As an independent writer, director, and producer, I'm just curious to know where my colleagues stand on the strikes as far as how it will affect us as well as the union players. Does anyone have any thoughts? I'm just curious as I'm seeing mixed messages in the media about the temporary solution to create content or even continue developing content if you were in the development stage.
Producing : Hollywood Strikes & Independent Filmmakers by Alan Nettles
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Good topic. Most of the work in the Indie world (by definition) is not with these signatories, but probably hope to one day be picked up by a signatory. Definitely a grey area.
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I know Sag-Aftra is allowed to work on Micro budget and I think Short Form Agreement (Agreement for films under 35 minutes and under $50,000 in budget). I assume this is only if the production is not associated with signatories.
https://www.sagaftra.org/files/sa_documents/Strike_Can_Work.pdf
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Not sure about WGA, but here are their rules: https://www.wgacontract2023.org/strike/strike-rules. Seem to also be restricted to struck company list. What is hard to know with WGA and SAG-AFTRA is how they will look at certain behavior, even if it is technically allowed.
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I'm non-WGA, Alan Nettles. I can pitch to non-WGA struck companies, but I don't feel right pitching while the WGA is on strike, so I'm waiting.
I think fair deals for the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA will affect them greatly because they'll get what they need to make a living as creatives. Right now, it's hard for WGA and SAG-AFTRA members to make a living writing and acting.
I'm not really sure how fair deals for the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA will affect indie writers and indie actors (beyond indie writers not having to use AI to write script and indie actors not being replaced by AI), but we're all writers and actors, so I support fair deals for the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA.
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Alan Nettles The IIPG position on the WGA strike is here: https://independentproducersguild.org/iipg-position-on-wga-strike-2023
The Guild has not announced on the SAGAftra position, but informally takes no position except that it does support their position on AI. The Guild sets out some comment at the passing of the SAG deadlines here: https://independentproducersguild.org/insdutry-alert-sag-on-strike
We are in fact in discussions with SAG leadership to make common cause and lobby for copyright laws that we believe are appropriate to place AI generated content strictly and completely in the public domain.
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As a member of both the PGA and SAG-AFTRA (and what they call pre-WGA), I wholeheartedly support the strike. Throughout history, the good guys have always been on the side of labor. And we are at a critical tipping point in our industry on both the residuals front and facing the threat of AI. This one is going to be ugly. The Emmy’s (held in September) just pushed to an indeterminate date. No end in sight for the strike with the AMPTP refusing to even return to the table while simultaneously offering $900k a-year salaries to AI Managers. What the studios are hoping for is that the members on the lowest rung will be starved into capitulation. What they fail to realize is that most of (if not all) of these people already have backup jobs. Uber. Door Dash. Server jobs. Etc. These jobs have been their only method of survival given that residuals have been gone for years and tv orders have been cut down to 8 or 10.
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You're right about the backup jobs, Shaun O'Banion. And a lot of writers, actors, and other creatives are being helped out with donations. Like the Entertainment Community Fund (www.wgacontract2023.org/take-action/stand-with-writers). So, the AMPTP's hope that writers and actors will be starved into capitulation is a failing plan.