Strikes, Strikes and more Strikes: Film Industry Unrest

12/12/2023

Robert Salathiel (he/him) discusses the impact of the US film industry strikes in the UK

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Image by Eden, Janine and Jim

By Robert Salathiel

Some knew they were coming. Some pretended that they didn’t. But when the the SAG-AFTRA (short for ‘Screen ActorsGuild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’) strike action against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (or AMPTP) finally left the shores of the USA on 14 July 2023 and hit the United Kingdom, it came(at least at first), seemingly, as a whisper. There would be no posters, no masspanic, no demonstrations or picket lines – at least not in the UK – most of that happened in the USA. Business as usual for the Warner Brothers studio in Leavesden, Watford, or the Pinewood studios in Shepperton. The industry ticked over as it had done, day-by-day. Cast, crew, stunts, extras; two by two heading onto set by foot and buggy. Casting calls still went out and the cameras were still rolling. Everyone seemed calm, perhaps expecting that things would go the same way as the writers strikes (which began on 2 May 2023). Indeed, no one knew what to expect. It marked the first time that actors initiated a labour dispute in the USA since the 1980s actors strike, and the first time that actors and writers have walked out simultaneously since 1960.

And then, one-by-one, the work began to dry up. Postponed. Released. Flights were cancelled, dates moved. Costumes placed back into their respective wardrobes or shipped back to the costumiers. The “part-time” jobs – whether in a bar, building site, or production house, suddenly became very “full-time”.

Combined, the writers’ strike and SAG-AFTRA strike caused the loss of around 45,000 jobs, and enormous financial losses to studios worldwide.

The reasoning for the actors’ and writers’ strikes were related to several highly contentious topics. Primarily centred around pay and job security, the unions made many other demands. For example, limits on the use of AI in the generation of new scripts and other written pieces, and the scanning of actors faces to digitally recreate their likeness in the future – recent examples include the new Indiana Jones movie.

Personally, I had the privilege of starting my career on one of the most ambitious TV productions that is as-yet to be released. Masters of the Air – the sequel to Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Although only (at least initially) starting out as an extra, opportunities can be found in the industry – if you look hard enough. Having now credits for film, TV and stage productions, I was ready to go even further in my career. Then, just like that, everything dried up for three months when the strike happened.

Of course, the strikes didn’t just impact the actors and “stunties”. The crew – lighting technicians, makeup artists, props, costumes, drivers had also been affected. I had many friends on the other side of the camera who found them-selves unable to find work for many months, resorting to helping out on smaller productions until the strikes finally ended.

Interestingly, the reaction by the AMPTP is reminiscent, perhaps, of a Hollywood villain. According to one source, an anonymous AMPTP executive stated that their strategy was to “allow things to drag on until union members started losing their apartments and losing their houses”.

Some productions, such as local, British-made film and TV, were still running during the strike, including the new ITV production Ruth, starring Lucy Boynton as the titular Ruth Ellis. Smaller films, commercials and the like still plodded along, with actors eager to jump onto any work they could find. I recall having to spend hours scrolling through auditions and job requests, and then waiting for a call from an agent before sending in numerous self-tapes.

By the time of writing this article, both the writers and SAG-AFTRA strikes have now ended, with agreements being formalised on 27 September 2023, and 9 November 2023, respectively. Now, one must remember that the strike deal was only agreed for the next few years. Considering the extremely rapid advances in AI, as well as financial issues throughout the world, one has to consider whether this is truly ‘the end’ to the strikes, or simply just a brief respite.

Indeed, it’s important to recognise the ever-changing world of Hollywood (and beyond) and what that might mean for the expanding world of British film and TV. Forecasts indicate that, by 2025, the UK will rank fourth by overall filmed entertainment revenue with an estimated turnover of more than US $4.5 billion, which could cause issues between studios in the future, as well as the rules governing productions.Indeed, one could see a shift from the use of actors belonging to SAG-AFTRA (though this is highly unlikely, considering the vast majority of our most well-loved actors are part of the Union). Additionally, the advent of new streaming platforms and other mediums may also cause bumps down the road.

Then again, who knows what’s to come? With the industry in its current state, perhaps we’ll find ourselves going Back to the Future sooner than we think. Or maybe we won’t... I just miss the craft coffee.