American actors’ strike: Why are Hollywood stars stepping down and what does it mean for the film and TV industry? | American News

Hollywood actors are going on strike after talks with studios failed, joining film and TV writers who have been on the picket lines since May.

Fran Drescher, president of the American Actors Union, says his walkout will impact “thousands, if not millions of people”.

The strike, organized by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), is likely to have far-reaching repercussions beyond the sunny streets of Angels.

It also comes as Hollywood struggles to understand how technology is rapidly changing the way visual entertainment is created – and watched.

Why do actors strike and what do they want?

Actors are seeking higher compensation and safeguards against unauthorized use of their images through artificial intelligence (AI).

Performers see their work as particularly vulnerable to new technologies, with generative AI capable of reproducing facial expressions, body movements and voice with alarming accuracy.

Many would like to see a guarantee that AI will not be used to replace the tasks performed by actors, potentially rendering them obsolete.

Stars such as Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves are among the actors who have been the subject of widely viewed unauthorized deepfakes – realistic but fabricated videos created by AI algorithms.

The streaming boom – which provides the bulk of the work for TV actors – is also a big factor in contract negotiations.

Series have gotten shorter, breaks between seasons longer, and unions say that while series budgets are increasing, that increase isn’t reflected in the share of money going to performers.

Residuals – payments for reusing credited work – are also much lower on streamers compared to TV broadcast rates.

Actors have also pointed to the burden of “self-recorded auditions” – when actors are asked to film their own audition and submit it directly for the casting director’s review.

This cost was previously the responsibility of the casting and production teams, who themselves organized the auditions on a set and organized the filming of the guest actors. But now everything has changed.

Benefits, including health and pension plans, were also discussed.

But SAG-AFTRA says after four weeks of intensive talks, film and TV bosses have refused to budge.

What are the studios saying?

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – the association representing major Hollywood studios including Walt Disney and Netflix – disputes SAG-AFTRA’s version of events.

He says a deal, including better pay and AI guarantees, has been offered and accused the union of walking away from talks.

In a statement, he said: “We are deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to withdraw from negotiations.

“It’s the union’s choice, not ours. In doing so, it rejected our offer of historic salary and residual increases, significantly higher caps on pension and health contributions, hearing protections, shortened series option periods, a revolutionary AI proposition that protects actors’ digital likenesses, and more.”

When is the strike and how long will it last?

The walkout was officially scheduled to begin at midnight Friday, July 14 (Los Angeles time).

SAG-AFTRA said picket lines would begin the following morning, with the strike continuing indefinitely.

No date has been set for its end.

When asked how long that would last, union president Ms Drescher told reporters at a press conference July 13 that it was up to “the” movie studios.

What does the strike mean for movie and TV fans?

It depends a lot on how long it lasts. If the dispute is resolved quickly, the disruptions can be limited.

But if this drags on, as some fear, many movie releases will be delayed and TV shows could be cut short.

What makes the industrial action so historic is that, for the first time in 63 years, SAG-AFTRA and the WGA (the Writers Guild of America) will be on strike at the same time.

WGA Members have been on strike for two months and which has already had a big impact on productions like Stranger Things season 5season two of The Last Of Us, season six of The Handmaid’s Tale and Game Of Thrones spin-off A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.

With actors and performers joining the writers, this disruption will only get worse.

In short, Hollywood is being shut down and will almost shut down. Without scripts and performers to bring them to life, many studios will fall into the dark.

If the two strikes were to continue for many months, next year’s theatrical release schedules could run into trouble, posing a big problem for studios that spend a lot of time and energy picking dates. release of their films.

Many film festivals leading up to awards season could also be affected, with carefully planned campaigns failing due to a lack of actors to share the buzz of their films.

The 75th Emmy TV Awards are also set to take place in September.

But trade magazine Variety reported that organizers were considering postponing the ceremony to November or even January due to walkouts in Hollywood.

Other upcoming dates that could be reached include the Toronto and Venice film festivals.

Beyond the inevitable disappointment of moviegoers and television viewers, the strike should also have a significant impact on the financial aspect of the company.

The box office has recently begun to recover from the pandemic, with the United States approaching $4 billion for the year and surpassing the same period from January to early June by 30%.

It’s a pickup that would inevitably suffer from prolonged walkouts by actors.

Information and dissemination activities would not be directly affected by the strikes.

Has a strike by American actors ever taken place?

The last time Hollywood actors went on strike was in 2000 over a six-month dispute over their advertising contract.

The American Actors Union successfully defended the “pay-for-play” TV commercial payment formula, under which actors receive residuals for the number of times their commercial airings, and reached an agreement on advertising by cable and the Internet.

Before that, American stars staged a 95-day strike over pay TV and VHS tape conditions in 1980, winning a 32.5% pay rise and 4.5% of gross earnings for press releases home.

What does this mean for British artists?

Still recovering covid pandemicand now dealing with a cost of living crisisthe British film industry already has a lot to do.

Equity, the UK’s performing arts and entertainment union, offered its support for the US strike and said in a statement that it “fully supports our sister union in its demand and the action its board has taken. agreed to take”.

Although events in the US do not directly affect those working in the UK, it is believed that UK artists who are members of SAG-AFTRA and working in the US will be legally permitted to participate.

Could an actors’ strike take place in the UK?

As an independent union, Equity, which has 47,000 members, did not call its own strike in solidarity with American actors.

However, Paul W Fleming, the general secretary, said the union was still “strike ready”, describing it as one of the union’s “key objectives”.

The UK’s current Pact-Equity contracts are set to enter trading later this year, having not been updated since 2021, when a transition contract was put in place during the pandemic.

Agreements are normally concluded every two to four years.

Pact is the UK trade body representing independent production and distribution companies.

With all of the same issues at play as the US players, it’s likely that AI influence, streamer payout rates and self-recorded auditions will also be key elements in upcoming UK negotiations.

Mr Fleming said a “framework” defining “exactly what AI is and where it is used” is what must now be in place to protect performers.

Equity is already in talks with ITV over AI clauses in their deals.

So watch this space.