WGA/SAGAFTRA Strike Discussion Thread | SAG Ratifies Contract

[Ryan Reynolds]

isn't these contracts just for 3 years ? I don't see while studios just not revisit AI stuff next contract

[Dementeleus]

5 minutes ago, dudalb said:

I thought hte unions might have an agreement to honor each other's strike.

 

Some do, some don't. Sounds like the UK is pretty anti-union, at least for the entertainment industry.

[Kon]

11 minutes ago, Water Bottle said:

 

They are under contract and they know SAG isn't going to do anything to them because they aren't SAG and it's not a SAG production.

 

Exactly. SAG couldn't really do anything to the UK actors in HOTD, because they have their own guild (Equity).

 

It's important to mention that the other guilds contracts with studios haven't expired. So, it would be somewhat hypocritical for SAG to expect other guilds on strike, when SAG waited for its contract to expire.

Edited July 13, 2023 by Kon

[Dementeleus]

1 minute ago, Ryan Reynolds said:

isn't these contracts just for 3 years ? I don't see while studios just not revisit AI stuff next contract

 

"The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand."

[Kon]

10 minutes ago, dudalb said:

I thought hte unions might have an agreement to honor each other's strike.

Some unions may have an agreement, but others not.

 

However, it's important to remember than other union contracts haven't expired yet.

 

For example: The Soap Opera Actors union contract with AMPTP will expire the next year.

Edited July 13, 2023 by Kon

[Porthos]

22 minutes ago, MysteryMovieMogul said:

Will those actors want to ruin their chances of being in an American production in the future, though?

 

Okay, so this is complicated.

 

From the article:

 

Quote

Equity shared its actors strike guidance with its 47,000 members on Thursday, shortly before the strike was officially declared by SAG-AFTRA, stating: “Equity U.K. will support SAG-AFTRA and its members by all lawful means.”

 

“A performer joining the strike (or refusing to cross a picket line) in the U.K. will have no protection against being dismissed or sued for breach of contract by the producer or the engager. Likewise, if Equity encourages anyone to join the strike or not cross a picket line, Equity itself will be acting unlawfully and hence liable for damages or an injunction,” Equity said in its guidance to members.

 

Sources indicate that the U.K.’s strict union laws have prevented an extensive show of solidarity from Equity, which can’t legally call a strike to support SAG-AFTRA due to restrictive British legislation.

 

Equity posited a number of scenarios under which actors on “House of the Dragon” can continue to work. The guidance for actors who are Equity members but not SAG-AFTRA members who are working in the U.K. on an Equity contract for a U.S. producer is that they continue to work as they have no protection from being dismissed or sued by the producer. It is the same guidance for SAG-AFTRA members who are not Equity members in a similar production. For SAG-AFTRA members on an Equity contract under Global Rule 1, which states that a SAG-AFTRA member cannot work on any project, anywhere in the world, that is not covered under a SAG-AFTRA agreement, the guidance is again to continue working.

 

The guidance for more actors in complicated scenarios is to seek advice from SAG-AFTRA.

 

Basically... I don't want to say it's a gigantic loophole in Global Rule One, but it's a pretty sizable one. 

 

It might be fairer to say that this shows just how interconnected AND messy the whole situation is.

 

It's not so much "ruin their chance at being in a future American production" as being in a rock and a hard place.  

 

How many actors are going to risk being fired or draw a risk of being sued for breech of contract to stand in solidarity with OTHER SAG-AFTRA productions that have closed down while theirs hasn't?  

 

Not zero, I'm sure. Beyond that I wouldn't make a bet one way or the other.

 

(the more interesting question is if any sickouts occur or not)

Edited July 13, 2023 by Porthos

[Water Bottle]

4 minutes ago, Ryan Reynolds said:

isn't these contracts just for 3 years ? I don't see while studios just not revisit AI stuff next contract

 

Oh they will try. That's true. But it's harder for them to take it out then it is to put it in when it's too late. 

[Cmasterclay]

5 minutes ago, MightyDargon said:

Why is it inherently "common sense" to produce inside the US if other countries can do it cheaper and the actors in them can speak English?

For the same reason sports leagues never succeed when they try to fill their teams with local semi-pros. Because the workers in SAG have an inherent value and skillset that generates viewership and thus revenue.

[Water Bottle]

6 minutes ago, MightyDargon said:

Why is it inherently "common sense" to produce inside the US if other countries can do it cheaper and the actors in them can speak English?

 

Star power. Plus a lot of places might be cheaper on paper but after tax breaks and bribes and bureaucratic red tape it might not be. 

[SchumacherFTW]

7 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

 

Some do, some don't. Sounds like the UK is pretty anti-union, at least for the entertainment industry.

Union's are a tricky issue here, they're important, but I'm also so fucking done with being used as a ransom piece by fucking train drivers. 

[Dementeleus]

If anyone's interested, here's a link to the specifics as to what actors can't do (for AMPTP-partnered companies at least).

 

https://t.co/5e743BTqtB

[MCKillswitch123]

1 hour ago, dudalb said:

I think that currently it is "cool" to be violently anti business and anti capitalist has a lot to do with this. That they never come up with a replacement for private business and the marketplace that would actually work is indicitive.

And I think one of the most damaging criticisms of AMPTP is that what they are doing is just plain stupid from a business point of view.

Some fools think if Hollywood collapses, you will get some magical system where anbody who wants to make a film will be ablt to do so...which is idiotic. Resources for making movies is always limited; only question is how do you choose who gets the resources. IMHO Private business, for all it;s may flaws, works better here then a government bureaucracy would.

 

It's not "cool" to be anti-capitalist. This sentiment has always existed. Not everyone - as a matter of fact, a large amount of people - do not benefit from capitalism, and probably never will. You may mock people for having rightfully placed rage against what is currently established, call them luddites and idiots, and that's just gonna make you sound as comically evil as these AMPTP buffoons. And the "they never come up with a solution" argument, have they ever had a chance to? Fuck off.

[Dementeleus]

1 minute ago, SchumacherFTW said:

Union's are a tricky issue here, they're important, but I'm also so fucking done with being used as a ransom piece by fucking train drivers. 

 

Fair, I don't know nearly enough to comment other than the specifics of entertainment guilds, lol.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'm guessing the future of AI will be big with porn, some famous actor sell their body scan for 100m , then you can order what ever you want

[MightyDargon]

2 minutes ago, Cmasterclay said:

For the same reason sports leagues never succeed when they try to fill their teams with local semi-pros. Because the workers in SAG have an inherent value and skillset that generates viewership and thus revenue.

That's a terrible analogy. Semi-pros are (mostly) not actually as skilled as pro athletes. Actors from around the world who aren't in SAG aren't actually worse at acting than SAG.

[Cmasterclay]

2 minutes ago, MightyDargon said:

That's a terrible analogy. Semi-pros are (mostly) not actually as skilled as pro athletes. Actors from around the world who aren't in SAG aren't actually worse at acting than SAG.

Most of the biggest British stars are in SAG. If you are hired in an American production, you are a member of SAG. Any actor with credible ability to draw and headline a movie, SAG or no SAG, would not cross a picket line. That's called being a "scab." There isn't some collection of absurdly talented, star powered actors that speak perfect English that are not members of SAG or at least allies. It'd be like trying to create a shadow NBA, yes. What you are saying is simply not based in reality.

Edited July 13, 2023 by Cmasterclay

[MightyDargon]

1 minute ago, Cmasterclay said:

Many of the biggest British stars are in SAG. Any actor with credible ability to draw and headline a movie, SAG or no SAG, would not cross a picket line. That's called being a "scab." There isn't some collection of absurdly talented, star powered actors that speak perfect English that are not members of SAG or at least allies. It'd be like trying to create a shadow NBA, yes. What you are saying is simply not based in reality.

Plenty of VAs aren't SAG. 

[Hatebox]

6 minutes ago, SchumacherFTW said:

Union's are a tricky issue here, they're important, but I'm also so fucking done with being used as a ransom piece by fucking train drivers. 

As a Londoner I get this, but… what else could they do? If drivers strike, that’s what happens. And now the government wants to close ticket offices too, because hey, no/one could possibly want to use them. 
 

anyway, as for acting - I think the Equity Union is a pretty big deal in the uk but I couldn’t tell you what major work it’s done. No doubt it’ll be following this closely. A lot of American productions seem to film here now. 

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Hatebox

[DAR]

6 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

If anyone's interested, here's a link to the specifics as to what actors can't do (for AMPTP-partnered companies at least).

 

https://t.co/5e743BTqtB

Some interesting stuff on there.

[Cmasterclay]

Just now, MightyDargon said:

Plenty of VAs aren't SAG. 

Okay. Virtually every actor you know that has even a modicum of this thing known as "star power" is a member of SAG. Are you saying that they should fund $100 million dollar film productions with theater actors, voice actors, and British background actors? I have immense respect for those folks, I was once a theater actor myself and most of my friends are Equity, but let's be serious here.