*Is Hollywood in trouble? The industry has been turned upside down by the recent wave of strikes among writers and actors.
Back in May, the Writers Guild of America decided to strike due to an ongoing dispute over compensation regarding the lack of residuals they receive from streaming services. Also, fighting against the use of AI (artificial intelligence) which could possibly threaten their jobs. Last month the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) joined the fight, citing some of the same issues.
EUR hit the streets and headed to the picket lines to talk with the actors and writers to get their take on what is happening in their industry.
“What we’re fighting for is to save jobs. What they were proposing is that they would scan background performers. They would scan them and then in perpetuity. They could use their image without people getting paid,” said actor Jennifer Leigh Warren. Most actors begin their careers doing background work, that is how they provide for themselves until they land a major role. The use of AI being able to replicate their image for further use is causing a huge problem for beginning actors. Background actors aren’t the only ones seeing a threat to their livelihood. Warren has been an actor and a part of SAG for years and has seen how the popularity of streaming services has affected how actors are not compensated fairly through their residuals.
Evan, a writer, expressed how the industry has changed financially.
“This isn’t about people needing Teslas and mansions, we just want to survive. You can work on a TV show and give up six months of your year working on a show and make so little of what it used to be,” said Evan.
For most people, that aren’t in the entertainment industry when they hear about writers and actors fighting to get paid more they automatically think of the names we know, the A-listers. But they are hundreds of people in the industry that aren’t well known and are just trying to get by, like the average working American.
“I want to push back on the fact that it’s greedy successful actors looking for more money,” said Megan an actor.
Again people outside of the industry may not understand the purpose of these strikes. But as a consumer who enjoys movies and TV shows, you are affected as well. What will you do for entertainment when your favorite TV shows don’t air because of corporate greed?
The people we watch that provide that entertainment should be able to make livable wages and have job protection just like anyone else.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: How the Hollywood WGA Writers & SAG-AFTRA Actors Strikes Miss the Mark on Black Folks | WATCH
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