The DailyDyl

Image From Vox Article, “Hollywood’s writers are on strike. Here’s why that matters.”

Think about your favorite movie or TV show. What made you like it? Was it because you thought the actors truly made you feel for the characters they played? Maybe it was the overall story had you fully immersed in the world?

Although actors and screenwriters represent just a fraction of the collaborative effort behind a production, they hold a crucial role within it. They are indispensable components of every production, as numerous iconic lines and scenes would cease to exist without their contributions.

With that being said it surprised me that the studios don’t seem to see the value they provide. This is why the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in May and The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists(SAG-AFTRA) joined in July. Marking the first time since 1960 both guilds were on strike simultaneously.

You might be curious about the reason behind their strike. One of the reasons for the WGA’s strike pertains to residuals. Traditionally, when TV shows and movies are rebroadcast, a portion of the ad revenue is allocated to the writers, ensuring compensation for each airing. Yet, in the era of streaming, writers are receiving only a fraction of their rightful share. This is due to the major studios not adequately considering the surge in streaming as a preferred method of consumer viewing.

Another concern involves the concept of “mini rooms,” wherein a small team of writers collaborates on multiple episodes for a potential season. However, these mini rooms operate distinctively from conventional writers’ rooms, resulting in inadequate compensation for the writers.

Additionally, AI is also a concern.  The concern stems from the advancement of AI technology, which could potentially replace writers entirely, posing a significant threat to their livelihoods. The underlying fear is that as AI continues to progress, studios might opt to use it to create scripts and potentially forego hiring human writers altogether.

The use of AI and lack of residuals also affect SAG-AFTRA. A “ground-breaking”  proposal made by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) was to pay background actors for one day and use digital scans of them from then on out. SAG-AFTRA of course did not agree to the proposal.

Has the AMPTP watched any Black Mirror episodes? As I feel we’re getting dangerously close to being in one. What are your thoughts on going Hollywood strikes?