Gene Maddaus reports for Variety on the ongoing negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and major studios, highlighting the significant gaps that remain on critical issues such as payment increases, streaming residuals, and artificial intelligence use, despite a week of bargaining. Read The Full Article
Key Points
- SAG-AFTRA has informed its members that negotiations with major studios will continue, but critical issues remain unresolved, urging members to maintain pressure through social media and picket lines.
- The studios have expressed urgency in reaching a deal to salvage half a season of scripted television for broadcasters and mitigate further delays in the 2024 summer movie season.
- Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the top negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, remains cautiously optimistic, emphasizing the importance of ongoing dialogue and acknowledging some progress in the talks.
- The union is pushing for stringent regulations on the use of artificial intelligence to create digital doubles, seeking consent for single projects and a veto over AI uses, while the studios are advocating for broader consent terms and resisting the veto power.
Key Insight
The ongoing negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and major studios underscore the complex challenges and high stakes involved in addressing the evolving landscape of the entertainment industry, particularly in terms of artificial intelligence’s role and the need for fair compensation and consent mechanisms for performers.
Why This Matters
The resolution of these negotiations will have significant implications for the entertainment industry, potentially shaping the future of how artificial intelligence is used in film and television, ensuring fair compensation and consent for performers, and influencing the production timelines of major television and film projects.
Notable Quote
“The union has sought to establish a framework of regulations around the use of artificial intelligence to create ‘digital doubles.’” – Gene Maddaus
