Judy

When Hollywood writers and actors started their strike back in May, they had no idea how long this would last.
But what they did know was they would never go back to working long hours with little pay, receiving little to no residuals for syndicated shows, and accepting any more unfairness in this industry.
Now, five months later only some elements have changed. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached an agreement on Sept. 27 to increased wages, residuals and payments based on successful streaming, according to today.com.
But the question remains: Can the rest of Hollywood’s writers and its actors continue to hold their ground and make a change for the better or will they be washed away by Artificial Intelligence and the glitz and glamor that Hollywood brings?
The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is an actor and writer’s based union that went on strike May 2 for better pay and working conditions for actors and writers.
SAG-AFTRA’s continued strike seems necessary because its movie and TV show writers don’t make enough for a livable salary in California, especially compared to actors who speak their words and perform the stories they create.
The strike has sparked good conversations about reasonable pay while opening doors that are very dystopian looking with the involvement of A.I. in the industry.
The WGA agreement said A.I can still be used but it can’t replace writing jobs, and companies can’t require writers to us A.I.
Disney’s CEO Bob Iger has said the union is not being “realistic” and that the strike is “very disturbing” to him, according to Variety magazine.
But what others find disturbing is that Disney is using artificial actors in some of their TV shows already. For example, in one of their recent movies “Prom Pact”, Disney seemingly used computer generated extras. which raises a lot of ethical questions, such as can a non- living thing express emotions and show them on film like real actors?
This move by Disney also puts actors out of jobs. Not only does this strike keep actors and writers from working, it also delays the release of movies that were already finished.
This is a problem for everyone now because studios are losing money, actors and writers are not working while holding out for livable wages, and public is experiencing a content dry spell with no new shows and films to watch.
Movies such as “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse”, “Dune Part Two”, “Deadpool 3”, and “Gladiator 2” are on hold for now because actors are not promoting their films while on strike.
The strike has now become more than just a Hollywood issue. It is now an economic problem. But The SAG-AFTRA strike also affects movie theaters and the revenue they generate. In basic terms, the more new movies that are released, the more money theaters make.
All of a sudden, the strike has become a real life nightmare for almost everyone involved in the movie industry.
“I think it’s really good what they are doing because a lot of the actors and screenwriters aren’t getting fair payment,” Cal High junior Aaron Mccord said.
Personally as a self proclaimed writer, this strike hits close to home. I feel that union members are justified in wanting better pay. They should get everything and need to stand their ground and fight for what’s right.
The way they do this is by staying on strike and fighting for their rights.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel with the WGA agreement. Plus, independent studios such as A24 and NEON are immune to the strike since these studios are not affiliated with the union. What’s super exciting about this is that most of their movies will be seen in theaters in the coming months.
So you can watch movies such as “Priscilla”, a movie about Elvis, from his wife’s point of view. Movie fans can also watch “Ferrari”, a biopic about Enzo Ferrari who is portrayed by Adam Driver.
The point is movie fans can watch these great movies in the meantime while also supporting the entire movie crews in the process and maybe get some popcorn on the way.