2023-07-14 17:28:24
Screenwriters in the US have been on strike for weeks. Now tens of thousands of members of the actors’ union are also laying down their jobs – with consequences for film and television around the world.
The Angels.
Actors’ strike in Hollywood: After negotiations with the association of TV and film studios AMPTP failed to reach an agreement by a deadline, the members of the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA have now officially laid down their work. According to SAG-AFTRA, the strike began on Friday at 00:01 local time in Los Angeles (09:01 CEST).
It’s a double whammy for the US entertainment industry, as the union’s break joins the screenwriters who have been on strike since May 2nd. In the USA, it is now practically no longer possible to shoot films and series.
What are the consequences of the strike for film and series fans worldwide?
According to the industry website “Entertainment Weekly”, the new strike will have more of an impact on the film industry than on TV productions. Because of the ongoing negotiations, some major companies had already postponed announced film starts, including Marvel with new superhero films for “Captain America” or “Blade”, Disney’s live-action adaptation of the animated hit “Moana” (German title: “Vaiana”) and the planned ” Avatar” sequels. However, because films have a long production and marketing lead time, the consequences of a strike are only likely to be felt in a few months.
The writing and shooting of television series, on the other hand, is already largely on hold because of the scriptwriters’ strike. Their union WGA has also already received support from set employees, so that no filming could be maintained and series like “Stranger Things” or “Yellowjackets” are currently not being produced. In addition, the late-night shows popular in the USA by moderators such as Jimmy Kimmel or John Oliver had been canceled completely since the beginning of May due to the strike.
Who exactly is going on strike now?
The actors’ guild SAG-AFTRA has more than 160,000 members, including actors for film and television, stunt people, TV journalists and presenters. However, the strike only affects actors for series and films. For them, membership in SAG-AFTRA is often an essential prerequisite for even getting acting jobs in the US entertainment industry, many productions even require it. In addition, SAG-AFTRA gives them access to health insurance and retirement plans, two aspects that are extremely important to many in an uncertain industry.
The strike is binding, the actors are no longer allowed to work in front of the camera. Productions with non-union actors could theoretically continue, but SAG-AFTRA has already announced that it will ask future membership applications whether a candidate was a scab.
What are the actors trying to achieve?
The SAG-AFTRA members want to achieve essentially the same thing as the screenwriters. Both creative industries are suffering from the fact that more films and series are being produced, but budgets are falling and series are often shooting fewer episodes per season. In addition, unlike in stationary television, repetitions with streaming providers bring lower royalties that are independent of the number of viewers. In addition, SAG-AFTRA said there was a “real and imminent threat” in how animated AI characters could replicate members’ acting in a deceptively real way.
On the occasion of the ballot, SAG-AFTRA outlined the goals of the negotiations for the members and wrote: “We need a contract that improves our compensation plans and protects members from loss of income due to inflation and declining replay royalties, as well as from the unregulated use of AI and mandating self-recorded audition videos.”
How did the strike decision come about?
Around 65,000 members of SAG-AFTRA took part in the June 7 ballot, with 97.9 percent in favor of a strike. After that, the negotiations continued – but without result.
A letter with meanwhile more than 1000 often very famous signatories caused a lot of attention. In it, the stars call on the union to negotiate relentlessly. “This is not a time to meet in the middle,” says the report published by the industry magazine Deadline open letter. Among others, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Ben Stiller and Pedro Pascal signed this statement of solidarity.
What’s next?
Hollywood and the big film and TV industries in cities like New York are now threatened with complete standstill. It is not entirely clear how long this will last. In the showdown between actors and screenwriters with the big studios, new negotiations are likely to start soon behind the scenes. However, it is completely unclear how this will go. A strike by the actors in 1980 lasted more than three months.
Has there been such a double strike before?
The screenwriting industry strikes more often, but it’s unusual for both actors and writers to strike at the same time. A strike in 1960 is considered seminal for the industry. Back then, the writers went on strike for five months and the actors joined for six weeks to get the production studios to pay health insurance and pension contributions for the members. At that time, the SAG chairman was a man who would later become President of the USA: actor Ronald Reagan. (dpa)
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