Strike on the Big Screen: An Even Bigger Picture
As a working actor, I love what I do. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve had one-liner co-star roles on well-known shows like American Crime Story, The Cleaning Lady, and Outer Range, but there is very little chance you, your mom, or even your neighbor knows my name. And despite these shows making millions of dollars, I still plea for the “starving artist” discount from the lady who cuts my hair because, well, it’s true. The unseen implications of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes are how much work is available for a majority of actors, like me, and how much people like me are paid for their work. So, in an industry where celebrity glitz and glamor went from being “cool” to “unrelatable” in the last decade, why should the general populace care about the Hollywood elite’s financial well-being amidst these strikes?
This isn’t about the “1%” in Hollywood who are the “movie stars” or season-regular actors like Ryan Gosling or Elliot Page. These red-carpet celebrities make their living acting off of SAG-AFTRA contracts in films and make a considerable amount of cash. And many people who are a part of SAG-AFTRA are performers not reliant on the union (or even acting in general) for their primary income. They might not even be aware they have a SAG card collecting dust in their mailbox i.e., Taylor Swift and Peyton Manning. No, this is about the rest of us actors who are just as important in creating the shows you watch every day.
This is also about you. The trickle effect of the strikes will eventually be felt by everyone. On the surface, even if the executives agree to our negotiations today, halted productions will take months, if not years to get new content back out. Sure, people can find entertainment on TikTok and YouTube in the meantime, but with a film industry worth over $91 billion, there’s going to be much more at stake than just your favorite TV show coming back. It’s the jobs of people we know and love that will feel change, whether it’s a friend who works in a restaurant, a sibling for an airline, or even your job.
I don’t want unfairness from the Hollywood executives to dictate my career choices and opportunities. There’s a good chance if you’re reading this, you see a similar occurrence happening in your workforce too. It is important to look past the strikes in the entertainment industry as just a Hollywood problem. There is a greater systemic issue at play here. This is not about artificial intelligence (AI) taking over every aspect of our lives. Or even getting a pay raise when AI uses my face on TV. This is not about entertainment at all, in fact. This is about our collective livelihoods. It is about leveraging the power of our working communities to build just and equitable employment.
What is this strike about, anyway?
On Friday, July 14th, members of Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the largest union of screen actors in the world, marched along the studio lots, moving the attention from the giant posters of blockbuster films like Barbie and Oppenheimer to the messages written on their picket signs. Even celebrities of such films immediately walked off their red-carpet premieres. All this to strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) after negotiations previously failed. The union remained in solidarity with the writers who have been on strike since May for similar deal points.
The key pieces members are looking for:
SAG-AFTRA wants 2% of revenue generated from streaming shows to go back to the performers (these payouts are called residuals)
Safeguards against the rapidly rising threat of artificial intelligence
Why do residuals matter?
The pandemic-era created a pivotal change in entertainment. Streamers became the most vital lifeline to a staggered production line due to intense Covid-19 protocols on sets and consumers being forced into watching more content from home. With a library of content at the ready from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime, viewers had a new way to watch endless content without being limited to whatever was preprogrammed on cable. The popularity of streamers only grew with major studios flocking to join the streamer game as quickly as possible. But, where the data of profits were easily tracked and readily available through networks and box offices, those numbers were now hidden behind the proprietary doors of streaming companies. Streamers became unregulated in the entertainment industry and seemingly had their own rules. Residual pay for actors is confusing or even non-existent according to many well-known actors. The union had their hands full navigating these waters way before the strike we are in today. Recall the lawsuit Scarlet Johansson had and won with Disney. She was promised a percentage of the box office revenue for Black Widow but since it was pushed straight to Disney+ she was denied her assumed payday.
SAG-AFTRA’s solution to the problem of residuals from streaming would be to involve a third-party analytics company (Content Valuation by Parrot Analytics to be exact) to measure a project's worth to the company based on several metrics. This would help prevent conflict like the situation Sean Gunn reported to Hollywood Reporter where he, an actor in the show Gilmore Girls, received almost no residual pay even though the show was at one point one of Netflix’s most streamed programs. Or even Actor Kellee Stewart from the show Blackish reporting making only a total of 13 cents from five different residual checks.
Residuals are extremely important because actors and writers rely on that as part of their income, especially when acting jobs can come months apart. And if that’s the position the majority of us actors are in, then removing residuals becomes a career killer and the battle shifts from a fight for our jobs to a fight for our lives. Meanwhile, the head executives are buying a 5th Ferrari and seem content with spending $600K a week on production costs to NOT film while the strike continues. And if the rest of AMPTP feels the same as an anonymous studio executive quoted to Deadline, “The endgame is to allow things to drag out until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” then things are more troubling than it seems.
How does this impact most working actors?
Just as movies are supposed to represent real life, the backbones of Hollywood's system mirror a growing wealth disparity seen across many workplaces around the country.
The divide between the executive’s pay and the worker’s pay is staggering and only continues to split. Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO is eligible to make 500% his annual salary this year which will earn him at least $27 million. All while employees are still making as little as $11/hour at the same company. But actors working for big studios like this must be making “bank,” right? I mean, Scarlett Johansson still made millions, so why should we care about actors wanting to make more? Let’s break down the numbers:
SAG-AFTRA consists of 160,000 members.
$40,000 is the approximate salary of union actors which is 30% below the national average. SAG-AFTRA members are contractually obligated to NOT WORK any non-union jobs, which accounts for an exceptionally large sector of jobs.
And only 12.7% of actors make above $26,470 a year from union jobs (the amount to qualify for the union’s insurance plan).
Based on these numbers it becomes obvious that an overwhelming majority of SAG-AFTRA actors, like me, are stuck trying to make a living. I’m not even in the 12.7% that qualifies for the union’s insurance. With non-union acting jobs off the table to supplement income we are working two or three non-acting jobs. And that is if those other jobs aren’t also affected by the lack of AMPTP negotiations – if they are, some people are being hit twice.
How does this affect everyone?
Entertainment never dies. It can survive through war and even The Great Depression. But the means at which entertainment lives on can change. If traditional media like big-screen movies and hour-long television shows happen to die off, TikTok and other social media platforms will inevitably take its place. But what those mediums lack is a large 120-year infrastructure footprint on the entire economy. An industry this big has a reach to other industries such as restaurants, transportation, and hotels. The writers’ strike in 2007 cost the California economy an estimated $2.1 billion with 38,000 jobs lost. With no productions filming, there’s no need to bring hordes of costumes to the dry cleaners. No need for as many florists to provide a set decoration. Not even cleaning staff at hotels are guaranteed positions with fewer guests traveling.
It’s impossible to calculate the magnitude of non-entertainment jobs that will be negatively impacted. But what is clear is the studio executive’s single decision to sit safely on their private yachts instead of meeting at a negotiation table. This is causing a cascading wave of destruction on people’s lives. The tsunami hit the actors and writers first, but it’s only a matter of time before the floods of greed wash further inland to everyone else.
Sadly, all this only focused on one of many concerns that led to this strike. So, whether you want to join in the protest, post on social media, or simply tell your friends, the real importance is that we all spread the word. It is easy to feel like Hollywood is all just a club of the rich elite trying to get richer. You know now that they only represent a small group. Instead, it is filled with regular working human beings, like me, trying to influence others via their craft while trying to pay their rent. This movement can be the beginning of a long list of systemic changes much bigger than your screen at home.
About Jason Potter
Jason is a creative powerhouse who plays unpredictable characters with charm and humor. His sense of comedy and drama blend together seamlessly, combining to make him an exceptional fusion of talents for both the big and small screens. With an impressive background in editing and directing, he brings an unrivaled understanding and unique perspective to every project. Off-set, Jason's fun, likable demeanor shines through and adventure is always on his mind. His artistic talents reach beyond the acting world too; a multi-instrumentalist, writing fully composed pieces and constantly working to find new ways to feed his impulsively creative appetite. Jason has won awards for his roles and has starred in projects like American Crime Story, The Cleaning Lady, and The Social Dilemma. With an inspirational optimism about life and a seemingly inexhaustible passion for his craft, Jason is truly one-of-a-kind with much more in store. He truly embodies what it means to be successful, witty, and energetic all while maintaining a high level of artistry in every project he pursues.
Connect with Jason:
Instagram @thatpotterdude
IMDB: imdb.me/jasonpotter