Okay, this is getting utterly ridiculous. The Hollywood actors are trying to strengthen their position months into their strike as they’ve made efforts to get strikes going up against the major video game companies.
Are these people really this out of touch.
Despite making zero progress with their strikes after months of being out of jobs, the Hollywood actors are now pushing for strikes to be formed against the major video game companies in a bid to further shutdown the entire entertainment industry for their own benefit. And, to be honest with you, this reeks of desperation and unbridled greed.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do think that the actors and the SAG-AFTRA members on strike do have valid points and grievances, such as A.I. concerns and low pay for the minor players in the acting business (such as extras, background actors, etc.), against the major Hollywood studios and I don’t want to come off as this unthinking, pro-studio talking head.
Moreover, I also believe that these actors have a point when they claim the Hollywood studios are wrongfully hiding their streaming service revenue and viewership statistics, and they should release them to ensure the actors are not being screwed over contractually. That’s not where I have an issue with the strikes and their overall goals.
I have a major issue with these strikes trying to destroy all of the entertainment industry in order to get all of their demands met, even though large swabs of the industry have no real impact or relation to these acting strikes. And that’s exactly what’s happening with SAG going after the video game industry.
For those who don’t know the specifics behind what I’m talking about, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher has come out and said that the video game companies have not been “meeting the needs” of the SAG-AFTRA members involved in video games and that they have voted on authorizing a strike against the companies. Jesus, how many times do these people want to go on strike?
In the video, Drescher mentioned that video game companies are not paying the actors fair wages to keep up with inflation, the company was using A.I.-generated performances to replace actors and would use actor’s voices to “train A.I. systems to replace acting jobs”. And, apart from that final demand, which is valid, the other two reasons to strike are completely stupid and shows how out of touch these people really are since they’ve gone on full-blown strike.
(Ubisoft-Far Cry 6-World Premiere Trailer)
Perhaps I’m missing something about their “A.I.-generated performances” claim, but how the hell do these people think video game companies are going to create human-like motions in the future? They’re probably going to mention motion-capture or something like that, yet those performances are not one-for-one adaptations onto our screens when we play the games. They still need human and computer precision and detailing to ensure the motions are fluid, swift, and fit within the character models.
And, as far as I’m aware, that would be where A.I. would come in as it would help sort out any issue or mistake a human crafter might make, while also supporting the existing performance-capturing software that does a good 50% of the work anyway. Unless I’m missing something about these demands, it just seems like Fran Drescher, her writers on this video, and any member who voted for this authorization is completely out-of-touch with how video games are made.
Moving on to the wage increase demand, the current SAG-AFTRA position is they want a full 11% increase on their existing base salaries (for all levels) for the first year of the agreement, and then 4% increases on the base salaries for the second and third years of the agreement. Now, a 4% rise really isn’t that massive, and neither is an 11% increase (if you are making $50k now, your salary would be increased to $55k), but I have an issue with how they’re positioning this demand.
At the end of the day, these people just want to get paid more (which is their right) and are on strike for it, yet their using inflation as if it’s some solely oppressive force upon the acting guild that has made their impoverished lives unbearable to live without a pay rise. Can you see how silly this is?
I’m sorry, but everyone has been affected by inflation and low wages these last few years, and to make this strike into something more noble and holier-than-thou than a simple demand in pay is really comical and stupid in my humble opinion.
I’m all for these people getting paid as much as they can agree to with the studios, but I don’t want to hear how inflation, which is “only” (I know how silly this sounds compared to inflation rates just 5 years ago) averaging around 4.5% this year compared to last year’s INSANE 8%, is the only boogeyman hurting the acting guild that the studios don’t want to protect them from.
Maybe the poor quality of Hollywood movies, shows, and writing in the recent years is also a reason why these studios are refusing to pay you more money?
Nevertheless, I really have the biggest issue with how these acting strikes are now going after each and every single industry in entertainment, shut them down with never-ending, stubborn strikes, and then call for the common person’s support when they’re one of the reasons why you can’t watch your favorite show, movie, and now play a game from your favorite franchise.
Do they not realize that they are threatening to destroy the entire entertainment industry with the rise of social media and video creation platforms already overtaking traditional cinema, while the video game industry was one of the only thriving industries where SAG-AFTRA members still have solid sway in?
I’m not saying they should just accept being screwed out of thousands of dollars, but they have to be a little more reasonable and amiable with their demands to ensure they don’t lose every single acting job.
Images Source: Featured Image: (CD Projeckt Red) (Cyberpunk 2077 — Official E3 2019 Cinematic Trailer – YouTube)
In Text Image 1: (Ubisoft) (Far Cry 6: World Premiere Trailer | Ubisoft Forward – YouTube)
In Text Image 2: (Microsoft/Bethesda Softworks) (Skyrim Live Action Trailer – YouTube)
