Actors Strike

[easysurfer]

Looks like it's actors strike time.

As somebody who is just a spectator, an actors strike reminds me of the baseball and football strikes since I consider all just a form of entertainment and let the folks who to do negotiating do the negotiating.

But here's a question. During an actors (and writers too for that matter). Are there such a thing as scab writers and actors like in scab players and teams during a sports strike? This can get interesting (insert sarcastic popcorn emoji ).

Hollywood actors are about to be off the job and on the picket line.

Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), the union that represents American film and TV actors, announced plans for a strike beginning at midnight PDT Thursday, a work stoppage that will essentially bring most movie and TV production worldwide to a halt. The announcement comes 12 hours after the contract between the union and the major studios expired without a new deal. Both sides had already extended talks by 12 days after their initial contract expired June 30.

After tense negotiations, talks collapsed Wednesday night, and the union's national board unanimously voted to strike.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/ente...-actors-strike-2023-live-updates/70410271007/

 

[Sojourner]

I'm not sure which side is being unreasonable here, but IMHO this strike is somewhat of a nonevent. There is SO, SO much content out there on all the streaming services that it would take ten lifetimes to watch it all. Sure, it's not all top-notch quality stuff, but I could easily go a year (or more) just working my way through the backlog of all the shows I have saved on my Netflix list. I certainly don't want actors or writers to get shortchanged by the studios, but what I definitely don't want is any sort of new agreement that triggers the studios to raise the prices of their streaming services even more than they've been doing over the past few years.

 

[Dash man]

We pretty much have only been watching baseball and some news lately. Haven’t seen much else worth watching. So this strike is just a big yawn for me.

 

[easysurfer]

I was just pondering and I think the leverage is on the studios' side.

Of course, initially, I think the public may side with the actors. But eventually (maybe sooner, maybe later) they may come to the similar conclusion that there are other things in the world to get preoccupied with. The top name actors and shows probably are secure. But those not so, a prolonged strike and folks will forget all about them.

I for one would like to see scab actors. Give some a chance to never truly acted before in their lifetime. I'd watch.

 

[W2R]

First a caveat - - - I don't know a thing about Hollywood, making movies or TV shows, or anything like that. I'm just a retired oceanographer reading about this on the sidelines.

That said, given what I have been reading about recent films and how so many that cost billions to make are flopping, it seems to me that surely the movie industry must be on the verge of financial collapse anyway. If the actors are striking, it seems to me like they are shooting themselves in the foot. It might even hasten the collapse of movie making in the US.

We never go to the theaters to see new movies any more. Frank watches old movies from several free or low cost streaming services. He especially enjoys movies from the 1930's. As for me, I like watching livestreams of current events while they are happening, as filmed by youtubers and others right there in real life. I also watch older documentaries on Youtube. The last movie we saw in a theater was Ironman, when it was brand new, 15 years ago.

 

[Walt34]

Another big yawn here. The last time we went to a movie theater it was to see "The Martian". There is so much other stuff on streaming services like youtube and Amazon just to name two that it will take something very high value to drag us to a theater. I'll admit to being intrigued by "Oppenheimer" but I'm generally interested in WWII history anyway. So many dramatic and true stories in just a few years!

 

[CardsFan]

Another big yawn here.

Ditto.

I have no idea what the strike is about, and have no desire to make an effort to find out.

The biggest downside of this is there appears be more "reality shows" planned to get around both the writers and the actors.

No problem. We will just watch old content or go to bed early.

 

[MarieIG]

There was "talk" of AI taking jobs . . .

 

[Aerides]

I'm sure they have some very good reasons, and the benefits (and current pain) might be felt more by the actors whose names we never know. The working ones, the background, the filler, the extras. Those are the ones that help us feel immersed in a scene.

I had read there was a proposal to pay such actors - once, for one day's work - to basically scan them and allow AI to paint them in, in perpetuity. Now imagine that for other jobs, yeah, no thanks. (I know it doesn't translate to everything, but...the robots!)

The studios also stonewalled and extended recent negotiations, seemingly, to ensure they could complete promotions work on some big releases. Not in good faith.

So, like all things, I'm sure there are a lot of complex issues, and the thousands of lower paid, one-line, no-name actors are the ones for whom the big names also strike.

With the writers guild still on strike, it's not like there are any new scripts to start filming anyway.

 

[CardsFan]

I had read there was a proposal to pay such actors - once, for one day's work - to basically scan them and allow AI to paint them in, in perpetuity. Now imagine that for other jobs, yeah, no thanks. (I know it doesn't translate to everything, but...the robots!)

Not exactly the same, but sounds a LOT like folks that have had their jobs outsourced to India (or elsewhere) where they are paid to train the replacements and then are let go.

Actually, after writing that, except for the AI part, not different at all.

 

[Texas Proud]

This is not just for the movies... the people are all over the place... and there is a set fee for being on something...


But, I only saw a bit today on an interview with Iger of Disney... someone mentioned the strike and said that Iger said (yes, heresay) that the writers and actors have not acknowledged the reality of today's business model... IOW, there IS too much out there and only so many eyes and fewer and fewer people are watching whatever is being produced so the revenue per 'event' is less so the pay should be less...


At least that is my take on what they said...

 

[Ronstar]

Don't care. I don't watch much tv, and when I do it's sports or YouTube videos.

 

[Koolau]

I haven't seen a movie at a theater since Argo. I could care less about Hollywood and its "problems." Most problems are self-created. Hollywood is not different.

 

[Winemaker]

Meh.

 

[dmpi]

I just watch YouTube. Much more interesting content.

 

[mystang52]

Likewise, I have no concern about this either way. The cynic in me can't help but wonder, though, if the strike is due to the writer's strike. Heck, they may not have any work to do, anyway.

 

[frayne]

Ah, the age old question what is the value of labor as compared to capital ?

 

[jfn111]

I was already getting tired of becoming attached to TV series. The story lines and writing seem to go downhill after a season or two.
This year I was looking forward to the Witcher returning. What the audience got was 5 episodes and a promise that the next season wouldn't be out until late 2024 or early 2025.

 

[marko]

IMO, they've been asleep at the switch. AI is new but all their other complaints--streaming etc-- have been around for a decade. Kids, that train has left the station.

Matt Damon was on last night, ostensibly there to support the cause in LA, but I'd assume he later hopped on his private jet back to the Vineyard. Bunch of phonies.

 

[JoeWras]

IMO, they've been asleep at the switch. AI is new but all their other complaints--streaming etc-- have been around for a decade. Kids, that train has left the station.

Matt Damon was on last night, ostensibly there to support the cause in LA, but I'd assume he later hopped on his private jet back to the Vineyard. Bunch of phonies.

Their sleeping on streaming reminds me of the strikes of old after they slept on syndication.

Peak series streaming was about 3 years ago. A huge retrenchment is starting. Any strike will likely just consolidate it further. The streamers are going to be much more particular in spending for productions.

The actors always talk about helping the rank and file. Well the expanded number of productions sure helped the rank and file. They will now be jobless.

My cousin is a hollywood actor who got a lot of experience with all those fringe productions. She got enough attention to become a regular on a top 25 (sometimes top 10!) current network TV show. If she were starting today, she'd still be a waitress.

 

[Midpack]

Don't care. I don't watch much tv, and when I do it's sports or YouTube videos.

I used to, but I don’t watch much live TV or movies that often so I don’t care. Sports and (free) YouTube mostly here too. Ted Lasso is the only serial I’ve watched in the last few years, and that’s over. I watch several YouTube channels regularly.

I wish them well but change seems inevitable with CGI, reality TV, streaming and more recently AI. There’s a lot of garbage on TV these days, DW watches some, who writes that?

It’s interesting to me at times like these how every profession appeals to the public to support their profession, citing how unfair management is. They want us to get behind their cause - but where were/are they when other professions needed their support? I was in manufacturing, globalization changed domestic manufacturing forever - did writers, actors and others support manufacturing employees plight? Nope, they just enjoyed lower prices on products made a half a world away, sometimes in dismal working conditions. So I had no choice but to increase productivity/cut costs to stay viable my entire career…

We get what we (collectively) deserve.

The market and changing technology has always changed the career landscape and always will. Time marches on…

 

[pacergal]

We rarely watch current TV, and have not been to the theater or watched a full movie on TV for years (well, except Hallmark holiday movies!)
Old comedies are our favorites, so if the strike would get those actors/actresses money for reruns they didn't get before, then OK.
But otherwise, as others have said, meh.

 

[Chuckanut]

How will I know which reverse mortgage to buy, which Medicare Advantage plan to sign up for, which makeup will make me look great, and, most importantly, which crypto currency to buy if the actors don’t tell me? I am doomed. [emoji57]

I enjoy a good show as much as the next guy, but I can live without them.

I do agree that actors should be able to own and have full rights to their own appearance and the various nuances of voice, body language, etc. that make them unique.

I suspect lawyers will be the ones who really profit from AI in the entertainment industry until this is settled.

 

[captain3d]

For every top writer/actor not working there are thousands of others in the production studios under threat of layoff. Eg all the people in the credits of a movie have nothing to do.

The US movie industry is around $100 billion. Not sure how big once you include all streaming

 

[JoeWras]

For every top writer/actor not working there are thousands of others in the production studios under threat of layoff. Eg all the people in the credits of a movie have nothing to do.

The US movie industry is around $100 billion. Not sure how big once you include all streaming

I'm sure Fran Drescher will surely mention the production crews. Right?

Not really. She apparently went off script and went on a rant about being in it for the long haul and how this strike will benefit all workers when it comes to the AI angle.

Right.

Fair use quote and source:

"The eyes of labor are upon us," she says. "It's very important that everybody appreciate that we're not just sticking up for ourselves, but we're sticking up for everybody else, because it is a slippery slope into a very dangerous time, and a real dystopia if big business, corporations, think that they can put human beings out of work and replace them with artificial intelligence. It's dangerous, and it's without thinking or conscience or caring."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/ente...looking-to-long-haul-with-strike/70412372007/

Midpack and others already mentioned how other professions have been squeezed by automation or now AI. Meter readers anyone? Did the actor union stick up for them?

Should be interesting, but I doubt a SAG-AFTRA strike will have any impact on Software Engineering automation and offshoring. Many in my profession were riding high during the pandemic, but I have news for them, sweeping changes are coming, and SAG-AFTRA will have zero cares about it.