The Death of Hollywood's Middle Class: My Thoughts

Lots of people have asked me about this article, which basically maintains that with the new streaming services and all the short orders for series instead of the established 22 episodes per season it is really affecting mid-level actors and writers. In a business that was never secure in the first place, now it’s really hard to cobble together a career unless you’ve made it and then you’re greatly overpaid. Additionally, there are no residuals or they’re greatly reduced so what was a fifty-year safety net is now gone.

So… my thoughts.

First off, an irrefutable law of the universe: Networks and studios will try to screw you any way they can.

Any time there’s a new delivery model they will screw you until the unions fight for fair compensation (often after a strike and often not getting enough).

And it’s getting harder because of consolidation. Giant mega corporations can hold out a lot longer than a writer with mortgage payments.

The good news is with more scripted shows there are more options and opportunities for writers and actors. The bad news is they don’t pay well and many are short orders so just landing a staff job on a show might not be enough to pay the bills for a year.

When I broke in (a thousand years ago) there were just three networks. You either sold something to one of the big 3 or you didn’t work at all. It’s like there was the Major Leagues and no minors. So breaking in was very hard, but if you did and you had the talent to remain in the business you could maintain a decent career over a number of years.

Now it’s easier to break in (especially if you’re diverse) but harder to get any real traction. I also suspect, and I have no numbers to back this up, but there were fewer people trying to break in in 1975 than today.

The article makes a compelling case that it’s tough in this current landscape and it’s hard to argue with that.

All I can say is cream rises to the top. The most talented actors and writers will be in demand just as they’ve always been. You be one of them. Yes, it’s harder to make a living in this new multi-platform world, but name me a profession where it’s not more difficult these days.

from By Ken Levine