1 of 1 Union of Actors President Fran Drescher (in white) and negotiator Duncan CrabtreeIreland (in cap and glasses) and other members of the organization announce a strike for the category Photo: Mike Blake/Portal The Union of Actors President Fran Drescher (in white) and negotiator Duncan CrabtreeIreland (in cap and glasses) and other members of the organization announce a strike on the category Photo: Mike Blake / Portal
The union that represents Hollywood actors (SAGAFTRA, acronym in English) announced that the category will go on strike Thursday (13th) from midnight. This means that most of its 160,000 members are joining the writers, who have been paralyzed since May, in the largest strike in American entertainment since 1960.
At a press conference, SAG President Fran Drescher and Chief Negotiator Duncan CrabtreeIreland discussed the decision. Accordingly, some members, such as actors in commercials or audio books, can continue their activities.
“When employers make Wall Street and greed their top priority and forget the essential contributors that make the machine work, then we have a problem and we’re living it right now,” Drescher said.
“This is a very pivotal moment for us. At first I seriously thought that we could avoid a strike. The gravity of this change has not gone unnoticed by me, our negotiating committee, or our board members, who voted unanimously in favor of a strike. It is a very serious matter affecting thousands if not millions of people across the country and around the world.”
With 160,000 members, the Union of Actors said in a statement Tuesday night (11) that it did not trust the businessmen with any intention of negotiating an agreement. In June, the organization had already voted and approved a strike if negotiations failed.
Negotiations focused on better wages and other benefits, and defining the use of artificial intelligence in the production of films and television programs to ensure their digital images are not replicated without permission.
A double whammy, the likes of which hasn’t happened in Hollywood for over 60 years, is expected to shut down almost all film and television production in the United States.
At a time when the industry is still trying to recover from the trying years of the pandemic, the shutdown could prevent stars from promoting some of the muchanticipated summer releases and attending major festivals like Venice in the coming months.
At the London premiere of Christopher Nolan’s new film, Oppenheimer, the actors walked the red carpet but then walked out in solidarity with the union’s as yet unannounced decision.
According to analysts, the last major Hollywood strike, which shut down screenwriters in late 2007 and early 2008, had an estimated $2 billion impact on the California economy.
This is the first time Hollywood actors and screenwriters have gone on strike simultaneously since 1960, when Ronald Reagan, actor and future President of the United States, led an action that forced the studios to make concessions.
Actors also demand “remaining balances,” payments made each time a film or show they starred in is shown on network or cable television a particularly useful income when cast members are working between projects.
Today, however, platforms like Netflix and Disney+ do not disclose viewership data for their programs and offer a fixed value for everything available in their catalogs without considering a production’s popularity.
To further complicate the scenario, there is the problem of artificial intelligence. Actors and screenwriters want assurances that their future use will be regulated, but studios have so far refused to budge.
In a statement released after the strike was announced, the Film and Television Producers Alliance (AMPTP) said SAG had rejected several proposals.
These include increases in minimum and residual payments for international exhibitions and an “innovative artificial intelligence proposal that protects artists’ digital images, including requiring artist consent for the creation and use of digital replicas or for digital modifications of a performance.”
CrabtreeIreland refuted this version by studio representatives.
“They suggested that our extras could be scanned, get paid for the work one day, and their companies would own that scan, their image, and use it on whatever project they wanted for the rest of eternity. No consent and no compensation.”