The largest actors’ union in the United States is on strike – something that affects the industry a lot.
The most important issues are about fair conditions regarding pay and concerns about artificial intelligence.
– I would say that the entire world’s actors’ union supports this. This is a conflict that they take for us a little bit, says Simon Norrthon, chairman of the trade union Scen och Film.
The American actors’ union SAG-AFTRA has stalled in the negotiations with the film companies. During Friday, the 160,000 members voted to go on strike. Among the 65,000 acting members of the SAG-AFTRA union going on strike are big names like Meryl Streep, Matt Damon and Ben Stiller.
– It is not completely unexpected, but it is of course sad that they did not manage to reach an agreement. It’s quite dramatic and a bit exciting to see how it goes, says Simon Norrthon, chairman of the Swedish trade union Scen och Film.
A major reason for the strike is the issue of compensation from the major streaming platforms, which have in many ways taken over the industry. Simon Norrthon tells us that there has been a concentration of power and capital to a few companies, such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon. Today, fees are often paid according to a gig job model, rather than based on royalties.
– The difficulty has been for artists and creators to get a share of the revenue that is generated for these large platforms, he says.
Concerns about AI
Another reason for the strike is the concern about artificial intelligence and how it will affect the profession in the future. Simon Norrthon says that the companies want, among other things, the right to scan actors’ body images in order to then be able to use AI-generated images of them forever.
– They want to be able to duplicate an acting performance, for a sequel, or use the face or voice for new efforts. And the actors want to be able to give their consent to that. On the one hand, you want to have insight into how your image and performance are used in the future in future productions, and you also want to be paid for it.
Will see more repeats in the fall
In addition to actors, screenwriters are also on strike and this affects the industry a lot. It is not only Hollywood that stands still, but also the industries that live close to the film industry.
– This hits hard against the entire industry. In the fall, we will probably see a lot of repeats and maybe a little more advertising on the platforms. All talk shows are already down today because no one writes scripts for the presenters, says Simon Norrthon.
“They handle the conflict for us”
Swedish actors will not go on strike, but Simon Norrthon tells us that it is an important fight for them as well.
– I would say that the entire world’s actors’ union supports this. This is a conflict that they take for us a little bit. If they can regulate decent terms with these platforms, it will mean a lot to everyone else in the whole world.