The strike by screenwriters and actors in the United States that began on May 2 is having serious consequences for the film industry in Quebec. The financial losses are so great that they lead to layoffs.
The majority of my customers are American productions. I lost about 80% of my clientele due to filming this summer. “If it’s not resolved by December, I’ll probably close the door,” says Daniel Moise, manager of the camera and electrical team at Pro-Cam.
Mr Moïse suffered losses of almost a million dollars.
In Montreal, several sectors are suffering from this situation, such as Le Grand costumier, where the sewing machines are idle. The NPO grew from 15 to just 4 employees.
The scenario that was entirely possible was actually the closure of the Grand Costumer. We have limited our services. There are a few Quebec films, there are a few Quebec series, there are commercials, but if the strike continues, I don’t know what will happen to the costume designer in the long term, explains Kate Lecours, chief costume designer at Le Grand Objektier.
Half of this Montreal house’s revenue comes from dressing extras for major productions. The extent of the impact of this strike can be estimated by the number of people affected in the industry and the reduction in income.
It is estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 people are affected by the current strike in the USA. Revenue is currently zero. The stress is enormous when you know when it will start again. “There are people who call us to make withdrawals from registered retirement plans,” emphasizes Christian Lemay, president of AQTIS Local 514 AIEST.
Pro Cam’s Daniel Moise had to purchase $100,000 worth of new equipment to retrain for smaller productions in Quebec.
The Americans have allowed us to build a legacy, a way of filming here, professional and world-class, and we are slowly losing it, he laments.
Hollywood directors and actors are demanding better fees and protection from streaming platforms in line with the introduction of artificial intelligence.
According to the report by Jean Philippe Hughes