With the agreement reached with the directors union, it seems that Hollywood has managed to put out one of the most important fires it had on the horizon, but the situation is far from being controlled. One month after the start of the scriptwriters’ strike —still with no sign of ending—, a new front of struggle has opened up in the Mecca of cinema that could put the industry in check, and it is the threat of a cessation of activity by the actors’ union.
strike threat
As SAG-AFTRA itself has shared, its members have approved the strike authorization with 97.91% of votes in favor in a query that has had 47.69% authorization. Undoubtedly, an unusual move for a Screen Actors Guild that has often resolved its disputes with producers by agreeing with the AMPTP without the need for strike threats.
If we look at the history of stoppages by the union —previously made up of two different organizations—, we have to go back to the 1980s to see the latest strike against the film and television industries, which lasted 94 days and was focused on residual pay-TV and VHS payments. After it, in the year 2000 and in 2016, two more took place against the advertising producers and against the video game industry.
While the actress Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, has stated in a statement that the vote in favor of the strike sends a message of “strength and solidarity”, The AMPTP has responded in a much more institutional way and cold:
“We are approaching these negotiations with the goal of achieving a new beneficial agreement for SAG-AFTRA members and for the industry in general.”
demands
But, with approval on the table, what are the demands that the actors make of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers? The main open fronts to resolve to prevent 160,000 interpreters from stopping the series and feature films in the current production phase there are three, and they start, again, for the residual payments.
residuals
Like the rest of the unions, in SAG-AFTRA they seek improve the model of residual payments derived from productions distributed on streaming platforms. Since the proliferation of this window, many interpreters have claimed to have noticed a more than notable drop in their income.
Actor Joe Holt —’Walking Dead: World Beyond’—said that, before, he could make an appearance as a guest star in a series like ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and receive a payment of $9,000 upfront that would become about $20,000 after reruns of the chapter; something that, now, is little less than a utopia:
“Streaming has made it impossible. You’re still doing the same quality work, but you’re not getting paid for reruns. There should be a way to monetize it. It’s there in perpetuity. People are streaming it all the time.”
artificial intelligence
how could it be less Artificial intelligence is another major concern for actors and actressesalthough it is not something derived from the recent boom Of the same. For years now, the people of SAG-AFTRA have been working to protect their affiliates from inappropriate use of digital doubles and other tricks, and now even greater protection is sought that would include the prohibition of train AIs with actors’ jobs without their explicit consent.
It should be noted that the union It is not intended to prohibit the use of AI, which they believe could be beneficial for interpreters, focusing on authorization and payment. However, there are professionals like Justine Bateman who have a much more radical position on the matter.
“If SAG doesn’t put strict restrictions on AI, the entire profession of film and series acting will be destroyed on their watch. Personally, I’d say keep fucking AI out of this. I think involving AI in the entertainment industry would be the worst thing that could have happened to the business.”
The self tapes
Finally, the third pillar of the fight lies in the use of so-called “self tapes” in casting processes; recordings made by the actors and actresses who are candidates for a role to participate in selection processes. The actress Rebecca Metz —’Shameless’— explained the main problem with this type of evidence: the absence of indications.
“For me, it’s that we don’t get any cues. Now you just send this out into the ether with no guidance as far as tone goes. I can’t show 80% of my work.”
As with artificial intelligences, from SAG-AFTRA do not aspire to ban a casting method that gained popularity during the pandemic pandemic, which has ended up becoming another standard and which many professionals appreciate for its convenience. However, a regulation is proposed with proposals that include a limit of five script pages for these types of tests.
There is no doubt that the actors union and the AMPTP have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to prevent Hollywood from finding another stick in the wheel that jeopardizes his plans for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Via | Variety
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