'Below-the-line' crew members affected by the long-running stalemate between the striking Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers have took on the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday to demand that the two sides resume negotiations.

The five-week strike has taken a heavy toll on thousands of staff members such as hair and makeup artists, set decorators, grips, prop specialists, soundmen and others.

"We are here today to remind the leadership of those locked in this struggle that real people, real men and women and their families, are being damaged," rally organizer Chris Griffin said at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, as quoted by the LA Times. "Each day this strike is prolonged, our futures become more precarious." Christopher Griffin is a line producer for the "Nip/Tuck" TV series.

Around 500 people attended the Strike a Deal demonstration on Sunday. Even if most crew members have supported the WGA strike initially, most of them are beginning to change their mind. That's because they earn significantly less than writers do and a prolonged strike whose outcome does not directly concern them will plunge them into debt.

Writers and producers "have the resources to weather this thing, be it another month or another five months," said Will Alovis, a script supervisor for the CBS crime drama "CSI: Miami," as quoted by LA Times. "We're below-the-line crew; we don't have those resources."

There's no end in sight for the Writers Guild of America strike which has crippled the movie industry. Negotiations between the striking Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers have failed once again on Friday.

The "Strike A Deal" march and rally was organized by entertainment industry professionals and vendors rallied in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday to urge Hollywood writers and producers to strike a deal. The prospects are such that a deal is highly unlikely this year. Their strikeadeal.blogspot.com site reads:

We are not organized or sponsored by any union, guild or association. We are a spontaneous grass-roots outgrowth of the concern and desire of below-the-line industry professionals and vendors whose jobs, livelihoods and futures hang in the balance. We urge the WGA and the AMPTP to come to terms NOW to avoid lengthy and devastating damage to our industry, our city and our lives. LET'S GET BACK TO WORK!

In 1988, a 22-week walkout by the WGA delayed the start of that year's fall television season and cost the entertainment industry an estimated $500 million. This time, billions may be lost, according to some estimates. It's enough to note that the motion picture and TV industry generates $30 billion in annual economic activity for Los Angeles County alone.