WGA/SAGAFTRA Strike Discussion Thread | SAG Ratifies Contract

[ZattMurdock]

13 minutes ago, Porthos said:

 

Nothing to do with the strike*.  No streaming service, outside of Netflix, has been profitable and in the short term only Disney Plus might be somewhat soon-ish (as in a couple of years).

 

* Well, the fact that streamers aren't yet profitable has a great deal to do with why there is a dual-strike, but the strikes themselves are not a proximate cause of this:

 

 

Also this. Hence why I pointed out that Peacock isn’t really a thing. Comcast will eventually make another move for WB and revitalize HBO because that one has the assets and is the closest you will get for viable third streaming alternative to Netflix and Disney+. Not really any relation with the strikes, Peacock itself is a joke.

[Ryan Reynolds]

i'm sure the studios want to end the actors strike by end of year and writers strike in January. Don't think it could go longer than that. Some studios like Sony may push for deal sooner.

[Porthos]

1 hour ago, MysteryMovieMogul said:

EDIT: It's interesting to watch people on Reddit claim to care about the Strikes, but as soon as they can find anything anti-streaming, they froth at the mouth with anticipation to tear it down. Are they not aware that the main sticking point is streaming residuals, and it's in every studio's best interest to make streaming appear unprofitable? If it were losing these studios *that much* money, they'd stop making direct-to-streaming shows. 

 

Ummm...

 

Who wants to be the one to tell them???

 

============

 

Okay, this could be a *VERY* long post, but I'll try to keep it short for once (at least for me).

 

The thing is, everyone and their brother saw Netflix explode in the mid teens and for one reason or another tried to copy them.  And for a while, the Investor Class was egging them on chanting, "DRILL, BABY, DRILL GROW, BABY, GROW".  This was one of the factors that led to what was known as Peak TV, which [probably] more or less peaked right around the time of COVID.

 

Then Netflix lost subs one quarter and it was like the air in the balloon popped.

 

Right around the same time interest rates started going up and up which meant taking on debt to try to chase future growth became a LOT more costly.

 

Anyway about a year plus or so ago (ironically shortly after the IATSE negotiations were concluded), the Investor Class pretty much said: "Okay, party's over; where's the profits?" and heard crickets in response.

 

Meanwhile, actors and writers were already getting screwed under the then current structure of streaming shows and saw that it was about to get a hell of a lot worse as studios inevitably started to cut back on content and pare back what they spent on shows themselves.  They saw the writing on the wall and didn't want to be sacrificed on the altar of Appeasing the Investor Class.  And, as they rightly point out, even if the streaming divisions of Mega Corp in question isn't profitable at the moment, that says nothing about Mega Corp in general.

 

That set the stage for, shall we say, acrimonious talks. 

 

It is the above dynamic (no one at all being happy with the Current State of Streaming) which is why I've been Johnny One Note in regards to pessimism about all of this.

 

===

 

If you want the tl;dr version, there's a reason why TV Grim Reaper keeps posting this picture on their Twitter Feed:

 

 

for pretty much every streaming service except Netflix.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Porthos

[MysteryMovieMogul]

Okay, so if streaming is unprofitable and needs to be reined in, why should any of the studios agree to a contract in which actors and writers get larger streaming residuals? 

 

Somehow there are over 160,000 SAG members and 20,000 WGA members and none of them are worried about the downfall of streaming by asking for higher residuals, yet somehow the non-writer/actor public, who only gets the information the studios feed to us, know that streaming is losing the studios billions of dollars. Wouldn't SAG/WGA be fighting for other outlets of profit, in that case? They seem all in on streaming residuals, themselves, so obviously we don't have information the writers and actors obviously do.

[Porthos]

18 minutes ago, MysteryMovieMogul said:

Okay, so if streaming is unprofitable and needs to be reined in, why should any of the studios agree to a contract in which actors and writers get larger streaming residuals? 

 

Somehow there are over 160,000 SAG members and 20,000 WGA members and none of them are worried about the downfall of streaming by asking for higher residuals, yet somehow the non-writer/actor public, who only gets the information the studios feed to us, know that streaming is losing the studios billions of dollars. Wouldn't SAG/WGA be fighting for other outlets of profit, in that case? They seem all in on streaming residuals, themselves, so obviously we don't have information the writers and actors obviously do.

 

What other outlets?  With streaming on the rise with no end in sight, linear/cable on a decline, physical/home media on a near death bed, and theatrical being nowt to do with this part of the topic, what are SAG and WGA supposed to do?

 

Besides, and much more to the point, WGA and SAG-AFTRA aren't made up out of dummies.  They know, or at least should strongly suspect, a hell of a lot less content is gonna be made in the next few years than what has been made.

 

What they want to make sure is: They get an equitable slice out of what is made.

 

See, one way costs come down is by less things being made.  What the WGA and SAG are trying to do is make sure they get what they deserve out of what is made.

 

In other words, this is a structural fight and those can get very very messy and protracted.

 

(plus, once again, just coz the streaming division of Mega Corp International is in the red doesn't mean Mega Corp International itself is)

Edited July 28, 2023 by Porthos

[ZattMurdock]

8 minutes ago, MysteryMovieMogul said:

Okay, so if streaming is unprofitable and needs to be reined in, why should any of the studios agree to a contract in which actors and writers get larger streaming residuals? 

 

Somehow there are over 160,000 SAG members and 20,000 WGA members and none of them are worried about the downfall of streaming by asking for higher residuals, yet somehow the non-writer/actor public, who only gets the information the studios feed to us, know that streaming is losing the studios billions of dollars. Wouldn't SAG/WGA be fighting for other outlets of profit, in that case? They seem all in on streaming residuals, themselves, so obviously we don't have information the writers and actors obviously do.

Because streaming is indeed the future of how we consume media, and Netflix has solidified itself as THE big player, with Disney+ starting to slowly get close to a point of profitability like Porthos said. The long game that the studios are playing is that they are all punching beyond their weight, and big conglomerates like Apple, Amazon and well, Comcast, will eventually come for them. 
 

Not all the streaming services are alike, and clearly Disney+ is getting popular stuff on their streaming service to keep growing at the pace they are going.

[The GOAT]

Does He have a point?

[ZattMurdock]

Where there is smoke and all that:

 

https://uk.style.yahoo.com/emmys-vendors-officially-informed-telecast-010427821.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS5ici8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMv6tdMg4GP4fOICJTCMzMZDCtiinUx7hQcsJrUFU7onVrdohEt4qx0EVg2495kmhNF7yizebYk4ASDlvIK1EpkZkDf01y8C6BpJt68Sz2d78AzCyv_6ygnLhDwmLSPIZHnL88nON-2w6LTUF0J3oGMjrH9yKisaaW_ePSaxfzsL

 

The Emmys are officially delayed until at very least September. It kinda hints that there is no expectation of this getttint sorted out before September.

 

It’s funny to live in an world where Twitter literally doesn’t work LMAO. Got this confirmation after looking it up on Threads after @SpiderByte mentioned on the Dune 2 thread.

[robertman2]

20 minutes ago, The GOAT said:

Does He have a point?

no, fuck empirecity lmao

[ZattMurdock]

Just now, RobrtmanAStarWarsReference said:

no, fuck empirecity lmao

Let’s end with people pursuing becoming footballers, basketball players, baseball players, hockey players, UFC and boxing fighters, whatever the US calls that game that people run with balls that isn’t called handball, streamers, YouTubers, only fans, people pursuing any jobs in general.

 

Then we all make a circle around the world and sing Imagine. I’m down.

[Dementeleus]

41 minutes ago, The GOAT said:

Does He have a point?

No. 
 

Its EC. He never has a point, unless it’s to toady up to power or try to get others to grovel before him. 

[SpiderByte]

22 minutes ago, RobrtmanAStarWarsReference said:

no, fuck empirecity lmao

The one thing that unites this forum is how much we all think EmpireCity is a douche

Edited July 28, 2023 by SpiderByte

[DAR]

15 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

No. 
 

Its EC. He never has a point, unless it’s to toady up to power or try to get others to grovel before him. 

I’m sure the 16 year old that sells popcorn at his theater grovels.

[BK007]

12 hours ago, Ryan Reynolds said:

all industries are investing in AI , its probably all hype, but most don't want to be risk being left behind

 

It's another bullshit push from the know-nothings of Clown Street and their marionette CEOs. 

 

Ironic because the streaming mess was created by the same bunch of fools. 

 

But you'll never get grifters who depend on the failing capitalist system for their wealth to change course. Billionaires building/buying prepper bunkers is peak delusion of how they think global destruction will not affect them and they can somehow live out their days in peace.

Edited July 28, 2023 by BK007
added

[filmlover]

The Emmys being officially postponed probably means the other rumored delays are about to become official. Drive-Away Dolls will likely lose its September date tomorrow and WB probably won't even wait a month to pull the plug on Dune 2's November launch.

[AMC Theaters Enjoyer]

EC is the type of dude that Adam Aron would be friends with.

 

[Derpity]

11 minutes ago, filmlover said:

The Emmys being officially postponed probably means the other rumored delays are about to become official. Drive-Away Dolls will likely lose its September date tomorrow and WB probably won't even wait a month to pull the plug on Dune 2's November launch.

 

I'd be shocked if Dune 2 moved. They'll probably get this resolved by then anyway.

[ThomasNicole]

10 minutes ago, filmlover said:

The Emmys being officially postponed probably means the other rumored delays are about to become official. Drive-Away Dolls will likely lose its September date tomorrow and WB probably won't even wait a month to pull the plug on Dune 2's November launch.

And what Emmy have to do with this? Of course they delay it, it’s a month away and they literally depend of actors and need to make rehearsals.
 

What’s the point of make a ceremony to give awards to actors without them? 
 

Is not remotely the same thing of releasing a movie. Not that delays won’t happen, that’s not my point, i just don’t see why Emmy being delayed will be the turning point to delay movies.

[Cappoedameron]

Many youtubers with insiders in hollywood like grace randolph and john campea are hinting that they don't expect anything to get done until after labor day weekend from their sources in the industry.

 

Also it seems shows can still be renewed amidst the strike, Righteous Gemstones just got renewed for S4

[grim22]

Just now, Cappoedameron said:

Many youtubers with insiders in hollywood like grace randolph and john campea are hinting that they don't expect anything to get done until after labor day weekend from their sources in the industry.

 

Also it seems shows can still be renewed amidst the strike, Righteous Gemstones just got renewed for S4

Shows can be renewed provided actor contracts are pre-negotiated. Most recurring shows will have 3-4 year contracts with salary increases defined. Such shows can announce new seasons, shows without such contracts cannot.