In May 2023; the Writer’s Guild of America of Film and TV, (WGA) found that their pay and work conditions weren’t adequate for the amount of work they were doing. They went on strike 2 months later, on July 14th. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, (SAG-AFTRA) followed with the writers, who also went on strike. After 118 days of striking, SAG-AFTRA made a deal with the film studios.
Writers make all the movies and television we watch exist, and much of their work gets the attention and return it deserves, however, the vast majority of the people behind movies barely see any money. Mandy Moore an actress from “This Is Us” on Hulu revealed that she got residual checks (money made after their job is complete, acting or writing, through their project being put on streaming services, physical release, cable reruns, etc) as low as 1 cent to 81 cents for her work on episodes. “The residual issue is a huge issue,” Moore said. These low-paying residuals and poor working environments caused the writers to go on strike and 2 months later in July, actors stood with the writers to ensure a deal could be worked out to ensure everyone’s job was safe and fair.
As the continued threat of AI isn’t handled, writers and actors are worried about how Hollywood will react. Another major issue to be addressed was the limitation of AI. The two main points on AI resolved after the strike were film studios requiring consent to make replicas of actors and to fairly compensate the actors for their AI usage in films and TV. Actors such as Bryan Cranston speak for the bulk of actors regarding the threat AI poses to their jobs, “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.”
But on the bright side, the less-known actors who play roles such as background, photo doubles, or stand-ins are receiving an 11% increase in wages. The base wage increases 7% as of November 9th, 4% on July 1st, 2024, then 3.5% one year later. Actors now earn residuals/ bonuses for working on successful streaming services where they would previously receive nothing. For instance, a show like Stranger Things is a flagship Netflix original, and all actors, including background and stand-ins, earn more than a show or movie that isn’t very successful.
Most people in this generation watch movies and television, the amount varies but the number of people subscribed to services such as Netflix is massive. This is great news for anyone who enjoys projects that come from the film industry. Whether it’s for TV or movies, this strike affects everyone, writers and actors are the core of how these projects happen, and without them, a massive void sits in pop culture.
