Why is Hollywood on strike and what does it mean for viewers at home?
major Hollywood strike by US actors and writers, which has paralysed the film and television industry, has reached its one-month mark.Members of the Screen Actor’s Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra) have been on strike since July 14, after negotiations over new contracts with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down.The strike has resulted in a major stalling of major Hollywood productions, events and award ceremonies, with actors forbidden from engaging in any promotional activity for work.
Transcript
00:00 Why has Hollywood gone on strike and what does it mean for us sat on our sofas at home?
00:04 You might think that actors spend their lives at after parties, opening PR gifts or propping open their bathroom door with their golden global wards.
00:10 Yet the majority say that their reality is far less glamorous than this.
00:14 The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA, is the union that represents actors in America.
00:22 Part of its role is to negotiate terms of work for people in the entertainment industry.
00:25 In June, SAG-AFTRA entered into negotiations with the AMPTP, the organization that negotiates on behalf of the major studios like Amazon, Apple, NBCUniversal, Netflix and Warner Bros.
00:37 By July, these negotiations had broken down and on July 14th, the union officially began its strike action.
00:44 So what were the main issues that these negotiations tried and failed to fix?
00:48 Firstly, actors say that inflation has slashed their income and they need contracts to take this into account.
00:53 Then there are streaming services. Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney have transformed the acting world.
00:59 Actors used to be paid a sum of money, called a residual, for every repeat broadcast of their film or TV show.
01:05 Congratulations!
01:07 But on streaming platforms where users pay subscription fees, all of this money goes to the streaming service.
01:12 In a viral post, actor Kimiko Glenn, who played Brooke Soso on Netflix's smash hit series Orange is the New Black, revealed that she earned a measly $27.30 in royalties for the 45 episodes that she starred in.
01:25 What?!
01:27 On top of all of this, there is artificial intelligence.
01:30 It was exciting, if a little weird, to see CGI Carrie Fisher brought back to life for Star Wars Rogue One.
01:37 But living actors are worried that the studios may opt to use their AI likenesses rather than pay for a real person.
01:43 Actors want their personas protected and guarantees that they will be paid for its use.
01:48 Crucially, the actors' strike coincides with industrial action staged by the Writers Guild of America, which represents film and television screenwriters.
01:55 Many prominent actors have come out in support of SAG-AFTRA, including George Clooney, Jessica Chastain and Aubrey Plaza.
02:03 So what now?
02:04 Tumbleweed is blowing through Hollywood. The Emmys are postponed and shows like The Last of Us and Stranger Things have reportedly paused production.
02:12 Some indies are making it work. SAG-AFTRA granted approval to 39 independent projects, including two from A24, that agreed to abide by the latest offer that the union put forward during negotiation.
02:23 But all AMPTP projects remain at a standstill.
02:27 The Actors Union has said that the strike could continue into 2024.
02:31 Just how long the lower-profile and lower-paid Hollywood workers will be able to stay on the picket line is uncertain.
02:37 [BLANK_AUDIO]