The Hollywood actors, on strike since July, expressed their disagreement with several points, including the one regarding Artificial Intelligence (IA), in the “last, best and definitive” proposal of the studies.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), representing around 160,000 artistsfrom extras to stars of the big screen, issued a statement on Monday expressing their determination to seek a satisfactory agreement and the responsible end of the strike.
The studies, represented by the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), presented their “last, best and final” proposal according to SAG-AFTRA on Saturdayand union negotiators responded Monday, noting that differences remain without providing additional details.
SAG-AFTRA members’ strike began in Julyprotesting for better contractual conditions and protections against the use of artificial intelligence in the industry.
The shutdown has continued for nearly four months, putting pressure on both actors, who are facing financial hardship due to the strike, and studios, who have had to adjust their release schedules and are eager to resume production and stock their platforms. with content.
Actors joined the strike in July, following the example of the Writers Guild, which also went on strike due to contractual disagreements. This simultaneity in strikes has not been seen in Hollywood since 1960, when Ronald Reagan led protest actions before becoming president of the United States.
Although the writers reached an agreement in September, ending a strike that lasted almost 150 days, and They revived optimism in Hollywood, talks with the actors failed again.
Both screenwriters and actors seek salary increases, transparency in the streaming era and protection measures against artificial intelligence (AI), a major friction point.
Even though screenwriters have returned to work, most productions cannot resume while the actors’ strike persists. The strike is having a significant economic impact on Hollywood, estimated at around $6.5 billion, primarily due to lost wages.
In October, talks between actors and studio representatives abruptly collapsed. Last week, hundreds of notable stars, including Pedro Pascal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Sandra Oh, urged their union leaders in a letter to stand firm, stating that “it is better to remain on strike than to get a bad agreement.” “We cannot and will not accept a contract that does not address the vital and existential problems we need to correct.”
Artificial Intelligence main responsible for the actors’ strike continuing
Several SAG-AFTRA representatives have recently emphasized that one of the main races keeping the strike ongoingdespite an increase in negotiations in recent days, is a clause contained in the latest “best and final” offer presented by the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for its acronym in English).
Under the AMPTP proposal, actors listed in Schedule F (those who earn more than $65,000 for their work in film, half of it in television) would cede the rights to their image and voice to studios once they are scanned. This would allow indiscriminate use by studios in future productions, even after the death of the actor, although an initial price would be paid for the scan, which would vary depending on the fame of the actor. This raises a concern for SAG-AFTRA.
The actors union has raised the need to pay for the reuse of the image, which includes deceased actors, since it is currently possible to use their images without the consent of their heirs. This highlights the importance of the strike for the highest-paid actors, as the protection of their rights and those of their heirs is at stake.
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