Though fall is approaching and new releases are expected to be in theaters soon, the release schedule is in jeopardy not only for fall, but for the foreseeable future. This is not because of another global pandemic, but rather because of the ongoing Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Writers Guild of America – abbreviated to SAG-AFTRA and WGA respectively – strikes. While strikes from both unions have happened independently throughout history, this is the first time both SAG-AFTRA and WGA have gone on strike together since the union of SAG and AFTRA in 2012.
The biggest question is why strike now?
For those unfamiliar with what SAG-AFTRA and WGA are, they are both labor unions specializing in specific parts of the entertainment industry. Both focus on protecting their members from unfair deals and advocating for better working conditions and rights for those in their respective fields. SAG-AFTRA focuses primarily on actors, but also includes entertainers, journalists, disc jockeys and stunt performers amongst its roughly 160,000 members. WGA, similarly, consists of thousands of writers across all forms of media, including news, television programs, animation and even video games.
The main issues leading to this strike arose from the increasing usage of AI and the poor residuals and pay of actors and writers, especially those working on content for streaming platforms.
While residuals have been a long-standing source of debate, the rise of streaming services has only highlighted and worsened the issue. For those unfamiliar with the term, a residual is compensation received by the cast and crew of various productions whenever content featuring them is rerun on television, purchased as physical media or on digital platforms, or viewed on a streaming service. Streaming services do not usually release their numbers to the public and crew members are no different. Actors on beloved shows have reported receiving poor residuals for years, and the lack of concrete information on how much certain actors make after a show has aired means the issue could be worse than the public knows.
Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, has been around for years but has only recently gained relevance in entertainment. The usage of A.I. content in entertainment is steeped in dubious ethics and questionable quality but seems to be growing in popularity amongst studios. Studios have already begun making A.I. models based upon actors both living and deceased and utilizing A.I. generated content in their shows without the consent of the actor or their estate. With more companies willing to use A.I. to make commercial products, actors have demanded that A.I. be removed from these productions and never include their likeness.
During the ongoing strike, members of both unions are forbidden from participating in any productions by companies being struck against. According to Backstage, this also extends to appearing at promotional events and promoting the companiesā work on social media. Struck companies are those currently under contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, or AMPTP, which is the main source of agreements and bargaining between entertainment companies and their employees. Companies such as Warner Bros., Disney and Paramount fall under this umbrella, as do their subsidiaries and most television networks and streaming services. Some independent studios may be exempt from this as long as they reach an agreement with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, but this may be subject to change as the strike continues.
The strike has the obvious effect of shutting down almost all U.S.-based productions. It also prevents any films and shows that have not already entered production from moving forward. Since actors are not available to promote the upcoming slate, any film release dates listed in the prior article are subject to change by the studios depending on how long the strike continues and if negotiations are reached between all parties.
Until a consumer boycott is called, the public can continue enjoying media as it increases revenue for companies and, thus, gives these unions more room to bargain given how much this content is worth for these studios. If you prefer to support the actors directly, both SAG-AFTRA’s and WGAās websites have links to donation sites so the public can help support their members while they are without work.
