So, by now loads of you have been forwarded a link by me to an article that appeared in the Reporter last week.  For those that don't know, it revolves around the revamping of a blog site called United Hollywood into something much, much larger.

While I applaud the WGA in their pursuit of DVD and internet monies - these revenue streams are indisputably the financial bedrock of our industry, both now and going forward - I've been frustrated by the attention the strike has drawn to the notion that studios hold the keys to distribution.  Anyone familiar with how independent movies are distributed today knows it's just not true.  In fact, the studios are adopting the distribution practices of the indie distributors, just to stay competitive!  In the end, nobody has a monopoly on money, and our industry is getting increasingly decentralized.

United Hollywood began as a place where striking writers could rally for support online.  In the wake of the WGA deal with the AMPTP, it's becoming much, much more.  The creative talent behind projects like Speechless without Writers and the Strike Relief Fund for families outside the WGA affected by the stoppage are uniting in an effort to illuminate the simple financial and creative truths that drive this industry, and empower filmmakers to seize their own future.

All my work revolves around the idea that an empowered audience makes empowered decisions.  Our culture teaches us how to live in society, and right now our culture has a very pacifying influence.  We are a passive people, and that has to change.  And it has to start with the creative people who drive our culture.

Personal accountability is what drives this industry.  It's in nobody's hands but your own.

If you don't believe it now, help is on the way.

Bless you, United Hollywood!