This summer (2023), the entertainment industry was struck by a major hit when actors and writers started to go on strike. It has had a nationwide impact, costing billions of dollars in economic damage. The strikes have lasted a long time. The writers strike even coming close to beating the previous record set back in 1988. These strikes have had a major impact on Hollywood productions and have hit the nation hard.
The writers strike started back on May 2, 2023, when writers walked out on their job. This strike started when the Writers Guild of America, or the WGA, said they weren’t getting paid enough. The strike recently came to a close on September 27, 2023 when the WGA, representing more than 11,000 writers, agreed to officially end the Hollywood writers strike. Another one of the writer’s concerns is the effect of artificial intelligence, or AI, when making movies. They want to make sure that movies and shows are not written by machines and that there will be jobs for people in this industry. Many writers say they are not getting paid enough and that they can’t make a living. Even the top people in the industry struggle to make a career of it.
The writers were also joined by the actor’s strike, which started on July 14. The actors union, also known as SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) represents around 160,000 actors. The actors, like the writers, are also asking for higher pay. Many actors say they are not getting paid enough. While there are many famous actors who are very well paid, many not as well-known actors say they should be getting paid more of the profits from the movies. Some famous actors, who are in high demand, make millions of dollars in a year. Of course not everyone can be super famous and successful, so it can be hard for mediocre actors to make a living.
Both the strikes have been in negotiations with (AMPTP) or the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. This has had a major hit on Hollywood productions, causing many shows and movies to be delayed. Not only consisting of actors and writers, these strikes have affected a lot of people in the entertainment industry. People like directors, executives, make-up artists, hairdressers, and lots more have been negatively affected. While the writers strike recently came to a close, the actors are still in negotiations. We hope to have them back working soon.
