End clap, but beginning of hostilities in Hollywood: the actors launched their strike on Friday by protesting in front of the major studios with the screenwriters, for a double social movement which causes the worst paralysis of the sector for more than 60 years.
Hundreds of strikers with signs marched past the Netflix building on Los Angeles’ famous Sunset Boulevard. Similar scenes unfolded all over the city in front of other studios and streaming services like HBO, Amazon or Paramount. But also in New York, in front of the headquarters of NBC Universal.
“We are here for the long term, but this is a historic moment,” Vera Cherny told AFP. “Now is the time to secure the contracts that will serve future generations of players. Just like they did in 1960”, added this 44-year-old actress, who appeared in the series “The Americans” and “For All Mankind”.
First for 63 years
This is the first strike bringing together actors and screenwriters in 63 years in Hollywood.
The production of films and series had already been idling since the beginning of May because of the movement of screenwriters, but with the walkout of actors the American industry finds itself on its knees: apart from a few “soap operas” and reality TV shows, shootings are simply no longer possible.
Salaries, AI
The two trades are demanding an increase in their remuneration, at half mast in the era of streaming. They also want to obtain guarantees regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI), to prevent the latter from generating scripts or cloning their voice and image.
Despite a ten-day extension and last-minute government mediation, negotiations between the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and employers failed.
The gap between studio and platform executives and industry workers seems wide. On Thursday, Disney boss Bob Iger blasted the “unrealistic” demands of actors and screenwriters.
Determined atmosphere
On the picket lines, the atmosphere is determined. The refrain of a Hollywood perverted by the values of Silicon Valley and its obsession with reducing costs comes up regularly among the actors or screenwriters met by AFP in recent weeks.
“We are fighting for it to be a career…
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