Some of the same factors that led TV writers to go on strike also have made work more tenuous for support staff still aspiring to be part of the Writers Guild.
It was billed as a comedy show, but a recent night of improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade drew inspiration from Hollywood horror stories. One performer recalled interviewing for a job that required hand-delivering scripts every night to an actor in Malibu who did not use email. Another recounted having to track down golf carts that had gone missing after joy rides on the studio backlot.
They get paid far less than TV writers and, unless they’re given an episode to write, generally are not eligible to join the Writers Guild of America. Some roles, like writer’s assistant and script coordinator, are organized under the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees; others, such as writer’s P.A. and showrunner’s assistant, typically are not unionized, which has further contributed to inconsistencies in pay from one gig to the next.
“If you cannot survive on the absolute bare minimum, you will not be able to go after these [support staff] positions,” says Alper. “That sort of system only benefits people who come from historically privileged backgrounds.” Alper looked to tackle this issue in 2021, when she and other writers and producers partnered with the Writers Guild Foundation to create a program aimed at training members of underrepresented groups to become support staff.
Excelling at the job, though, can be a double-edged sword: It can mean getting recommended for future jobs, but not necessarily as a staff writer. “It’s a joke around the assisting community of like, you don’t want to be too good [at being an assistant] because you’ll be stuck there forever,” says Zasowski.
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