The Ongoing SAG-AFTRA Strike and its Potential Impact on Film Students – The Cauldron

Beginning July 14, thousands of Hollywood’s television and film actors took to the picket lines to protest against worker exploitation and the unapproved use of artificial intelligence, pressing pause on the entertainment industry and potentially impacting the future careers of film students.

Photo Credit: CNN

The strike action was approved unanimously by the national board of directors of SAG-AFTRA, The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artist, the American actors’ union that represents over 160,000 actors. This strike marks the first time in 63 years that Hollywood has seen both actors and writers have been on strike at the same time.

As of mid-July, these actors and writers have been fighting for higher wages and new protections amid an actively evolving entertainment industry. Though WGA, the Writers Guild of America, has reached an agreement, SAG-AFTRA is still demanding change.

The lack of working screen actors in their efforts to achieve an agreement has left a number of movies in post-production, causing a heavy and negative economic impact on the industry. 

Recent inflation has prompted actors to take action in seeking higher compensation in order to achieve a liveable wage.

“People who don’t know think that all of these people are rich and entitled writers and actors which couldn’t be further from the case,” said Joseph Fortunato, a member of WGA and professor at Cleveland State University’s College of Film & Media Arts.

Only a small number of celebrities make up the union, with most of the actors involved in the strike having to work other jobs in order to sustain their lives as middle-class performers.  

“It’s disheartening that they have to go through this again,” shared Jonathan Koritansky, a second-year film student at CSU, “Especially when they have already fought for better wages.” 

Many actors in the industry are affected by old contracts that have become nearly irrelevant as the industry introduces newer technology and forms of distribution. Artificial intelligence has played a large role in recent advancements, with actors fearing that their depictions are being used to train A.I. without their approval.

“It can’t be an automatic assumption that if I read two lines for you, you own my voice and my image,” said Allan Byrne, member of SAG-AFTRA and another professor at CSU’s College of Film.

This has raised angst over the potential for artificial intelligence to soon replace actors in the industry and the desire to fight for contracts that only permit the use of A.I. with consent.

Some in the industry are equally worried that the presence of artificial intelligence will ultimately damage the ability for the industry to produce original and meaningful works. 

Koritansky added that creativity will always prevail over artificial intelligence, and that true human quality makes a difference. 

With the strike still ongoing and lacking a definite end, many recent college graduates are at a standstill when it comes to finding jobs or internships.

Koritansky even fears that his future career in the industry will be at stake if the strike isn’t resolved, claiming that if studios decide to pursue artificial intelligence, then there will be no need for authentic actors.

“Knowing that the career field that I want to go into may not be viable in the near future is very scary and gives me a lot to think about,” said Koritansky.

According to College Beat, other students are hopeful to receive the positive benefits of a successful strike where actors are paid a liveable wage despite the potential difficulties of finding work.