Can the film and television industries handle another strike, this time from the actors unions: SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)? No way; after the three-month-plus Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike against the studios and producers, the entertainment industries still haven’t recovered.
One caveat; as a filmmaker, I have worked with SAG in the past, employing members for a few movie projects. I have never had a problem with the union, and they were always extremely helpful in securing SAG talent for my films.
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Here are the details: SAG and AFTRA’s contracts with the studios and producers (AMPTP, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) expire June 30, 2008 (yes, you read that right - 4 days from today), and there has been zero progress. The issues at hand are contract negotiations including key issues new media and DVD royalties.
There is another big issue which has kept the two unions from sitting back down with the AMPTP: fighting between the two. AFTRA has a potential deal they want to solidify by July, but SAG isn’t happy with their terms, and so there is a major battle happening between leadership and members, and there doesn’t appear to be much in the way of progress in the past few weeks.
Unlike the WGA strike, which mostly affected a lot of new productions without scripts from moving forward but allowing existing projects with scripts to continue shooting, an actors’ strike will absolutely paralyze the industry. No one can work, and a high number of movies and TV shows feature union actors, so everything will be shut down. Not to mention that actors won’t do interviews to promote upcoming movies, which will hurt the box office and affect next month’s huge San Diego Comic-Con.
So how does this affect current projects, or those in the immediate future? ComingSoon.net posted an article a few weeks ago detailing what’s happening with movies. Many films had to start by February or March so they could be wrapped before the potential strike, otherwise they’d have to wait until after a resolution is made - and many big budget movies have already been shelved. Other films, like The Da Vinci Code’s prequel, Angels and Demons, has forged ahead despite the risk of a strike. The movie was already delayed by the WGA strike, so the producers were determined to get the film into production.
I think it’s a bit risky to try and forge ahead with a production, even if there is a planned break if a strike occurs, much like what the fourth Terminator and second Transformers are planning. In fact, Transformers 2’s crew will focus on visual effects and some second unit work (except stunts, since stuntmen are covered by SAG) if the strike happens.
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28 Comments
Thanks, 790. It’s a pleasure to write for Screen Rant.
heath
I’m a lighting technician in Toronto Canada. I’ve been in the film Industry for 22 years. I’ve seen a fair share of ups and downs, but this past 2 years has definately been the worst of it.
I do roughtly 160 Days a year of work. At this point last year I was hovering around 80 days. Right now I’m hovering around 50 days. At this rate, I’ll be cutting 1/3 of my income off the top this year.
I’m already teetering on the breaking point of having to find another job and get out of the industry that I’ve loved and supported for the past 22 years.
These strikes cost people and the industry money, but what no one really considers, is it also costs the industry a portion of it’s infrastructure.
The work dries up, and rental houses have to downsize, studio spaces close up, going out of business, technicians move on and look for work elsewhere.
If Toronto has to endure a strike that affects us as badly as the writers strike did, I can’t see the entire infrastructure lasting through it all.
Byrd
*I picked a heck of a year to save up for a wedding…I’ll tell ya that much!*
Byrd,
I’m glad to see industry people visit and read our website! I agree, and I hope the actors unions don’t strike. But it looks like a vote to strike won’t even happen…yet, at least:
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/sag-publicly-confirms-my-no-strike-steps-report/
heath
I read that report earlier. I’m somewhat torn about it to be honest.
Dragging this entire thing out longer, might just do that alone. So we don’t find out that they’ll strike till the end of July say…That just means a resolution is a month away at least. It could write off the entire summer.
If it does that…the whole pie gets smaller and smaller.
When the writers first went on strike, I fully supported that action. Even when those amongst my own Union disagreed with them.
At a certain point, people have to realise, that their actions affect more then those within their own pool. Writers striking affects actors, producers, technicians, rental houses, studio rentals, the whole gammit.
However, at the same time, you have to realise that we all have to stand up for what we believe in. When some production companies make MILLIONS in profit off a show they spend next to nothing to make, and then they turn around and ask for “discounts” on rates for their next project…then at some point in time you have to draw a line in the sand and say “Enough”
I’m not pointing any fingers persay *Saw 4 Saw 5 Saw 6* *Cough Cough Cough* Yet we all see it happen time and time again.
Hang in there Byyd Dawg, things are slow in hollywood too, but I have a good feeling this strike will be over soon !!
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