🎥 Are Hollywood Actors going on strike too? 👀🕺💃🏻

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Hollywood Actors may soon join the ongoing WGA strike - Here’s Why

Prepare for stormy weather if you're a fan of Hollywood movies and shows. The writers' strike has been ongoing for some time, and now it seems that the actors will soon join them. This would mark the first double union strike in the industry in over sixty years, and it would have significant ramifications for film and television production. Here's a glimpse into how the situation may unfold and the reasons behind it.

The contract between the screen actors guild and the Studios was set to expire on June 30, 2023. However, just hours before that, both sides announced that they had agreed to extend the current contract and continue negotiations until July 12. The events are following a similar pattern to the Writers Guild strike.

Notably, several prominent Hollywood actors, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bob Odenkirk, have expressed their willingness to join the strike by signing a letter to the negotiators. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) currently boasts 160,000 members, and a strike would effectively bring production to a standstill.

Now, let's delve into why actors are considering going on strike in the first place.

One of the main driving forces behind the strike is the actors' desire to show solidarity with the ongoing Writers Guild strike. Fundamentally, the reasons behind both strikes are similar:

Money- SAG is advocating for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to provide improved compensation and benefits for it’s members.

To access the complete rate card and guidelines of the recently expired SAG contract, click here.

Residuals- The current residual payments fail to reflect the value of actors' contributions. The union argues that these payments have been undermined by inflation and the rise of streaming platforms, where producers offer lower residual income compared to traditional exhibition models.

Generative AI- The union is requesting that the AMPTP establish safeguards for its members against the misuse of artificial intelligence and define acceptable uses of this technology.

Self-tapes-  SAG claims that the absence of regulations regarding self-taped auditions has resulted in an unfairly burdensome casting process for actors. The union's statement highlights that the shift to demanding self-taped auditions has placed a heavier workload on actors, who are now forced to bear the audition costs that were traditionally the responsibility of casting and production.

Viewpoint☝🔎

While the writers' strike is already in progress for valid reasons, I believe that the actors' decision to join may be driven more by a desire for attention. Hollywood actors generally receive higher pay compared to writers, and their compensation has seen significant growth in recent years. However, if both the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) were to strike simultaneously, it would result in a widespread shutdown of nearly all unfinished shows and films. The release of upcoming seasons of television shows would be indefinitely delayed, and movie premieres would be pushed back.

Initially, streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video may not immediately display any differences in their content offerings. However, fans of original series on these platforms would eventually have to wait longer for their favourite shows to return.

Currently, the strike has been approved by over 97% of the members through voting, but it has not been officially declared yet. Negotiations are still ongoing, and the situation will become clearer by July 12th.

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Thanks for reading and see you next week!

Vipul