The Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Actors, also known as SAG-AFTRA, ended its historic 4-month-long strike on Nov. 9, 2023. During the 118-day strike, filming, production, and advertising throughout Hollywood came to a halt as actors and writers alike demanded improved work conditions, adequate compensation, and more.
According to NBC, 78% of SAG-AFTRA members voted to ratify a deal with Hollywood studios that addresses their concerns, ending the strike. The new contract marks a major breakthrough regarding fair compensation for individuals working in the media industry. Bonuses for relocation and increases in viewership on streaming platforms are amongst the new compensation guidelines included in the contract. Also included is an increase in compensation for performers and background actors. These newly negotiated terms are set to greatly improve conditions for workers
“Is it perfect? No. But it is groundbreaking. It’s a deal that achieves what our members need us to achieve with very significant increases in economics, more than the last three negotiations combined,” National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree Ireland told NBC.
Critics say that the new contract could have been more restrictive on artificial intelligence, one of the most pressing issues at the time of the strike. According to BBC, this new combination of AI and CGI technology could have actors working beyond their human lifetimes, as production studios can use AI to have actors’ likenesses reprised posthumously. This has already been done using deceased actors such as Carrie Fisher and Paul Walker. Not only is this slightly unsettling to some, but this also brings up the importance of regulating AI. The new contract does attempt to set guidelines for the use of AI in Hollywood.
According to Ms. Vrablic, teacher of Broadcast Media at Glen Rock High School, one of the major concerns with AI is that it can eliminate jobs in production for actors, writers, and editors. Ms. Vrablic maintains that creativity in the world of production is difficult to replace: “AI could never make The Godfather,” she says.
