The WGA and SAG strikes are going to go on for a long time

SAG has released it's detailed breakdown of it's issues, and the AMPTP has released their breakdown as well. And you can see the complete differences between the two. And as this Variety article shows they are even telling different stories about the offers. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s executive director, alleged that the studios want to pay an extra for one day of work to be scanned, and then reuse that likeness forever. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers hotly disputed that, saying that its proposal explicitly limits the reuse to the project for which the extra was hired. Gene Maddaus - SAG-AFTRA Strike: Negotiations Cratered Over AI, Streaming Revenue Sharing, Pay Hikes and More When you have this much vitriol and the two sides can't even agree over what was offered there is no chance of quick reconciliation. According to sources on both sides, the biggest sticking point is the union’s demand for 2% of the revenue generated by streaming shows. The two sides also remain far apart on basic increases in minimum rates, with the studios offering 5%, 4% and 3.5% across the three years of the contract, while the union is demanding 11%, 4% and 4%. Gene Maddaus - SAG-AFTRA Strike: Negotiations Cratered Over AI, Streaming Revenue Sharing, Pay Hikes and More I am sure the 2% revenue is a huge sticking point. First off how do you show the revenue a show has added in streaming. I know SAG wants to use an outside company, that looks at a shows impact on social media. So they want a piece of shows that are big hits, like shows on Network used to go into syndication and that was where the money was. The thing is streaming shows are a completely different model. And I will bet their will never be an agreement on this point, especially since most streaming services are not any where close to making a profit. SAG-AFTRA is also seeking a 230% increase in foreign streaming residuals, according to a studio source. The AMPTP is offering the same increase provided to the DGA: 76%. Gene Maddaus - SAG-AFTRA Strike: Negotiations Cratered Over AI, Streaming Revenue Sharing, Pay Hikes and More The DGA made a deal, and all I see is vitriol over the DGA deal from WGA and SAG members, but they made a deal that all directors were OK with, and an increase of over 3 times of what the directors got seems excessive. And yes they deserve more on residuals, but to ask 230% for this 3 years, are they going to ask for the same again in 3 years? You can also see the WGA negotiations status, though, I haven't been able to find the AMPTP offer for them, but there are similar differences. I wish the AMPTP would run the numbers on some of these proposals and show current costs vs costs if these deals went through as asked, as I get the feeling the expense of these would…

SAG joined the WGA in striking against the AMPTP, will the Film Industry ever recover

So yesterday, July 13th 2023, SAG Struck against the AMPTP joining the WGA in a historic labor strike. Now this strike seemed inevetible after the backlash to the WGA President Fran Dreshers video saying how swimmingly the negotiations were going, and especially after the comically ridiculous DEADLINE article, "Hollywood Studios' WGA Strike Endgame Is To Let Writers Go Broke Before Resuming Talks In Fall." (And no I don't think the AMPTP planted this). My big question is what this will do to the future of the industry. Having lived through the 1990's Commercial SAG Strike and then the threat of the Writer's strike that basically completely killed the commercial production industry as it was in Southern California. I went from being able to work 365 days a year to barely being able to get work practically overnight, and that was when I left commercial production and got into non-union editing. Now the Unions are absolutely right that they deserve to get the streaming numbers so they can see what residuals they are owed, but honestly I am not sure that they studios even understand their streaming numbers, or they would tout them at least on some shows! You don't think Apple would want to tout how many people are watching Ted Lasso? Or Netflix on Stranger Things? And the AI thing is certainly being blown out of proportion at least where the technology is right now, as AI can't currently replace anyone. And before the next contract in 3 years it is certainly not going to be able to replace either writers or actors. And I really don't get the completely different statements on it from AMPTP and SAG. The AMPTP says that they are protecting digital likenesses and requiring consent, while SAG says that they will take background performers likenesses and own them forever. And the Studios need to realize they can't keep actors likenesses forever in any circumstances. Still I think something can be something worked out, but yes you can bet than in the future background performances will often be digital, just like crowds have been with Massive from WETA since Lord of the Ring, but if they are based on a performers likeness that performer needs to be paid and credited, no matter what. Yes eventually Teamsters will be replaced by self driving trucks. I mean Teamsters don't even help load and unload the trucks they drive, so if you could have a self driving truck, why wouldn't the studios do that? But replacing an actor, technology wise we really are not there yet. How much money did they spend on Indiana Jones The Dial of Destiny to de-age Harrison Ford and it was no where near there for me. And as for Artificial Intelligence writing scripts, the studio does own the scripts they have purchased for writers, so some day they will want to use them to train AI, as they own them. And writers are terrified of that, but we are certainly not there,…