For those of you who have yet to keep up in the world of entertainment news, The WGA (Writers Guild of America) has been on Strike since this past May, joined by SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television & Radio Artists), earlier this month (July). This marks the first time both unions have been on Strike simultaneously since the 1960s and raises some awareness of what's happening in modern Hollywood. Despite what some folks would like us to believe, Tinsel Town lost its shine long ago, hasn't tried to polish or fix the problem causing it, and is now paying the price for its negligence. Let me explain what I mean.
Why go on Strike?
Many companies have had workers go on Strike for unfair wages, toxic work environments, etc. Always to gain a better quality of life from their work. In the case of why two of the most prominent artistic unions have chosen to Strike, it's not all that different. In both cases, writers & actors suffer from the greedy actions of studio executives and the apathetic approach toward the entertainment industry's myriad changes. Not to mention the rise of brand new technology that, while potentially helpful within the arts under proper circumstances, threatens a hostile takeover of the human condition metaphorically and literally, but we'll get to that later.
The most important thing to note is that most writers and actors within their respective unions are not famous celebrity millionaires; they just happen to work for them.
Loss of Residuals
Residuals are royalty payments regularly made out to creators for the continued use of their content. For example, if you wrote or starred in a hit T.V. show, you would receive a residual payment whenever that episode was used. Before streaming services came along, television shows were often sold to other networks after their initial run from their home network, often appearing on the channels in reruns and the like. There are also residual payments from selling physical copies of your creation. For the most part, this was a decent, guaranteed way to continue making money from your art.
However, with the rise of streaming services, not to mention the near lack of sales with physical media, residuals are significantly more challenging. Streaming services don't need to pay that much for the use of classic television shows. As such, many writers who received regular residual payments for their past work saw a noticeable payment dip. One writer reportedly went from receiving $12,000 a year in residuals to $26 a year. For an average writer trying to make a decent living in the entertainment industry, that's a big problem.
The Rise of A.I.
Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is the issue that threatens writers and actors alike. While we may not yet be concerned with the potential robot apocalypse, á La The Terminator, we should be concerned with the potential removal of humanity in the arts, á La S1m0ne. Even though A.I. isn't really all that intelligent (yet), as it's nothing more than crappy digital guesswork based on tons of external information, it still poses a significant threat to the human condition.
For one, Studios are incredibly attracted to the idea of feeding basic storytelling principles into a computer, allowing the A.I. to draft a script based on the intel, and only paying a human writer for quick & basic editing, despite how likely it is that the script in question will have no creative human voice or, for want of a better word, soul.
Actors face a similar threat. With A.I., studios can scan an actor's likeness for regular reuse in multiple projects without the actor's consent nor with any form of compensation outside of the upfront payment for the time spent getting scanned into the computer.
This is all nothing more than a massive example of what I call Filmmaking by Corporate Accountants: removing as much humanity from the artistic business as possible for no reason other than making as much money as possible for the executives and shareholders. Speaking of which...
Apathy from the Higher-Ups
Not too long ago, the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, commented on the Strike. He claims that because studios are regularly losing money with massive flops at the box office, not to mention how expensive it is to make movies these days (apparently), the demands for better situations for the writers and actors are "impractical and unaffordable." Says the man who delivered this statement from a luxury resort reserved for multi-millionaires requiring a private jet for arrival after making millions of dollars for doing nothing!
Furthermore, the only response from most of the other higher-ups at the studios is to starve them out. Wait for when they get evicted from their homes and can't afford food & water anymore before allowing anyone back to the negotiating table. No doubt likely inspired by the piece of vile crap masquerading as business literature titled "The Art of the Deal."
What is the Solution?
While many things can be done to assist and resolve the problems that caused the Strike, the one solution is also the most obvious: spend less money on your movies!
Consider the massive flop released last month, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. While I have yet to see it (and likely won't), I am still waiting to hear something that would make it sound worthy of my time. Even so, I cannot comment on the movie itself, but I can talk about it as an example of the failing Hollywood system.
Setting aside the usual issue of being a product of desperate brand recognition, its most significant issue is its three-hundred million dollar budget. For a summer blockbuster, that seems excessive (and it is) but also justifiable (at least perceivably) when considering the cost of the special effects & the high-profile talent involved.
However, despite that, most of the movie's budget went into marketing: posters, trailers, T.V. ads, toy deals, etc. This may be essential when producing a movie as you want to ensure people know about it and are excited to see it. However, spending more money to advertise the movie than it must have cost to make it in the first place is unnecessary.
The Creator
Later this September, director Gareth Edwards, previously known for Monsters and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, will release his science fiction epic, The Creator. This movie features high-profile talent, tons of CGI special effects, and a classic story of a man helping a child. All were produced on a budget of eighty-six million dollars, with a seemingly minor budget spent on marketing.
However this movie will turn out (I'm hoping it's good), it is at least proof of the value of wise spending when producing a movie. From the trailers alone, the film looks incredible and promises a profound parable. If nothing else, it renders the remarks of Bob Iger and his would-be possie of studio executives incredibly moot.
Conclusion
The WGA and SAG-AFTRA are well within their rights to demand better from their bosses and prevent the loss of humanity from the arts. Hollywood has found itself trapped in this corner for many reasons, all pointing back to its negligence and refusal to reevaluate its relevance. Significant changes must be made if Hollywood expects to survive in the modern world! And if the powers-that-be continue to ignore the folly of their present and apathetic actions, power to the Strike until they wake up! Otherwise, their demise is much closer than they want to believe.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
Power to the People!
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