 |
| Is the fear of artificial intelligence hidden behind Hollywood's 'double strike'? |
Hollywood actors have announced that they too are going to be part of the screenwriters' strike that could temporarily paralyze the world's biggest film industry for the first time in 60 years.
One hundred and sixty thousand people will leave work under this strike of the American Screenwriters Guild SAG. The strike's demands include better working conditions and a fair share of the streaming service's profits.
However, one of the reasons for this strike is the fear of artificial intelligence. The union wants them to be guaranteed that the actors will not be replaced by artificial intelligence or computer-generated faces.
Due to this strike, work on most movies and TV projects in the American film industry will stop.
Actors Matt Damon and Emily Blunt at the London premiere of producer Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' on Thursday canceled the event when the strike was announced.
The strike will see union members gather in front of Netflix's headquarters in California, followed by the offices of Paramount, Warner Bros., and Disney.
On the other hand, the Union of Film Studios condemned the strike and said, "We were not expecting this decision because the studios cannot function without the actors who are the lifeblood of our TV shows and movies."
"Unfortunately, the union has chosen a path that will cause economic hardship for thousands of people who depend on this sector," it said in a statement.
He said that on concerns about artificial intelligence, he had agreed that the actors would be protected and their consent would be obtained whenever a digital replacement of their faces was intended.
However, Duncan Crabtree Ireland, SAG's national executive director and head of negotiations with the studio, called the offer "unacceptable".
"They are offering to scan the behind-the-scenes and give the company the rights to their image for a lifetime," he said. will If you think this is a great offer, I suggest you think again.
Another demand from SAG is that streaming services improve compensation, meaning that actors are given a share of the profits for re-using or showing films or programs.
The strike involves thousands of actors who are paid much less than first-rate actors.
Kim Masters, editor of the Hollywood Reporter newspaper, said, "In the old model, they were paid according to the success of the film, but under the new model, they don't know anything because the streaming service doesn't tell anything."
SAG President Fran Drescher said the strike comes at a very important time.
"What is happening to us is happening in every field of labor when bosses make greed a priority and forget about the essential ingredients that make the machine run successfully."
It should be noted that 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America have been on separate strikes since May 2 for better pay and working conditions.
The 'double strike' by the two organizations is the first since 1960, when former US President Ronald Reagan, then a Hollywood actor, led a SAG strike. This is long before he enters politics. Hollywood actors last went on strike in 1980.
Before SAG's announcement, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the demands of actors and writers cannot be met at this time and are harmful to the industry, which has been affected by the Corona epidemic.
"It's quite painful for me," he said.
A third union, the Directors Guild of America, successfully negotiated a new contract in June and will not be part of the strike, but many projects will be closed or delayed due to the strike.
It will be impossible to continue work on the films that are in production while the actors in the completed films will not be available for reshoots.
A few major movies are currently in production including 'Wonder Woman 3', 'Ghostbusters 4', 'Mufasa: The Lion King', and Avatar 3, and 4.
Paramount's 'Gladiator' film will also be affected by this strike.
Hollywood's biggest actors will also not attend events for new movie releases, and events like the Emmys or Comic-Con may be postponed.
Events such as the Toronto or Venice Film Festivals will be held, but SAG actors will not participate.
After the strike was announced, several actors pledged their support, including Cynthia Nixon of 'Sex and the City', and Hollywood actor Jamie Lee Curtis.