Los Angeles –
Hollywood actors could be on the verge of joining screenwriters in the first two-union strike in the industry in more than 60 years, which will have far-reaching implications for film and television production. Here we look at how it happens and why it happened.
How are the actors negotiating?
The contracts between the Screen Actors Guild/Federation of Radio and Television Artists of America and the studios, streaming services and production companies that employ them expire Friday night at midnight Pacific time. Trade union affiliates vote overwhelmingly in favor of giving leaders the power to go on strike in the event of a strike. But it’s never a hard deadline. Both sides have indicated they are willing to talk in the days following the deadline, as happened in the same negotiations in 2014 and 2017 before reaching a settlement.
According to reports, the meeting was productive. However, some actors have expressed concern that their leaders are not trying hard enough. More than 1,000 of them, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Bob Odenkirk, have written their names in letters to negotiators, announcing their intention to strike, citing themselves as “sacrifices that leaders do not have.” are prepared to pay The letter reads, “Now is not the time to meet in the middle.”
Led by chairman and former “Nanny” star Fran Drescher, the guild represents more than 160,000 film actors, stunt performers, broadcast journalists, announcers and hosts, but it’s the television that will be on strike. Only actors who have appeared in shows and movies.
What do the actors want?
Many of the same issues that drove writers to strike are also on the table for actors. That includes allegations by the Guild, such as the diminishing returns brought about by the streaming ecosystem, where royalty payments are no longer tied to the popularity of movies and TV shows. With long reruns, roles and script credits in hit shows are no longer the cash cows they once were. And unions argue that inflation has outpaced wage increases stipulated in the contract.
For both writers and performers, the move to streaming and its ramifications means less work due to shorter show seasons and longer intervals between shows.
And like writers, actors fear the threat of uncontrolled use of artificial intelligence. In a memo to members, SAG-AFTRA said the rapid growth of AI’s ability to replicate member performance was a “real and imminent threat” and it wanted to stop it.
A problem specific to actors is the added burden of self-taping auditions. That cost used to be the responsibility of casting and production.
Have Hollywood actors ever gone on strike?
While the last three-month strike by movie and television actors was in 1980, broadcast commercial actors have gone on strike twice since. Overall, they achieve much more working peace than the screenwriters, who were on strike far more frequently. That includes the ongoing conflict with 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America on strike for nearly two months with no end in sight.
In 1960, the Actors Guild, led by then-SAG chairman and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan, went on a six-week strike, midway through a five-month writer’s strike, when the two major Hollywood unions went on strike. This was the only time I left the union. work at the same time.
The actors have shown broad support for the striking writers, and many have joined the picket line in a symbolic act of solidarity.
What impact will a combined strike have on viewers?
The writers’ strike had an almost immediate impact on late-night network talk shows such as NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” And CBS’s “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” was all immediately put on hiatus. “Saturday Night Live” was canceled after the final three episodes of the season.
In the two months since, a number of scripted TV series have also been canceled, including Netflix’s Stranger Things, Max’s Hux, Showtime’s Yellow Jackets, and Apple TV+’s Severance. became. Some films have also reportedly been put on hold.
Almost every show or movie that hasn’t yet been shot will be forced into a similar shutdown when actors join the scriptwriters. The next season of the TV show will be postponed indefinitely, and the release of the movie will be postponed.
While you won’t see an immediate difference in the streaming menus of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, fans of these outlets’ original series will eventually have to wait longer for their favorites to return. I don’t think so.
Exceptions are made for production outside the United States. And reality shows, game shows, and most daytime talk shows aren’t likely to be affected.
The two strikes have also cast doubt on the viability of the Emmy Awards. The Emmy nominations are set to be announced on July 12, before the September awards ceremony, but the Tony Awards and the BET Awards managed to put on the show despite the writers’ strike.
What is happening to writers?
Our strike has been picketing for two months, and there have been several large gatherings, but so far nothing has happened. There are currently no negotiations between the strikers and the Motion Picture and Television Producers Alliance, which represents studios, streamers and production companies in all union negotiations in the industry. The previous writers’ strike he had in 1988 lasted five months.
In addition to common issues with actors, the writers are particularly concerned about the shrinking staff used on the show (what they call “mini-rooms”). That means a lot less work and far less guarantees of future work.
According to AMPTP, the writers’ demands call for them to be on staff and paid when they are not working. The group also said it offered generous wage increases.
The gap between the two sides was wide in negotiations, and the talks broke down just hours before the contract expired. No one expected that to happen on Friday among the actors, but it remains to be seen whether a strike can be avoided in the next few days.
