As we enterprise deeper into the truth of Hollywood’s present “double strike”—with actors union SAG-AFTRA becoming a member of the Writers Guild Of America on the picket strains earlier this week—it may be a bit tough to maintain monitor of the particular causes writers and actors are literally choosing up their indicators and taking to the streets. That consists of zeroing in on which calls for had been main sticking factors within the contract negotiations that broke down on Wednesday night time, when the contract between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was allowed to run out.
Hence this fast rundown (knowledgeable principally by this report from Variety) that lays out what the actors are really asking for, together with what’s, per SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, their primary precedence in these negotiations:
Revenue sharing for streaming exhibits
This is the massive one, apparently, and for apparent causes: The streaming financial system, which has partially disconnected the world of TV and movie manufacturing from conventional promoting and the field workplace, has had a massively deforming influence on how actors and different professionals on initiatives receives a commission. Streaming exhibits don’t generate residuals, one of many oldest types of profit-sharing for performers, drying up one of many steadiest income sources within the appearing world.
To compensate for this modification, SAG-AFTRA is pushing for streamers to supply 2 p.c of the income that any streaming present generates to performers. Which isn’t as easy an ask as it’d initially appear: Companies like Netflix have difficult algorithms and whole departments dedicated to figuring how a lot cash they really get from any given new piece of content material, whereas outdoors companies have been making an attempt to crack the issue of “streaming rankings” for a couple of decade at this level. The union has steered that the studios agree to make use of valuations decided by third-party firm Parrot Analytics—certainly one of a number of companies making an attempt to make a enterprise out of figuring these things out—however apparently aren’t wedded to any one metric; the purpose is that some form of income sharing must be put again in place in order that the individuals who make very profitable TV exhibits can really revenue off of them once more. Drescher has known as this concern her high precedence.
Increases to wage minimums
This is likely one of the extra conventional negotiating factors in contracts like this: Increasing the minimums performers can earn on movie and TV initiatives. Per Variety, the studios had been providing the identical phrases they gave the Directors Guild Of America in negotiations earlier this 12 months, boosting minimums by 5 p.c within the first 12 months of the contract, after which 4 p.c and three.5 p.c in subsequent years. SAG-AFTRA says that falls far wanting protecting inflation, and is asking for an 11 p.c enhance within the first 12 months. (SAG minimums fluctuate primarily based on the kind of manufacturing, and presently run as little as $125 per day for low-budget “new media” initiatives, as much as practically $10,000 per week for a serious visitor star spot on an hour-long program.)
Getting consent (and cash) for AI coaching utilizing an actor’s likeness
And this is the place issues get fairly Wild West: Both sides within the negotiations apparently cede that AI is coming, studios are going to be utilizing it, and combating again towards it solely might be moot. But SAG-AFTRA is pushing exhausting for actors to be given compensation, and be required o give consent, for any use of their likeness in coaching AI fashions.
This bit additionally will get somewhat nebulous, although, as a result of the studios have ostensibly agreed to all of it—however SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland has repeatedly stated the studio’s proposals have massive gaps in them the place shenanigans can occur. (For occasion, in line with Crabtree-Ireland, the studios grant they must get your permission to coach AI to recreate you—consider one thing just like the tech used to de-age actors in current motion pictures—however that this settlement doesn’t routinely cowl them utilizing your efficiency to create “new” digital performers.) This goes to inevitably be one of many messiest components of no matter contract finally ends up being labored out, since no person really is aware of what loopholes are going to open up, however SAG-AFTRA’s primary place is that if an actors’ likeness is getting used, they must on the very least be requested permission to take action. (See additionally the horror tales Crabtree-Ireland has been telling about how the studios need to use the likenesses of background actors in perpetuity.)
There are different calls for on the desk—actors would apparently like productions to cease making them self-tape their auditions so aggressively, as an example—however these are three of the largest sticking factors. It’s particularly attention-grabbing that solely certainly one of them comes down solely to cash; the AI concern, and particularly the try and impose revenue-sharing on streaming productions, are going to embody large swathes of the problems which have cropped up within the trade during the last 20 years, and are going to in all probability get fairly bloody earlier than they get resolved.
