This has been the summer of strikes. Although the Directors Guild of America met an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the Writers Guild of America still holds strong at the picket lines, even ten weeks in.
SAG-AFTRA has been in deep negotiations over the last month, and things are looking dicey. After SAG-AFTRA extended their negotiations with the AMPTP till July 12th, things have been fairly silent... that is until today.
'The Bear'Credit: FX
Read SAG-AFTRA Strike Rules
On July 10th, the Wrap reported that the actors union has notified publicists of what is expected if a strike is to be called on Wednesday night. If a strike is called on, then many of Hollywood's publicists and clients who are in the guild will be affected in a multitude of ways. However, any of the remaining Hollywood productions will feel the brunt of the force as they have no choice but to shut down during the strike.
Included in SAG-AFTRA's strike rules, union actors are to step away from all film and television productions worldwide, actors will not be permitted to take part in any promotional work (this includes press junkets, film premieres, and fan events like San Diego Comic-Con as a part of panels that promote a specific film, television show, or current or future work. While attendance at these fan events is allowed, the union strongly recommends that actors skip the events in solidarity with the strike.
The Wrap has also reported that sources say that SAG-AFTRA has told publicists to cancel any press or acting work after a strike is ordered and request that no work is promoted on social media.
Obviously, this means that many of the big films and movies that are coming out in July and August, such as Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Sandman Season 2, will have to cease their press junkets or film before the strike begins, placing a disclaimer on any pre-deadline junkets that they were recorded beforehand. The union stated that they will be reaching out to those who are possibly breaching these rules.
'Oppenheimer'Credit: Universal Pictures
What Does This All Mean for Indie Filmmakers?
Well, SAG-AFTRA might be giving indie productions an exception. If you have a truly independent production, which means that there are no studios and streamers that are members of the AMPTP attached as producers or distributors, then you may qualify to still work with union actors.
However, these matters should be discussed with a SAG-AFTRA leader just to make sure that no one is scabbing.
Similar to the WGA, SAG-AFTRA is negotiating for streaming residuals based on viewership data, something that streamers have kept confidential from creators, and are fighting to prevent AI from replicating their likeness in any way. There is a lot more to SAG-AFTRA's fight that we've covered in the past, which you can read here.
We will keep our eyes and ears open for any news on Wednesday night and will update you as the story unfolds.
Source: The Wrap
