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Hollywood strike: Why writers, actors protesting in the US. EXPLAINER
US entertainment industry hit by strikes as actors and writers demand fair compensation and protection from AI. Hollywood productions impacted as writers' strike continues. Studios and unions in stalemate over core issues
The US entertainment industry popularly is hit by multiple strikes as actors and writers have raised issues of fair compensation and protection from the encroachment of artificial intelligence. Amid the strike, Netflix has listed a position for a machine learning product manager that will compensate somewhere between $300,000 and $900,000 a year.
What is the Hollywood Strike about?
On 2 May 2023, more than 11,000 TV and film writers went on strike in the US. This is not the first major strike that has put Hollywood on the brink of a whole production shutdown but this could be the first one in which artificial intelligence plays a big role.
Who is on strike?
Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike since May. And, actors who are members of SAG-AFTRA, who work under the union's film and TV contracts AMPTP. The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) represents all major studios and streaming platforms.
How did the Hollywood strike happen?
While WGA is on strike since May, the SAG-AFTRA, a 160,000-member performer union joined the strike in June. As the stalemate between the unions and the AMPTP continues, the Hollywood strike has also remained active, leaving Hollywood in limbo for the foreseeable future.
The WGA and SAG-AFTRA have both said they are open to talking, but that the studios refuse to engage on their core issues.
The unions are seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and less exclusivity on single projects, among other demands — all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom of the streaming era.
But the AMPTP said in a statement that it presented an offer with “generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals" and was prepared to improve its offer but the union has been "unwilling to drop items that are non-starters, like a demand for a share of streaming revenue and a minimum staffing level for TV writers".
What do striking Hollywood writers want?
INCREASED PAY
The guild is seeking higher compensation for writers across the board. Though there are more jobs available to WGA members than ever before because of the proliferation of streaming services, pay for most writers is down. Ten years ago, 33% of TV writers were paid the minimum rate. Now, according to the WGA, 49% are.
STAFFING REQUIREMENTS
The union wants TV shows to staff a certain number of writers for a period of time. At issue is the rising practice of “mini rooms” where only a handful of writers are working on a series. Such writer rooms are often employed during development before a show is greenlit. That means writers can be working on a series that doesn't get picked up for as much as a year after they worked on it, or not at all. The process has circumvented some of the protections WGA members have from being overworked and understaffed.
ASSURANCE ON AI
Writers are also increasingly concerned that producers will use artificial intelligence to write scripts or at least fill in the blanks on unfinished screenplays. The WGA wants production companies to agree to safeguards around its usage.
Popular faces supporting the strike
Hollywood A-list actors such as Tom Cruise, Angeline Jolie, Maryl Streep, Johnny Depp, etc have come out publicly in favor of a strike.
How will it impact movies and shows?
Hollywood productions have already slowed down significantly since the writers' strike began in early May.
Shows with finished scripts, such as "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," were able to continue filming this summer, though without any writers on set.
Major Hollywood studios have already reshuffled their release calendars. For instance, Disney recently pushed back several Marvel superhero films, spreading them out across a longer period.
Some high-profile projects already in production, including “Deadpool 3” with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, and “Gladiator 2,” starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington, have shut down because of the strike.
SAG-AFTRA has suggested it could offer waivers to exempt smaller, truly independent films.
What is the economic impact?
From accounting to catering to transport, countless businesses are tied to the entertainment industry.
That makes the financial impact of a Hollywood strike hard to calculate, but incontrovertibly enormous.
Fifteen years ago, when the writers were on strike -- it was a 100-day strike -- and the estimate was a little over $2 billion. So that translates to $20 million a day.
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First Published:27 Jul 2023, 01:01 PM IST
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