Oregon Public Broadcasting

Hundreds of television and movie writers went on strike Monday. Negotiations with production companies and movie studios broke down over how much writers should get paid for DVD and Internet sales.

Oregon has started to make a name for itself as a place to film movies, and so the strike could affect the state -- eventually. Ethan Lindsey reports.

Oregon film industry workers make an estimated $200 million a year. That's according to a study commissioned by the Oregon Film and Video Office.

Steve Oster is the head of the trade group and a former TV producer.

He says several movies are shooting in the state over the next few months, but they all finished their scripts ahead of the strike.

Steve Oster: “All the projects that we have been in negotiations with, with their eyes on shooting here, pretty much have protected themselves.”

He says Oregon is lucky in one way -- the strike will first hurt live shows like 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' and next affect other TV production.

But there are no TV shows currently shooting here.

Steve Oster: “Whether or not there is a ripple effect down the line, is really going to depend on how long the strike lasts.”

He says things could get hairy if the strike lasts more than 4 months, as a writers' walkout in 1988 did. That strike cost the entertainment biz an estimated $500 million.