2023 Writers + Actors Strike Thread

[Faulkner]

They still managed to squeeze the Barbie and Oppenheimer premieres and marketing campaigns under the gun, which feels a bit icky to me, given the extension of the deadline.

I feel like both sides are fighting over the last scraps of a dying industry. The next decade is going to be rough with the exponential growth of new technologies, and a lot of careers will be obsolete (not just in Hollywood, of course). And there’s not much anyone can do about that. Many of these studios probably won’t even exist.

That’s one reason I suspect this will be a protracted fight that will speed up the inevitable. 

Edited July 17, 2023 by Faulkner

[Contessa Donatella]

In an interview on MSNBC Fran Drescher said she now thinks they were "duped" with the 3-day extension, that they canceled some meetings during that time & stonewalled the whole time & that she thinks they were actually just using the time to promote their summer movies. Ding, ding, ding, @Faulkner wins the prize! 

Yeah, I bet you're on to something here, too. 

[dragonflies]

[Soaplovers]

This wouldn't be a problem had our government put limits on the use of AI... to be used more as a proof reader and maybe even to help out with character inconsistency.

[j swift]

I mentioned this earlier.  The whole rhetoric about "privileged" actors striking is an attempt to distract from the issue that the AI concerns that they are fighting for will have an effect on all areas of employment.  Why will we need human lawyers, if ChatGPT can write a C&D letter.  But, should I pay my lawyer for something that they can derive from AI?  However, by framing it as an issue that only effects the elites, the media is doing a disservice. 

[Errol]

The problem with AI (Artificial Intelligence) is that it can be anything. It can drive your car for you. It can order groceries or place things in your virtual cart. It can pick up your mail or correct your grammar. It can write scripts, articles, news stories, music. It can edit an image on the fly or create a new one altogether. It can do just about anything. People don't realize that it's been here for years but is only now getting ready to expand beyond basic principles. Anything that requires minimal to no human interaction to create a result can be classified as AI.

Some examples:

• Siri
• Alexa
• Grammarly
• Tesla + other manufacturers with self-driving capabilities
• Search engines (like Google and Bing)

With all that said, I would never trust the government (congress and the senate) to make rules and regulations. Most of them only care about their own best interests and you truly can't regulate something that isn't just one thing but many things.

I expect a deal with SAG-AFTRA to come before WGA.

[cassadine1991]

Anyone have an inkling when GH ends up under scab writing 

[JAS0N47]

Here's an added question about this. Since SAG-AFTRA actors are prohibited from discussing their present OR past shows in interviews, does that mean, for example, during the strike Jackee Harry can ONLY discuss Days (or AW) when being interviewed by the press? I would think she would be barred from discussing her primetime career since that is part of the regular SAG-AFTRA contract, so that should apply to her like it does for everyone else.

[Errol]

Correct. She can talk about anything relating to her current job on "Days of our Lives" or any show that isn't owned/produced by a struck company. She can also talk about her time on "Another World" but not "227."

If Jackee were to appear in an upcoming episode of a TV show or movie owned/produced by a struck company, she can't do press whatsoever. No interviews, Podcasts, Vlogs, radio, etc. She could only do an interview to discuss her personal life or Days of our Lives/Another World or her support of the SAG-AFTRA strike to get the word out.

If for example, Meryl Streep were to do an interview, she would only be able to talk about her personal life (outside of acting) and the SAG-AFTRA strike and her support of it to get the word out.

[Vee]

 

[Planet Soap]

This is all generic common sense but it's a harsh reality that I'm understanding more and more.

The circumstances leading to the Hollywood strike underscore that in America, a business is not for the shared wealth between the workers and the corporation while providing a good to the consumer. The primary goal is to make money for the owners and the steak / shareholders. The worker and sometimes the customer be damned.

Naturally, the people running the business will make more money. Too often the issue is that people on the bottom of the ladder aren't even being given enough money to be well off. 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Planet Soap

[Errol]

I renamed the thread to 2023 Writers + Actors Strike Thread since it makes no sense to have two separate threads.

[dragonflies]

 

[DRW50]

 

[Contessa Donatella]

Bless you. I was getting whiplash trying to decide betwixt & between.