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SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors, has officially joined screenwriters in a strike against film and television companies, sparking the entertainment industry’s first double shutdown in 63 years.
Once the strike — which will begin at midnight Thursday, with picketing beginning Friday morning — begins, the tens of thousands of film and television actors at SAG must stop all work covered by their union contract.
Film and television production will be halted, but the work stoppage has repercussions that extend beyond the actors who will be filming. According to the guidelines, SAG-AFTRA members will not be able to attend premieres, give interviews about completed work, go to awards shows, attend film festivals or even promote projects on social media while the strike is in effect. They are also not allowed to attend conventions like Comic-Con or 90s Con to promote past or present works made under a SAG-AFTRA contract.
“We are the victim of a very greedy enterprise,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said during Thursday’s press conference. “At some point you have to say, ‘No, we’re not going to put up with this anymore.’
SAG-AFTRA is fighting for higher wages, increased back pay and protections around the use of artificial intelligence. The Writers Guild of America is already on strike, marking only the second time in Hollywood history that actors and writers have gone on strike at the same time. The WGA, which has been on strike since May 2, has since relaxed some of its press rules for members.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, said it presented a deal that offers “historic wage and residual increases, a groundbreaking artificial intelligence proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses for SAG-AFTR members,” and more others.
“The strike is certainly not the outcome we were hoping for as the studios cannot operate without the artists who bring our TV shows and films to life,” AMPTP said in a statement after the strike was confirmed. “The union has unfortunately chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry.”
In response to AMPTP’s statement, SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said at the news conference: “If you think this is a historic proposal, think again.”
Read the note with the full list of everything that members they are not allowed during the strike, below:
Except as set forth in the Notice to Members Regarding Unsettled Work, all covered services and performance work under television/theatrical contracts must be withheld, including but not limited to:
●Director of Operations such as:
○ Acting
○ Singing
○ Dance
○ Performing stunts
○ Piloting an airplane with a camera
○ Puppetry
○ Performance capture or motion capture work;
● Basic off-camera work such as:
○ ADR/Looping
○ TV trailers (promotions) and theatrical trailers
○ Voice acting
○ Singing
○ Narrative, including audio description services, unless the services may be covered by another collective agreement specified in the Notice to
Articles regarding work without a blow
○ Coordination of stunts and related services
● Background work
● Permanent job
● Photograph and/or duplicates of the body
● Fitting, wardrobe tests and make-up tests
● Rehearsals and camera tests
● Scan
● Interviews and auditions (including by self-recording)
● Promotion of/public services for TV/theatre contract work such as:
○ Tours
○ Personal appearances
○ Interviews
○ Conventions
○ Fan exposures
○ Festivals
○ For your attention events
○ Panels
○ Premieres/screenings
○ Rewarding
○ Junkies
○ Podcast appearances
○ Social media
○ Studio showcases
● Negotiating and/or concluding and/or agreeing to:
○ Agreement to perform covered services in the future
○ Any new merchandising agreement related to a Covered Project
○ Creating and using digital replicas, including by reusing previous work
● Performance of a trailer for a hit production or other ancillary content related to a hit production