CultureShift: Why are writers and actors striking in Hollywood, and what does it mean for the future of the industry?
Film and Media Professor Jeff Wray explains the SAG-AFTRA strike and what it means for the future of film and TV.
Striking writers and actors take part in a rally outside Paramount studios in Los Angeles on Friday, July 14, 2023. This marks the first day actors formally joined the picket lines, more than two months after screenwriters began striking in their bid to get better pay and working conditions.
The SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood have no clear end in sight as studio executives continue to look for alternative ways to get around paying talent.
Writers and actors are fighting for improvements to wages, streaming service residuals, use of AI in developing scripts and more.
Jeff Wray is a film and media professor at Michigan State University. He joined CultureShift to chat about what’s happening with the strikes, who’s being impacted the most and whether or not we’ll see a resolution anytime soon.
Listen: Why are writers and actors striking in Hollywood?
“Unions, Hollywood included, have always had to fight for their position,” Wray says. “They’ve had to fight for to be taken seriously and to be the representative of the people in their union. And oftentimes in our history that has been a violent fight, and has been a difficult fight.”
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