After a nearly 150-day strike, members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) finally agreed with studios and streamers. WGA began their strike on May 2nd, ended on September 27th, and finally ratified their contract on October 9th, setting it into motion. Some of the topics discussed in the agreement include artificial intelligence, improved terms for screenwriter employment, developed terms for video-on-demand or streaming services, increased compensation for series writers, and staffing for episodic series among other things.
One topic that I was interested in was artificial intelligence. AI writing has become a new thing in the past few years, even in education settings. It is so important that WGA made the distinction that AI cannot undermine a writer’s credit or be used by a company without disclosing to a writer. Basically, this means that production companies cannot use AI to write a script draft and then hire a writer to rewrite it, therefore having to pay the writer less than if they wrote an original work. Screenwriting/writing/creativity in general cannot be accomplished by AI in the same way that a human being can create something. It’s important to realize this and not take jobs away from these creative individuals.
It was also important for the WGA to make sure that writers are being paid better for the incredibly important work that they do in filmmaking. Production companies can be very greedy and unwilling to pay their creative teams fairly. The same issue is apparent in the SAG-AFTRA strike, which began on July 14th, 2023. Members are striking because they demand better pay for the work they are doing. Film is impossible without actors. They are the ones that bring a scene to life.
According to CNN, the SAG-AFTRA strike is approaching an end. The major hang up for them is, again, AI usage. We can only hope that production companies see from the viewpoint of SAG-AFTRA members and understand that AI can be detrimental to an actor’s livelihood. I can only assume that production companies are advocating for AI usage because they would no longer have to pay for actors and writers to be a part of the process. But, as I said before, it is impossible for AI to replace these creative jobs. It will never be the same as real people creating and working on real projects.
So, why should you care about these strikes? For one, if you are a fan of watching movies and tv, then many of these major productions will be on hold until a deal is struck. But I think it’s also important to support the strikes because it’s a matter of fair wages and creative freedom. These are incredibly important things, in any field, so supporting the writers and actors is a great thing to do.
If you’re interested in reading the full WGA MBA summary, click here:
https://www.wga.org/contracts/contracts/mba/summary-of-the-2023-wga-mba