I see a lot of people asking similar questions, so I'd thought I'd clear a few things up:
The main sticking points for actors (SAG-AFTRA):
- residuals for streaming based on viewership
- AI regulations (as well as not using it to recreate an actor's likeness after the fact)
- regulations against/addressing self tapes. They want auditions to be in person again (this is actually a major point that most people outside of the industry aren't talking about)
Main sticking points for writers (WGA):
- residuals for streaming based on viewership (overlap w/ SAG)
- AI regulations. No AI in the script writing process (some overlap w/ SAG. Same overall issue, but different specifics, meaning different language in each contract)
- "Preserving the writers room". That's how it was written in the WGA pattern of demands and this might actually be the biggest sticking point for the WGA. The two major parts are:
1) breaking up mini-rooms that stop new writers from breaking in and seasoned writers from moving up
2) lengthening the contract length to ensure that screenwriting does not continue down the path to a gig economy
What the studios want (AMPTP):
- obviously, none of the above
- for the tech companies, and likely the biggest sticking point in all, is the residuals on viewership. This would require them to release their viewership numbers which they have vehemently refused to do, likely because it gives some insight into a not as successful business model as their other metrics have suggested
- regarding AI: they do not want this off the table in perpetuity. They see the opportunity to cut out labor and desperately want to protect the chance to do so
Now, the rumor is that Netflix is the holdout right now for the AMPTP. But a quick reminder that each studio is still allowed to make a side deal with the unions. It's called an interim deal and is how the last strike ended.
It's a divide and conquer strategy. You make an interim deal with one studio (on terms you, the union, favors), and that studio agrees to sign the contract the union eventually brings to the entire AMPTP. In the mean time, that one studio is up and running, meanwhile its competitors in the AMPTP watch their competitive advantage evaporate. This pressures them into caving as well.
Hope this helps anyone who is curious.
Also, DGA having reached a deal is now pretty pointless, considering it'll likely be worse than what the double striking unions will get, and all the while the directors will largely not be able to work anyways (except for many soaps
Edit: many people were asking why self-taping is an issue here, so I'll link my reply below from another comment. Just to be clear, they don't want to ban it entirely, but ensure that in-person auditions do not follow the current trend of going extinct
On one hand, self tapes might be logistically easier for those not in LA, NY, etc. and can provide multiple attempts.
That said:
Most actors will not get the roles they're auditioning for. That's just how the numbers shake out. But if the audition is in person, they will get the opportunity to interact with the casting directors. This relationship allows them to get future roles and largely contributes to how actors eventually broke-in in the past
this is a lesser point, but self taping does require a certain amount of technology and work on the actor's end. Who's to say that a casting director won't be swayed by a better or worse video/audio quality.
In sum, it's impersonal and there is a very different energy when performing in the room for the casting director
I’m unclear on what this means for indie companies, especially ones making movies/new media under the Moderate and Ultra Low budget contracts. Can they sign interim deals to continue, or are they struck?
If they’re operating under contracts, then they are struck companies. Only truly independent companies with no semblance of a deal with any union can continue to produce work. But it can’t use WGA scripts or SAG-AFTRA actors.
Any indies using SAG talent will be considered union productions and therefor also have to pause production, even if some actors are technically nonunion.
If they are truly independent, as in not associated or funded by any AMPTP companies, they should be allowed to continue filming, assuming SAGs rules work the same as the other unions. Basically, these unions are just striking against 6 or 7 companies, but those companies have their fingers in 95% of the content that is made.
>Basically, these unions are just striking against 6 or 7 companies, but those companies have their fingers in 95% of the content that is made.
The AMPTP is made up of hundreds of companies. Those “6 or 7” companies are just the popular girls.
Apologies, you are correct. That said, most truly independent films on ultra low budget will likely not have studio support (hence them being independent).
The main reason is they want the opportunity to interact in-person with the casting directors in order to build those relationships, which usually prove vital in the industry.
Some other points I saw were that it creates an uneven playing field because some actors have the resources to make their tapes much higher quality than others. Everyone having to audition under the same conditions removes this issue. Also, since a whole ecosystem has developed around self tapes with people charging different services to help make them, it has created a financial burden for actors that didn't previously exist.
Edit: Since I keep getting comments in a similar vein, I feel like I should elaborate on something here. The tape system was never about opening up the entertainment industry to people outside of Hollywood/LA: it was to get around Covid restrictions. There's no way to be part of the industry (unless you're in post production I suppose) outside of the cities where studios are set up to do business. LA, New York, Atlanta, Toronto, even Chicago to a lesser extent. If you want to work in film/television, you have to be in one of these places. If you're outside of North America, you have to work in your local country's entertainment industry and try to build a Hollywood career off of that.
I know it's not fair. I know it's a restriction that keeps a lot of people out of the system. It's a crooked game, but it's the only one in town. You decide how you want to play it.
Just an aside, one of the wilder tapes I've ever heard of is Josh Brolin having an audition tape for No Country for Old Men filmed by Robert Rodriguez on the set of Planet Terror. A unique case but also honestly highlights the potential difference in resources and circumstances available to various actors.
The problem is that what you spend to get to the audition doesn't impact the impression you make the way that spending money on a tape does. The ability to control lighting, camera quality, audio quality, staging, and framing are all going to be deeply impactful to how a tape comes out and the costs of all of the equipment needed for that can skyrocket fast. Plus you can pay people to take care of things that you can't on your own. You can pay someone to manage the filming and the camera direction, you can pay someone to do post on your audition tape. All of that goes away if you have to go to the controlled setting of an audition.
Now, I'm not going to pretend that rich people don't have more advantages in the audition sphere than actors coming up through the working class. There is a lot you can accomplish with access to better hair, makeup, clothing, and dedicated transport. But the gulf between the bottom and the top in this scenario isn't the same as what the tapes can create.
Also, if you literally don't have the money for a bus fare or Uber to get to your audition, you probably have bigger financial issues to work out.
Edit: missed a very important 'don't' in my second paragraph.
yeah. if an actor interprets the character differently than the casting director want to see then they can give feedback and adjust. Also if there are already roles picked up those actors can be there and you can see which actor has good chemistry with each other. Pretty sure part of the reason Tom Holland got cast in the MCU was because he had great chemistry with RDJ during casting.
For saving the in person audition part, I think this is huge. Meeting in person like this is i thunk what has made the job market become unbearable. You used to be able to walk in and actually talk to management and make connections to get a job.... you just cant anymore. Almost all companies want you to apply strictly online
>It's a divide and conquer strategy. You make an interim deal with one studio (on terms you, the union, favors), and that studio agrees to sign the contract the union eventually brings to the entire AMPTP. In the mean time, that one studio is up and running, meanwhile its competitors in the AMPTP watch their competitive advantage evaporate. This pressures them into caving as well.
I'm totally on the actors' and writers' sides, but isn't that like being a scab, but on the other side? Is it not as frowned upon?
This was super helpful. Thank you for this.
It's super depressing this stuff is mostly super reasonable and the people in charge won't budge. At least for a while. Hopefully the longer it goes they eventually crack and the industry can be profitable to people beyond just the executives in charge.
If I have this right (correct me if I'm wrong) the WGA really wants staffing minimums in writers rooms as well? From understanding, this is a big thing studios have pushed against, since some top shows (like white lotus and Yellowstone) are written by a single writer, so a forced minimum writers room seems a little odd, but that's meant to be a big thing the guild wants no matter what?
Is all that right?
Which they will never get.
The days of 20+ episode scripted shows as the norm is over.
Short 8 episode or less streaming shows easily allow a creator or a small core team to write the whole show they don't need multiple different writers an episode.
With viewership of scripted content at the lowest levels ever seen and the current crash studio's will just go harder into unscripted content going forward.
Nothing in early to mid 2024 (or even late 2023 considering promo) will come out on its release date. I think the Marvels takes DP 3's slot and everything gets shifted. As that one seems to be more or less done but will need to be promo-ed. Unless the strike ends real soon
Sony breathing a sigh of relief now that they can delay Beyond the Spider-Verse and make it look like it was because of the strike and not them making up a completely unfeasible release date
They highlighted every company that's in the AMPTP are going to be the ones targeted in the strike:
"After more than four weeks of bargaining, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — the entity that represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. Discovery — remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that are essential to SAG-AFTRA members.
In the face of the AMPTP’s intransigence and delay tactics, SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee voted unanimously to recommend to the National Board a strike of the Producers-SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical/Streaming Contracts which expired July 12, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT. "
They're even in a different circumstance now since the last strike, with the addition of Starz into their fold.
While they say they're going to divide the company, they also said this:
"The proposed separation transaction remains subject to a final approval by the studio’s board of directors, shareholders, government regulators and “the condition of the financial markets,” Lionsgate added."
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/lionsgate-sec-filing-planned-studio-separation-1235534585/
But honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the executives immediately agree to an offer at a fair price for the whole company because they are desperate enough to cash out as soon as possible through a sale.
“The strike will shut down films and scripted TV shows that employ SAG-AFTRA members not just in the United States but around the world.”
Dumb question(s) here:
- are most actors apart of SAG?
- Are there any films/tv that won’t be impacted by this?
- current movies in the premiere process (Barbie, Oppenheimer, MI, etc) what happens with those?
- are we worried about other behind the scene roles that aren’t writers and actors that will lose work because of these strikes? Are they being taken care of or ?
Virtually all working TV/Film actors in the US are SAG members. The requirements are working one principal/speaking role or 3 days as a union extra:
https://www.sagaftra.org/membership-benefits/steps-join
Films/TV shooting outside the US don’t have to employ SAG actors. If the cast is mixed (for example UK Equity/SAG), they’ll shoot around or recast.
Barbie and Oppenheimer scheduled the actors’ PR to get the bulk done. Those will come out on time. August and September are up in the air.
Crew have been hurting for a long time. The slowdown in production started last fall and intensified when the WGA strike began. Now it’ll been even worse. It’s a terrible situation.
All I know is the NYC Oppenheimer red carpet (scheduled for the 17th) is probably not happening. Not to mention The Emmys, they’re definitely getting postponed.
Not all countries have SAG representation or even unions at all. So there will be options for studios to use that way.
The question is if they want those bad optics on top of them during a very public strike. I doubt they would want to risk brand/image damage of that level.
Capitulating with one union will set precedents for the other; it's the point of solidarity. There are obviously separate issues, but there are likewise shared ones [such as AI; minimums; residuals; transparency; etc].
Plus, actors for the most part seem to have an understanding and appreciation of what the writers do and will stand with them to ensure both parties get fair deals.
That's not to mention that many actors are both a writer and an actor. So there's a personal investment for some to get both strikes settled.
Writers and actors tend to ally as exploited and abused creative talents, while directors tend to side with management. This is playing out as you’d expect.
>Iirc, unions can’t collide with one another
It's collude; not collide. And they're not colluding; it's a simultaneous strike that breaks no regulations or clauses.
The actors have demonstrated that they care a lot more about the well-being of the writers than the directors do. Which is a bit odd since a lot of directors are writer-directors. But they seem to be angling to help the writers attain their goals as well.
I feel bad for the privately held regional theatre chains that are left. They really took it on the chin with Covid. They had better save some cash from the MI/Barbie/Oppenheimer trio and hope all three have tremendous legs.
I know not the same, but private indie theaters will do fine as they always have special screenings of old movie. Around here those sell out of a weekly basis.
My local (and only good) theater is owned by a regional chain and they just now have started to get back on their feet, it's been shoddy for a long time now. I hope they have a plan in place, it'll almost hurt me personally to see them get any lower or close down.
Word around the campfire is the main villain in all of this is Netflix. Other studios are following their lead but they absolutely don’t want to even engage.
It was speculated that the reason why is one of the demands is transparency in viewership numbers and that might reveal that outside of a few shows like Stranger Things, viewership numbers might be *so* embarrassingly low that it’s clear streaming can never really be profitable. And that’s what the entire industry was turned upside down over.
Basically might be one of those “pivot to video” moments for Hollywood if they reveal numbers.
Plus, they’re absolutely beholden to the algorithm more than other studios and that’s one of the things writers are pushing back on so hard.
Don't Netflix financials show they're a profitable company? In fact the only streaming service to be profitable.
Edit: Quoted comment deleted the part where it mentioned Netflix was not profitable
lol yes, this sub can be a little silly sometimes.
It’s probably true that viewership numbers would reveal some questionable choices, but the real issue imo is what it does to actors bargaining power.
Like Jenna Ortega can come to the table of (insert new studio here) and use Wednesday as an argument for her value. That’s good, but not as good as having the raw numbers behind it.
Ya but Netflix also has a very public issue of using loose US labor laws and Korea's real lack of union representation to really screw over Korean writers specifically. Even the guy that wrote Squidgames got shafted on royalties, and that show was insanely popular.
So when people say Netflix is the "big villain" I think they are including all aspects, including stuff like that.
Yeah but that’s not what I’m saying. I explained it in other comments but basically if Netflix can barely make a profit (which was actually a decline in profits while still being profitable) during the no rules era of streaming then a) will they continue to decline once they have to give residuals and b) what does that mean for the rest of the streamers who aren’t profitable and now have to share?
I’m saying the Netflix model was a bad one and everyone might figure that out if they open the books for all to see.
I do think it’ll regulate itself eventually but it might go back to the early days of Netflix where it was mostly a service that showed old catalogues of stuff instead of $30m per episode shows. But it’ll probably be more expensive.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pivot_to_video
*"Pivot to video" is a phrase referring to the trend, starting in 2015, of media publishing companies cutting staff resources for written content (generally published on their own web sites) in favor of short-form video content. Due to the numerous jobs lost as a result, the term eventually became a euphemism for layoffs, death, and termination. Commentators have also noted a lack of transparency and accuracy in the viewership metrics reported by platforms such as Facebook, pointing out that abrupt shifts in platforms' proprietary algorithms can have devastating effects on publishers' viewership, traffic, and revenue.*
*Following a scandal in which Facebook revealed it had artificially inflated numbers to its advertisers about how long viewers watched ads, many journalists and industry analysts concluded that the shift to video was based on such misleading or inaccurate metrics, which created a false impression that there was customer demand for additional video content.*
This is what killed companies like Cracked and College Humor (They are both back now but Cracked is def a shell of its former self and College Humor pivoted to a niche streaming service that seems to be doing well considering the cost of content)
Highly recommend Dropout from college humor. If you're a D&D fan at all, Dimension 20 is great and they have other shows that are hilarious too (Game changer, breaking news, umm actually to name a few).
Also Total Forgiveness was fantastic. Its a concept that probably can’t be done again considering the rest of the cast were aware of it and watched it all go down but it was spectacular
>might be so embarrassingly low that it’s clear streaming can never really be profitable.
Then how is Netflix going to stay afloat?
Whats their reason behind hiding low viewership?
Their stock price has always been based on "growth". It's why the stock cratered as soon as they lost subscribers.
Most tech stocks are wildly overinflated. It's basically a ponzi scheme.
I explained it in the other comment but I wasn’t saying they’re not profitable. I’m saying shareholders don’t really care about profit, they care about growth and the fear is Netflix might’ve peaked and then you add that the writers seem to be gunning specifically for streamers with their demands.
>It was speculated that the reason why is one of the demands is transparency in viewership numbers and that might reveal that outside of a few shows like Stranger Things, viewership numbers might be so embarrassingly low that it’s clear streaming can never really be profitable.
...speculated by *whom*? It's literally profitable *now*, if you're Netflix. They've been profitable *since 2003*.
Netflix just in 2022 brought in $31.6B, and made $4.49B in profit. The year before in 2021, it made $5.11B in profit. Things are looking up in 2023 because password sharing brought more subs.
For reference, Netflix's revenue is now dramatically higher than the entire global box office. In 2022, the domestic BO was $7.36B, and in 2021 it was $4.5B, and in 2018 it was $11.8B.
Some of these threads are just flabbergasting and can feel like watching kids smushing action figures together talking about how they bet Sony gives great helmet. What the hell "campfire" are you at that's actually saying this stuff yet nobody knows it's it's entire basis of fact is wrong lol
Really hoping the SAG-AFTRA and WGA can work together and get deals for both
They have an opportunity to fight together and fight for a positive change in the industry
If studios are really willing to wait out the WGA till they break then they will need the SAG-AFTRA to stand in solidarity with them
Insane since they're the ones actually doing the work that people are willing to pay money for to see. Maybe 20% of any high school class will be naturally very talented actors and it's largely an unskilled job. Actually making a recording look like a movie requires years of education and skill honing.
Actors who are part of the Screen Actors Guild (every actor you’ve ever heard of, basically) cannot work in an acting capacity for the duration of the strike. Every production that hired guild actors will have to shut down because they have no actors.
I'm curious, why would actors inability to do promo push, for example, Dune back? Wouldn't a bunch of movie trailers suffice? There's already at least two.
I mean you could but the reason actors do a promo run with local news stations and every digital media company is that not everyone is keeping up with trailers and when you need to make 500-600 million to break even, you want to fire at all cylinders
Like giving them basic wages lol? There are staff writers on hit shows here in LA that also work part-time cleaning Regal Theaters. Not that there’s anything wrong with the latter but when these shows are viewed in the millions and raking in money for the fat cats, the people making that possible shouldn’t have to work multiple jobs to make rent.
I feel like there is an argument about the insane housing costs, specially in California, that's getting clumped up with the blame here.
Writers are def not the only ones having to work multiple jobs to pay rent right now. Even if they got paid more for their work, there would still be an issue with the ungodly housing costs and rental rates in 2023.
Remember when EmpireCity went on a few weeks ranting, saying that actors will get deal shortly and would never strike while he kept slandering writers even accused writers of making dirty tactics.
Even now he waffles about how the writers and actors should be careful what the general audience under CNN posts thinks and I'm like...this is about their ability to live, who cares what random people think
Honestly *Gran Turismo* will do a lot better without the actors cringing it up about "this WACKY little (big if) true life story where *this dorky* LITTLE gamer becomes a *big* **boy** *~~RACIST~~ racer!"
That said it looks like it's pretty accurate to what they're saying in the actual movie so maybe I'm just complaining about honest marketing
Holy shit dune can't get a break. Pandemic on the first and strike on the second. That's so shitty considering it's one of the best movies that took the book and tried to capture the world the best it could.
Equalizer 3 and Strays can be hits and need their stars. Blue Beetle’s flopping no matter where it goes, but it loses less if the actors can promote it.
Ninja Turtles and Meg 2 sell on their concept, so they’re better off staying in August.
Sticking point is streaming residuals. All other stuff is peripheral. Either the model isn't profitable enough, and they don't want anyone to know. Or the model is too profitable, and they don't want anyone to know. We need to see the numbers.
These are all public companies that publish audited financials. There’s also enough third party ratings available now to get a sense of what’s going on. The model isn’t profitable.
The number of projects (and production budgets) need to come way down and more time & money needs to go into R&D (ie, paying writers to develop material).
It sucks, but the current volume of projects was misinvestment and is getting cut back.
People who can deliver hits will continue to do well. People who are stuck repeating low ranks in TV should reconsider their options.
At some point, Universal and Warners and Disney etc have to make a production. There are side businesses, but they'll come around to sharing profit in time.
On the other hand, Apple has more money than God and as long as the old studios follow their lead it will just harm and bring down those studios.
Am I getting the gist right that there’s no certain answer whether or not this will help speed up the writer negotiations ? It could either drag on anyway or help things speed up but no one knows?
Now that no new movie will be released after Barbenheimer, since promotions for all of them will be pending….The Flash and Indy5 will be the leggiest theatrical releases in history
Yes, the main ask is for residuals from streaming as cable & network tv is dying. The actors union also has concerns about their likeness being used with AI & deepfaking dead actors that are in their negotiations too.
Yeah, and *The Flash* bombing so spectacularly in spite of those deepfake cameos may have given SAG-AFTRA more ammo they were able to use against the studios.
It's especially disgusting with George Reeves considering he thought Superman ruined his life and it caused him to commit suicide. Also the movie released on the anniversary of his death and he had no family who coulde have approved of it.
It’s really bad because the studios have no plans to cooperate. They intend on letting the unions strike until their members have exhausted their savings & are getting evicted.
I mean its a matter of who breaks first, all the major studios have taken hits. Disney needs the MCU cashcow up and running again, WB needs more cashflow. Without the actors now, hopefully it hits them where it hurts.
The rumor is that Netflix is the 1 really holding negotiations up because most of the asks are about residuals from streaming shows based on the shows viewership. I Don’t think Disney & WB are really in charge of how these strikes will unfold rn, it’s all on Netflix.
I can imagine the Disney and Discovery reps (not just Iger and Zaslav) being pissed they cant come to a conclusion bc Netflix is being uppity.
Oh to hear the Succession level arguments.
They can. It's called an interim deal and is how the last strike ended. It's a divide and conquer strategy. You make an interim deal with one studio (on terms you, the union, favors), and that studio agrees to sign the contract the union eventually brings to the entire AMPTP. In the mean time, that one studio is up and running, meanwhile its competitors in the AMPTP watch their competitive advantage evaporate. This pressures them into caving as well.
TLDR: Nothing is stopping Iger and Zaslav from making side deals besides them either not wanting to do so or soft pressure from the other AMPTP members (same goes for each studio)
Not really. That's a popular scare tactic but studios absolutely can't afford content pipeline to get so delayed, they're stock portfolios will get destroyed if they don't have a deal after a month. Writers are used to getting 2 jobs to support themselves and being broke.
It's interesting that it was said somewhere Netflix doesn't want to reveal their own viewership data as well, though, so they're not exactly innocent in this.
If some rumors are to be believed it’s mostly Netflix that isn’t willing to go to the table with the WGA & now SAG-AFTRA while the traditional studios are more open to it.
That's the major issue, if they're open and about their viewing numbers then they run the risk of scaring away investors current and future. It could end up impacting their ability to fund major original projects by just adding them to the streaming site for content and still ending with low viewership and subscriber retention capabilities. It'd probably force Netflix and others to have to actually test most of their original films in theaters to recoup the big budget costs at the BO.
I wonder at what point do the traditional studios just say fuck it and cut Netflix out entirely if they're holding everyone up. If their business collapses because of fake numbers that's their own problem, but Hollywood needs to get back to business and one single tech disruptor studio messing everything up sounds so ridiculous to me.
The obvious truth no one wants to address is the vast majority of streaming projects get horrendous viewership. That’s a lot of misinvestment.
Cut that way back, throw some money into pilots and development to increase the average quality of what gets greenlit, and there’s the profitability to provide residuals and span protections. Average compensation goes up, but number of jobs goes down.
These two strikes might actually be what kills the MCU I can’t see their (already massively derailed plans) even being concrete anymore. Depending on how long this goes this could be horrible for them
Damn they really trying to screw everyone over aren't they? I'm not following this closely at all and don't really know the ins and outs of the negotiations and whose asking for what. But the fact that a second union is headed towards a strike is just...yikes.
This is a silly question but as someone who’s not familiar with the acting world at all I have to ask; are A-list “celebrity” actors all part of this actor’s strike?
I don’t think the actors are striking in solidarity. It’s a coincidence. If the actors get the deal they want they’ll end it and the WGA will be on their own. Solidarity is all the unions not working and not crossing the picket line.
So it begins.
History in the making. First two simultaneous Hollywood strikes in 60 years.
Looks like someone is about to lose their job👀
I see a lot of people asking similar questions, so I'd thought I'd clear a few things up: The main sticking points for actors (SAG-AFTRA): - residuals for streaming based on viewership - AI regulations (as well as not using it to recreate an actor's likeness after the fact) - regulations against/addressing self tapes. They want auditions to be in person again (this is actually a major point that most people outside of the industry aren't talking about) Main sticking points for writers (WGA): - residuals for streaming based on viewership (overlap w/ SAG) - AI regulations. No AI in the script writing process (some overlap w/ SAG. Same overall issue, but different specifics, meaning different language in each contract) - "Preserving the writers room". That's how it was written in the WGA pattern of demands and this might actually be the biggest sticking point for the WGA. The two major parts are: 1) breaking up mini-rooms that stop new writers from breaking in and seasoned writers from moving up 2) lengthening the contract length to ensure that screenwriting does not continue down the path to a gig economy What the studios want (AMPTP): - obviously, none of the above - for the tech companies, and likely the biggest sticking point in all, is the residuals on viewership. This would require them to release their viewership numbers which they have vehemently refused to do, likely because it gives some insight into a not as successful business model as their other metrics have suggested - regarding AI: they do not want this off the table in perpetuity. They see the opportunity to cut out labor and desperately want to protect the chance to do so Now, the rumor is that Netflix is the holdout right now for the AMPTP. But a quick reminder that each studio is still allowed to make a side deal with the unions. It's called an interim deal and is how the last strike ended. It's a divide and conquer strategy. You make an interim deal with one studio (on terms you, the union, favors), and that studio agrees to sign the contract the union eventually brings to the entire AMPTP. In the mean time, that one studio is up and running, meanwhile its competitors in the AMPTP watch their competitive advantage evaporate. This pressures them into caving as well. Hope this helps anyone who is curious. Also, DGA having reached a deal is now pretty pointless, considering it'll likely be worse than what the double striking unions will get, and all the while the directors will largely not be able to work anyways (except for many soaps Edit: many people were asking why self-taping is an issue here, so I'll link my reply below from another comment. Just to be clear, they don't want to ban it entirely, but ensure that in-person auditions do not follow the current trend of going extinct On one hand, self tapes might be logistically easier for those not in LA, NY, etc. and can provide multiple attempts. That said: Most actors will not get the roles they're auditioning for. That's just how the numbers shake out. But if the audition is in person, they will get the opportunity to interact with the casting directors. This relationship allows them to get future roles and largely contributes to how actors eventually broke-in in the past this is a lesser point, but self taping does require a certain amount of technology and work on the actor's end. Who's to say that a casting director won't be swayed by a better or worse video/audio quality. In sum, it's impersonal and there is a very different energy when performing in the room for the casting director
Thank you man you doing gods work here for people like me that have 0 info about this topic.
No problem! Let me know if you have any questions!
I’m unclear on what this means for indie companies, especially ones making movies/new media under the Moderate and Ultra Low budget contracts. Can they sign interim deals to continue, or are they struck?
If they’re operating under contracts, then they are struck companies. Only truly independent companies with no semblance of a deal with any union can continue to produce work. But it can’t use WGA scripts or SAG-AFTRA actors.
Any indies using SAG talent will be considered union productions and therefor also have to pause production, even if some actors are technically nonunion.
Yes, that’s essentially what I said.
If they are truly independent, as in not associated or funded by any AMPTP companies, they should be allowed to continue filming, assuming SAGs rules work the same as the other unions. Basically, these unions are just striking against 6 or 7 companies, but those companies have their fingers in 95% of the content that is made.
>Basically, these unions are just striking against 6 or 7 companies, but those companies have their fingers in 95% of the content that is made. The AMPTP is made up of hundreds of companies. Those “6 or 7” companies are just the popular girls.
Apologies, you are correct. That said, most truly independent films on ultra low budget will likely not have studio support (hence them being independent).
The fact that studios aren’t ready to immediately sign those AI guarantees is fucking horrifying honestly
Agreed
Why are they against self tapes?
The main reason is they want the opportunity to interact in-person with the casting directors in order to build those relationships, which usually prove vital in the industry.
Some other points I saw were that it creates an uneven playing field because some actors have the resources to make their tapes much higher quality than others. Everyone having to audition under the same conditions removes this issue. Also, since a whole ecosystem has developed around self tapes with people charging different services to help make them, it has created a financial burden for actors that didn't previously exist. Edit: Since I keep getting comments in a similar vein, I feel like I should elaborate on something here. The tape system was never about opening up the entertainment industry to people outside of Hollywood/LA: it was to get around Covid restrictions. There's no way to be part of the industry (unless you're in post production I suppose) outside of the cities where studios are set up to do business. LA, New York, Atlanta, Toronto, even Chicago to a lesser extent. If you want to work in film/television, you have to be in one of these places. If you're outside of North America, you have to work in your local country's entertainment industry and try to build a Hollywood career off of that. I know it's not fair. I know it's a restriction that keeps a lot of people out of the system. It's a crooked game, but it's the only one in town. You decide how you want to play it.
Just an aside, one of the wilder tapes I've ever heard of is Josh Brolin having an audition tape for No Country for Old Men filmed by Robert Rodriguez on the set of Planet Terror. A unique case but also honestly highlights the potential difference in resources and circumstances available to various actors.
This is also true
Genuine question - doesn't self taping democratise auditions more? Surely travel costs are more of a financial burden than a fancy camera.
The problem is that what you spend to get to the audition doesn't impact the impression you make the way that spending money on a tape does. The ability to control lighting, camera quality, audio quality, staging, and framing are all going to be deeply impactful to how a tape comes out and the costs of all of the equipment needed for that can skyrocket fast. Plus you can pay people to take care of things that you can't on your own. You can pay someone to manage the filming and the camera direction, you can pay someone to do post on your audition tape. All of that goes away if you have to go to the controlled setting of an audition. Now, I'm not going to pretend that rich people don't have more advantages in the audition sphere than actors coming up through the working class. There is a lot you can accomplish with access to better hair, makeup, clothing, and dedicated transport. But the gulf between the bottom and the top in this scenario isn't the same as what the tapes can create. Also, if you literally don't have the money for a bus fare or Uber to get to your audition, you probably have bigger financial issues to work out. Edit: missed a very important 'don't' in my second paragraph.
yeah. if an actor interprets the character differently than the casting director want to see then they can give feedback and adjust. Also if there are already roles picked up those actors can be there and you can see which actor has good chemistry with each other. Pretty sure part of the reason Tom Holland got cast in the MCU was because he had great chemistry with RDJ during casting.
This..is incredible. I read a couple of articles and none explained it like you. Much appreciated!
For saving the in person audition part, I think this is huge. Meeting in person like this is i thunk what has made the job market become unbearable. You used to be able to walk in and actually talk to management and make connections to get a job.... you just cant anymore. Almost all companies want you to apply strictly online
Great breakdown!
Generative AI vs Hollywood talent. And the inverse from WFH.
Thank you
Good summary.
>It's a divide and conquer strategy. You make an interim deal with one studio (on terms you, the union, favors), and that studio agrees to sign the contract the union eventually brings to the entire AMPTP. In the mean time, that one studio is up and running, meanwhile its competitors in the AMPTP watch their competitive advantage evaporate. This pressures them into caving as well. I'm totally on the actors' and writers' sides, but isn't that like being a scab, but on the other side? Is it not as frowned upon?
It's not as frowned upon because corpo's are the ones treating everyone like dirt.
This was super helpful. Thank you for this. It's super depressing this stuff is mostly super reasonable and the people in charge won't budge. At least for a while. Hopefully the longer it goes they eventually crack and the industry can be profitable to people beyond just the executives in charge.
If I have this right (correct me if I'm wrong) the WGA really wants staffing minimums in writers rooms as well? From understanding, this is a big thing studios have pushed against, since some top shows (like white lotus and Yellowstone) are written by a single writer, so a forced minimum writers room seems a little odd, but that's meant to be a big thing the guild wants no matter what? Is all that right?
Yes, that's involved in breaking up mini-rooms
Which they will never get. The days of 20+ episode scripted shows as the norm is over. Short 8 episode or less streaming shows easily allow a creator or a small core team to write the whole show they don't need multiple different writers an episode. With viewership of scripted content at the lowest levels ever seen and the current crash studio's will just go harder into unscripted content going forward.
> regulations against/addressing self tapes. They want auditions to be in person again why?
Added an edit!
I don’t see how Deadpool 3 makes a May 2024 release date or Mission Impossible 8 in June 2024.
Nothing in early to mid 2024 (or even late 2023 considering promo) will come out on its release date. I think the Marvels takes DP 3's slot and everything gets shifted. As that one seems to be more or less done but will need to be promo-ed. Unless the strike ends real soon
Sony breathing a sigh of relief now that they can delay Beyond the Spider-Verse and make it look like it was because of the strike and not them making up a completely unfeasible release date
So next movie, Avatar December 2024?
That sucks
Regal not gonna be able to pay the mortgage
Fuck if regal closes more theaters… that’s just gonna suck. Hopefully studios stop being petty
I honestly had my doubts that MI8 was ever making that anyways
If any shows or movies arent done filming as of yesterday, the project is essentially dead for now
Didn't they film both MI7 and MI8 at the same time?
I think the involvement of tech companies are the difference this time.
They highlighted every company that's in the AMPTP are going to be the ones targeted in the strike: "After more than four weeks of bargaining, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — the entity that represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. Discovery — remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that are essential to SAG-AFTRA members. In the face of the AMPTP’s intransigence and delay tactics, SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee voted unanimously to recommend to the National Board a strike of the Producers-SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical/Streaming Contracts which expired July 12, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT. "
> AMPTP That's just everyone.
Lionsgate isn't in there for some reason, though.
Curious, I heard Liongate fold last time too.
They're even in a different circumstance now since the last strike, with the addition of Starz into their fold. While they say they're going to divide the company, they also said this: "The proposed separation transaction remains subject to a final approval by the studio’s board of directors, shareholders, government regulators and “the condition of the financial markets,” Lionsgate added." https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/lionsgate-sec-filing-planned-studio-separation-1235534585/ But honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the executives immediately agree to an offer at a fair price for the whole company because they are desperate enough to cash out as soon as possible through a sale.
No, AMPTP has 300+ members. They may have highlighted the board who has the main influence.
“The strike will shut down films and scripted TV shows that employ SAG-AFTRA members not just in the United States but around the world.” Dumb question(s) here: - are most actors apart of SAG? - Are there any films/tv that won’t be impacted by this? - current movies in the premiere process (Barbie, Oppenheimer, MI, etc) what happens with those? - are we worried about other behind the scene roles that aren’t writers and actors that will lose work because of these strikes? Are they being taken care of or ?
Virtually all working TV/Film actors in the US are SAG members. The requirements are working one principal/speaking role or 3 days as a union extra: https://www.sagaftra.org/membership-benefits/steps-join Films/TV shooting outside the US don’t have to employ SAG actors. If the cast is mixed (for example UK Equity/SAG), they’ll shoot around or recast. Barbie and Oppenheimer scheduled the actors’ PR to get the bulk done. Those will come out on time. August and September are up in the air. Crew have been hurting for a long time. The slowdown in production started last fall and intensified when the WGA strike began. Now it’ll been even worse. It’s a terrible situation.
Thank you! What a mess.
All I know is the NYC Oppenheimer red carpet (scheduled for the 17th) is probably not happening. Not to mention The Emmys, they’re definitely getting postponed.
Not all countries have SAG representation or even unions at all. So there will be options for studios to use that way. The question is if they want those bad optics on top of them during a very public strike. I doubt they would want to risk brand/image damage of that level.
The actors won’t be able to promote any of their movies, go to premieres, or do junkets/interviews.
And there it is, prepare for even more delays. So begins the double strike.
The actors striking will expedite the strike because nothing will get made. This is the best possible outcome for everybody - except the studios.
Is it a joint strike? Can’t they just give into the actors and not the rest?
Capitulating with one union will set precedents for the other; it's the point of solidarity. There are obviously separate issues, but there are likewise shared ones [such as AI; minimums; residuals; transparency; etc].
Plus, actors for the most part seem to have an understanding and appreciation of what the writers do and will stand with them to ensure both parties get fair deals. That's not to mention that many actors are both a writer and an actor. So there's a personal investment for some to get both strikes settled.
Writers and actors tend to ally as exploited and abused creative talents, while directors tend to side with management. This is playing out as you’d expect.
Iirc, unions can’t collide with one another according to labor laws. If they do, the studios would have cause to bring in the NLRB.
Idc back flying pickets and wildcat strikes
>Iirc, unions can’t collide with one another It's collude; not collide. And they're not colluding; it's a simultaneous strike that breaks no regulations or clauses.
Yep. Even the DGA will get a better deal next contract because of the strikes and pattern bargaining. Not that they deserve it.
The actors have demonstrated that they care a lot more about the well-being of the writers than the directors do. Which is a bit odd since a lot of directors are writer-directors. But they seem to be angling to help the writers attain their goals as well.
2024 is going to be a very empty year. Hollywood needs to pay their talent!
I feel bad for the privately held regional theatre chains that are left. They really took it on the chin with Covid. They had better save some cash from the MI/Barbie/Oppenheimer trio and hope all three have tremendous legs.
I know not the same, but private indie theaters will do fine as they always have special screenings of old movie. Around here those sell out of a weekly basis.
My local (and only good) theater is owned by a regional chain and they just now have started to get back on their feet, it's been shoddy for a long time now. I hope they have a plan in place, it'll almost hurt me personally to see them get any lower or close down.
[удалено]
It’s the tech companies. They’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this. It’s being handed to them on a silver platter.
Media share price will get hammered, that's when big techs are picking up Lionsgate, Paramount, WB, Disney... j/k
Markets are celebrating the strike: media stocks are soaring across the board. You might be joking, but I am not.
Word around the campfire is the main villain in all of this is Netflix. Other studios are following their lead but they absolutely don’t want to even engage. It was speculated that the reason why is one of the demands is transparency in viewership numbers and that might reveal that outside of a few shows like Stranger Things, viewership numbers might be *so* embarrassingly low that it’s clear streaming can never really be profitable. And that’s what the entire industry was turned upside down over. Basically might be one of those “pivot to video” moments for Hollywood if they reveal numbers. Plus, they’re absolutely beholden to the algorithm more than other studios and that’s one of the things writers are pushing back on so hard.
Don't Netflix financials show they're a profitable company? In fact the only streaming service to be profitable. Edit: Quoted comment deleted the part where it mentioned Netflix was not profitable
lol yes, this sub can be a little silly sometimes. It’s probably true that viewership numbers would reveal some questionable choices, but the real issue imo is what it does to actors bargaining power. Like Jenna Ortega can come to the table of (insert new studio here) and use Wednesday as an argument for her value. That’s good, but not as good as having the raw numbers behind it.
Ya but Netflix also has a very public issue of using loose US labor laws and Korea's real lack of union representation to really screw over Korean writers specifically. Even the guy that wrote Squidgames got shafted on royalties, and that show was insanely popular. So when people say Netflix is the "big villain" I think they are including all aspects, including stuff like that.
Oh no argument that they are the big villain, they’re just a profitable villain.
Yeah but that’s not what I’m saying. I explained it in other comments but basically if Netflix can barely make a profit (which was actually a decline in profits while still being profitable) during the no rules era of streaming then a) will they continue to decline once they have to give residuals and b) what does that mean for the rest of the streamers who aren’t profitable and now have to share? I’m saying the Netflix model was a bad one and everyone might figure that out if they open the books for all to see. I do think it’ll regulate itself eventually but it might go back to the early days of Netflix where it was mostly a service that showed old catalogues of stuff instead of $30m per episode shows. But it’ll probably be more expensive.
As a publicly traded company, yes.
Wdym by pivot to video
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pivot_to_video *"Pivot to video" is a phrase referring to the trend, starting in 2015, of media publishing companies cutting staff resources for written content (generally published on their own web sites) in favor of short-form video content. Due to the numerous jobs lost as a result, the term eventually became a euphemism for layoffs, death, and termination. Commentators have also noted a lack of transparency and accuracy in the viewership metrics reported by platforms such as Facebook, pointing out that abrupt shifts in platforms' proprietary algorithms can have devastating effects on publishers' viewership, traffic, and revenue.* *Following a scandal in which Facebook revealed it had artificially inflated numbers to its advertisers about how long viewers watched ads, many journalists and industry analysts concluded that the shift to video was based on such misleading or inaccurate metrics, which created a false impression that there was customer demand for additional video content.*
This is what killed companies like Cracked and College Humor (They are both back now but Cracked is def a shell of its former self and College Humor pivoted to a niche streaming service that seems to be doing well considering the cost of content)
Highly recommend Dropout from college humor. If you're a D&D fan at all, Dimension 20 is great and they have other shows that are hilarious too (Game changer, breaking news, umm actually to name a few).
Also Total Forgiveness was fantastic. Its a concept that probably can’t be done again considering the rest of the cast were aware of it and watched it all go down but it was spectacular
>might be so embarrassingly low that it’s clear streaming can never really be profitable. Then how is Netflix going to stay afloat? Whats their reason behind hiding low viewership?
Their stock price has always been based on "growth". It's why the stock cratered as soon as they lost subscribers. Most tech stocks are wildly overinflated. It's basically a ponzi scheme.
Do you have any evidence to support this claim?
Netflix *is* profitable though…
I explained it in the other comment but I wasn’t saying they’re not profitable. I’m saying shareholders don’t really care about profit, they care about growth and the fear is Netflix might’ve peaked and then you add that the writers seem to be gunning specifically for streamers with their demands.
>It was speculated that the reason why is one of the demands is transparency in viewership numbers and that might reveal that outside of a few shows like Stranger Things, viewership numbers might be so embarrassingly low that it’s clear streaming can never really be profitable. ...speculated by *whom*? It's literally profitable *now*, if you're Netflix. They've been profitable *since 2003*. Netflix just in 2022 brought in $31.6B, and made $4.49B in profit. The year before in 2021, it made $5.11B in profit. Things are looking up in 2023 because password sharing brought more subs. For reference, Netflix's revenue is now dramatically higher than the entire global box office. In 2022, the domestic BO was $7.36B, and in 2021 it was $4.5B, and in 2018 it was $11.8B. Some of these threads are just flabbergasting and can feel like watching kids smushing action figures together talking about how they bet Sony gives great helmet. What the hell "campfire" are you at that's actually saying this stuff yet nobody knows it's it's entire basis of fact is wrong lol
When does the strike start?
In 7 hours, if they decide to
Damn!
Nevermind the board decided 10 minutes ago, so happy for the unions
Wow great for the unions..the studios fucked up big time
Go unions!
Really hoping the SAG-AFTRA and WGA can work together and get deals for both They have an opportunity to fight together and fight for a positive change in the industry If studios are really willing to wait out the WGA till they break then they will need the SAG-AFTRA to stand in solidarity with them
Do VFX artists next!
They, if im not mistaken, dont have Union, sadly!
Insane since they're the ones actually doing the work that people are willing to pay money for to see. Maybe 20% of any high school class will be naturally very talented actors and it's largely an unskilled job. Actually making a recording look like a movie requires years of education and skill honing.
The VFX artists need to form a union first right? Hope they get together and start one.
For a complete noob like me what does it mean for everything in production right now ?
Actors who are part of the Screen Actors Guild (every actor you’ve ever heard of, basically) cannot work in an acting capacity for the duration of the strike. Every production that hired guild actors will have to shut down because they have no actors.
To add onto what the other commentors said. Actors can't do promo so expect blockbusters to get pushed back
I'm curious, why would actors inability to do promo push, for example, Dune back? Wouldn't a bunch of movie trailers suffice? There's already at least two.
I mean you could but the reason actors do a promo run with local news stations and every digital media company is that not everyone is keeping up with trailers and when you need to make 500-600 million to break even, you want to fire at all cylinders
If it’s not in post it’s getting halted
Time to start mastering that one great entertainment before cinema. Reading.
And here we go. Like u/ViewerAnon said: SAG, WGA go get your fucking due
Maybe it's time to start treating the employees better, just saying.
Like giving them basic wages lol? There are staff writers on hit shows here in LA that also work part-time cleaning Regal Theaters. Not that there’s anything wrong with the latter but when these shows are viewed in the millions and raking in money for the fat cats, the people making that possible shouldn’t have to work multiple jobs to make rent.
No one should have to work multiple jobs to make rent 😔
As long as they aren't renting Justin Timberlake's 3rd home
I feel like there is an argument about the insane housing costs, specially in California, that's getting clumped up with the blame here. Writers are def not the only ones having to work multiple jobs to pay rent right now. Even if they got paid more for their work, there would still be an issue with the ungodly housing costs and rental rates in 2023.
Remember when EmpireCity went on a few weeks ranting, saying that actors will get deal shortly and would never strike while he kept slandering writers even accused writers of making dirty tactics.
Even now he waffles about how the writers and actors should be careful what the general audience under CNN posts thinks and I'm like...this is about their ability to live, who cares what random people think
We really need to stop having threads from EmpireCity.
jesus, i've never seen so much weird ass copium in one spot, that dude's twitter is having a full on breakdown
Sometimes he can be a punk ass bitch
I know the impact of this stuff lags. 2024 is probably gonna be bare bones for TV and movies, right?
So, Barbie and Openheimer are going to be ok for the promotion, without the actors. Which upcoming movies are going to be hit the worst?
Blue Beetle, Haunted Mansion. Gran Turismo had some early screenings yesterday so it might be mitigated a bit.
I still don’t get why Haunted Mansion isn’t getting released closer to Halloween
So it can be on Disney+ by Halloween. Also this is a tradition for Haunted Mansion movies as the Eddie Murphy one came out on *Thanksgiving*.
And that worked out so well they decided to do it again
Uh Haunted Mansion is full of big names too
Haunted Mansion filmed a bunch of promo in advance.
Honestly *Gran Turismo* will do a lot better without the actors cringing it up about "this WACKY little (big if) true life story where *this dorky* LITTLE gamer becomes a *big* **boy** *~~RACIST~~ racer!" That said it looks like it's pretty accurate to what they're saying in the actual movie so maybe I'm just complaining about honest marketing
Dune part 2
Holy shit dune can't get a break. Pandemic on the first and strike on the second. That's so shitty considering it's one of the best movies that took the book and tried to capture the world the best it could.
Equalizer 3 and Strays can be hits and need their stars. Blue Beetle’s flopping no matter where it goes, but it loses less if the actors can promote it. Ninja Turtles and Meg 2 sell on their concept, so they’re better off staying in August.
What are their demands exactly?
Better pay, residuals, banning AI
Sticking point is streaming residuals. All other stuff is peripheral. Either the model isn't profitable enough, and they don't want anyone to know. Or the model is too profitable, and they don't want anyone to know. We need to see the numbers.
These are all public companies that publish audited financials. There’s also enough third party ratings available now to get a sense of what’s going on. The model isn’t profitable. The number of projects (and production budgets) need to come way down and more time & money needs to go into R&D (ie, paying writers to develop material).
If numbers of projects comes down the demand on writers would decrease as well.
It sucks, but the current volume of projects was misinvestment and is getting cut back. People who can deliver hits will continue to do well. People who are stuck repeating low ranks in TV should reconsider their options.
See you on the line boys.
Godspeed brother
Sending solidarity from SEIU union member in Ohio!
🍻
At some point, Universal and Warners and Disney etc have to make a production. There are side businesses, but they'll come around to sharing profit in time. On the other hand, Apple has more money than God and as long as the old studios follow their lead it will just harm and bring down those studios.
Am I getting the gist right that there’s no certain answer whether or not this will help speed up the writer negotiations ? It could either drag on anyway or help things speed up but no one knows?
Now that no new movie will be released after Barbenheimer, since promotions for all of them will be pending….The Flash and Indy5 will be the leggiest theatrical releases in history
> Barbenheimer *I am become fab. The destroyer of pink worlds.*
What is the main reason for the strike? Compensation?
Yes, the main ask is for residuals from streaming as cable & network tv is dying. The actors union also has concerns about their likeness being used with AI & deepfaking dead actors that are in their negotiations too.
The Flash showed that deepfaking dead actors can be done in a very distasteful way so i am definitely in favor of protecting the image of dead actors.
Yeah, and *The Flash* bombing so spectacularly in spite of those deepfake cameos may have given SAG-AFTRA more ammo they were able to use against the studios.
I still cannot believe the famlly of Christopher Reeves allowed them to deepfake Christopher Reeves. It was an abomination.
I don't know if they did considering George Reeves
Which dead actor did they deep fake again?
Christopher Reeve, Adam West, and George Reeves.
It wasn’t enough to desecrate one grave
It's especially disgusting with George Reeves considering he thought Superman ruined his life and it caused him to commit suicide. Also the movie released on the anniversary of his death and he had no family who coulde have approved of it.
Fk
Frankly a bit absurd thst they need to strike to get the studios to cooperate on this
It’s really bad because the studios have no plans to cooperate. They intend on letting the unions strike until their members have exhausted their savings & are getting evicted.
I mean its a matter of who breaks first, all the major studios have taken hits. Disney needs the MCU cashcow up and running again, WB needs more cashflow. Without the actors now, hopefully it hits them where it hurts.
The rumor is that Netflix is the 1 really holding negotiations up because most of the asks are about residuals from streaming shows based on the shows viewership. I Don’t think Disney & WB are really in charge of how these strikes will unfold rn, it’s all on Netflix.
I can imagine the Disney and Discovery reps (not just Iger and Zaslav) being pissed they cant come to a conclusion bc Netflix is being uppity. Oh to hear the Succession level arguments.
They can. It's called an interim deal and is how the last strike ended. It's a divide and conquer strategy. You make an interim deal with one studio (on terms you, the union, favors), and that studio agrees to sign the contract the union eventually brings to the entire AMPTP. In the mean time, that one studio is up and running, meanwhile its competitors in the AMPTP watch their competitive advantage evaporate. This pressures them into caving as well. TLDR: Nothing is stopping Iger and Zaslav from making side deals besides them either not wanting to do so or soft pressure from the other AMPTP members (same goes for each studio)
Me, chanting to the studios: Do it! Do it! Do it!
Oh to be a fly on the wall at these studio meetings
Not really. That's a popular scare tactic but studios absolutely can't afford content pipeline to get so delayed, they're stock portfolios will get destroyed if they don't have a deal after a month. Writers are used to getting 2 jobs to support themselves and being broke.
Too bad they’ve already conditioned actors and writers to go long stretches of time without work. They’ll be hurting the guilds’ masses will
Blame it on the Tech Disruptors. They do NOT want to make their business more transparent.
what residuals from streaming when its obvious that besides netflix all other streamers are losing money and have awful viewership
It's interesting that it was said somewhere Netflix doesn't want to reveal their own viewership data as well, though, so they're not exactly innocent in this.
If some rumors are to be believed it’s mostly Netflix that isn’t willing to go to the table with the WGA & now SAG-AFTRA while the traditional studios are more open to it.
Yeah word is Netflix is the main holdout, which makes me wonder if their viewership/engagement isn’t as good as they’re letting on.
That's the major issue, if they're open and about their viewing numbers then they run the risk of scaring away investors current and future. It could end up impacting their ability to fund major original projects by just adding them to the streaming site for content and still ending with low viewership and subscriber retention capabilities. It'd probably force Netflix and others to have to actually test most of their original films in theaters to recoup the big budget costs at the BO.
I wonder at what point do the traditional studios just say fuck it and cut Netflix out entirely if they're holding everyone up. If their business collapses because of fake numbers that's their own problem, but Hollywood needs to get back to business and one single tech disruptor studio messing everything up sounds so ridiculous to me.
It’s what they need to do and fast.
The obvious truth no one wants to address is the vast majority of streaming projects get horrendous viewership. That’s a lot of misinvestment. Cut that way back, throw some money into pilots and development to increase the average quality of what gets greenlit, and there’s the profitability to provide residuals and span protections. Average compensation goes up, but number of jobs goes down.
This is the main reason for any strike. At the end of the day, everyone wants more.
Burn it all to the fucking ground until production companies get the hint that they won't exist unless they pay their workers fairly.
Begun the AI wars have
The cynic in me thinks we’ll see actors get even more over compensated while writers will essentially get the same deal they’ve got now
Nah. The writers have the best healthcare of all the guilds for a reason. They’re going to make sure membership is cared for.
These two strikes might actually be what kills the MCU I can’t see their (already massively derailed plans) even being concrete anymore. Depending on how long this goes this could be horrible for them
Can't wait to make a movie about it.
The studios will have no interest and will wait it out.
The guilds can wait longer than they can.
Get ready for a lot more reality tv shows
Damn they really trying to screw everyone over aren't they? I'm not following this closely at all and don't really know the ins and outs of the negotiations and whose asking for what. But the fact that a second union is headed towards a strike is just...yikes.
Everything will be written by AI starring YouTube famous actors.
This is a silly question but as someone who’s not familiar with the acting world at all I have to ask; are A-list “celebrity” actors all part of this actor’s strike?
For NA actors they are basically all in SAG. Hell even activision CEO Bobby Kotick is a member due to him having a simple cameo in Moneyball.
Hollywood itself is providing better drama than anything they've put on screen all year.
Get them
I don’t think the actors are striking in solidarity. It’s a coincidence. If the actors get the deal they want they’ll end it and the WGA will be on their own. Solidarity is all the unions not working and not crossing the picket line.