Oregon Will Feel Writers' Strike By April

ENTERTAINMENT 

By Ethan Lindsey

Bend, OR  January 4, 2008 11:51 a.m.

Jay Leno, David Letterman, and late night television resumed production just in time to make fun of the Iowa Caucuses. But the writers' strike is still costing Hollywood millions.

Oregon's fledgling film industry hasn't been hurt yet. But as Ethan Lindsey reports, that may soon change.

Writers are out on strike, demanding a larger cut of DVD and Internet sales.

So far, the television industry has been the hardest hit.

No major TV shows are shot in Oregon. But movies are a different story.

The Oregon film industry generates an estimated $200 million a year.

And two new Hollywood films are going to be shot here this month.

Since film production takes longer, scripts are written ahead of time. So those movies aren't at risk.

Steve Oster is the head of the Oregon Film & Video Office, and a former TV producer.

Steve Oster: “What we're experiencing up here, if things get into April, then we're going to have to get ready for a slow fall.”

Oster says he is also worried about directors and actors going out on strike.

They're starting to negotiate new contracts as well. And because that affects feature films more directly, it would have a larger impact on Oregon.

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© 2008 OPB