A handful of local screenwriters held a rally outside of the Apple Store in Waikīkī on Monday.
The effort was an act of solidarity with the ongoingnational Writers Guild of America strikethat began last month.
The strike has halted the production of new movies and shows across the country, including Hawaiʻi.
Kahuku native Matt Kaster is the writer and executive producer of the show "Rescue-Hi: Surf," a drama exploring lifeguard culture on Oʻahu's North Shore. Kaster said it was picked up by Fox days before the strike began, putting production on hold until WGA reaches an agreement with the studios.
Kaster is just one of many who are waiting for the decision to come through. He said that Hawaiʻi-based TV shows and films hold upwards of 300 crew members.
"There's Disney productions here, currently. There's feature production that is kind of like ongoing and rotating. There's television production that we've seen, your 'Magnum,' 'NCIS: Hawaii' and it's a pretty significant number of people," said Kaster.
A 2022 report from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism estimates the state's film industry created more than 4,000 local jobs in 2018, with an economic impact that year of nearly half a billion dollars.
However, revenue is expected to drop following the months-long pause caused by the strike.
"Any show or movie that you watch in any theater, on any TV, on any streaming platform was written by a member of the WGA," said Aaron Kandell, co-writer of the Disney film "Moana."
At the heart of the strike is writer compensation for films and shows on streaming platforms — something that wasn't around when the guild last held a strike in 2007. About 15 years ago, writers fought for a minimum wage and restructured scale for residuals.
"The entire business model has changed from what was traditionally studio-driven and network television to everything's online, on-demand all the time," Kandell said.
He added that the way writers are paid has changed, going from annual job security to a model that is more similar to part-time employment.
"Every time an audience clicks and watches something that used to benefit everybody equally, across the board. And now, writers aren't seeing even pennies of that," Kandell said.
