The Writers Guild of America (WGA) walked out of their roles on May 2, 2023, after they failed to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The situation escalated at midday of Friday, July 14, 2023, when Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the strike.
“Union members should withhold their labor until a fair contract can be achieved,” said SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland adding that streamers and studios “have left us with no alternative”.
SAG-AFTRA has over 160,000 performers across various media formats and is headed by Fran Drescher. The termination of service by SAG-AFTRA immediately sent a shockwave across the movie industry. The filming of blockbusters like Deadpool 3 and The Last of Us Part II had to be called off.
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Some game developers and fans of video games became anxious to know if the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike would affect video games in production or the release date of some of the already announced titles. For the foreseeable future, the answer is NO.
An official bulletin released by SAG-AFTRA titled Notice to SAG-AFTRA Members Regarding Non-Struck Work said “The strike order does not affect rendering services or performing work, and it is not considered a violation of the SAG-AFTRA Constitution or Membership Rules to report to work, that is covered by the contracts [including]… Interactive Media Agreement. For video games”.
Inasmuch as the strike will bar actors from working on films and TV shows, they are still allowed to feature in audiobooks, reality shows, talk shows, soap operas, micro-budget projects (less than $20,000), and many more. Apparently, the strike is targeted at AMPTP and not intended to ground other areas.
What is the cause of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike?
The cause of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike bothers around remuneration and regulations on Artificial Intelligence use. Both unions are seeking wage increments and residuals from streaming television services. In addition to that, they are concerned about AI replacing their jobs in films and television shows.
“SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer needs, but the AMPTP’s responses to the union’s most important proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry,” Drescher lambasted the AMPTP.
In defense, the AMPTP said, “[The strike is SAG-AFTRA] choice, not ours. It has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likeness, and more”.
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However, the entire movie industry will not be totally shut. British actors under the UK actors’ union, Equity, are not allowed to strike. Although the union released a joint statement in support of SAG-AFTRA, members of the union were reminded of the rules hours before the SAG-AFTRA strike kicked in.
It is hard to predict how long the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike would last. In October 2016, a similar strike action by SAG-AFTRA by video game voice actors lasted for 340 days before developers and publishers could find common ground. It is on record as the longest strike in the history of the union.
What has been affected by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes?
The impact of the strike will likely not be immediately felt since a lot of shows have already been filmed. However, the longer the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike stretches on, the more evident the impact on the industry will become.
Make no mistake, the impact of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike is felt beyond the shutting down of production by studios and an indefinite halt to the shooting of many blockbusters already in production. Popular awards like the Emmy Awards scheduled for September 18 may either be delayed, postponed, or canceled since the strike bars members from movie red carpets and promotions.
Universal Studios had to move up the London premiere of Oppenheimer by one hour so that actors could attend before the strike kicked in. The movie cast including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Cillian Murphy walked the red carpet but exited the show before the screening began.
Walt Disney had to make contingency plans for the screening of Haunted Mansion slated for this weekend. Instead of a star-studded show, the studio will make it a fan-focused celebration. At the moment, organizers of the Toronto and Venice film festivals are biting their nails, scrambling for a way out.
Do you think writers and actors are asking too much as claimed by AMPTP? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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