DR DakotaCelt i'm curious if the info you provided yesterday re: the soaps and the strike will end up being true (you seemed to think they could be on the air for 1-2 months).
I have heard a few reports (last night) that soaps would be the first to go (next week).
The one i am interested in is Y&R. If you get any info please post it. Thanks for your help.
Jennifer
I will do my best to answer your question.. I was chatting with a good friend who sent me an 10 page letter about different things but basically on what goes on in writing.
A well written soap has a story arc there there is a main central story and smaller stories spinning off from it. The story ideas are often presented 6 months to a year in advance to plan for writing, casting and for production purposes.
Once the story is pitched and approved the writers begin to craft the tale they want to tell and flesh out the scripts for the characters. At the same time specs are given out to the director, costuming, casting and lighting to develop the story's need from their perspective. Normally they want the height of the story to hit around the time of the sweeps or near that time. They are normally pitched two or three times a year.
Some writers will allow the actors leeway into fleshing out the character and some will not.
Many of the scripts are written several weeks in advance to fine tune planning by the directors and in casting and costuming. Casting calls for day characters and extras often go out at this point.
Since some of the shows have not pitched new story arcs to start they will be in more trouble than others. Several of the show have scripts stockpiled and they are ready to be filmed until late December and early January. However they will be filmed as written with no revisions. The only exception to new writing would be those who cross the pickets or the shows bring in freelance writers.
Right now you are seeing episodes that were taped in mid October. The shows film 10 to 15 days in advance of airing dates in the United States. However in parts of Canada, the sony distributed soaps, YR and DAYS are broadcast the day before they are broadcast in the US.
It is going to boil down who laid in the best contingency plan after the first of the year. Some soaps have enough written or arcs at least in the works that they go can go with using scabs or free lancers. They are at the moment in good shape until January. Guiding light is the only soap that has scripts going well into January. ATWT is not far behind. The one in possibly the biggest trouble are the LA based soaps.
