Hollywood actors ratified a new three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on November 9, 2023, ending a historic 118-day strike. The deal includes a number of significant gains for the union, including:
- Increased compensation for streaming shows and films: SAG-AFTRA members will now receive higher residuals for their work on streaming platforms, which have become increasingly popular in recent years.
- Better health care funding: The AMPTP has agreed to increase its contributions to the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan, which will help to ensure that members have access to affordable, quality health care.
- Concessions from studios on self-taped auditions: Studios have agreed to limit the use of self-taped auditions and to provide more notice to actors when they are required.
- Guarantees that studios will not use artificial intelligence to create digital replicas of actors’ likenesses without payment or approval: This is a major victory for actors, who have been concerned about the potential for studios to use AI to create deepfakes of their performances without their consent.
In addition to these gains, SAG-AFTRA members also avoided any losses in terms of wages or benefits. The new contract maintains all of the union’s existing protections for actors, including its minimum pay scales and working conditions.
For the media companies, the new contract means that they can finally resume production of their TV shows and movies. The strike has had a significant impact on the entertainment industry, with many projects being delayed or canceled altogether. The companies are now hoping to get back to work and to release their new content as soon as possible.
What happens next?
SAG-AFTRA members will now begin returning to work on their TV shows and movies. The union has said that it expects production to resume within the next few weeks.
The new contract will also have a number of other implications for the entertainment industry. For example, the increased compensation for streaming shows and films is likely to lead to higher budgets for these projects. Additionally, the new protections against the use of AI to create digital replicas of actors’ likenesses are likely to have a significant impact on the way that studios produce their content.
Overall, the SAG-AFTRA strike was a success for the union. SAG-AFTRA members were able to achieve a number of significant gains, while avoiding any losses in terms of wages or benefits. The new contract is likely to have a positive impact on the entertainment industry as a whole, as it will lead to higher budgets for streaming shows and films, and to more protections for actors.
For more great national news stories click here.
RELATED:
