mavsfan4ever said:
Can someone give a quick/shirt summary of what the actors are asking for? I'm assuming more money, but why do they think they are entitled to more money if the market doesn't dictate paying them more? I read the tweet or lost saying that big tech has made the writing rooms smaller, etc but why should they have to keep writing rooms at a certain size if they can put out good content with fewer writers?
Not trying to be argumentative, just asking genuine questions. I've read the last couple pages of this thread but honestly don't know much at all about the positions of either side in the strike/negotiations.
I found this on Reddit which was helpful
Hey there, I saw a lot of people asking similar questions in other threads, so copied my original comment explaining the various players' demands:
The main sticking points for actors (SAG-AFTRA):
- residuals for streaming based on viewership
- AI regulations (as well as not using it to recreate an actor's likeness after the fact)
- regulations against/addressing self tapes. They want auditions to be in person again (this is actually a major point that most people outside of the industry aren't talking about)
Main sticking points for writers (WGA):
- residuals for streaming based on viewership (overlap w/ SAG)
- AI regulations. No AI in the script writing process (some overlap w/ SAG. Same overall issue, but different specifics, meaning different language in each contract)
- "Preserving the writers room". That's how it was written in the WGA pattern of demands and this might actually be the biggest sticking point for the WGA. The two major parts are:
1) breaking up mini-rooms that stop new writers from breaking in and seasoned writers from moving up
2) lengthening the contract length to ensure that screenwriting does not continue down the path to a gig economy
What the studios want (AMPTP):
- obviously, none of the above
- for the tech companies, and likely the biggest sticking point in all, is the residuals on viewership. This would require them to release their viewership numbers which they have vehemently refused to do, likely because it gives some insight into a not as successful business model as their other metrics have suggested
- regarding AI: they do not want this off the table in perpetuity. They see the opportunity to cut out labor and desperately want to protect the chance to do so
