Writers picket in front of Netflix on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, May 2, 2023, as the Writers Guild of America goes on strike.
Frederick Brown | AFP | Getty Images
Hollywood producers have reached tentative deals with film and TV directors, but that doesn’t mean we should expect a sudden resolution to the writers’ strike or talks with the actors’ union.
On Sunday, the Directors Guild of America and the Union of Motion Picture and Television Producers provisionally agreed on a three-year contract that would provide the 19,000-member union with pay and benefits benefits, increase global streaming residuals and prevent the use of artificial intelligent.
The DGA contract expires on June 30. The guild will submit proposals to its members on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America is entering its second month of strike. Likewise, the Screen Actors Guild of America and the United Television and Radio Artists of America are on the verge of authorizing a possible strike if negotiations fail. Those talks began on Wednesday.
The WGA has been on strike since May 2, shutting down dozens of TV and film productions as talks with producers stalled.
already Netflix Production on the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” has been delayed, Warner Bros. ‘ found ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Night over the Hedges’ closes writers’ room disney Marvel’s Charlie’s Angels and Blade have been discontinued.
During the last 100-day writers’ strike in 2007 and 2008, the studio’s deal with the DGA brought writers back to the negotiating table. However, that may not be the case this time.
“We congratulate the DGA negotiating committee on the agreement, which they recommend to their national committees for approval, which may then be sent to their members for approval,” the WGA negotiating committee wrote in a memo to members on Sunday.
The committee said it would not comment on the deal points of the new DGA contract, noting that its negotiating position remained unchanged.
“Last week we sent an email explaining how AMPTP’s divide and conquer strategy will not work this time,” the memo read. “AMPTP will not be able to strike a deal with anyone but us for writers.”
The committee also said it stood with SAG-AFTRA as it completed its strike authorization vote on Monday.
Representatives for SAG-AFTRA did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
The WGA memo echoed comments made by WGA negotiator Chris Keyser on Friday when he Public update provided a month after strike via YouTube.
“Any deal that puts this town back to work goes straight through the WGA, and there’s no way around it,” he said.
Keyser also said the WGA strike had “inflicted pain on the company very effectively”, noting that the suspension of work, combined with public picketing, showed the guild’s determination to get “the contracts we deserve”.
AI battle
In the DGA’s agreement, the directors ensured a salary increase starting at 5% for the first year, increasing the residual for streaming, and guaranteeing that artificial intelligence cannot replace the duties performed by members.
Artificial intelligence has been a major focus of the Writers and Actors Guild, who say their work is particularly vulnerable to the new technology.
In addition to increasing compensation for streaming content, both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are seeking protections against the use of artificial intelligence in negotiations. The WGA is also seeking minimum staff levels and more competitive minimum job pay for television writers’ rooms.
The WGA is less worried about being replaced by artificial intelligence systems and more concerned that production companies will use these technological tools to reduce the wages of screenwriters.
SAG-AFTRA acknowledges that AI technology can be used to its advantage in the industry, but it wants to ensure that any use of AI to replicate actors or create new performances is done with the actor’s consent and payment. The Guild has similar guardrails when it comes to computer-generated image capture.
Some performers, such as James Earl Jones, have agreed to have their voices cloned for use after their death. Jones, 91, who voiced Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise, is trying to quit the role. Jones was compensated, and the technology was used to bring Vader’s iconic voice to Disney+’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
The Screen Actors Union has also bluntly stated that the negotiations are for the benefit of all members, not just big stars. Health insurance, compensation and residuals are top concerns for tens of thousands of workers.
The SAG-AFTRA vote on the strike authorization will close Monday at 8:00 pm ET.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal is a member of the Motion Picture and Television Producers Union.