WGA/SAGAFTRA Strike Discussion Thread | SAG Ratifies Contract

[babz06]

The fact that tv is gonna be more fucked than films is why I don’t see the strike lasting until next year. There will be some interim deals. 

[ZattMurdock]

A good rule of thumb to spot friends of the AMPTP among news media:

 

 

 

They are usually not subtle. Also, the Hollywood trades are part of the AMPTP. Hope that helps.

[eddyxx]

4 hours ago, Eric Stickell said:

 

I can’t get on with the onion now that I know they’re using AI to write their articles.

[Ryan Reynolds]

18 minutes ago, ZattMurdock said:

A good rule of thumb to spot friends of the AMPTP among news media:

 

 

 

They are usually not subtle. Also, the Hollywood trades are part of the AMPTP. Hope that helps.

not really , 90% of their ad revenue comes from them , so its good business to be on their side

[WittyUsername]

It’s pretty remarkable that Bob Iger has damaged his own reputation better than Ron DeSantis could ever have hoped to do. Do these CEOs honestly believe they’re the ones with the difficult jobs? 

[Dementeleus]

 

[Water Bottle]

1 minute ago, Plain Old Tele said:

 

 

Why even bother sending a check for one cent 

[AMC Theaters Enjoyer]

I think Joe Russo (the horror director) once posted that he got a residual check that was just 2 cents. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by AMC Theaters Enjoyer

[21C]

6 minutes ago, WittyUsername said:

It’s pretty remarkable that Bob Iger has damaged his own reputation better than Ron DeSantis could ever have hoped to do. Do these CEOs honestly believe they’re the ones with the difficult jobs? 

I think what a lot of people are missing is the fact that the only reputation they care about is the one they have with Wall Street, not average people. His statements were probably exactly what the other rich people wanted to hear.

[FunkMiller]

4 hours ago, 21C said:

Hell, if you wanna go /really/ conspiratorial, if Apple and Amazon /really/ wanted to go scorched earth, there is an angle where they could actually benefit from holding this out as long as possible and causing the rest of the companies to implode on the stock market since they could later get a Disney or a WBD at a discount. Not saying that's what I think they'll do, but I'm illustrating a point as to how the incentives of those 2 specific corporations could align with really prolonging this against everyone else's interests and how the ridiculous amount of money they have and the position they are in would let them do it without much of a problem. Since they are worth trillions thanks to other ventures unrelated to this they are in a position where they can play /extremely/ dirty without actually getting hurt. 
 

Can’t speak for Apple, but Amazon absolutely have previous experience of coming into an existing industry, exploiting the weaknesses of the traditional companies, and manoeuvring themselves to be the central pillar of the whole damn thing.

 

Just ask anyone in the publishing industry.

 

If this drags on, expect Amazon to split off from the others as a power move, and they would absolutely go for a hostile takeover of WB if they could.

[21C]

7 minutes ago, FunkMiller said:

Can’t speak for Apple, but Amazon absolutely have previous experience of coming into an existing industry, exploiting the weaknesses of the traditional companies, and manoeuvring themselves to be the central pillar of the whole damn thing.

 

Just ask anyone in the publishing industry.

 

If this drags on, expect Amazon to split off from the others as a power move, and they would absolutely go for a hostile takeover of WB if they could.

They also have a history of being mega-draconian when it comes to crushing unions, so I wouldn't be surprised if they are the ones that are indeed fully onboard on the "Let's drag this on until we fully starve out the WGA" and are actually dead serious about it.  It may be a bluff coming from WBD, Disney, etc. but I don't think it'd  be from them. 

They don't have to split off from the others, they can just drag them all down by holding the AMPTP from making a deal and then finally allow a deal to move forward once both the other studios and the WGA are beyond screwed. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by 21C

[FunkMiller]

16 minutes ago, 21C said:

They also have a history of being mega-draconian when it comes to crushing unions, so I wouldn't be surprised if they are the ones that are indeed fully onboard on the "Let's drag this on until we fully starve out the WGA" and are actually dead serious about it.  It may be a bluff coming from WBD, Disney, etc. but I don't think it'd  be from them. 

They don't have to split off from the others, they can just drag them all down by holding the AMPTP from making a deal and then finally allow a deal to move forward once both the other studios and the WGA are beyond screwed. 

 

Actually, I think they'll turn on the rest of the AMPTP if things don't get sorted out to their satisfaction. Don't be surprised to see some sort of cynical tactic to get writers and actors onside with them. It worked like gangbusters with authors and the KDP platform.

 

Of all the companies in the AMPTP, Amazon are the ones who do not give two ****s about the the people they are currently in bed with. They especially still hate Apple, after Apple sided with the traditional book publishing companies over ebooks. 

 

Amazon will quite happily destroy the current studio system if it benefits them.

 

Hopefully, the unions recognise this natural division, and can exploit it as the months go by.

[21C]

15 minutes ago, FunkMiller said:

 

Actually, I think they'll turn on the rest of the AMPTP if things don't get sorted out to their satisfaction. Don't be surprised to see some sort of cynical tactic to get writers and actors onside with them. It worked like gangbusters with authors and the KDP platform.

 

Of all the companies in the AMPTP, Amazon are the ones who do not give two ****s about the the people they are currently in bed with. They especially still hate Apple, after Apple sided with the traditional book publishing companies over ebooks. 

 

Amazon will quite happily destroy the current studio system if it benefits them.

 

Hopefully, the unions recognise this natural division, and can exploit it as the months go by.

Wouldn't they be more succesful at destroying the current studio system by dragging out the strike as long as possible though? It's the most surefire way to ensure that the big studios lose ridiculous amounts of cash. And in the process they can also screw over unions, which they've really shown time and time again to fundamentally despise.  They'd win more by dragging this out because it means they can destroy two things that they probably see as in their way when it comes to dominating the entertainment industry and making a profit: their competition, and the workers that want to get paid fairly. 

I do think they'll turn on the rest of the AMPTP but not in the way you think. I think that WBD, DIsney, Sony, Netflix are probably aware this can't last for more than October, but Amazon? They can afford to drag it out till January and beyond if necessary. And they'd actually win a lot more by doing so.

I don't see a scenario where Bezos will suddenly cave to unions.  And if he wants to destroy his competition, there is a very clear path forward of destruction with a strike that goes on till next year. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by 21C

[DInky]

 

[eddyxx]

27 minutes ago, DInky said:

 

This is probably why Disney doesn’t release a lot of their streaming stuff on blu ray so they don’t have to pay the residuals.

[DInky]

5 minutes ago, eddyxx said:

This is probably why Disney doesn’t release a lot of their streaming stuff on blu ray so they don’t have to pay the residuals.

 

None of the streamers do though. Netflix used to but has stopped.

[FunkMiller]

1 hour ago, 21C said:

Wouldn't they be more succesful at destroying the current studio system by dragging out the strike as long as possible though? It's the most surefire way to ensure that the big studios lose ridiculous amounts of cash. And in the process they can also screw over unions, which they've really shown time and time again to fundamentally despise.  They'd win more by dragging this out because it means they can destroy two things that they probably see as in their way when it comes to dominating the entertainment industry and making a profit: their competition, and the workers that want to get paid fairly. 

I do think they'll turn on the rest of the AMPTP but not in the way you think. I think that WBD, DIsney, Sony, Netflix are probably aware this can't last for more than October, but Amazon? They can afford to drag it out till January and beyond if necessary. And they'd actually win a lot more by doing so.

I don't see a scenario where Bezos will suddenly cave to unions.  And if he wants to destroy his competition, there is a very clear path forward of destruction with a strike that goes on till next year. 

 

Oh god, no. Bezos won't cave to the unions at all. But he'll/they'll exploit any avenue that could benefit them. I guess my point is that Amazon are loyal to absolutely no one, and wherever the best opportunities are, they'll take, and damn those on the receiving end. I'd be incredibly nervous if I was one of the traditional movie companies about what Amazon will do, and to a lesser extent Apple and Netflix.

Edited July 15, 2023 by FunkMiller

[Vyse]

5 minutes ago, DInky said:

 

None of the streamers do though. Netflix used to but has stopped.

Paramount releases their Paramount+ Star Trek shows on physical media. 

[ZattMurdock]

43 minutes ago, DInky said:

 

This is fucking revolting. Disgusting. Fuck Disney.

[FunkMiller]

2 minutes ago, ZattMurdock said:

This is fucking revolting. Disgusting. Fuck Disney.

 

I have a high level of contempt for all of the major studios, but I think Disney are especially egregious in all of this, given that they are one of the oldest and (hah) most respected of all the 'old school' movie companies, and to see them at the absolute tip of the spear when it comes to all of this shady, cynical, exploitative garbage is sick making.