Posts tagged residuals
Hollywood actors’ union SAG-AFTRA votes to strike. ‘We are the victims here.’
July 14, 2023 // The studios said the union walked away from an offer that included “historic” increases in pay and residuals, as well as a “groundbreaking” proposal for AI protections. The group said its offer included a requirement for a performer’s consent for the creation and use of digital replicas or for digital alterations of a performance.
Hollywood studios racing to avoid actors’ strike at midnight
July 12, 2023 //
Actors guild authorizes strike with contract set to expire at end of month
June 7, 2023 // SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a statement that some of the union's key concerns are that "inflation, dwindling residuals due to streaming, and generative AI all threaten actors' ability to earn a livelihood if our contracts are not adapted to reflect the new realities." Hollywood writers are currently striking after the Writers Guild of America and ATPMP could not agree on a new contract. WGA officials have also cited AI and a lack of residuals brought about by the streaming era as major sticking points. That strike began on May 2 and could last for months.
Opinions | The WGA strike is part of a recurring pattern when technology changes
May 31, 2023 // Once again, writers and other workers in Hollywood are facing technological change, this time regarding the use of artificial intelligence in projects covered by the WGA’s Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA). The WGA has proposed that any MBA material be produced by a person, with writing credits to a human, and that no AI be used in the production of literary material for a film. The goal is to secure the jobs and pay of writers, with both initial minimum payments during production and residuals for back-end exhibition. The WGA, which has stronger residuals security and higher payments with studios than with streamers, is looking for closer parity, especially with streaming’s rise in popularity since the coronavirus pandemic. Could AI help script a sitcom? Some striking writers fear so. In a recent example of where the agreements have fallen short, Netflix forced the WGA into arbitration by withholding residuals, ultimately owing $64 million in backdated payments while still refusing to shell out $13.5 million in interest.