On the 2nd of October, when talks began between SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers), it seemed like the disputes were soon to be over. However, by the 11th of October discussions had broken down and both sides had left the negotiating table. But who are SAG-AFTRA and what is their dispute with the AMPTP?
SAG-AFTRA’s role is to protect media professionals including actors, dancers and supporting artists from being exploited within the industry. AMPTP is a trade organisation who bargain on behalf of their member companies such as Walt Disney, Universal Picture and several streaming services such as Apple TV+, Amazon Prime and Netflix. Before the strikes began, SAG-AFTRA made a set of requests to AMPTP. One of the requests included making sure that artists’ wages increased with the price of inflation in order that they can afford medical bills and survive in between jobs. When thinking about Hollywood, it is easy to forget that beyond the world of the famous, the majority of artists simply make enough money to live on. The main issue brought to the table was surrounding the use of Artificial Intelligence within the industry. With AI being in its infancy, it lacks regulation and with a lack of regulation comes the potential for exploitation. According to SAG-AFTRA, conglomerates served by AMPTP ‘want to be able to scan a background performer’s image, pay them for a half a day’s labor, and then use an individual’s likeness for any purpose forever without their consent’. This is something that SAG-AFTRA says they won’t stand for. Better pay and restrictions on AI within the industry were just some of the suggested changes that AMPTP either didn’t entertain or offered an unsatisfactory compromise to. Consequently, on the 14th of July 2023, members of the union headed to the picket line and after further failed negotiations the strike continues. The impact on the cinema-goer is that many much-anticipated films have had production suspended -including Beetlejuice 2 and Avatar 3.
What does this all mean for the future of cinema, TV and the creative world? It is reflective of the global situation generally with giant, capitalist conglomerates arguably putting the importance of the wealth of a certain few over the wellbeing of the majority. Streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have lost sight of the importance of funding and inspiring the creation of new content as well as entertaining viewers. Hence why Disney is choosing to bring out multiple live-action remakes which have a ready-made audience rather than taking a leap of faith and making films that break boundaries and risk making a loss. In an atmosphere such as this, it is no surprise that artists’ welfare is at risk. The benefit of using AI for large companies is not only that they can alter the same image and use it several times rather than hiring real, living actors, dancers etc. but also that AI can’t complain, let alone go on strike. If the industry continues in the same direction, producers may no longer require real people at all. We may find ourselves watching films with characters portrayed entirely by AI! Although such an extreme seems unlikely, it does beg the question of whether the use of AI discourages individual thought and will this have an adverse effect on the originality of what we are seeing on screen? Will audiences lose interest if every film and TV show follows the same monotonous path?
Image Credit: www.sagaftra.org