The Hollywood strike is almost over.

Almost all sectors of Hollywood have been shut down since May of this year due to the double strike by the Screenwriters and Actors Guild, resulting in massive financial losses for studios and many of the 2 million people who work in the industry.

The double strike in Hollywood disrupted both the American film and television industries.

Frustrated with low pay as streaming services grow and worried about artificial intelligence (AI) taking their jobs, actors took to the streets to join writers in protests last July. This was the first double strike since 1960.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing 11,500 screenwriters, reached an agreement with studios on September 24, ending a 148-day strike.

With SAG-AFTRA, the new terms have been improved, including increased compensation for actors participating in streaming programs, better healthcare policies, and assurances that studios will not use AI to create digital replicas of actors without their consent.

However, SAG-AFTRA did not receive the percentage of revenue from streaming services that they had proposed. Initially, it was suggested at 2%, then reduced to 1%, before being dropped entirely when negotiations stalled. Fran Drescher, Chairman of SAG-AFTRA, was keen on this clause, but companies like Netflix were relatively hesitant, calling it “too much of a demand.”

Instead, AMPTP proposed a performance-based compensation scheme for actors. Accordingly, if shows perform well on streaming platforms, they would receive additional income.

This is the longest film and television strike in the 90-year history of the writers-actors union. SAG-AFTRA said in its latest statement that the negotiating committee voted unanimously to approve the proposed agreement.

While it's unclear what Hollywood will look like after the strike, one thing is certain: there will be fewer jobs for actors and writers in 2024, as negotiations have taken far too long to reach an agreement.

Even before the strike, entertainment companies were already cutting back on the number of television shows they produced, under immense pressure from the economic downturn. Disney is also struggling with a $4 billion loss from streaming in 2022, and cut 7,000 jobs this spring.

Ben Whitehair, a member of SAG-AFTRA, said the agreement was a “big win” for the actors’ union. He said the union had achieved “structural change” in improving compensation for streaming platforms. While not achieving everything they hoped for, he said they would return and seek more in the next round of negotiations in 2026.

The final decision still awaits approval from the SAG-AFTRA National Committee tomorrow, November 10th.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/cuoc-dinh-cong-o-hollywood-gan-nhu-cham-dut-185231109100455239.htm