News Analysis India

Tag: Hollywood strike

  • Striking Hollywood writers, studios to resume negotiations next week

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: Contract talks that could end Hollywood’s writers strike are set to resume next week, studios said Thursday.

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the industry’s studios, streaming services and production companies in union negotiations, said in a statement that they had reached out to the Writers Guild of America on Wednesday and the two sides agreed to resume negotiations next week.

    Leaders are still working out the details, the statement said, and no further specifics were provided.

    “Every member company of the AMPTP is committed and eager to reach a fair deal, and to working together with the WGA to end the strike,” the statement said.

    There are no talks yet planned to settle the actors’ strike.

    Writers have been on strike for 4 1/2 months over issues including pay, job security and regulating the use of artificial intelligence.

    A previous attempt to restart talks fell flat. The two sides had a handful of meetings in mid-August, including one that included the heads of Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery.

    But writers said that after exchanging contract proposals, “they were met with a lecture about how good their single and only counteroffer was,” and the talks trailed off.

    California lawmakers on Thursday voted to allow striking workers to claim unemployment benefits.

    If signed by Newsom, the bill would benefit Southern California hotel workers along with the striking actors and screenwriters.

    But it’s not clear if Newsom will sign it. The fund California uses to pay unemployment benefits is insolvent. Business groups have said making more people eligible for benefits will only make it worse.

    LOS ANGELES: Contract talks that could end Hollywood’s writers strike are set to resume next week, studios said Thursday.

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the industry’s studios, streaming services and production companies in union negotiations, said in a statement that they had reached out to the Writers Guild of America on Wednesday and the two sides agreed to resume negotiations next week.

    Leaders are still working out the details, the statement said, and no further specifics were provided.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    “Every member company of the AMPTP is committed and eager to reach a fair deal, and to working together with the WGA to end the strike,” the statement said.

    There are no talks yet planned to settle the actors’ strike.

    Writers have been on strike for 4 1/2 months over issues including pay, job security and regulating the use of artificial intelligence.

    A previous attempt to restart talks fell flat. The two sides had a handful of meetings in mid-August, including one that included the heads of Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery.

    But writers said that after exchanging contract proposals, “they were met with a lecture about how good their single and only counteroffer was,” and the talks trailed off.

    California lawmakers on Thursday voted to allow striking workers to claim unemployment benefits.

    If signed by Newsom, the bill would benefit Southern California hotel workers along with the striking actors and screenwriters.

    But it’s not clear if Newsom will sign it. The fund California uses to pay unemployment benefits is insolvent. Business groups have said making more people eligible for benefits will only make it worse.

  • Why are actors making movies during the strike? What to know about SAG-AFTRA’s ‘interim agreements’

    By Associated Press

    The actors and writers strikes have resulted in most Hollywood film and television productions being shut down, from the “Gladiator” sequel to the live action “Lilo & Stitch.” But some independent films and television productions are are still filming after reaching agreements with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists that will allow them to continue with union actors amid the strike.

    It’s a move that the union leadership says is an essential negotiating tactic, but that’s also proved divisive and confusing to many sweating it out on the picket lines while movie stars like Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey continue to work.

    Here’s what to know about the “interim agreements” that are keeping some Hollywood productions filming.

    What falls under the interim agreements?

    Actors are striking against studios and streaming services that bargain as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The group’s ranks include the major film studios (Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.), television networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) and streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV+ and Amazon.

    There are numerous independent production companies that aren’t affiliated with the AMPTP, and they are allowed to film with SAG-AFTRA actors during the strike. They must agree to terms that the union last proposed during negotiations, which includes a new minimum wage rate that’s 11% higher than before, guarantees about revenue sharing and artificial intelligence protections.

    Those terms were rejected by the studios and streaming services, but SAG-AFTRA realized that some independent producers and smaller film studios (like Neon and A24) were willing to agree to the terms if it meant they could keep filming.

    “The interim agreement provides empirical proof that the terms that we have put on the table with the AMPTP are not only realistic, but are actually desirable and usable by producers in this industry,” SAG-AFTRA executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said.

    What about the writers?

    The Writers’ Guild of America has opted not to grant similar agreements in their own strike. In an attempt to show solidarity and sync strategy, SAG-AFTRA changed course Monday and said interim agreements would not be granted to productions that were covered by the WGA contract.

    WGA films and shows include about 15 to 20% of the productions granted the agreements before the switch, and those will not be revoked, but no new ones will be granted.

    “We have been advised by the WGA that this modification will assist them in executing their strike strategy, and we believe it does not undermine the utility and effectiveness of ours,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “It is a win-win change.”

    What are some of the productions allowed to continue?

    More than 200 productions have been approved so far, including a Rebel Wilson comedy “Bride Hard,” an untitled Guy Ritchie project, a film with Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd called “Death of a Unicorn,” the Matthew McConaughey thriller “The Rivals of the Amziah King” and David Lowery’s pop star movie “Mother Mary,” starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel.

    The list is being constantly updated on SAG-AFTRA’s website, but even some productions that have been granted exceptions are still pausing for optics and solidarity. Viola Davis decided to step away from her film “G20,” in which she plays the U.S. president at a G20 Summit overtaken by terrorists, despite it being granted a waiver.

    “I love this movie but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike,” Davis said in a statement. “G20” though independently financed, was set to be distributed by Amazon Studios, which is an AMPTP member.

    What is SAG-AFTRA’s strategy?

    Crabtree-Ireland said there are several benefits of the interim agreement to SAG-AFTRA members.

    “It provides absolute empirical proof that the terms that we are seeking in the negotiation are reasonable,” he told The Associated Press in an interview. “We have hundreds of independent producers who say we’ll be happy to produce under those terms.”

    It also provides opportunities for crews and actors to work, relieving some of the financial pressures of the strike. And, he added, it might be getting the attention of studios.

    Emmy-winning “Abbott Elementary” actor Sheryl Lee Ralph agrees with the strategy.

    “I have to honestly say interim agreements are smart agreements. What that does is keep little conversations going with producers who are not the big major producers,” she told the AP. “So now the big folks can look and say, ‘Well, wait a minute, if they can do it, why aren’t we doing it.’”

    Why is it controversial?

    To some members sweating it out on the picket lines and pinching pennies, it doesn’t feel like a united work stoppage when major celebrities like Hathaway and McConaughey get to still make movies.

    Comedian Sarah Silverman was one who was especially irked about the loophole and posted her thoughts in an Instagram video. After meeting with SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and Crabtree-Ireland, she walked back her outrage and said both sides better understood the waivers could be a positive and a negative.

    “I do understand that some members feel like it creates a confusing message or that it makes it not as clear of a line,” Crabtree-Ireland conceded. But he added that “we’re all very clear on the fact that AMPTP companies are the companies we’re on strike against.”

    What happens if an AMPTP company buys the film for distribution?

    Some of the productions from smaller studios, like A24 and Neon, have their own distribution arms that can get films out into the world. But others don’t. They often sell to AMPTP companies who ultimately put them into theaters or on their streaming services. “G20” is a prime example of this, having already had a deal in place with Amazon to distribute.

    Crabtree-Ireland said it’s “a concern” but also a “reality we accept as a possibility” that one of these independent films will sell to, say, Netflix. He sees a possible upside if this happens though, as the interim agreement includes a streaming revenue share proposal.

    And he said that any company that acquires an interim-agreement film at the upcoming slate of fall festivals like Venice, Telluride and Toronto — key places where an AMPTP studio might acquire such a project — will have to pay performers the residuals the contract requires.

    What about actors promoting completed projects?

    SAG-AFTRA is reviewing applications that would allow talent to promote independent films at the fall festivals, which are going forward with many high-profile world premieres regardless of actor availability.

    Luc Besson’s “DogMan,” debuting at Venice, was recently granted an interim agreement allowing its stars, like Caleb Landry Jones, to help promote the film through red carpet appearances and interviews. Other independent films headed to Venice include Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” with Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” with Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz, Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” Michel Franco’s “Memory,” with Jessica Chastain and Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man,” with Glen Powell, all of which could, theoretically be granted the special status.

    The actors and writers strikes have resulted in most Hollywood film and television productions being shut down, from the “Gladiator” sequel to the live action “Lilo & Stitch.” But some independent films and television productions are are still filming after reaching agreements with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists that will allow them to continue with union actors amid the strike.

    It’s a move that the union leadership says is an essential negotiating tactic, but that’s also proved divisive and confusing to many sweating it out on the picket lines while movie stars like Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey continue to work.

    Here’s what to know about the “interim agreements” that are keeping some Hollywood productions filming.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    What falls under the interim agreements?

    Actors are striking against studios and streaming services that bargain as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The group’s ranks include the major film studios (Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.), television networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) and streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV+ and Amazon.

    There are numerous independent production companies that aren’t affiliated with the AMPTP, and they are allowed to film with SAG-AFTRA actors during the strike. They must agree to terms that the union last proposed during negotiations, which includes a new minimum wage rate that’s 11% higher than before, guarantees about revenue sharing and artificial intelligence protections.

    Those terms were rejected by the studios and streaming services, but SAG-AFTRA realized that some independent producers and smaller film studios (like Neon and A24) were willing to agree to the terms if it meant they could keep filming.

    “The interim agreement provides empirical proof that the terms that we have put on the table with the AMPTP are not only realistic, but are actually desirable and usable by producers in this industry,” SAG-AFTRA executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said.

    What about the writers?

    The Writers’ Guild of America has opted not to grant similar agreements in their own strike. In an attempt to show solidarity and sync strategy, SAG-AFTRA changed course Monday and said interim agreements would not be granted to productions that were covered by the WGA contract.

    WGA films and shows include about 15 to 20% of the productions granted the agreements before the switch, and those will not be revoked, but no new ones will be granted.

    “We have been advised by the WGA that this modification will assist them in executing their strike strategy, and we believe it does not undermine the utility and effectiveness of ours,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “It is a win-win change.”

    What are some of the productions allowed to continue?

    More than 200 productions have been approved so far, including a Rebel Wilson comedy “Bride Hard,” an untitled Guy Ritchie project, a film with Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd called “Death of a Unicorn,” the Matthew McConaughey thriller “The Rivals of the Amziah King” and David Lowery’s pop star movie “Mother Mary,” starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel.

    The list is being constantly updated on SAG-AFTRA’s website, but even some productions that have been granted exceptions are still pausing for optics and solidarity. Viola Davis decided to step away from her film “G20,” in which she plays the U.S. president at a G20 Summit overtaken by terrorists, despite it being granted a waiver.

    “I love this movie but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike,” Davis said in a statement. “G20” though independently financed, was set to be distributed by Amazon Studios, which is an AMPTP member.

    What is SAG-AFTRA’s strategy?

    Crabtree-Ireland said there are several benefits of the interim agreement to SAG-AFTRA members.

    “It provides absolute empirical proof that the terms that we are seeking in the negotiation are reasonable,” he told The Associated Press in an interview. “We have hundreds of independent producers who say we’ll be happy to produce under those terms.”

    It also provides opportunities for crews and actors to work, relieving some of the financial pressures of the strike. And, he added, it might be getting the attention of studios.

    Emmy-winning “Abbott Elementary” actor Sheryl Lee Ralph agrees with the strategy.

    “I have to honestly say interim agreements are smart agreements. What that does is keep little conversations going with producers who are not the big major producers,” she told the AP. “So now the big folks can look and say, ‘Well, wait a minute, if they can do it, why aren’t we doing it.’”

    Why is it controversial?

    To some members sweating it out on the picket lines and pinching pennies, it doesn’t feel like a united work stoppage when major celebrities like Hathaway and McConaughey get to still make movies.

    Comedian Sarah Silverman was one who was especially irked about the loophole and posted her thoughts in an Instagram video. After meeting with SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and Crabtree-Ireland, she walked back her outrage and said both sides better understood the waivers could be a positive and a negative.

    “I do understand that some members feel like it creates a confusing message or that it makes it not as clear of a line,” Crabtree-Ireland conceded. But he added that “we’re all very clear on the fact that AMPTP companies are the companies we’re on strike against.”

    What happens if an AMPTP company buys the film for distribution?

    Some of the productions from smaller studios, like A24 and Neon, have their own distribution arms that can get films out into the world. But others don’t. They often sell to AMPTP companies who ultimately put them into theaters or on their streaming services. “G20” is a prime example of this, having already had a deal in place with Amazon to distribute.

    Crabtree-Ireland said it’s “a concern” but also a “reality we accept as a possibility” that one of these independent films will sell to, say, Netflix. He sees a possible upside if this happens though, as the interim agreement includes a streaming revenue share proposal.

    And he said that any company that acquires an interim-agreement film at the upcoming slate of fall festivals like Venice, Telluride and Toronto — key places where an AMPTP studio might acquire such a project — will have to pay performers the residuals the contract requires.

    What about actors promoting completed projects?

    SAG-AFTRA is reviewing applications that would allow talent to promote independent films at the fall festivals, which are going forward with many high-profile world premieres regardless of actor availability.

    Luc Besson’s “DogMan,” debuting at Venice, was recently granted an interim agreement allowing its stars, like Caleb Landry Jones, to help promote the film through red carpet appearances and interviews. Other independent films headed to Venice include Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” with Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” with Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz, Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” Michel Franco’s “Memory,” with Jessica Chastain and Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man,” with Glen Powell, all of which could, theoretically be granted the special status.

  • Emmys postponed until January over Hollywood strikes

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: The Emmy Awards have been postponed by almost four months, organizers said Thursday, as crippling strikes by Hollywood’s actors and writers drag on with no resolution in sight.

    Television’s equivalent of the Oscars had been due to take place this September, but will now be held in mid-January next year, broadcaster Fox and the Television Academy wrote in a statement.

    “We are pleased to announce that the 75th Emmy Awards will now air on Monday, January 15, 2024,” said a Fox spokesman.

    The Emmys are the most significant entertainment event so far to be delayed by Hollywood’s first industry-wide walkout by both actors and writers in more than 60 years.

    The last time the Emmys were delayed was in 2001, when the ceremony was postponed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

    Due to the ongoing actors’ strike, A-list stars and nominees would not currently be allowed to attend the Emmys — a development that would be disastrous for television ratings.

    Writers would also not be allowed to script a monologue or jokes for the telecast’s host and presenters.

    The lengthy delay is intended to allow both sides time to resolve their differences, although the various parties have barely spoken through any formal channels since the writers’ strike began 100 days ago.

    Writers Guild of America (WGA) members were joined on the picket lines last month by the far larger Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA.)

    Both are asking for better pay, and guarantees that artificial intelligence will not steal their jobs and income, among other demands.

    Reports of an Emmys delay had been circulating in recent weeks, but until now the postponement had not been confirmed, nor any new date announced.

    Mid-January lands the Emmys right in the middle of Hollywood’s packed film awards season.

    The Emmys will now take place one week after the Golden Globes, and just 24 hours after the Critics Choice Awards.

    The Oscars are set to be held on March 10.

    Deadlock

    The Hollywood strikes have essentially shut down all US movie and television productions, with limited exceptions such as reality and game shows.

    Members of SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are barred from promoting their movies and series.

    The unions’ demands have focused on dwindling pay in the streaming era, and the threat posed to their careers and future livelihoods by artificial intelligence.

    Writers and actors say studios have been methodically eroding their salaries for years, making it impossible for all but the very top ranks to earn a living.

    They contend that the rise of streaming platforms — who do not generally reveal viewing figures — has deprived them of giant paydays when they create global hits.

    Writers and studios tentatively gathered last Friday to discuss formally reopening talks for the first time since May, but even that sitdown so far has not yielded any tangible results.

    Meanwhile, nominations for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced last month, just hours before talks between studios and SAG-AFTRA collapsed.

    “Succession,” the HBO drama about an ultra-wealthy family fighting for control of a sinister media empire, led the nominations with a whopping 27 nods, including best drama.

    “The Last of Us” became the first live-action video game adaptation to earn major nominations, with 24, while satire “The White Lotus” earned 23 nods.

    LOS ANGELES: The Emmy Awards have been postponed by almost four months, organizers said Thursday, as crippling strikes by Hollywood’s actors and writers drag on with no resolution in sight.

    Television’s equivalent of the Oscars had been due to take place this September, but will now be held in mid-January next year, broadcaster Fox and the Television Academy wrote in a statement.

    “We are pleased to announce that the 75th Emmy Awards will now air on Monday, January 15, 2024,” said a Fox spokesman.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    The Emmys are the most significant entertainment event so far to be delayed by Hollywood’s first industry-wide walkout by both actors and writers in more than 60 years.

    The last time the Emmys were delayed was in 2001, when the ceremony was postponed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

    Due to the ongoing actors’ strike, A-list stars and nominees would not currently be allowed to attend the Emmys — a development that would be disastrous for television ratings.

    Writers would also not be allowed to script a monologue or jokes for the telecast’s host and presenters.

    The lengthy delay is intended to allow both sides time to resolve their differences, although the various parties have barely spoken through any formal channels since the writers’ strike began 100 days ago.

    Writers Guild of America (WGA) members were joined on the picket lines last month by the far larger Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA.)

    Both are asking for better pay, and guarantees that artificial intelligence will not steal their jobs and income, among other demands.

    Reports of an Emmys delay had been circulating in recent weeks, but until now the postponement had not been confirmed, nor any new date announced.

    Mid-January lands the Emmys right in the middle of Hollywood’s packed film awards season.

    The Emmys will now take place one week after the Golden Globes, and just 24 hours after the Critics Choice Awards.

    The Oscars are set to be held on March 10.

    Deadlock

    The Hollywood strikes have essentially shut down all US movie and television productions, with limited exceptions such as reality and game shows.

    Members of SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are barred from promoting their movies and series.

    The unions’ demands have focused on dwindling pay in the streaming era, and the threat posed to their careers and future livelihoods by artificial intelligence.

    Writers and actors say studios have been methodically eroding their salaries for years, making it impossible for all but the very top ranks to earn a living.

    They contend that the rise of streaming platforms — who do not generally reveal viewing figures — has deprived them of giant paydays when they create global hits.

    Writers and studios tentatively gathered last Friday to discuss formally reopening talks for the first time since May, but even that sitdown so far has not yielded any tangible results.

    Meanwhile, nominations for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced last month, just hours before talks between studios and SAG-AFTRA collapsed.

    “Succession,” the HBO drama about an ultra-wealthy family fighting for control of a sinister media empire, led the nominations with a whopping 27 nods, including best drama.

    “The Last of Us” became the first live-action video game adaptation to earn major nominations, with 24, while satire “The White Lotus” earned 23 nods.

  • What are Hollywood actors and writers afraid of? Here’s how AI is upending the movie and TV business

    Holly Willis, University of Southern California

    The bitter conflict between actors, writers and other creative professionals and the major movie and TV studios represents a flashpoint in the radical transformation roiling the entertainment industry. The ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild were sparked in part by artificial intelligence and its use in the movie industry.

    Both actors and writers fear that the major studios, including Amazon/MGM, Apple, Disney/ABC/Fox, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, Warner Bros. and HBO, will use generative AI to exploit them. Generative AI is a form of artificial intelligence that learns from text and images to automatically produce new written and visual works.

    So what specifically are the writers and actors afraid of? I’m a professor of cinematic arts. I conducted a brief exercise that illustrates the answer.

    I typed the following sentence into ChatGPT: Create a script for a 5-minute film featuring Barbie and Ken. In seconds, a script appeared.

    Next, I asked for a shot list, a breakdown of every camera shot needed for the film. Again, a response appeared almost instantly, featuring not only a “montage of fun activities,” but also a fancy flashback sequence. The closing line suggested a wide shot showing “Barbie and Ken walking away from the beach together, hand in hand.”

    Next, on a text-to-video platform, I typed these words into a box labeled “Prompt”: “Cinematic movie shot of Margot Robbie as Barbie walking near the beach, early morning light, pink sun rays illuminating the screen, tall green grass, photographic detail, film grain.”

    About a minute later, a 3-second video appeared. It showed a svelte blond woman walking on the beach. Is it Margot Robbie? Is it Barbie? It’s hard to say. I decided to add my own face in place of Robbie’s just for fun, and in seconds, I’ve made the swap.

    I now have a moving image clip on my desktop that I can add to the script and shot list, and I’m well on my way to crafting a short film starring someone sort of like Margot Robbie as Barbie.

    The fear

    None of this material is particularly good. The script lacks tension and poetic grace. The shot list is uninspired. And the video is just plain weird-looking.

    However, the ability for anyone – amateurs and professionals alike – to create a screenplay and conjure the likeness of an existing actor means that the skills once specific to writers and the likeness that an actor once could uniquely call his or her own are now readily available – with questionable quality, to be sure – to anyone with access to these free online tools.

    Given the rate of technological change, the quality of all this material created through generative AI is destined to improve visually, not only for people like me and social media creatives globally, but possibly for the studios, which are likely to have access to much more powerful computers. Further, these separate steps – preproduction, screenwriting, production, postproduction – could be absorbed into a streamlined prompting system that bears little resemblance to today’s art and craft of moviemaking.

    Generative AI is a new technology but it’s already reshaping the film and TV industry.Writers fear that, at best, they will be hired to edit screenplays drafted by AI. They fear that their creative work will be swallowed whole into databases as the fodder for writing tools to sample. And they fear that their specific expertise will be pushed aside in favor of “prompt engineers,” or those skilled at working with AI tools.

    And actors fret that they will be forced to sell their likeness once, only to see it used over and over by studios. They fear that deepfake technologies will become the norm, and real, live actors won’t be needed at all. And they worry that not only their bodies but their voices will be taken, synthesized and reused without continued compensation. And all of this is on top of dwindling incomes for the vast majority of actors.

    On the road to the AI future

    Are their fears justified? Sort of. In June 2023, Marvel showcased titles – opening sequences with episode names – for the series “Secret Invasion” on Disney+ that were created in part with AI tools. The use of AI by a major studio sparked controversy due in part to the timing and fears about AI displacing people from their jobs. Further, series director and executive producer Ali Selim’s tone-deaf description of the use of AI only added to the sense that there is little concern at all about those fears.

    Then on July 26, software developer Nicholas Neubert posted a 48-second trailer for a sci-fi film made with images made by AI image generator Midjourney and motion created by Runway’s image-to-motion generator, Gen-2. It looks terrific. No screenwriter was hired. No actors were used.

    In addition, earlier this month, a company called Fable released Showrunner AI, which is designed to allow users to submit images and voices, along with a brief prompt. The tool responds by creating entire episodes that include the user.

    The creators have been using South Park as their sample, and they have presented plausible new episodes of the show that integrate viewers as characters in the story. The idea is to create a new form of audience engagement. However, for both writers and actors, Showrunner AI must be chilling indeed.

    Finally, Volkswagen recently produced a commercial that features an AI reincarnation of Brazilian musician Elis Regina, who died in 1982. Directed by Dulcidio Caldeira, it shows the musician as she appears to sing a duet with her daughter. For some, the song was a beautiful revelation, crafting a poignant mother-daughter reunion.

    However, for others, the AI regeneration of someone who has died prompts worries about how one’s likeness might be used after death. What if you are morally opposed to a particular film project, TV show or commercial? How will actors – and others – be able to retain control?

    Keeping actors and writers in the credits

    Writers’ and actors’ fears could be assuaged if the entertainment industry developed a convincing and inclusive vision that acknowledges advances in AI, but that collaborates with writers and actors, not to mention cinematographers, directors, art designers and others, as partners.

    At the moment, developers are rapidly building and improving AI tools. Production companies are likely to use them to dramatically cut costs, which will contribute to a massive shift toward a gig-oriented economy. If the dismissive attitude toward writers and actors held by many of the major studios continues, not only will there be little consideration of the needs of writers and actors, but technology development will lead the conversation.

    However, what if the tools were designed with the participation of informed actors and writers? What kind of tool would an actor create? What would a writer create? What sorts of conditions regarding intellectual property, copyright and creativity would developers consider? And what sort of inclusive, forward-looking, creative cinematic ecosystem might evolve? Answering these questions could give actors and writers the assurances they seek and help the industry adapt in the age of AI.

    Holly Willis, Professor of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    Holly Willis, University of Southern California

    The bitter conflict between actors, writers and other creative professionals and the major movie and TV studios represents a flashpoint in the radical transformation roiling the entertainment industry. The ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild were sparked in part by artificial intelligence and its use in the movie industry.

    Both actors and writers fear that the major studios, including Amazon/MGM, Apple, Disney/ABC/Fox, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, Warner Bros. and HBO, will use generative AI to exploit them. Generative AI is a form of artificial intelligence that learns from text and images to automatically produce new written and visual works.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    So what specifically are the writers and actors afraid of? I’m a professor of cinematic arts. I conducted a brief exercise that illustrates the answer.

    I typed the following sentence into ChatGPT: Create a script for a 5-minute film featuring Barbie and Ken. In seconds, a script appeared.

    Next, I asked for a shot list, a breakdown of every camera shot needed for the film. Again, a response appeared almost instantly, featuring not only a “montage of fun activities,” but also a fancy flashback sequence. The closing line suggested a wide shot showing “Barbie and Ken walking away from the beach together, hand in hand.”

    Next, on a text-to-video platform, I typed these words into a box labeled “Prompt”: “Cinematic movie shot of Margot Robbie as Barbie walking near the beach, early morning light, pink sun rays illuminating the screen, tall green grass, photographic detail, film grain.”

    About a minute later, a 3-second video appeared. It showed a svelte blond woman walking on the beach. Is it Margot Robbie? Is it Barbie? It’s hard to say. I decided to add my own face in place of Robbie’s just for fun, and in seconds, I’ve made the swap.

    I now have a moving image clip on my desktop that I can add to the script and shot list, and I’m well on my way to crafting a short film starring someone sort of like Margot Robbie as Barbie.

    The fear

    None of this material is particularly good. The script lacks tension and poetic grace. The shot list is uninspired. And the video is just plain weird-looking.

    However, the ability for anyone – amateurs and professionals alike – to create a screenplay and conjure the likeness of an existing actor means that the skills once specific to writers and the likeness that an actor once could uniquely call his or her own are now readily available – with questionable quality, to be sure – to anyone with access to these free online tools.

    Given the rate of technological change, the quality of all this material created through generative AI is destined to improve visually, not only for people like me and social media creatives globally, but possibly for the studios, which are likely to have access to much more powerful computers. Further, these separate steps – preproduction, screenwriting, production, postproduction – could be absorbed into a streamlined prompting system that bears little resemblance to today’s art and craft of moviemaking.

    Generative AI is a new technology but it’s already reshaping the film and TV industry.Writers fear that, at best, they will be hired to edit screenplays drafted by AI. They fear that their creative work will be swallowed whole into databases as the fodder for writing tools to sample. And they fear that their specific expertise will be pushed aside in favor of “prompt engineers,” or those skilled at working with AI tools.

    And actors fret that they will be forced to sell their likeness once, only to see it used over and over by studios. They fear that deepfake technologies will become the norm, and real, live actors won’t be needed at all. And they worry that not only their bodies but their voices will be taken, synthesized and reused without continued compensation. And all of this is on top of dwindling incomes for the vast majority of actors.

    On the road to the AI future

    Are their fears justified? Sort of. In June 2023, Marvel showcased titles – opening sequences with episode names – for the series “Secret Invasion” on Disney+ that were created in part with AI tools. The use of AI by a major studio sparked controversy due in part to the timing and fears about AI displacing people from their jobs. Further, series director and executive producer Ali Selim’s tone-deaf description of the use of AI only added to the sense that there is little concern at all about those fears.

    Then on July 26, software developer Nicholas Neubert posted a 48-second trailer for a sci-fi film made with images made by AI image generator Midjourney and motion created by Runway’s image-to-motion generator, Gen-2. It looks terrific. No screenwriter was hired. No actors were used.

    In addition, earlier this month, a company called Fable released Showrunner AI, which is designed to allow users to submit images and voices, along with a brief prompt. The tool responds by creating entire episodes that include the user.

    The creators have been using South Park as their sample, and they have presented plausible new episodes of the show that integrate viewers as characters in the story. The idea is to create a new form of audience engagement. However, for both writers and actors, Showrunner AI must be chilling indeed.

    Finally, Volkswagen recently produced a commercial that features an AI reincarnation of Brazilian musician Elis Regina, who died in 1982. Directed by Dulcidio Caldeira, it shows the musician as she appears to sing a duet with her daughter. For some, the song was a beautiful revelation, crafting a poignant mother-daughter reunion.

    However, for others, the AI regeneration of someone who has died prompts worries about how one’s likeness might be used after death. What if you are morally opposed to a particular film project, TV show or commercial? How will actors – and others – be able to retain control?

    Keeping actors and writers in the credits

    Writers’ and actors’ fears could be assuaged if the entertainment industry developed a convincing and inclusive vision that acknowledges advances in AI, but that collaborates with writers and actors, not to mention cinematographers, directors, art designers and others, as partners.

    At the moment, developers are rapidly building and improving AI tools. Production companies are likely to use them to dramatically cut costs, which will contribute to a massive shift toward a gig-oriented economy. If the dismissive attitude toward writers and actors held by many of the major studios continues, not only will there be little consideration of the needs of writers and actors, but technology development will lead the conversation.

    However, what if the tools were designed with the participation of informed actors and writers? What kind of tool would an actor create? What would a writer create? What sorts of conditions regarding intellectual property, copyright and creativity would developers consider? And what sort of inclusive, forward-looking, creative cinematic ecosystem might evolve? Answering these questions could give actors and writers the assurances they seek and help the industry adapt in the age of AI.

    Holly Willis, Professor of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

  • Viola Davis stops work in next film due to ongoing strikes, even with SAG permission

    By Express News Service

    Amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes, Hollywood A-lister actor Viola Davis became one of the first to back away from working in the upcoming feature G20, in order to show solidarity with the ones who are striking.

    “I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike. “I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision.

    JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA and the WGA,” the actor was quoted as saying in a statement by a Deadline report. It is to be noted that G20 is one among the projects that got a waiver sanctioned by SAF-AFTRA G20 is expected to be an action thriller, attached to Amazon Studios and MRC Film.

    The film is directed by Patricia Riggen. The script is written by Logan Miller and Noah. In G20, Viola plays the role of US President Taylor Sutton, who must use all her forces and wisdom to overcome a catastrophic incidence.

    Amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes, Hollywood A-lister actor Viola Davis became one of the first to back away from working in the upcoming feature G20, in order to show solidarity with the ones who are striking.

    “I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike. “I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision.

    JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA and the WGA,” the actor was quoted as saying in a statement by a Deadline report. It is to be noted that G20 is one among the projects that got a waiver sanctioned by SAF-AFTRA G20 is expected to be an action thriller, attached to Amazon Studios and MRC Film.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The film is directed by Patricia Riggen. The script is written by Logan Miller and Noah. In G20, Viola plays the role of US President Taylor Sutton, who must use all her forces and wisdom to overcome a catastrophic incidence.

  • Will Smith on SAG-AFTRA strike: It’s a pivotal moment for our profession

    By Express News Service

    Hollywood actor Will Smith recently took to his social media handle to extend support to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

    A member of SAG-AFTRA, Smith, wrote about the importance of this moment for both guilds. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “I wanna talk for a second about ACTING. As some of y’all mighta heard, my guild, @SAGAFTRA are on strike along with our writer colleagues in the WGA. It’s a pivotal moment for our profession. 33 years into my career as an actor and there are still some days when I feel like I’m that kid from Philly who’s on borrowed time, even though I know I’ve been extraordinarily blessed and lucky to have worked as an actor all this time. It’s thanks to my friend, my teacher and my mentor @aaronspeiser whom I fondly refer to as ‘coach’ that those days when I feel like I don’t belong are fewer and further between. Coach invited me to an acting class the other day and I met a group of our talented next generation of actors and they amazed and inspired me! I’m grateful to coach for continuing to support these talented hopefuls in this art-form that I love and have been lucky enough to work in for three decades of my life! Thanks COACH!

    Hollywood actor Will Smith recently took to his social media handle to extend support to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

    A member of SAG-AFTRA, Smith, wrote about the importance of this moment for both guilds. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “I wanna talk for a second about ACTING. As some of y’all mighta heard, my guild, @SAGAFTRA are on strike along with our writer colleagues in the WGA. It’s a pivotal moment for our profession. 33 years into my career as an actor and there are still some days when I feel like I’m that kid from Philly who’s on borrowed time, even though I know I’ve been extraordinarily blessed and lucky to have worked as an actor all this time. It’s thanks to my friend, my teacher and my mentor @aaronspeiser whom I fondly refer to as ‘coach’ that those days when I feel like I don’t belong are fewer and further between. Coach invited me to an acting class the other day and I met a group of our talented next generation of actors and they amazed and inspired me! I’m grateful to coach for continuing to support these talented hopefuls in this art-form that I love and have been lucky enough to work in for three decades of my life! Thanks COACH!

  • California’s Governor Gavin Newsom offers to help negotiate Hollywood strike

    By Associated Press

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Governor Gavin Newsom has contacted all sides of the strikes that have hobbled Hollywood, his office said Wednesday, offering to help broker a deal to restart an industry that is crucial to keeping the state’s economy humming amid signs of weakness.

    So far, neither studio executives nor actors and writers have shown formal interest in bringing Newsom to the negotiating table, said Anthony York, Newsom’s senior adviser for communications. But York said both Newsom and senior members of his administration have been in touch with all sides as the two strikes stretch deeper into the summer blockbuster season.

    “It’s clear that the sides are still far apart, but he is deeply concerned about the impact a prolonged strike can have on the regional and state economy,” York said. He further noted “thousands of jobs depend directly or indirectly on Hollywood getting back to work,” including crew, staff and catering.

    The last time the writers went on strike more than a decade ago, the 100-day work stoppage cost the state’s economy an estimated $2 billion. The economic hit could be even bigger this time around now that actors have joined the picket lines.

    The strikes come after Newsom signed a state budget that included a more than $31 billion deficit in part because of a slowdown in the tech sector, another one of the state’s key industries.

    The writers have been on strike since May, and the actors joined them earlier this month. Both unions have concerns about how they will be paid in an age where fewer people are paying to go to the movies or watch cable TV in favour of streaming services.

    And they are worried about how the rise of artificial intelligence will affect the creative process of how movies and TV shows are made and who is paid to make them.

    SAG-AFTRA member walks on a picket line outside Netflix studios on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Photo)

    The Democratic governor first offered to help mediate a deal in May, shortly after the writers’ strike began, saying he was sympathetic to their concerns about streaming and artificial intelligence. Now in his final term in office, Newsom has worked hard to boost his national profile as he sets his sights on life after the governor’s office.

    He is widely considered a future presidential contender, though he has said he has no plans to run. Any role for Newsom to help end strikes halting one of the country’s most recognizable industries could bolster his status on the national stage.

    Labour actions have lit up California this summer, and it has become common for politicians and their allies to step into broker deals. New Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, for example, helped negotiate an end to a strike by Los Angeles school staff. Acting Biden administration Labor Secretary Julie Su, a former California labour leader, helped reach an end to a contract dispute at Southern California ports.

    Asked about Newsom’s involvement, Bass spokesman Zach Seidl said in a statement that “this is a historic inflexion point for our city. … We continue to engage with labour leaders, studio heads, elected leaders and other impacted parties to arrive at a fair and equitable solution.”

    York declined to say who Newsom has spoken with, either on the unions’ side or the studios. Representatives for the Screen Actors Guild – the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers declined to comment.

    Hollywood isn’t just a major economic driver in California — it’s also a fundraising powerhouse for mostly Democratic candidates, including Newsom. In 2021, when Newsom was facing a recall election that could have removed him from office, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings donated $3 million to help defeat it. He has received smaller contributions from executives at Disney, Sony and Lionsgate. Prominent directors and producers like Stephen Spielberg and Chuck Lorre have also donated to his campaigns.

    Newsom’s relationships with some of Hollywood’s most powerful executives could potentially help him in any negotiations over the strikes as he continues to advocate for the causes of the workers. Newsom also has a connection to Hollywood through his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who used to be an actor and is now a documentary director.

    Also this year, Newsom signed a law to extend tax credits for movie and television productions. The big change is that those tax credits will be refundable, meaning if a movie studio has credits that are worth more than what it owes in taxes, the state will pay the studio the difference in cash.

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Governor Gavin Newsom has contacted all sides of the strikes that have hobbled Hollywood, his office said Wednesday, offering to help broker a deal to restart an industry that is crucial to keeping the state’s economy humming amid signs of weakness.

    So far, neither studio executives nor actors and writers have shown formal interest in bringing Newsom to the negotiating table, said Anthony York, Newsom’s senior adviser for communications. But York said both Newsom and senior members of his administration have been in touch with all sides as the two strikes stretch deeper into the summer blockbuster season.

    “It’s clear that the sides are still far apart, but he is deeply concerned about the impact a prolonged strike can have on the regional and state economy,” York said. He further noted “thousands of jobs depend directly or indirectly on Hollywood getting back to work,” including crew, staff and catering.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    The last time the writers went on strike more than a decade ago, the 100-day work stoppage cost the state’s economy an estimated $2 billion. The economic hit could be even bigger this time around now that actors have joined the picket lines.

    The strikes come after Newsom signed a state budget that included a more than $31 billion deficit in part because of a slowdown in the tech sector, another one of the state’s key industries.

    The writers have been on strike since May, and the actors joined them earlier this month. Both unions have concerns about how they will be paid in an age where fewer people are paying to go to the movies or watch cable TV in favour of streaming services.

    And they are worried about how the rise of artificial intelligence will affect the creative process of how movies and TV shows are made and who is paid to make them.

    SAG-AFTRA member walks on a picket line outside Netflix studios on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Photo)

    The Democratic governor first offered to help mediate a deal in May, shortly after the writers’ strike began, saying he was sympathetic to their concerns about streaming and artificial intelligence. Now in his final term in office, Newsom has worked hard to boost his national profile as he sets his sights on life after the governor’s office.

    He is widely considered a future presidential contender, though he has said he has no plans to run. Any role for Newsom to help end strikes halting one of the country’s most recognizable industries could bolster his status on the national stage.

    Labour actions have lit up California this summer, and it has become common for politicians and their allies to step into broker deals. New Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, for example, helped negotiate an end to a strike by Los Angeles school staff. Acting Biden administration Labor Secretary Julie Su, a former California labour leader, helped reach an end to a contract dispute at Southern California ports.

    Asked about Newsom’s involvement, Bass spokesman Zach Seidl said in a statement that “this is a historic inflexion point for our city. … We continue to engage with labour leaders, studio heads, elected leaders and other impacted parties to arrive at a fair and equitable solution.”

    York declined to say who Newsom has spoken with, either on the unions’ side or the studios. Representatives for the Screen Actors Guild – the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers declined to comment.

    Hollywood isn’t just a major economic driver in California — it’s also a fundraising powerhouse for mostly Democratic candidates, including Newsom. In 2021, when Newsom was facing a recall election that could have removed him from office, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings donated $3 million to help defeat it. He has received smaller contributions from executives at Disney, Sony and Lionsgate. Prominent directors and producers like Stephen Spielberg and Chuck Lorre have also donated to his campaigns.

    Newsom’s relationships with some of Hollywood’s most powerful executives could potentially help him in any negotiations over the strikes as he continues to advocate for the causes of the workers. Newsom also has a connection to Hollywood through his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who used to be an actor and is now a documentary director.

    Also this year, Newsom signed a law to extend tax credits for movie and television productions. The big change is that those tax credits will be refundable, meaning if a movie studio has credits that are worth more than what it owes in taxes, the state will pay the studio the difference in cash.

  • Bryan Cranston, Jessica Chastain join star-studded Times Square rally of striking actors and writers

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: SAG-AFTRA held its largest and most star-studded rally yet Tuesday in Times Square in a picket sign-waving show of solidarity 12 days into the actors strike.

    A day after a Variety report questioned the lack of A-listers that have hit picket lines thus far, the rally Tuesday boasted more star wattage than perhaps any single strike action yet. Among those joining throngs of demonstrators were Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Brendan Fraser, Ellen Burstyn, Wendell Pierce, Steve Buscemi, Rachel Zegler, Michael Shannon, Jane Curtin, Christian Slater and Chloe Grace Moretz.

    Taking up a full city block, actors and representatives from the actors union took turns giving fiery speeches on a stage in the heart of Times Square while tourists gawked and passing trucks honked in support. At times, the actors took aim at the corporate lights and billboards around them, including the Walt Disney-owned ESPN and ABC studios that sat alongside the rally.

    “We’ve got a message to Mr. Iger,” said Cranston, directing his comments at Disney CEO Bob Iger. “I know, sir, that you look through things from a different lens. We don’t expect you to understand who we are but we ask you to hear us, and beyond that, to listen to us when we tell you we will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots. We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living.”

    ALSO READ | Combined strike by Hollywood actors, writers enter second week

    The rally took place a stone’s throw from Broadway theaters and, given the talent involved, featured a higher degree of show business than your usual labor rally. “Avatar” actor Stephen Lang quoted Frederick Douglass. Wendell Pierce recited Samuel Beckett. Tituss Burgess didn’t speak; he sang Stephen Sondheim.

    Arian Moayed, who played the investor Stewy Hosseini in “Succession,” compared the characters of the HBO series to the studio executives the actors are negotiating with.

    “It’s like these people haven’t seen (expletive) ‘Succession,’” Moayed exclaimed. “It’s about you!”

    Christine Baranski of “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” likewise drew from her own credits.

    “We will not live under corporate feudalism. It is time, it is just simply time to make things right. Our contribution will not be undervalued, and we will not be robbed,” said Baranski before concluding: “Let’s fight the good fight!”

    Earlier this month, actors joined striking screenwriters who walked out in May. It’s the first time both unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960. The stoppage has shuttered nearly all film and television production. Actors say the streaming revolution has altered pay in entertainment, stripping them of residuals and remaking working conditions. They are also seeking guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence, along with increases to the union’s health care and pension programs.

    “Our industry has changed exponentially,” said Cranston. “We are not in the same business model that we were in even 10 years ago. And yet, even though they admit that that’s the truth in today’s economy, they are fighting us tooth and nail to stick to the same economic system that is outmoded, outdated. They want us to step back in time.”

    ALSO READ | This isn’t the first time Hollywood’s been on strike; here’s how past strikes turned out

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is negotiating on behalf of studios, has said it presented actors with a generous deal that included the biggest bump in minimum pay in 35 years among other benefits. Since talks broke off and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists commenced the strike, the sides have not negotiated and no talks are scheduled.

    “We may be on strike but I said to them on July 12 we are ready to continue talking tomorrow and every day after until we reach a deal,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA. “And I’ve said that every day since to the media, to them, to anyone who would listen. SAG-AFTRA is ready, willing and able to return to the bargaining table.

    “The only reason we aren’t there now is because those companies said that they didn’t want to deal with people who were uncivilized and because those companies said they wouldn’t be ready to talk for quite some time,” added Crabtree-Ireland.

    Many actors Tuesday cast the strike in personal terms. Slater said the union’s health care helped sustain his father’s life. Slater’s father, the actor Michael Hawkins, died last November. Liza Colón-Zayas, the 51-year-old Bronx-born actor of the Hulu hit series “The Bear,” said her lifetime of hard work isn’t paying off.

    “I have struggled 35 years to get here only to find residuals have dwindled exponentially,” said Colón-Zayas. “If you can announce the highest-viewed this and the highest profits in that, then you can track our residuals. So we need to come to the table but we need to come to the table in good faith that there will be transparency in how we are being paid by streaming. We need you to open the books.”

    NEW YORK: SAG-AFTRA held its largest and most star-studded rally yet Tuesday in Times Square in a picket sign-waving show of solidarity 12 days into the actors strike.

    A day after a Variety report questioned the lack of A-listers that have hit picket lines thus far, the rally Tuesday boasted more star wattage than perhaps any single strike action yet. Among those joining throngs of demonstrators were Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Brendan Fraser, Ellen Burstyn, Wendell Pierce, Steve Buscemi, Rachel Zegler, Michael Shannon, Jane Curtin, Christian Slater and Chloe Grace Moretz.

    Taking up a full city block, actors and representatives from the actors union took turns giving fiery speeches on a stage in the heart of Times Square while tourists gawked and passing trucks honked in support. At times, the actors took aim at the corporate lights and billboards around them, including the Walt Disney-owned ESPN and ABC studios that sat alongside the rally.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “We’ve got a message to Mr. Iger,” said Cranston, directing his comments at Disney CEO Bob Iger. “I know, sir, that you look through things from a different lens. We don’t expect you to understand who we are but we ask you to hear us, and beyond that, to listen to us when we tell you we will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots. We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living.”

    ALSO READ | Combined strike by Hollywood actors, writers enter second week

    The rally took place a stone’s throw from Broadway theaters and, given the talent involved, featured a higher degree of show business than your usual labor rally. “Avatar” actor Stephen Lang quoted Frederick Douglass. Wendell Pierce recited Samuel Beckett. Tituss Burgess didn’t speak; he sang Stephen Sondheim.

    Arian Moayed, who played the investor Stewy Hosseini in “Succession,” compared the characters of the HBO series to the studio executives the actors are negotiating with.

    “It’s like these people haven’t seen (expletive) ‘Succession,’” Moayed exclaimed. “It’s about you!”

    Christine Baranski of “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” likewise drew from her own credits.

    “We will not live under corporate feudalism. It is time, it is just simply time to make things right. Our contribution will not be undervalued, and we will not be robbed,” said Baranski before concluding: “Let’s fight the good fight!”

    Earlier this month, actors joined striking screenwriters who walked out in May. It’s the first time both unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960. The stoppage has shuttered nearly all film and television production. Actors say the streaming revolution has altered pay in entertainment, stripping them of residuals and remaking working conditions. They are also seeking guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence, along with increases to the union’s health care and pension programs.

    “Our industry has changed exponentially,” said Cranston. “We are not in the same business model that we were in even 10 years ago. And yet, even though they admit that that’s the truth in today’s economy, they are fighting us tooth and nail to stick to the same economic system that is outmoded, outdated. They want us to step back in time.”

    ALSO READ | This isn’t the first time Hollywood’s been on strike; here’s how past strikes turned out

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is negotiating on behalf of studios, has said it presented actors with a generous deal that included the biggest bump in minimum pay in 35 years among other benefits. Since talks broke off and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists commenced the strike, the sides have not negotiated and no talks are scheduled.

    “We may be on strike but I said to them on July 12 we are ready to continue talking tomorrow and every day after until we reach a deal,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA. “And I’ve said that every day since to the media, to them, to anyone who would listen. SAG-AFTRA is ready, willing and able to return to the bargaining table.

    “The only reason we aren’t there now is because those companies said that they didn’t want to deal with people who were uncivilized and because those companies said they wouldn’t be ready to talk for quite some time,” added Crabtree-Ireland.

    Many actors Tuesday cast the strike in personal terms. Slater said the union’s health care helped sustain his father’s life. Slater’s father, the actor Michael Hawkins, died last November. Liza Colón-Zayas, the 51-year-old Bronx-born actor of the Hulu hit series “The Bear,” said her lifetime of hard work isn’t paying off.

    “I have struggled 35 years to get here only to find residuals have dwindled exponentially,” said Colón-Zayas. “If you can announce the highest-viewed this and the highest profits in that, then you can track our residuals. So we need to come to the table but we need to come to the table in good faith that there will be transparency in how we are being paid by streaming. We need you to open the books.”

  • Comedians energize the picket lines as Hollywood actors and writers strikes enter second week

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: The combined strike by Hollywood actors and screenwriters entered its second week with no swift end in sight, and union leaders and star strikers, including a bevvy of comedians, attempted to boost morale Friday as the novelty of picket lines wears off.

    “The momentum is still building,” said stand-up comic, writer and actor Marc Maron outside Netflix headquarters. “I got some of my comedy buddies — we’re like, let’s go, let’s make sure we’re there and we show up for our union. There’s a lot of people here and look, eventually, they have to, they have to negotiate, right?”

    Maron starred on the series “GLOW” for Netflix, whose headquarters in an increasingly hip section of Hollywood has been a bustling hub during the strike, with music blasting and food trucks serving ice cream, shaved ice and churros.

    His fellow comedians and comic actors abounded on the picket line, including “Saturday Night Live” and “Portlandia” alum Fred Armisen, “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor Chelsea Peretti, “What We Do in the Shadows” vampire Mark Proksch, and longtime comedy team Eric Wareheim and Tim Heidecker, who said they were not optimistic about a quick end to the strike.

    “I think it’s going to be a long struggle, a long fight,” Heidecker said. “We’re going to have to be out here until we get what we need to get.”

    But they were confident about finding sustenance to get them through it.

    “There’s an Arby’s here and Eric hasn’t eaten Arby’s in a year,” Heidecker said.

    “It’s been 364 days since I had a big roast beef and we’re doing it today,” Wareheim said.

    It has been harder for picketers to keep the energy up at more sprawling corporate campuses like Warner Bros. Studios and Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, where a Southern California heat wave hit hard all week.

    But as the strike has begun to stretch on, the regular appearance of star writers and actors has given a jolt to picket lines in both LA and New York, and provided high-profile voices on issues that are key to both writers and actors — better pay and preserving established practices like residual payments, as well as protection from the use of artificial intelligence.

    Roughly 65,000 actors — the vast majority of whom make less than $27,000 a year from their screen work — along with 11,500 screenwriters, are on strike.

    On Friday, actors in London rallied in solidarity with their Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists brethren. Stars including Brian Cox, Andy Serkis, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg and Imelda Staunton gathered with other performers and production crew in Leicester Square for the demonstration organized by British actors’ union Equity.

    They chanted “One struggle, one fight, we support SAG-AFTRA fight” and “The luvvies, united, will never be defeated,” using a British slang term for actors.

    Cox, who played media mogul Logan Roy in “Succession,” said, “I think we are at the thin end of a horrible wedge,” with artificial intelligence shaking the foundations of actors’ work.

    “The wages are one thing, but the worst aspect is the whole idea of AI and what AI can do to us,” he said. “AI is the really, really serious thing. And it’s the thing where we’re most vulnerable.”

    The British actors’ union is not on strike, though many members are also part of the U.S. union.

    Cox said it was important actors showed solidarity with striking screenwriters in the Writers Guild of America.

    “We’re just like pieces of furniture without writers,” he said.

    Serkis, who has become a specialist in playing digitally created characters since he first played Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings” saga two decades ago, said “I’m probably one of the most scanned actors on the planet.”

    “I know that my image can be used, or my library of movements, can be used or my voice,” he said, adding that it “is wrong that that is easily accessed and used without remunerating the artist.”

    In the U.S., Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago were among the major cities with strike events Wednesday and Thursday, demonstrating that film production doesn’t just happen in New York and Los Angeles.

    There’s no indication when negotiations with studios and streaming companies, which are represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, will resume. The group has said they’ve offered both writers and actors substantial pay increases and have tried to meet other demands.

    “Please come back to the table, please be realistic, please have a little bit more socialism in your heart and think of the people who make the money for you,” “Mission Impossible” star Pegg urged studios and streaming services.

    Many on the picket lines in the U.S. have seized upon comments by their corporate bosses like Disney CEO Bob Iger, who last week called the unions’ demands “not realistic.”

    During an earnings event Wednesday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said grew up in a union household and knew the strike was painful on workers and their families.

    “We’re super committed to getting to an agreement as soon as possible. One that’s equitable and one that enables the unions, the industry and everybody in it to move forward into the future,” he said.

    LOS ANGELES: The combined strike by Hollywood actors and screenwriters entered its second week with no swift end in sight, and union leaders and star strikers, including a bevvy of comedians, attempted to boost morale Friday as the novelty of picket lines wears off.

    “The momentum is still building,” said stand-up comic, writer and actor Marc Maron outside Netflix headquarters. “I got some of my comedy buddies — we’re like, let’s go, let’s make sure we’re there and we show up for our union. There’s a lot of people here and look, eventually, they have to, they have to negotiate, right?”

    Maron starred on the series “GLOW” for Netflix, whose headquarters in an increasingly hip section of Hollywood has been a bustling hub during the strike, with music blasting and food trucks serving ice cream, shaved ice and churros.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    His fellow comedians and comic actors abounded on the picket line, including “Saturday Night Live” and “Portlandia” alum Fred Armisen, “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor Chelsea Peretti, “What We Do in the Shadows” vampire Mark Proksch, and longtime comedy team Eric Wareheim and Tim Heidecker, who said they were not optimistic about a quick end to the strike.

    “I think it’s going to be a long struggle, a long fight,” Heidecker said. “We’re going to have to be out here until we get what we need to get.”

    But they were confident about finding sustenance to get them through it.

    “There’s an Arby’s here and Eric hasn’t eaten Arby’s in a year,” Heidecker said.

    “It’s been 364 days since I had a big roast beef and we’re doing it today,” Wareheim said.

    It has been harder for picketers to keep the energy up at more sprawling corporate campuses like Warner Bros. Studios and Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, where a Southern California heat wave hit hard all week.

    But as the strike has begun to stretch on, the regular appearance of star writers and actors has given a jolt to picket lines in both LA and New York, and provided high-profile voices on issues that are key to both writers and actors — better pay and preserving established practices like residual payments, as well as protection from the use of artificial intelligence.

    Roughly 65,000 actors — the vast majority of whom make less than $27,000 a year from their screen work — along with 11,500 screenwriters, are on strike.

    On Friday, actors in London rallied in solidarity with their Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists brethren. Stars including Brian Cox, Andy Serkis, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg and Imelda Staunton gathered with other performers and production crew in Leicester Square for the demonstration organized by British actors’ union Equity.

    They chanted “One struggle, one fight, we support SAG-AFTRA fight” and “The luvvies, united, will never be defeated,” using a British slang term for actors.

    Cox, who played media mogul Logan Roy in “Succession,” said, “I think we are at the thin end of a horrible wedge,” with artificial intelligence shaking the foundations of actors’ work.

    “The wages are one thing, but the worst aspect is the whole idea of AI and what AI can do to us,” he said. “AI is the really, really serious thing. And it’s the thing where we’re most vulnerable.”

    The British actors’ union is not on strike, though many members are also part of the U.S. union.

    Cox said it was important actors showed solidarity with striking screenwriters in the Writers Guild of America.

    “We’re just like pieces of furniture without writers,” he said.

    Serkis, who has become a specialist in playing digitally created characters since he first played Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings” saga two decades ago, said “I’m probably one of the most scanned actors on the planet.”

    “I know that my image can be used, or my library of movements, can be used or my voice,” he said, adding that it “is wrong that that is easily accessed and used without remunerating the artist.”

    In the U.S., Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago were among the major cities with strike events Wednesday and Thursday, demonstrating that film production doesn’t just happen in New York and Los Angeles.

    There’s no indication when negotiations with studios and streaming companies, which are represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, will resume. The group has said they’ve offered both writers and actors substantial pay increases and have tried to meet other demands.

    “Please come back to the table, please be realistic, please have a little bit more socialism in your heart and think of the people who make the money for you,” “Mission Impossible” star Pegg urged studios and streaming services.

    Many on the picket lines in the U.S. have seized upon comments by their corporate bosses like Disney CEO Bob Iger, who last week called the unions’ demands “not realistic.”

    During an earnings event Wednesday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said grew up in a union household and knew the strike was painful on workers and their families.

    “We’re super committed to getting to an agreement as soon as possible. One that’s equitable and one that enables the unions, the industry and everybody in it to move forward into the future,” he said.

  • Hollywood’s actors may join its writers on strike

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actors may be days from joining screenwriters in what would be the first two-union strike in the industry in more than six decades, with huge consequences for film and television production.

    WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH ACTORS’ NEGOTIATIONS?

    The contract between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists and the studios, streaming services and production companies that employ them had been set to expire Friday night at midnight Pacific time.

    But hours before that the two sides said they had agreed to extend the current contract, and talks on the next one, through July 12. Unionised actors have voted overwhelmingly to authorize their leaders to call a strike if no deal is reached.

    Talks also went past the deadline in 2014 and 2017, and agreements resulted both times.

    Reports have said the talks have been productive.But some actors have expressed worry that their leaders may not be pushing hard enough.

    More than 1,000 of them, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Bob Odenkirk, have added their names to a letter to negotiators saying they are willing to strike, and are concerned they are ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not.

    The letter says “This is not a moment to meet in the middle”.

    The guild, led by president and former ‘Nanny’ star Fran Drescher, represents over 160,000 screen actors, stunt performers, broadcast journalists, announcers, and hosts, but a strike would involve only actors working on television shows and films.

    WHAT DO THE ACTORS WANT?

    Many of the same issues that drove writers to strike are on the table for actors, including what the guilds say is shrinking compensation brought on by a streaming ecosystem in which royalty payments are no longer tethered to the popularity of a film or TV show.

    A role or a writing credit on a show that became a hit with a long life in reruns is no longer the cash cow that it once was.

    And the unions say inflation is outpacing the scheduled pay bumps within their contracts.

    For both scribes and performers, the move to streaming and its ripple effects have also meant shorter seasons of shows with longer gaps between them, and therefore less work.

    And like the writers, actors fear the threat of the unregulated use of artificial intelligence.

    SAG-AFTRA said in a memo to members that the burgeoning ability of AI to recreate the performances of its members is a real and immediate threat that it wants to head off.

    Issues particular to actors include the new and increasing burden of self-taped auditions, the cost of which used to be the responsibility of casting and productions.

    HAVE HOLLYWOOD ACTORS GONE ON STRIKE BEFORE?

    Movie and TV actors last went on strike for three months in 1980, though actors in broadcast commercials have gone on strike twice since then.

    Overall they have had far more labour peace than screenwriters, whose walkouts have been far more frequent.

    That includes the current standoff, in which 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike for nearly two months, with no end in sight.

    In 1960 the actors’ union, led by then-SAG president and future US President Ronald Reagan, went on strike for six weeks that fell in the middle of a five-month writers’ strike, the only time two major Hollywood unions walked off the job at the same time.

    Actors have shown broad support for striking writers, and many have joined them on picket lines in an act of what has so far been symbolic solidarity.

    WHAT EFFECT WOULD THE COMBINED STRIKES HAVE FOR VIEWERS?

    The writers’ strike had an almost instant effect on late-night network talk shows, including NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ and CBS’s ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’, which all went on hiatus immediately.

    ‘Saturday Night Live’ axed its last three episodes of the season.

    In the two months since, many scripted television series have also shut down, including Netflix’s ‘stranger Things’, Max’s ‘Hacks’, Showtime’s ‘Yellowjackets’, and Apple TV+’s ‘Severance’.

    Some movies have reportedly also been paused.

    Actors joining writers would force nearly every other show or film that hasn’t already been shot into a similar shutdown. Forthcoming seasons of television shows would be delayed indefinitely, and movie releases will be pushed back.

    Streaming menus on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video will show no immediate differences, though lovers of those outlets’ original series would eventually have to wait longer for their favourites to return.

    Exceptions would be productions taking place outside the United States.

    And reality shows, game shows and most daytime talk shows will likely be unaffected.

    The two strikes are also casting doubt on the viability of the Emmy Awards, whose nominations are scheduled to be announced on July 12 before a September ceremony, though the Tony Awards and BET Awards managed to shows go on despite the writers’ strike.

    WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE WRITERS?

    The writers’ strike has seen persistent picketing and some major rallies for two months, but so far no movement.

    There are no current negotiations happening between the strikers and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, streamers and production companies in all the industry’s union negotiations.

    The longest previous writers’ strike, in 1988, lasted five months. Along with the issues they have in common with actors, writers are especially concerned with the shrinking staffs that are used on shows, which they call mini-rooms”.

    They have meant much less work and far fewer guarantees of future work. The AMPTP says the writers’ demands would require that they be kept on staff and paid when there is no work for them.

    The group also said that it had offered generous pay increases. The two sides were so far apart in their negotiations that talks broke off hours before the contract expired.

    Whether a different outcome can be found with actors in the coming days remains to be seen.

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actors may be days from joining screenwriters in what would be the first two-union strike in the industry in more than six decades, with huge consequences for film and television production.

    WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH ACTORS’ NEGOTIATIONS?

    The contract between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists and the studios, streaming services and production companies that employ them had been set to expire Friday night at midnight Pacific time.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    But hours before that the two sides said they had agreed to extend the current contract, and talks on the next one, through July 12. Unionised actors have voted overwhelmingly to authorize their leaders to call a strike if no deal is reached.

    Talks also went past the deadline in 2014 and 2017, and agreements resulted both times.

    Reports have said the talks have been productive.But some actors have expressed worry that their leaders may not be pushing hard enough.

    More than 1,000 of them, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Bob Odenkirk, have added their names to a letter to negotiators saying they are willing to strike, and are concerned they are ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not.

    The letter says “This is not a moment to meet in the middle”.

    The guild, led by president and former ‘Nanny’ star Fran Drescher, represents over 160,000 screen actors, stunt performers, broadcast journalists, announcers, and hosts, but a strike would involve only actors working on television shows and films.

    WHAT DO THE ACTORS WANT?

    Many of the same issues that drove writers to strike are on the table for actors, including what the guilds say is shrinking compensation brought on by a streaming ecosystem in which royalty payments are no longer tethered to the popularity of a film or TV show.

    A role or a writing credit on a show that became a hit with a long life in reruns is no longer the cash cow that it once was.

    And the unions say inflation is outpacing the scheduled pay bumps within their contracts.

    For both scribes and performers, the move to streaming and its ripple effects have also meant shorter seasons of shows with longer gaps between them, and therefore less work.

    And like the writers, actors fear the threat of the unregulated use of artificial intelligence.

    SAG-AFTRA said in a memo to members that the burgeoning ability of AI to recreate the performances of its members is a real and immediate threat that it wants to head off.

    Issues particular to actors include the new and increasing burden of self-taped auditions, the cost of which used to be the responsibility of casting and productions.

    HAVE HOLLYWOOD ACTORS GONE ON STRIKE BEFORE?

    Movie and TV actors last went on strike for three months in 1980, though actors in broadcast commercials have gone on strike twice since then.

    Overall they have had far more labour peace than screenwriters, whose walkouts have been far more frequent.

    That includes the current standoff, in which 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike for nearly two months, with no end in sight.

    In 1960 the actors’ union, led by then-SAG president and future US President Ronald Reagan, went on strike for six weeks that fell in the middle of a five-month writers’ strike, the only time two major Hollywood unions walked off the job at the same time.

    Actors have shown broad support for striking writers, and many have joined them on picket lines in an act of what has so far been symbolic solidarity.

    WHAT EFFECT WOULD THE COMBINED STRIKES HAVE FOR VIEWERS?

    The writers’ strike had an almost instant effect on late-night network talk shows, including NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ and CBS’s ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’, which all went on hiatus immediately.

    ‘Saturday Night Live’ axed its last three episodes of the season.

    In the two months since, many scripted television series have also shut down, including Netflix’s ‘stranger Things’, Max’s ‘Hacks’, Showtime’s ‘Yellowjackets’, and Apple TV+’s ‘Severance’.

    Some movies have reportedly also been paused.

    Actors joining writers would force nearly every other show or film that hasn’t already been shot into a similar shutdown. Forthcoming seasons of television shows would be delayed indefinitely, and movie releases will be pushed back.

    Streaming menus on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video will show no immediate differences, though lovers of those outlets’ original series would eventually have to wait longer for their favourites to return.

    Exceptions would be productions taking place outside the United States.

    And reality shows, game shows and most daytime talk shows will likely be unaffected.

    The two strikes are also casting doubt on the viability of the Emmy Awards, whose nominations are scheduled to be announced on July 12 before a September ceremony, though the Tony Awards and BET Awards managed to shows go on despite the writers’ strike.

    WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE WRITERS?

    The writers’ strike has seen persistent picketing and some major rallies for two months, but so far no movement.

    There are no current negotiations happening between the strikers and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, streamers and production companies in all the industry’s union negotiations.

    The longest previous writers’ strike, in 1988, lasted five months. Along with the issues they have in common with actors, writers are especially concerned with the shrinking staffs that are used on shows, which they call mini-rooms”.

    They have meant much less work and far fewer guarantees of future work. The AMPTP says the writers’ demands would require that they be kept on staff and paid when there is no work for them.

    The group also said that it had offered generous pay increases. The two sides were so far apart in their negotiations that talks broke off hours before the contract expired.

    Whether a different outcome can be found with actors in the coming days remains to be seen.