Talks to end Hollywood actors' strike suspended
AFP
Thu, October 12, 2023
The studios said talks had ground to a halt and would be temporarily suspended (VALERIE MACON)
Talks between Hollywood actors and studios over an ongoing strike were suspended Wednesday, both parties said, in a blow to hopes for a swift end to a crisis that has crippled the entertainment industry.
Heads of studios such as Disney and Netflix had been meeting regularly since last week with negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), whose members walked off film and TV sets in July.
In a statement late Wednesday, the studios said talks would be temporarily suspended, with SAG-AFTRA later accusing them of using "bully tactics" and "putting out misleading information" about the negotiations.
"After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction," said the studios, who are represented by the the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Last month, the AMPTP struck a deal with Hollywood writers, ending that union's own lengthy and largely concurrent strike.
Given that deal, and overlaps between SAG-AFTRA's demands and those of the writers, optimism had been growing that a deal with the actors could also be struck soon.
That hope has now dimmed, with SAG-AFTRA on early Thursday accusing the studios of not making realistic offers and misrepresenting proposals made during negotiations.
"We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began," the union said in a statement.
"The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the (writers' union) –- putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators."
Even with writers now back to work, most film and TV production cannot restart until the demands of SAG-AFTRA are resolved, costing the entertainment industry and its workers millions of dollars each day.
- 'Economic burden' -
In Wednesday's statement, the AMPTP accused actors of making excessive demands, including for a share of revenues from hit streaming shows that "by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year."
Studios described that as an "untenable economic burden," but SAG-AFTRA said the AMPTP "intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the proposal," inflating its cost by 60 percent.
"We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57c per subscriber each year. They have rejected our proposals and refused to counter," the union said in a statement.
The studios also accused SAG-AFTRA of rejecting parallel wage increases that had been accepted by the writers' and directors' unions earlier this year.
"We hope that SAG-AFTRA will reconsider and return to productive negotiations soon," said the studios.
The actors' union said it was "ready to negotiate today, tomorrow, and every day."
Like the writers, actors have called for improved pay, greater transparency over profits from hit streaming shows, and protections against the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
SAG-AFTRA pay demands go further than those of the writers.
Their concerns about the threat posed to them by AI also arguably run deeper.
Actors fear that the technology could be used to clone their voices and likenesses, and reuse them in perpetuity without compensation or consent.
SAG-AFTRA said the studios' proposal regarding AI was "continuing to demand 'consent' on the first day of employment for use of a performer's digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project)."
Some film and TV productions involving smaller Hollywood studios have already resumed, thanks to temporary waivers known as "interim agreements."
The actors' union said its overall strike would continue.
"We have sacrificed too much to capitulate to their stonewalling and greed," SAG-AFTRA said.
bur-amz-aha/mca
Thu, October 12, 2023
The studios said talks had ground to a halt and would be temporarily suspended (VALERIE MACON)
Talks between Hollywood actors and studios over an ongoing strike were suspended Wednesday, both parties said, in a blow to hopes for a swift end to a crisis that has crippled the entertainment industry.
Heads of studios such as Disney and Netflix had been meeting regularly since last week with negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), whose members walked off film and TV sets in July.
In a statement late Wednesday, the studios said talks would be temporarily suspended, with SAG-AFTRA later accusing them of using "bully tactics" and "putting out misleading information" about the negotiations.
"After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction," said the studios, who are represented by the the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Last month, the AMPTP struck a deal with Hollywood writers, ending that union's own lengthy and largely concurrent strike.
Given that deal, and overlaps between SAG-AFTRA's demands and those of the writers, optimism had been growing that a deal with the actors could also be struck soon.
That hope has now dimmed, with SAG-AFTRA on early Thursday accusing the studios of not making realistic offers and misrepresenting proposals made during negotiations.
"We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began," the union said in a statement.
"The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the (writers' union) –- putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators."
Even with writers now back to work, most film and TV production cannot restart until the demands of SAG-AFTRA are resolved, costing the entertainment industry and its workers millions of dollars each day.
- 'Economic burden' -
In Wednesday's statement, the AMPTP accused actors of making excessive demands, including for a share of revenues from hit streaming shows that "by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year."
Studios described that as an "untenable economic burden," but SAG-AFTRA said the AMPTP "intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the proposal," inflating its cost by 60 percent.
"We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57c per subscriber each year. They have rejected our proposals and refused to counter," the union said in a statement.
The studios also accused SAG-AFTRA of rejecting parallel wage increases that had been accepted by the writers' and directors' unions earlier this year.
"We hope that SAG-AFTRA will reconsider and return to productive negotiations soon," said the studios.
The actors' union said it was "ready to negotiate today, tomorrow, and every day."
Like the writers, actors have called for improved pay, greater transparency over profits from hit streaming shows, and protections against the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
SAG-AFTRA pay demands go further than those of the writers.
Their concerns about the threat posed to them by AI also arguably run deeper.
Actors fear that the technology could be used to clone their voices and likenesses, and reuse them in perpetuity without compensation or consent.
SAG-AFTRA said the studios' proposal regarding AI was "continuing to demand 'consent' on the first day of employment for use of a performer's digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project)."
Some film and TV productions involving smaller Hollywood studios have already resumed, thanks to temporary waivers known as "interim agreements."
The actors' union said its overall strike would continue.
"We have sacrificed too much to capitulate to their stonewalling and greed," SAG-AFTRA said.
bur-amz-aha/mca
Negotiations suspended between Hollywood studios and actors’ union
Rob McLean, CNN
Thu, October 12, 2023
Apu Gomes/Getty Images
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said late Wednesday that negotiations with SAG-AFTRA — the union representing about 160,000 actors — have been suspended.
“After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction,” the AMPTP said in a statement.
The suspension came after the actors’ union presented its latest proposal to the AMPTP, according to the statement.
CNN has reached out to SAG-AFTRA for comment.
AMPTP said the union’s latest offer “included what it characterized as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year — which would create an untenable economic burden. SAG-AFTRA presented few, if any, moves on the numerous remaining open items.”
In this round of negotiations, AMPTP said it had made a list of offers to the union that included a “first-of-its-kind success-based residual for High-Budget SVOD productions” and several AI protections.
SVOD refers to subscription video on demand, which are streaming services that include Neflix and Amazon Prime Video.
SAG-AFTRA has been on strike since July 14, joining the fray a little more than two months after the writers’ strike began.
The writers’ strike ended in late September, and members of the Writers Guild of America ratified a new contract with Hollywood and television studios on October 9.
SAG-AFTRA Accuse Studios Of “Bully Tactics” & Misrepresentation Over Revenue Sharing Proposal Costs As Negotiations Crater
Dominic Patten
Thu, October 12, 2023
The latest round of talks between the studios and SAG-AFTRA on ending the actors’ now 92-day strike collapsed tonight. As the fallout and blame game begins, the Fran Drescher-led guild is accusing the AMPTP of using “bully tactics” and “the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA” to cripple the deliberations.
“We feel the pain these companies have inflicted on our members, our strike captains, IATSE, Teamsters and Basic Crafts union members, and everyone in this industry,” SAG-AFTRA said in the early hours of Thursday after the studios earlier slammed them for costly demands and abandoning “productive negotiations” after less than two weeks of renewed negotiations.
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SAG-AFTRA & Studio Talks "Much Rockier Than Usual" Today; Pause "Likely" In Negotiations
DGA Touts "Extraordinary" AMPTP Contract In Email But Not All Members Agree, Calling It "Damage Control"
“We have sacrificed too much to capitulate to their stonewalling and greed. We stand united and ready to negotiate today, tomorrow, and every day,” the Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland led TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee declared.
Read SAG-AFTRA’s full statement below
Since the restarting of deliberations between the parties on October 2, after the WGA made a tentative deal with the studios on September 24 and ended their nearly 150-day strike several days later, SAG-AFTRA have been hunkered down bargaining with the CEO Gang of Four and AMPTP boss Carol Lombardini
As they had been for much of the final push last month for a deal with the writers and previous talks with the actors, Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley and Disney’s Bob Iger were all present today at SAG-AFTRA’s Wilshire Blvd HQ for a longer than usual session, the second this week. Cited as “much rockier than usual,” by one industry source, the meeting and the talks overall were suspended after the two sides could not find a way to mutually cut the Gordian knot of SAG-AFTRA’s revenue sharing proposal as well as the issue of AI.
That effort may have always doomed to be in vain as the revenue sharing notion was rejected from the get-go by the AMPTP when the parties first started bargaining over a new contract earlier this summer. Surprisingly shocking the studios in many ways, SAG-AFTRA went out on strike on July 14. They joined the writers, who went out on their first strike since 2008 on May 2, for the two guilds’ first mutual labor action since 1960 — when Ronald Regan was head of the actors’ union.
Reignited after around 100 days of silence, discussions between the WGA and the AMPTP in mid-August soon stumbled. Like Wednesday with SAG-AFTRA, the studios tried to cut down the writers guild leadership and go around them to members directly by making public their most recent offer. The flex failed and the WGA and AMPTP didn’t speak again for over a month — a month of hardship for the vast majority of strikers and the individuals whose businesses or services are vendors to the entertainment industry in LA County and elsewhere.
Channelling the late anti-union Great Communicator to some extent here, SAG-AFTRA made a particular point this morning of countering the studios estimation that the actors guild’s long suggested profit split proposal would cost “more than $800 million per year” or $2.4 billion over the range of a new three-year contact. “We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57¢ per subscriber each year,” the guild asserted in an email to its 160,00-strong membership Thursday. “They have rejected our proposals and refused to counter.
“Instead they use bully tactics,” the guild added in what has become a familar accusation against the heavy handed AMPTP over the years. “Just tonight, they intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the above proposal – overstating it by 60%. They have done the same with A.I., claiming to protect performer consent, but continuing to demand ‘consent’ on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).”
Contributing further to the appearance of a disingenuous stance by the studios, NBCU’s Langley told the Bloomberg Screentime conference late Thursday “we’ve been spending time with the actors and we want to spend as much time as it takes to reach a resolution and get back to work.”
Langley had just come from the contract talks, which had already been suspended. Officially neither the AMPTP nor SAg-AFTRA said anything about the state of the talks until Langley had left the stage at the conference and was on her way out the door.
Even before the cratering of the renewed talks yesterday evening, SAG-AFTRA had picket lines planned for studio lots and offices across LA and NYC. Now, with supporters surely out in strength, that is where the action is going to shift once again – at least for a while.
Read SAG-AFTRA’s full statement to members here:
It is with profound disappointment that we report the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter our latest offer. We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began.
These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI, they refuse to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work generates for them. We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57¢ per subscriber each year. They have rejected our proposals and refused to counter.
Instead they use bully tactics. Just tonight, they intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the above proposal – overstating it by 60%. They have done the same with A.I., claiming to protect performer consent, but continuing to demand “consent” on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).
The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA – putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators. But, just like the writers, our members are smarter than that and will not be fooled.
We feel the pain these companies have inflicted on our members, our strike captains, IATSE, Teamsters and Basic Crafts union members, and everyone in this industry. We have sacrificed too much to capitulate to their stonewalling and greed. We stand united and ready to negotiate today, tomorrow, and every day.
Our resolve is unwavering. Join us on picket lines and at solidarity events around the country and let your voices be heard.
One day longer. One day stronger. As long as it takes.
Your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee.
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Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and studios are suspended
Phil Helsel and Valeriya Antonshchuk
Thu, October 12, 2023
LOS ANGELES — Negotiations between the studios and the union representing thousands of actors on strike in Hollywood have been suspended, a trade association for the studios said late Wednesday.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said in a statement that the gap between it and the union known as SAG-AFTRA "is too great."
"Conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction," the alliance, known as AMPTP, said. (The trade association represents NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)
SAG-AFTRA, which stands for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has been on strike since July 14.
It went on strike weeks after writers did so, on May 2. The Writers Guild of America strike ended almost five months later, on Sept. 27. Members of that union ratified its agreement this week.
The actors union and the AMPTP said in late September that they were resuming negotiations.
The trade association for studios singled out a viewership bonus that it said was sought by SAG-AFTRA and which the studios say “would create an untenable economic burden.” It said the measure could cost $800 million a year.
The actors union did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday.
SAG-AFTRA says it needs “a modern contract that addresses modern issues” and wants pay raises, protections surrounding use of artificial intelligence and greater participation in streaming revenue, which has eroded traditional residual payments.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Hollywood strikes: Negotiations between the studios and SAG-AFTRA have been suspended as the gap between them 'is too great'
Phil Helsel and Valeriya Antonshchuk
Thu, October 12, 2023
LOS ANGELES — Negotiations between the studios and the union representing thousands of actors on strike in Hollywood have been suspended, a trade association for the studios said late Wednesday.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said in a statement that the gap between it and the union known as SAG-AFTRA "is too great."
"Conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction," the alliance, known as AMPTP, said. (The trade association represents NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)
SAG-AFTRA, which stands for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has been on strike since July 14.
It went on strike weeks after writers did so, on May 2. The Writers Guild of America strike ended almost five months later, on Sept. 27. Members of that union ratified its agreement this week.
The actors union and the AMPTP said in late September that they were resuming negotiations.
The trade association for studios singled out a viewership bonus that it said was sought by SAG-AFTRA and which the studios say “would create an untenable economic burden.” It said the measure could cost $800 million a year.
The actors union did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday.
SAG-AFTRA says it needs “a modern contract that addresses modern issues” and wants pay raises, protections surrounding use of artificial intelligence and greater participation in streaming revenue, which has eroded traditional residual payments.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Hollywood strikes: Negotiations between the studios and SAG-AFTRA have been suspended as the gap between them 'is too great'
Huileng Tan
Thu, October 12, 2023
Hollywood strikes: Negotiations between the studios and SAG-AFTRA have been suspended as the gap between them 'is too great'
National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and SAG-AFTRA President US actress Fran Drescher join members of the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild as they walk a picket line outside of Netflix in Los Angeles, California, on July 14, 2023VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty ImagesMore
Negotiations between Hollywood studios and SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, have been suspended.
On Wednesday, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said the gap between the two sides is "too great."
Over 160,000 union members of SAG-AFTRA started striking on July 14.
Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA, the striking actors' union, and Hollywood studios have been suspended, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, or AMPTP, said Wednesday.
"After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction," the AMPTP said in a short statement.
Over 160,000 union members of SAG-AFTRA started striking on July 14, joining a writers' strike that began on May 2.
Demands from the two unions stemmed from issues brought about by the rise of streaming, including shorter TV seasons, as well as fewer and lower residual payments, Insider's Reed Alexander and Alison Brower reported in July.
The strikes hit Hollywood hard with late-night television shows going dark and production halted for almost all films and TV series, including high-profile shows like the fifth and final season of Netflix's "Stranger Things" and Marvel's "Blade."
The Writer's Guild of America came to a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios on September 24. The union voted to ratify the agreement on Monday.
The AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA did not immediately respond to requests from Insider for further comment.
CBS-Losangeles
Thu, October 12, 2023
After days worth of negotiation, talks between SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios have reportedly hit a snag, with one side reporting that "it is clear the gap between" the two is too great to continue at the time.
After days worth of negotiation, talks between SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios have reportedly hit a snag, with one side reporting that "it is clear the gap between" the two is too great to continue at the time.
Gene Maddaus
Wed, October 11, 2023
Talks between SAG-AFTRA and the major studios have broken down, as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said Wednesday that the gap between the sides is “too great.”
In a statement to members after midnight, the union accused the studios of engaging in “bully tactics,” and said that the studios had walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter the union’s latest offer.
More from Variety
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Actors on Picket Lines Express Optimism as SAG-AFTRA Negotiations Progress
The union expressed “profound disappointment” with the latest development, and urged members to show up at picket lines to express their solidarity.
The key stumbling block is a union proposal to share in streaming revenue, which the AMPTP says would cost $800 million a year. SAG-AFTRA said that figure was exaggerated by 60%, and that its proposal would cost the streaming platforms 57 cents per subscriber per year.
“We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began,” SAG-AFTRA told the membership. “These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI, they refuse to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work generates for them.”
SAG-AFTRA wants a share of streaming revenue for all union-covered shows — both made-for-streaming and films and TV shows licensed from other platforms — which would go well beyond the success-based bonus won by the Writers Guild of America.
“SAG-AFTRA’s current offer included what it characterized as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year – which would create an untenable economic burden,” the studio group said in a statement. “SAG-AFTRA presented few, if any, moves on the numerous remaining open items.”
In its email, however, the union said it had made a “big, meaningful” counters and had completely transformed the revenue share proposal. SAG-AFTRA accused the studios of putting out misleading information in an effort to weaken the resolve of the membership.
“The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA – putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators,” the union said. “But, just like the writers, our members are smarter than that and will not be fooled.”
SAG-AFTRA is also seeking an 11% increase in minimum rates to keep pace with inflation. The AMPTP is offering the same deal it gave the WGA and the Directors Guild of America — 5%, followed by increases of 4% and 3.5%.
The studios presented their latest offer on Wednesday. In the statement, the AMPTP said, “After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction.”
“We hope that SAG-AFTRA will reconsider and return to productive negotiations soon,” the AMPTP said.
The AMPTP also spelled out the details of its most recent offer, including increases in rates for guest stars, higher pension and health contribution caps, and agreement to most of the union’s demands on self-taped auditions.
The AMPTP also said it has agreed to require consent for the use of artificial intelligence, both for principal and background actors. The union has also sought to require union sign-off on any use of AI, as well as a prohibition on AI training.
SAG-AFTRA argued that the AMPTP statement was misleading on AI, and said that the studios are still demanding “‘consent’ on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).”
The studio group also released point-by-point details of its proposal to the WGA when talks with that guild broke down in mid-August. That move was widely seen as an effort to go around the leadership and speak directly to WGA members, in hopes that they would put pressure on the leaders to come to a deal. It took a month for the two sides to return to bargaining.
The actors strike is now in its 90th day, and is approaching the duration of the 1980 SAG strike, which lasted 95 days.
A group of CEOs — Disney’s Bob Iger, David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery, Donna Langley of NBCUniversal, and Ted Sarandos of Netflix — began meeting with the actors’ union for the first time last week. The group has been meeting with SAG-AFTRA negotiators at the union’s mid-Wilshire headquarters.
Langley appeared on Thursday evening at the Bloomberg Screentime conference, where she gave a brief update on the SAG-AFTRA talks. She gave no hint of the looming breakdown in talks.
“We’ve been spending time with the actors and we want to spend as much time as it takes until we can reach a resolution and get the industry back on its feet and back to work,” she said.
Meanwhile, the DGA sent a message to its members on Wednesday defending its own deal, which was reached in June. The DGA has faced renewed criticism for not taking a harder line in its negotiations, especially from writer-directors who feel the guild should have joined the WGA on the picket lines.
The DGA told members it is “extremely proud” of its agreement, which includes an increase in foreign residuals, a second cut for TV directors, and an extra shoot day for directors of one-hour shows on streaming and pay TV.
The WGA voted 99% in favor of ratifying its new agreement on Monday, officially ending one of the longest labor disputes in that guild’s history. The union won a bonus for writers of top-performing made-for-streaming shows, as well as minimum staffing levels in TV and a guaranteed rewrite for feature writers.
Chris Keyser, the co-chair of the WGA negotiating committee, released a video on Wednesday, in which he urged members to contribute to strike relief funds.
“The long tail of these two strikes will cause suffering for months to come,” Keyser said. “Let us bind up the wounds of this summer and put people back on their feet and this business back to work.”
SAG-AFTRA, studio negotiations break down. Gap 'too great,' AMPTP says
Meg James, Wendy Lee
Wed, October 11, 2023
SAG-AFTRA members take to the picket line outside Netflix in Los Angeles in July. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Talks between actors union SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios broke down Wednesday, with the entertainment companies saying negotiations on a new contract have been suspended. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the major studios in labor dealings, said the talks had been called off because the sides remained too divided.
"After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction," the studio alliance said in an emailed statement Wednesday night.
SAG-AFTRA, formally known as the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which represents 160,000 performers, has not commented.
Wednesday’s breakdown came amid rising tensions over a lack of compromise more than a week after the sides resumed talks in hopes of ending a three month-long actors' strike that has crippled Hollywood's production economy and publicity machine.
Earlier in the evening, sources familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment said talks had hit a snag over key issues including the guild's demand that cast members receive a share of the revenue generated by streaming shows.
Read more: What to know about the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike now that WGA has a deal
Company executives have rebuffed the union’s demands to share in streaming revenue, which would be in addition to existing residuals, at a time when legacy entertainment companies are still losing money on direct-to-consumer services as they try to transition away from the traditional pay-TV business.
SAG-AFTRA has long said it wants a 2% cut of streaming revenue. The company executives believe that’s not a realistic ask. The AMPTP said such a concession would cost the companies more than $800 million per year and "create an untenable economic burden."
Instead, the AMPTP said it had offered SAG-AFTRA "a first-of-its-kind success-based residual for "subscription-based streaming productions. The studio group, in its statement, also touted what it described as generous increases in minimums, foreign streaming residuals, pension and health contribution caps and relocation allowances.
The two sides are also struggling over how to reach common ground on the use of generative artificial intelligence, which actors say represents a threat to their livelihoods.
Read more: Why the war over streaming data is at the heart of Hollywood's strikes
Talks, which resumed Oct. 2, had gone slowly. Company executives — including Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and NBCUniversal Studio Group Chairman Donna Langley had been attending the every-other-day sessions. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher had also been at the forefront of the talks.
Langley declined to discuss the negotiations during a scheduled appearance Wednesday night at a Bloomberg News media conference.
"We've been spending time with the actors and we want to spend as much time as it takes until we reach a resolution and get the industry back on its feet and back to work," Langley said. "That's been our goal since Day 1."
Film and TV actors have been on strike since mid-July. The actors guild is seeking greater compensation and higher residuals, in addition to revenue sharing and greater protections against the use of artificial intelligence to replicate a performer’s image and voice.
SAG-AFTRA had proposed using a content valuation tool from third-party data research firm Parrot Analytics to determine the amount of revenue generated by streaming programs, and then studios would pay 2% of the revenue contribution for the program to actors.
But the AMPTP raised concerns about the proposal, voicing doubts about whether Parrot’s data showed a “demonstrable link to the actual revenue received by the service in the form of new or retained subscribers.”
Parrot bases its calculations on consumption through peer-to-peer services, social video, social media chatter and other metrics. A Parrot executive told The Times that the company believes its technology that captures that behavior is a good indicator of financial performance.
Read more: Screenwriters secured a new deal for AI. For actors, the fight could be even harder
The AMPTP has argued that the actors’ proposal in particular is seeking rewards in the event of success without any additional risk from the performers, whereas the studios are taking big financial swings on high-budget productions that may not make any money.
SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland told The Times earlier this year that he disagreed. “Actors put a lot more risk into these projects than the executives who sit back and collect huge bonuses when these projects are successful,” he said.
The roadblock comes after some people in the industry had hoped that SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP would reach a tentative agreement following the WGA members approving a new contract after striking for 148 days. The writers' strike ended late last month, shortly after the guild and the studios reached an agreement that included higher pay, AI protections and viewership-based bonus payments for streaming shows.
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Ari Emanuel, chief executive of the media agency Endeavor, expressed frustration at the slow pace of talks.
“It’s affecting a lot of people, and a lot of people are hurting,” Emanuel said at the Bloomberg Screentime conference. "You’re not winning an Oscar for this negotiation.
"You don’t have to solve every issue right now. You can do it best you can in the moment," Emanuel said.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Studios Suspend Talks With SAG-AFTRA; AMPTP Says Gap Between Sides ‘Is Too Great’
Brian Welk
Wed, October 11, 2023
UPDATED 3:32 AM ET with SAG-AFTRA Statement: The actors will remain on strike for now. Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have been suspended after over a week of what was previously thought to be civil, productive talks.
The AMPTP said in a statement late on October 11 that following the guild’s most recent proposal, the sides are too far apart.
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“After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction,” the AMPTP said in a statement. “SAG-AFTRA’s current offer included what it characterized as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year – which would create an untenable economic burden. SAG-AFTRA presented few, if any, moves on the numerous remaining open items.”
SAG-AFTRA in a response early in the morning on Oct. 12 claimed that the latest offer from the studios was worth less to members than what was offered previously back when talks first broke down in July and before the strike began. They claim the studios are misrepresenting the details of the proposal to the press and over-inflating the numbers offered, saying these are “bullying tactics” and the same “failed” methods used with WGA members to pressure or fool them.
“These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI, they refuse to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work generates for them. We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57¢ per subscriber each year. They have rejected our proposals and refused to counter,” the guild wrote. See the negotiating committee’s full statement below.
Both sides had met on five instances across the last eight workdays, and CEOs from the studios were also present in talks. Reports trickled out earlier in the day however that talks did not go as smoothly as before.
The AMPTP included a bulleted list of all of its latest proposals, which included a success-based residual for streaming projects (something the WGA also negotiated), “the highest percentage increase in minimums in 35 years,” guardrails on self-taped auditions, wage increases for stunt performers, and more.
On the issue of AI, the studios said they offered SAG-AFTRA “advance consent” for performers and background actors on creating and using digital replica, that a digital replica can’t be made without written consent as described for use in the film, that the AI double can’t be used again later unless specifically agreed to and is compensated, and “digital alteration” of an actor’s performance wouldn’t be permitted without consent.
The negotiating committee specifically pushed back on this point, saying that the studios’ definition of “consent” refers to an actor’s “first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).”
The studios said the proposals on more common issues were the ones offered to the DGA and WGA, but SAG-AFTRA rejected these. SAG-AFTRA initially demanded 11 percent wage increases in minimums, and both of the other sister guilds ultimately settled to just a 5 percent increase in the first year.
“We hope that SAG-AFTRA will reconsider and return to productive negotiations soon,” the studios’ statement concludes.
The actors got back into the room with the studios within days of the Writers Guild calling an end to its strike, one that lasted 148 days. Earlier this week on October 9, WGA members overwhelmingly ratified the deal its guild had negotiated, officially putting an end to the strike.
People around town were hopeful that a deal to end the actors strike could be within sight, with projections that productions could be up and running by early November and new scripted television returning by January. Any further delays threatens to delay the TV schedule and the theatrical slate for 2024 even beyond where it’s at now.
The suspension also comes just as the Directors Guild of America sent a letter to its members defending the deal it had negotiated back in early June. Though guild members ratified it, the guild tried to set the record straight on “news articles and social media posts misrepresenting the extraordinary gains we made,” with some members quietly griping that the deal is a poor one compared to what the writers went to the picket lines to demand.
Earlier on the 11th, NBCUniversal studio group chairman Donna Langley, who had been present in talks with both the WGA and with SAG-AFTRA, said at a previously scheduled conference that “we want to spend as much time as it takes until we can reach a resolution and get the industy back on its feet and back to work.”
Below, see the full list of proposals according to the AMPTP. This story will be updated once SAG-AFTRA issues a statement in response.
A first-of-its-kind success-based residual for High-Budget SVOD productions.
The highest percentage increase in minimums in 35 years, which would generate an additional $717 million in wages and $177 million in contributions to the Pension and Health Plans during the contract term.
A 58% increase in salaries for major role (guest star) performers wages on High Budget SVOD Programs.
A 76% increase in High Budget SVOD foreign residuals for the four largest streaming services.
Substantial increases in pension and health contribution caps, ranging from 22-33%, which will make it easier for performers to qualify for additional periods of health coverage and earn years of service toward a pension.
Meeting nearly all of the Union’s demands on casting, including guardrails around self-tapes, options for virtual and in-person auditions, and accommodations to performers with disabilities.
Compensation adjustments of 25% for singers who dance and dancers who sing on camera in the same session, whether in rehearsal or photography, representing a 30% increase over current wages.
Wage increases for stunt coordinators of 10% in the first year and outsized increases in years two and three, and giving television stunt coordinators fixed residuals for the first time ever.
Substantial improvements in relocation allowance – a 200% increase if the performer is on an overnight location for 6 months. The relocation allowance would now be payable for every season in which the performer is on an overnight location (versus a current limit of two to four seasons).
Substantial increases in Schedule F money breaks of between 11% and 41%. The 41% increase applies to one-hour television programs, which covers the largest number of productions done under the Agreement.
A 25% increase in span money breaks.
Covering performance capture work under the Agreement, which the Union has sought for 20 years.
On AI protections:
— Advance consent from the performer and background actor to create and use Digital Replicas;
— No Digital Replica of the performer can be used without the performer’s written consent and description of the intended use in the film;
— Prohibition of later use of that Replica, unless performer specifically consents to that new use and is paid for it; and,
— A “Digital Alteration” that would change the nature of an actor’s performance in a role is not permitted without informing the performer of the intended alteration and securing the performer’s consent.
Statement to SAG-AFTRA Membership
It is with profound disappointment that we report the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter our latest offer. We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began.
These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI, they refuse to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work generates for them. We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57¢ per subscriber each year. They have rejected our proposals and refused to counter.
Instead they use bully tactics. Just tonight, they intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the above proposal – overstating it by 60%. They have done the same with A.I., claiming to protect performer consent, but continuing to demand “consent” on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).
The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA – putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators. But, just like the writers, our members are smarter than that and will not be fooled.
We feel the pain these companies have inflicted on our members, our strike captains, IATSE, Teamsters and Basic Crafts union members, and everyone in this industry. We have sacrificed too much to capitulate to their stonewalling and greed. We stand united and ready to negotiate today, tomorrow, and every day.
Our resolve is unwavering. Join us on picket lines and at solidarity events around the country and let your voices be heard.
One day longer. One day stronger. As long as it takes.
Your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee.
Strike talks break off between Hollywood actors and studios
ANDREW DALTON
Wed, October 11, 2023
Writer Matthew Weiner carries a sign on the picket line outside Netflix on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Los Angeles. Hollywood's writers strike was declared over Tuesday night when board members from their union approved a contract agreement with studios, bringing the industry at least partly back from a historic halt in production. The actors strike continues in their bid to get better pay and working conditions.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Talks have broken off between Hollywood actors and studios, killing any hopes that the strike by performers was coming to an end after nearly three months, as the writers strike recently did.
The studios announced that they had suspended contract negotiations late Wednesday night, saying the gap between the two sides was too great to make continuing worth it.
On Oct. 2, for the first time since the strike began July 14, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists had resumed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, streaming services and production companies in strike talks.
When negotiations resumed with writers last month, their strike ended five days later, but similar progress was not made with the actors union.
The studios walked away from talks after seeing the actors' most recent proposal on Wednesday.
“It is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction,” the AMPTP said in a statement.
The SAG-AFTRA proposal would cost companies an additional $800 million a year and create “an untenable economic burden,” the statement said.
Representatives from the actors union did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Actors have been on strike over issues including increases in pay for streaming programming and control of the use of their images generated by artificial intelligence.
The AMPTP insisted its offers had been as generous as the deals that brought an end to the writers strike and brought a new contract to the directors guild earlier this year.
From the start, the actors talks had nothing like the momentum that spurred marathon night-and-weekend sessions in the writers strike and brought that work stoppage to an end. Actors and studios had taken several days off after resuming, and there were no reports of meaningful progress despite direct involvement from the heads of studios including Disney and Netflix as there had been in the writers strike.
Members of the Writers Guild of America voted almost unanimously to ratify their new contract on Monday.
Their leaders touted their deal as achieving most of what they had sought when they went on strike nearly five months earlier.
They declared their strike over, and sent writers back to work, on Sept. 26.
Late night talk shows returned to the air within a week, and other shows including “Saturday Night Live” will soon follow.
But with no actors, production on scripted shows and movies will stay on pause indefinitely.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Talks have broken off between Hollywood actors and studios, killing any hopes that the strike by performers was coming to an end after nearly three months, as the writers strike recently did.
The studios announced that they had suspended contract negotiations late Wednesday night, saying the gap between the two sides was too great to make continuing worth it.
On Oct. 2, for the first time since the strike began July 14, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists had resumed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, streaming services and production companies in strike talks.
When negotiations resumed with writers last month, their strike ended five days later, but similar progress was not made with the actors union.
The studios walked away from talks after seeing the actors' most recent proposal on Wednesday.
“It is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction,” the AMPTP said in a statement.
The SAG-AFTRA proposal would cost companies an additional $800 million a year and create “an untenable economic burden,” the statement said.
Representatives from the actors union did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Actors have been on strike over issues including increases in pay for streaming programming and control of the use of their images generated by artificial intelligence.
The AMPTP insisted its offers had been as generous as the deals that brought an end to the writers strike and brought a new contract to the directors guild earlier this year.
From the start, the actors talks had nothing like the momentum that spurred marathon night-and-weekend sessions in the writers strike and brought that work stoppage to an end. Actors and studios had taken several days off after resuming, and there were no reports of meaningful progress despite direct involvement from the heads of studios including Disney and Netflix as there had been in the writers strike.
Members of the Writers Guild of America voted almost unanimously to ratify their new contract on Monday.
Their leaders touted their deal as achieving most of what they had sought when they went on strike nearly five months earlier.
They declared their strike over, and sent writers back to work, on Sept. 26.
Late night talk shows returned to the air within a week, and other shows including “Saturday Night Live” will soon follow.
But with no actors, production on scripted shows and movies will stay on pause indefinitely.
SAG-AFTRA talks with AMPTP to continue this week
Christine Samra
Tue, October 10, 2023
SAG-AFTRA talks with AMPTP to continue this week
Negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are set to resume on Wednesday, and both sides are working towards a resolution to end the nearly three-month strike.
The SAG negotiating committee and the so-called gang of four, which consists of Disney CEO Bob Iger, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and NBCUniversal Studio Group Chair Donna Langley, talked on Monday and issued this statement:
“SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP held negotiations and have concluded for the day,” the parties said in an increasingly common joint statement on Monday night. “Bargaining will continue on Wednesday, Oct. 11, with the parties working independently on Tuesday.”
“This day on-day off pattern indicates progress, many analysts feel,” KTLA 5’s Sam Rubin explained. “[There is] a much tighter press lid involving these negotiations than between the writers and producers, and there weren’t many leaks there either.”
There is this piece of information that be a sign that a deal is coming.
“I am hearing that certain studio ‘transpo’ departments, the folks who get the trucks and trailers ready, are planning to shoot productions in November. They wouldn’t be making those plans unless someone on the studio side signaled some sort of optimism.”
SAG-AFTRA members have been on strike since July 13, months after the Writers Guild of America declared their own strike.
The WGA and the AMPTP announced a tentative deal in September and ratified the contract on Monday, which ended one of the longest strikes in the union’s history
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