The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike (the union that represents all performers on film and television), is still ongoing with SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher (The Nanny star) saying that they are prepared to strike for at least 6 months, stating that, “We’re in it to win it.”
Why are they striking and what do they want?
On July 14, 2023, the American actors’ union SAG-AFTRA went on strike over an ongoing labour dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It has coincided with a Writers Guild of America strike in a series of broader Hollywood labour disputes.
The members are fighting for better pay and working conditions as the landscape has been transformed by streaming services and the threat of artificial intelligence.
With streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Max reshaping the culture of television and movie-watching, actors’ pay has changed as well.
As a result, the members are facing declining residuals and wages that haven’t kept up with inflation, actors can no longer rely on royalty payments that are contingent on the amount of a show’s reruns.
Streaming has also complicated job opportunities. Since many shows now have shorter seasons over longer periods of time, actors argue that they have less work available to them.
So, what does this mean?
During the strike, SAG-AFTRA members cannot do the following:
Tours, personal appearances, interviews, conventions, fan expos, festivals, for your consideration events, panels, premieres/screenings, award shows, junkets, podcast appearances, social media, studio showcases, acting, singing, dancing, performing stunts, piloting on-camera aircraft, puppeteering, performance capture or motion capture work, background work, stand-in work, photo and/or body doubles, fittings, wardrobe tests, and makeup tests, rehearsals and camera tests, scanning, interviews and auditions (including via self-tape).
Will the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, and Venice Film Festival still go ahead?
If the strike isn’t resolved by mid-August, then the chances of celebrities heading to Toronto, or Venice remains unlikely.
What about Zendaya’s film ‘Challengers’ which was set to open the 2023 Venice Film Festival?
The release of this film has been delayed until April 26, 2024 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, since Zendaya, the Emmy-winning actress and social media heavyweight, can’t promote it.
What about the 2023 MTV VMAs?
This year’s Video Music Awards will take place on September 12, 2023 at 8pm ET. Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where it was held last year and in 2019.
Rockers, pop singers and hip-hop artists who create the vast majority of music we consume are not on strike as they’re not unionized.
Can actors and actresses still go to fashion week?
Yes. There is nothing pertaining to this strike which will prevent them from being able to attend fashion week.
However, some might not feel that going to fashion week while the strike is ongoing isn’t going be a good look. But we will have to wait and see.
When will the strike be over?
While I don’t know for sure, I have been told to buckle up until at least January, 2024, although we all hope for the sake of the SAG members and union, that a resolution will be reached before then.
As you know, this strike doesn’t just affect the SAG members, as it has a knock-on effect for so many people including stylists and their assistants (which some are still paying despite an inability to work), hairdressers, catering, and the list goes on and on.
What is the difference between this and lockdown?
SAG members were still able to work during lockdown. Films and TV shows were still in production by following protocols.
So effectively this has a more negative effect than those 2 years we were mostly in lockdown.
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