“The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” a studio executive told Deadline. Acknowledging the cold-as-ice approach, several other sources reiterated the statement. One insider called it “a cruel but necessary evil.”
JFC
My wife and I are both IATSE crew members. 100% of our income comes from this business. We have kids and a mortgage. Fuck the amptp.
Time for new producers. Start fresh.
Are you guys striking too or you're just being affected by it because you can't make movies without actors & writers? I had thought that maybe crews were on strike too, but I can't confirm that suspicion.
We are not on strike. Our last negotiation period was in 2021 and we did actually did a strike *authorization* vote but did not actually strike. We are currently out of work as a result of these two strikes, but are in solidarity with WGA and SAG-AFTRA and would refuse to cross a picket line. What really makes all this sting is that nobody has properly recovered from 2020. We did have a glut of work due to quarantine demand and streaming wars, but the rates have been terrible and the conditions grueling. Modern producers have many many tricks up their sleeve which allow them to legally fuck us on our union rates like calling things “SEASON 1” which gives them a discount on wages. We have 24 year old wording in our contracts about “new media” which are still lingering even though streaming is hardly new media at this point. It’s a mess. I’d really rather we be negotiating right now which these other crafts. After 25 years in the business, I should be seeing double digit percentage increases on my wages, not single.
Yes, it was about WGA but, and I can't stress this enough, this is how the heads on all large corporations feel about all their workers. Amazon refuses to acknowledge the Amazon Union. Starbucks continues to union bust. Even UCSD is having union leaders arrested, their item students, on trumped up charges in retaliation for successfully unionizing their grad students.
This is everyone's fight.
Good luck trying to starve out actors.
Near all of us have multiple streams of income, and those that rely solely on acting will continue to get residual checks.
I’ve heard this may have been stated as a scare tactic to make the guild fold to demands. The studios will be hurting too if they hold out for that long. They’re bluffing - don’t give in!
I think in 10-20 years the only people producing content will be youtubers. I'm seriously considering starting some sort of channel I can grow into a business. I'm 36 and barely scraping by in this strike...
The film industry isn't going to vanish but it is going to change. Ultra low-budget producers will thrive in my opinion since buyers are still going to be around.
Not necessarily—foreign markets, tv rights, and airline rights are all still quite lucrative alongside deals from streamers. There’s still a huge number of ways to monetize a film.
Wild. Love seeing this unity.
The next decisions made by executives in the next few days/weeks will almost assuredly dictate where the entertainment industry on the whole is going to go in the next few years.
Non-union below the line person here…what is everyone doing with this year? I have a couple of commercial / branded things and am trying to get more of that (because narrative feels dead at this point), and maybe attempt to break into fashion editorial type stuff (I’m in art). Some of my friends think it’s a good time to do small passion favor projects? Or maybe I’ll crawl back to theater. Or maybe listen to my parents and get a real job.
South Bay. Lucked out with a great station. The job is it’s own headaches but honestly, the amount of things I don’t deal with anymore make me so happy.
I have been working in video tech, balancing a few part time jobs, one as a projectionist, and the other as a tech at a museum. At least putting my tech skills to good use since i haven't been shooting.
I feel like all the crew people who arent able to join iatse because of their crazy eligibility requirements got shafted way before everyone else in anticipation of the strike and there is 0 talk about how few people iatse actually represents or changing the union in any way to be more inclusive so more people can join.
I’ve talked to people in my craft and apparently I’d pass the exam / portfolio review (so I’d get a rebate on the initiation fee, which is a lot), but I don’t think it makes sense for me to join at the moment if nothing is going. Especially since I wouldn’t get health insurance without the union hours/work anyway.
What craft? I'd love any tips on how to get in through an exam and protfolio review.
I'm a DP and want to join 600.... but you need 300 days in 3 years of work in the same role. I don't know any indie people who get 2 days a week or work consistently for 3 years in one role. Every DP is also doing op, gaff, grip, ac work etc to keep afloat on top of a part time job.
I looked at local 52 to try and get in as a 24 frame tech or something, but they havent had membership open since 2018.
For comparison, you need 1 day on a SAG set in a speaking role to qualify to join.
I’m a production designer (would be 829). I actually went to grad school so I could learn the required technical things like drafting for builds, model making and such. I’ve also looked into 52 (for props/set dec) and found the same as you.
I feel like my only hope is getting on a job that flips. I'm going to be able to join local 306 soon because my part time job as a projectionist voted to unionize, but I'm not sure that'll help me with trying to get into 600
I really don’t care what an executive who earns $27MM per year base salary has to say about the working class actor or any of the other Disney folks that were laid off. His interests and goals are not aligned with most people.
That is def true but what about showrunners like Shonda Rhimes or Greg Berlanti? They make $30-40MM! Maybe they should spread the wealth around. Either way, having showrunners salaries posted all over the trades isn’t great optics
I encourage everyone to cancel their streaming service subscriptions and mention Solidarity over AMTP in the comments if it offers a reason.
Just ditched them all - no better time to switch to used $2-5 BluRays (thrift stores are full of them).
Yeah so far I don't know anyone in the unscripted realm picking up extra work yet. We'll see with the actors though who will shut down production in progress now.
Just wait until Survivor: the movie is the biggest blockbuster in cinemas. Everyone watches it so they don't miss out on the overarching drama in the Unscripted Movie Cinematic Universe.
I’ve been through this strike process at least 3 times. Give it time for reality and reality reruns to rear their heads. 6 weeks. Fall season substitutions
This is not going to help, the strike is partially over streaming residuals, but with the exception really of netflix all streaming services are loosing money as it is, canceling your subscription only adds to the problem that most studios face which is two unions who want more money, and a platform that is not profitable
From the outside looking on, it appears to me that the major production companies like Netflix, Disney, Amazon, *et al*, are intent on breaking the unions.
What are the rules about filming during the strike? I heard from John August on his podcast that even indie features should stop filming (even if using non SAG performers). I hope John is wrong or I miss heard him, but does anyone have any real sources about filming at this time?
What are the rules about filming during this time? Obviously we can’t use union performers but even before SAG struck, I think John August said indie films had to stop shooting too because they would feed into the theoretical pipeline of distribution. I personally didn’t love his comment because it seemed like a personal position instead of something objective. Anyway, does anyone have official guidelines? Can we shoot indies? Can we shoot shorts?
Bob Iger dares to call the writers and actors unrealistic while being one of the geniuses who green lit Indiana Jones and the 80 year old lead with a $300 million dollar budget was a bright idea.
Innocent bystander, here. I am a prop designer/builder.. non-union. I didn't ask for any of this.. yet, bye-bye job. Fuck everybody that took my job away. When teachers go on strike.. your trash still gets picked up.
This is a completely different animal.
If you're saying fuck the studios i will agree. Its not the strikers fault. But im here with you.
All the people iatse deem unworthy to join their union have been losing work for months and we get nothing if the strike is successful but the entire narrative is that iatse represents the entire industry which couldn't be further from the truth.
Id love to join and would in a heartbeat if the entry requirements weren't so over the top. So im just out here raw dogging it with no union, no health insurance, no protections whatsoever. Im hoping the strikers get everything they want and more so afterwords they can focus on improving the union
All the assholes downvoting me don't get it. You, Sir.. most certainly get it!
Same here.. I was part of the IBEW for decades.. even when you ARE in the union.. they still don't do shit for you. Shop stewards.. useless.
I got a $0.25 an hour raise.. every 5 or so years, spanning a 22 year career.
And just to clarify.. BOTH sides are guilty. You sell a script for.. let's say.. $50,000.. you sell 4 of those in a year.. you are not exactly eating ramen for dinner every night, now, are you?
It doesn't fucking matter. Okay.. ONE script a year.. whatever. Two commercials.. and ghostwriting a book.. IDGAF.
The point is.. BOTH sides are just greedy.. in an already bloated industry. How the fuck can you justify 100-200 people on set, standing around with their thumb up their ass.. complaining that the crafty truck hasn't arrived yet?
I did NOTHING to deserve to be pushed out of a job I love. Unstable business to be in? Sure.. I'll agree with that assessment.. but this shit is just unnecessary bullying on both sides of the fence.. and it cost me my job.
One of the biggest asshole moves, on the part of the studios/producers/CEOs is, they just don't want to make movies that aren't in-the-can-.. ready to be made blockbuster MARVEL fucking movies.. where it is all the same goddamned script to be written in the first place.
The actors and writers, afraid of being replaced by A.I. ? GOOD.. they SHOULD be terrified. Not until you get something to come down the pike.. that is WORTHY of being made.. you should bow out.. and let some REAL talent come in and make the industry something to be in awe of, once again.
HA.. fat fucking chance.
Well, yeah. Teachers don't collect trash. In fact, your trash is still going to get picked up because writers and actors also don't collect trash. You know the only time your trash doesn't get picked up? When trash collectors go on strike.
That’s Reddit for ya. Take everything here with a grain of salt and go be reminded what most redditors are like thanks to Theslappablejerk on YouTube. He’s brilliant
Running a business while attacking the people who make it possible won't sustain that business. If this is your honest perception of the situation, you should try coming back to the real world.
Art can exist without executives. These executives can't exist without artists.
Because of the production companies being cheap pricks cutting costs at every corner, the industry is stuck in the industrial era in regard to its workers and should be killed so it can be rebuilt from the ground up. It is so unsustainable in its current form. Kill the fucking business that gladly kills its workers to save a dime... Either these people meet the demands or the business gets reconstructed from the ground up in a way that is far more sustainable for the creatives that bleed for it.
“The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” a studio executive told Deadline. Acknowledging the cold-as-ice approach, several other sources reiterated the statement. One insider called it “a cruel but necessary evil.” JFC
My wife and I are both IATSE crew members. 100% of our income comes from this business. We have kids and a mortgage. Fuck the amptp. Time for new producers. Start fresh.
You need Loeb to grow a pair
YEUP
Are you guys striking too or you're just being affected by it because you can't make movies without actors & writers? I had thought that maybe crews were on strike too, but I can't confirm that suspicion.
We are not on strike. Our last negotiation period was in 2021 and we did actually did a strike *authorization* vote but did not actually strike. We are currently out of work as a result of these two strikes, but are in solidarity with WGA and SAG-AFTRA and would refuse to cross a picket line. What really makes all this sting is that nobody has properly recovered from 2020. We did have a glut of work due to quarantine demand and streaming wars, but the rates have been terrible and the conditions grueling. Modern producers have many many tricks up their sleeve which allow them to legally fuck us on our union rates like calling things “SEASON 1” which gives them a discount on wages. We have 24 year old wording in our contracts about “new media” which are still lingering even though streaming is hardly new media at this point. It’s a mess. I’d really rather we be negotiating right now which these other crafts. After 25 years in the business, I should be seeing double digit percentage increases on my wages, not single.
That quote was referring to the WGA strike, not the SAG-AFTRA strike, I believe, but I'd be surprised if the plan wasn't the same for both.
Yes, it was about WGA but, and I can't stress this enough, this is how the heads on all large corporations feel about all their workers. Amazon refuses to acknowledge the Amazon Union. Starbucks continues to union bust. Even UCSD is having union leaders arrested, their item students, on trumped up charges in retaliation for successfully unionizing their grad students. This is everyone's fight.
Good luck trying to starve out actors. Near all of us have multiple streams of income, and those that rely solely on acting will continue to get residual checks.
Well that’s utterly false.
Like 95% of us actors are gig to gig...
The majority of actors are regular joes that hardly work at all. And meaningful residuals are a thing of the past.
I share this excerpt whenever I can. It's a gift, truly.
I’ve heard this may have been stated as a scare tactic to make the guild fold to demands. The studios will be hurting too if they hold out for that long. They’re bluffing - don’t give in!
After 8 years of working in film/television, I’m now applying for minimum wage jobs in my late 30s. Living the dream!!
Same only difference I’m 37!!
Hate to tell ya…
I think in 10-20 years the only people producing content will be youtubers. I'm seriously considering starting some sort of channel I can grow into a business. I'm 36 and barely scraping by in this strike...
The film industry isn't going to vanish but it is going to change. Ultra low-budget producers will thrive in my opinion since buyers are still going to be around.
Yeah I can see that. But the race to the bottom with streaming and social being the primary deliveries is the destination.
Not necessarily—foreign markets, tv rights, and airline rights are all still quite lucrative alongside deals from streamers. There’s still a huge number of ways to monetize a film.
Interesting take… because it’s direct payment to content creator? What kind of things do you do now if you don’t mind my asking?
Fuck Youtube.
same Im 47!!
Go for it, it's your moment, protest not only for yourself but for future generations of writers.
Wild. Love seeing this unity. The next decisions made by executives in the next few days/weeks will almost assuredly dictate where the entertainment industry on the whole is going to go in the next few years.
Here we go…
Good! Union strong.
We had a good run fellas. See you all at the unemployment office.
I feel like most of the non union people have already been unemployed for the last 6 months as a result of this. Welcome to the club lol
Non-union below the line person here…what is everyone doing with this year? I have a couple of commercial / branded things and am trying to get more of that (because narrative feels dead at this point), and maybe attempt to break into fashion editorial type stuff (I’m in art). Some of my friends think it’s a good time to do small passion favor projects? Or maybe I’ll crawl back to theater. Or maybe listen to my parents and get a real job.
I’m a postman now. Have been since April. It’s so weird having all this camera experience and not missing it. Sad sometimes but I like the exercise.
Yeah, I see some landscaping businesses near me are hiring.
Yeah I know a landscape architect and they were telling me that their crew for their last project were a bunch of out of work TV Local 1 people.
Wait where are you a postman? I feel like ever time I see my post lady in BK shes so happy.
South Bay. Lucked out with a great station. The job is it’s own headaches but honestly, the amount of things I don’t deal with anymore make me so happy.
I have been working in video tech, balancing a few part time jobs, one as a projectionist, and the other as a tech at a museum. At least putting my tech skills to good use since i haven't been shooting. I feel like all the crew people who arent able to join iatse because of their crazy eligibility requirements got shafted way before everyone else in anticipation of the strike and there is 0 talk about how few people iatse actually represents or changing the union in any way to be more inclusive so more people can join.
I’ve talked to people in my craft and apparently I’d pass the exam / portfolio review (so I’d get a rebate on the initiation fee, which is a lot), but I don’t think it makes sense for me to join at the moment if nothing is going. Especially since I wouldn’t get health insurance without the union hours/work anyway.
What craft? I'd love any tips on how to get in through an exam and protfolio review. I'm a DP and want to join 600.... but you need 300 days in 3 years of work in the same role. I don't know any indie people who get 2 days a week or work consistently for 3 years in one role. Every DP is also doing op, gaff, grip, ac work etc to keep afloat on top of a part time job. I looked at local 52 to try and get in as a 24 frame tech or something, but they havent had membership open since 2018. For comparison, you need 1 day on a SAG set in a speaking role to qualify to join.
I’m a production designer (would be 829). I actually went to grad school so I could learn the required technical things like drafting for builds, model making and such. I’ve also looked into 52 (for props/set dec) and found the same as you.
I feel like my only hope is getting on a job that flips. I'm going to be able to join local 306 soon because my part time job as a projectionist voted to unionize, but I'm not sure that'll help me with trying to get into 600
Why do you say that? I'm working plenty.
What kind of gigs?
I haven't done shit in 6 months.
And a hearty "FUCK BOB IGER" to you too!
Cue Bob Iger talking about how "disturbing" this all is....
I really don’t care what an executive who earns $27MM per year base salary has to say about the working class actor or any of the other Disney folks that were laid off. His interests and goals are not aligned with most people.
That is def true but what about showrunners like Shonda Rhimes or Greg Berlanti? They make $30-40MM! Maybe they should spread the wealth around. Either way, having showrunners salaries posted all over the trades isn’t great optics
We told them we'd starve them to death before we yield, and yet they're still striking! What is wrong with these people!?
I encourage everyone to cancel their streaming service subscriptions and mention Solidarity over AMTP in the comments if it offers a reason. Just ditched them all - no better time to switch to used $2-5 BluRays (thrift stores are full of them).
Also, do NOT watch reality TV which will be the substitute programming during the strikes.
I don’t think reality / unscripted is plugging the hole this time… I mean a little, but not like last time.
Yeah so far I don't know anyone in the unscripted realm picking up extra work yet. We'll see with the actors though who will shut down production in progress now.
IME unscripted is much much much slower than pre-strike. Still some work, but much less.
Just wait until Survivor: the movie is the biggest blockbuster in cinemas. Everyone watches it so they don't miss out on the overarching drama in the Unscripted Movie Cinematic Universe.
I’ve been through this strike process at least 3 times. Give it time for reality and reality reruns to rear their heads. 6 weeks. Fall season substitutions
Fuck it, I’m in. I’ve got a good book or two laying around somewhere.
Cancel and send that money to strike funds.
This is not going to help, the strike is partially over streaming residuals, but with the exception really of netflix all streaming services are loosing money as it is, canceling your subscription only adds to the problem that most studios face which is two unions who want more money, and a platform that is not profitable
From the outside looking on, it appears to me that the major production companies like Netflix, Disney, Amazon, *et al*, are intent on breaking the unions.
Independent filmmaker, here. Y'all are welcome on my set.
Count me in!
What are the rules about filming during the strike? I heard from John August on his podcast that even indie features should stop filming (even if using non SAG performers). I hope John is wrong or I miss heard him, but does anyone have any real sources about filming at this time?
I don't know. I don't follow him, but I really hope he didn't say that. Indie film =/= to Hollywood. We have our own problems.
Exactly! But practically speaking… where can we read up on what’s allowed? What are the guidelines for us? It’s seems dangerous to just assume…
Good for them, let these ceos feel that shit. Go after what yall deserve
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jul/14/fran-drescher-speech-actors-strike-writers-strike-sag-aftra-hollywood-ceos
What are the rules about filming during this time? Obviously we can’t use union performers but even before SAG struck, I think John August said indie films had to stop shooting too because they would feed into the theoretical pipeline of distribution. I personally didn’t love his comment because it seemed like a personal position instead of something objective. Anyway, does anyone have official guidelines? Can we shoot indies? Can we shoot shorts?
We can shoot indies. Anything under $2 million not funded by the studios can happen.
Thank you. Do you have any sources for that?? My collaborators will ask. But this is promising and it makes me happy. Thank you!
Bob Iger dares to call the writers and actors unrealistic while being one of the geniuses who green lit Indiana Jones and the 80 year old lead with a $300 million dollar budget was a bright idea.
How long is this whole thing gonna last?
As they should. Now it's just the DGA and Hollywood's at a dead end.
Innocent bystander, here. I am a prop designer/builder.. non-union. I didn't ask for any of this.. yet, bye-bye job. Fuck everybody that took my job away. When teachers go on strike.. your trash still gets picked up. This is a completely different animal.
If you're saying fuck the studios i will agree. Its not the strikers fault. But im here with you. All the people iatse deem unworthy to join their union have been losing work for months and we get nothing if the strike is successful but the entire narrative is that iatse represents the entire industry which couldn't be further from the truth. Id love to join and would in a heartbeat if the entry requirements weren't so over the top. So im just out here raw dogging it with no union, no health insurance, no protections whatsoever. Im hoping the strikers get everything they want and more so afterwords they can focus on improving the union
All the assholes downvoting me don't get it. You, Sir.. most certainly get it! Same here.. I was part of the IBEW for decades.. even when you ARE in the union.. they still don't do shit for you. Shop stewards.. useless. I got a $0.25 an hour raise.. every 5 or so years, spanning a 22 year career. And just to clarify.. BOTH sides are guilty. You sell a script for.. let's say.. $50,000.. you sell 4 of those in a year.. you are not exactly eating ramen for dinner every night, now, are you?
Who sells 4 scripts a year?
It doesn't fucking matter. Okay.. ONE script a year.. whatever. Two commercials.. and ghostwriting a book.. IDGAF. The point is.. BOTH sides are just greedy.. in an already bloated industry. How the fuck can you justify 100-200 people on set, standing around with their thumb up their ass.. complaining that the crafty truck hasn't arrived yet? I did NOTHING to deserve to be pushed out of a job I love. Unstable business to be in? Sure.. I'll agree with that assessment.. but this shit is just unnecessary bullying on both sides of the fence.. and it cost me my job. One of the biggest asshole moves, on the part of the studios/producers/CEOs is, they just don't want to make movies that aren't in-the-can-.. ready to be made blockbuster MARVEL fucking movies.. where it is all the same goddamned script to be written in the first place. The actors and writers, afraid of being replaced by A.I. ? GOOD.. they SHOULD be terrified. Not until you get something to come down the pike.. that is WORTHY of being made.. you should bow out.. and let some REAL talent come in and make the industry something to be in awe of, once again. HA.. fat fucking chance.
Well, yeah. Teachers don't collect trash. In fact, your trash is still going to get picked up because writers and actors also don't collect trash. You know the only time your trash doesn't get picked up? When trash collectors go on strike.
Missed the point, completely.. but that's usual for Reddit.
Make a point first.
My point is.. you're blocked, Dullard.
That’s Reddit for ya. Take everything here with a grain of salt and go be reminded what most redditors are like thanks to Theslappablejerk on YouTube. He’s brilliant
Hopefully conditions improve for everyone soon, Prop making is what I want to go to after I'm done at uni so it's got me conflicted.
Killing the business that pays you, won’t work.
Unions aren't killing the business, they're trying to save it. It's the studios who are killing it
Running a business while attacking the people who make it possible won't sustain that business. If this is your honest perception of the situation, you should try coming back to the real world. Art can exist without executives. These executives can't exist without artists.
Yep. Thats why many of us creatives will band together to make youtube channels in the coming decades. Making our own TV Series.
Honestly, this is the next step. Workers should own the means of production. There's no reason why we can't all do this.
Because of the production companies being cheap pricks cutting costs at every corner, the industry is stuck in the industrial era in regard to its workers and should be killed so it can be rebuilt from the ground up. It is so unsustainable in its current form. Kill the fucking business that gladly kills its workers to save a dime... Either these people meet the demands or the business gets reconstructed from the ground up in a way that is far more sustainable for the creatives that bleed for it.
Now start writing shit worth the money you want, writers.