archer and The Office? Both shows are comedies about the relatable ups and downs of work life and collegial friendships. Now one may be about espionage and the other a paper company, but the concepts of these shows are undeniably comparable.
How about the differences between Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: No Way Home? The plot line is different and both films are wonderfully unique. However, both contain multiple versions of the same hero and are highly regarded parts of the same franchise.
The main difference between Archer & The Office, and Spider-Verse & No Way Home, is that two are animation while two are not. And because two of them are animation, their writers were more than likely paid only a fraction of what the writers of their live-action counterparts.
There is no difference in the writing skill that goes into writing for animation or live action. However, this equal work is not receiving equal pay. The Animation Guild (TAG), a labor organization that protects animators and visual artists, along with animation writers, and their allies, are taking the internet by storm, advocating for fair treatment and fair compensation.
The Writing Wage Disparity
Writing is writing. Creating stories takes intricate world building, tedious character design, meticulous hard work, and good judgment to transcribe the thoughts and images that dance in one's head, into a complete guidebook so that one day, it may be translated onto a screen and played for your enjoyment. What the finished product will one day be does not affect the level of work that goes into the creation of the story. Despite this fact, animation writers are paid "41 to 52 cents* on the dollar per week compared to live-action writers".
In our new video campaign, dozens of animation workers and allies speak out for a #NewDeal4Animation. Thank you so much to @adamconover @OweeeeenDennis @Fyre_flye @nithyavraman @philiplord @Steve_Nguyen @RaphaelBW @DanaTerrace @MaraWilson and many more for showing their support! pic.twitter.com/fWzu3Biq8o
— Animation Guild Writers (@TAGwriters) February 7, 2022
Please take the time to watch the video above. We all must hear these words directly from those who are being most affected by the wage disparity. It is time for this injustice to end. Not only are animation writers and storyboard artists not paid as much for their work, they also don't receive the royalties and writer residuals that live action writers do.
No that's the whole point. Animation writers only get paid once for writing the script. Where live action writers get paid every time an episode they wrote airs. https://t.co/yDxOt2ucZx
— Craig McCracken (@CrackMcCraigen) February 7, 2022
Why does this matter? Well, according to the WGA, a writer residual is the compensation/pay that a writer is granted whenever their work is reused. Therefore, whenever a show or movie is streamed or re-aired on a network, the writer of that project gets paid.
However, this is not true for the writers and storyboard artists of animated shows and films. As stated by Craig McCracken, creator of beloved childhood shows such as The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, animation writers only get paid once. This cheats both the creators as well as the viewer.
Say your comfort show is Gravity Falls or maybe Star vs The Forces of Evil. You've watched this show at least five... okay more like ten times since it originally aired. Whenever you watch this show, you assume that naturally you're supporting Alex Hirsch (creator of Gravity Falls), or Daron Nefcy (creator of SVTFOE), as well as everyone else in their writer's rooms. This assumption is simply untrue.
Your favorite creator does not benefit from your recognition. But if your comfort show is, say, How I Met Your Mother, Craig Thomas and Carter Bays get paid every time you need to watch their series.
Now the goal here isn't to say that Craig Thomas and Carter Bays are bad guys because they receive more paychecks. Rather the goal is to make sure that Alex Hirsch and Daron Nefcy, along with every other animation writer and storyboard artist, are assured the same rights and protections as their live action writing peers.
Why Now?
This long overdue conversation comes as The Animation Guild negotiates a new union contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). These talks come after a negotiation that was struck in 2018 which was set to last for three years. The new negotiation couldn't start until "IATSE, TAG’s parent union, had ratified its new basic agreement. That (narrowly) happened last month". This time around, TAG is set on getting what they deserve. Those who work in animation have been overlooked for too long, and with the additional stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, they're at their wits' end about being disregarded.
please remember that studios consider this “one season” and keep the writers on staff at their initial rate for YEARS with no chance to get a raise in-between, unlike literally every live-action show 🙃 #NewDeal4Animation https://t.co/p0FoJin8sB
— Kelly Lynne D'Angelo ✨ (@kellylynnedang) January 26, 2022
When the pandemic began, animators were expected to continue on not only as normal, but to push themselves more and work harder than ever. Though in this time, their exertions have yet to be recognized. Writer Colleen Evanson, known for her work on Disney's DuckTales reboot and DC Super Hero Girls, claims "When the pandemic hit most live action shows stopped production but those of us in animation kept going & kept studios afloat. We don’t need a pat on the back, we need a paycheck that reflects our true value".
How You Can Help
We must all do our part to protect these creators. Signing their petition as a public supporter will put pressure on studios to treat animation workers more fairly.
Show your support and sign the petitions #New4Animation #PayAnimationWriters #IASolidarity https://t.co/xKpnPdtdDI
— Sam 'Scoop' Cooper (@SamScoopCooper) February 7, 2022
Other ways you can get involved include following the hashtags #NewDeal4Animation and #PayAnimationWriters, as well as spreading the word about this issue.
I love writing animation. It's a gift. But I do it for a living which means I have to earn a living.
~Bill Wolkoff
