SAG-AFTRA vote to go on strike

[FPAlpha]

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Great if depressing summary. It remains to be seen who has the longer legs in this struggle - the writers and actors ( apart from the A and B Listers) don't have as deep pockets as the studios but then again the CEO's have their shareholders lighting their ass on fire if profits are in danger and that will happen as no new products are coming out that need to be written/filmed right now to be able to be released in the next weeks/months.

The damage is already done as no matter what happens there will be a large gap either this year or next without no new shows or movies coming out. Movies like Dune 2 are already being pushed to next year so they have at least something and this could increase. I don't see how both sides will come to a deal right now as they are in some areas so vastly apart ( AI and residuals seem to be chief amongst them) with only tiny movement. I thinl the WGA/SAG will have to move on some issues but others like AI usage, which directly threatens the livelihood of their members, can't be accepted under any circumstances.

This has the potential to be even worse than Covid and that was not that long ago.

 

[bdub76]

Great if depressing summary. It remains to be seen who has the longer legs in this struggle - the writers and actors ( apart from the A and B Listers) don't have as deep pockets as the studios but then again the CEO's have their shareholders lighting their ass on fire if profits are in danger and that will happen as no new products are coming out that need to be written/filmed right now to be able to be released in the next weeks/months.

The damage is already done as no matter what happens there will be a large gap either this year or next without no new shows or movies coming out. Movies like Dune 2 are already being pushed to next year so they have at least something and this could increase. I don't see how both sides will come to a deal right now as they are in some areas so vastly apart ( AI and residuals seem to be chief amongst them) with only tiny movement. I thinl the WGA/SAG will have to move on some issues but others like AI usage, which directly threatens the livelihood of their members, can't be accepted under any circumstances.

This has the potential to be even worse than Covid and that was not that long ago.

The other thing happening is that we've seen the cost of physical media drop while the cost of streaming has gone up. We're reaching a point now given how much content has been pulled along with limited new content that it will start to make sense to cancel streaming services and buy physical content instead.

In the past year, I've been able to reduce my Internet cost down to $50/month, canceled two streaming services, and I bought far more physical media than I have in the past five years. Of course, the media companies can also pull physical content. But this makes little sense given that POD services exist if they're worried about carrying inventory.

 

[tomalak301]

The other thing happening is that we've seen the cost of physical media drop while the cost of streaming has gone up. We're reaching a point now given how much content has been pulled along with limited new content that it will start to make sense to cancel streaming services and buy physical content instead.

I'm already starting to do that because of what happened to Prodigy. It's really easier to go month to month on these streaming services and watch what you want to watch and then let it go. I can see a lot of these services also increasing costs in the next year again to the point where people might think about going back to Cable. That was basically me, considering there were channels I wanted but couldn't get.

 

[bdub76]

I'm already starting to do that because of what happened to Prodigy. It's really easier to go month to month on these streaming services and watch what you want to watch and then let it go. I can see a lot of these services also increasing costs in the next year again to the point where people might think about going back to Cable. That was basically me, considering there were channels I wanted but couldn't get.

If I want cable feel, I'll watch PlutoTV, Tubi, or OTA with my antenna. I don't want to pay to see ads.

 

[tomalak301]

If I want cable feel, I'll watch PlutoTV, Tubi, or OTA with my antenna. I don't want to pay to see ads.

I too watch Pluto TV. Lots of good background noise stuff on that service.

 

[FPAlpha]

The other thing happening is that we've seen the cost of physical media drop while the cost of streaming has gone up. We're reaching a point now given how much content has been pulled along with limited new content that it will start to make sense to cancel streaming services and buy physical content instead.

In the past year, I've been able to reduce my Internet cost down to $50/month, canceled two streaming services, and I bought far more physical media than I have in the past five years. Of course, the media companies can also pull physical content. But this makes little sense given that POD services exist if they're worried about carrying inventory.

I don't think physical media will stay, in the long run digital/online media will win because of ease of use and accessibility as bandwidth and speeds get faster and cheaper. Streaming services have exploded in the last decade with Netflix leading the development but now the market is oversaturated and is starting to shrink down again to reflect actual demand. Some are already in deep struggle to keep afloat and in a couple of years most of them will have merged so in the end there will only be a handful of large services like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon and possibly Apple ( those who have deep enough pockets) and maybe some smaller ones with specialty programs - it will be similar like the TV development back in the day ( which will btw shrink dramatically in appear as older generations die out and younger generations don't watch as much TV anymore).

This is also what a large portion of the strike is about - the future of the entertainment industry because right now technology has surpassed the old contracts and they were not able to accurately reflect the changes. Studios and service providers have really abused this and are paying pennies to the actual people who helped create these shows and movies and are now left out in the open by not being able to participate in the success, while the companies are making billions in profit each year.

 

[bdub76]

I don't think physical media will stay, in the long run digital/online media will win because of ease of use and accessibility as bandwidth and speeds get faster and cheaper. Streaming services have exploded in the last decade with Netflix leading the development but now the market is oversaturated and is starting to shrink down again to reflect actual demand. Some are already in deep struggle to keep afloat and in a couple of years most of them will have merged so in the end there will only be a handful of large services like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon and possibly Apple ( those who have deep enough pockets) and maybe some smaller ones with specialty programs - it will be similar like the TV development back in the day ( which will btw shrink dramatically in appear as older generations die out and younger generations don't watch as much TV anymore).

This is also what a large portion of the strike is about - the future of the entertainment industry because right now technology has surpassed the old contracts and they were not able to accurately reflect the changes. Studios and service providers have really abused this and are paying pennies to the actual people who helped create these shows and movies and are now left out in the open by not being able to participate in the success, while the companies are making billions in profit each year.

But the reality is that most of these companies aren't making any money in streaming. They haven't figured out how grow subs, create content, price their services, and make a profit. So what I'm seeing now is that services like MAX are now licensing content to Netflix, which has a much larger sub base. The show Cobra Kai didn't take off until it moved from what was then YouTube Red to Netflix. And streamers like Netflix are releasing old content like Suits and foreign programming like Ragnarök.

So the execs are in this weird place of not knowing how to make money with streaming while their content producers are on strike. How do you write up a contract without figuring out the business model first? All the execs can do is cut costs and wait out the strikers as long as possible. But at some point with little new content, their subs will start to fall off a cliff. It's really who blinks first.

 

[FPAlpha]

But the reality is that most of these companies aren't making any money in streaming. They haven't figured out how grow subs, create content, price their services, and make a profit. So what I'm seeing now is that services like MAX are now licensing content to Netflix, which has a much larger sub base. The show Cobra Kai didn't take off until it moved from what was then YouTube Red to Netflix. And streamers like Netflix are releasing old content like Suits and foreign programming like Ragnarök.

So the execs are in this weird place of not knowing how to make money with streaming while their content producers are on strike. How do you write up a contract without figuring out the business model first? All the execs can do is cut costs and wait out the strikers as long as possible. But at some point with little new content, their subs will start to fall off a cliff. It's really who blinks first.

That's why i expect many streaming services to fail and go out of business in the coming years, first the small ones and maybe even one or two larger ones if they're not profitable or profitable enough. As i said the large ones will survive, possibly eat up the smaller ones or even fuse with a few others together to form something new, what basically happens in any market, especially in new ones that are still sorting themselves out.

Execs do know how to make money or else they would not have that position or they'd tank their company very fast, it's just a very volatile and unstable market at the moment and whoever has the lucky and most shrewd hand will survive and prosper. Right now it's hard to tell who's up in the negotiations but i'd place my betting money on the unions as they are fighting for the very survival of their craft in the present and future, while the companies are "just" losing money. As i said before the companies/studios can't wait forever though ( especially if A List actors and actresses continue to fund the strikers to some degree) but the writers and actors are also hurting, some so much that they already have left the business altogether and are not likely to return once they have found something else that pays better or at least consistently.

Apparently neither side is hurting enough to make real moves towards the other side, if we disregard the first offers of the studios after they initially rejected all demands, which led to the strike in the first place. So the studios blinked first but that doesn't mean much in the long run as they're now apparently switching tactics and trying to break the union cohesion from within.

 

[bdub76]

That's why i expect many streaming services to fail and go out of business in the coming years, first the small ones and maybe even one or two larger ones if they're not profitable or profitable enough. As i said the large ones will survive, possibly eat up the smaller ones or even fuse with a few others together to form something new, what basically happens in any market, especially in new ones that are still sorting themselves out.

Execs do know how to make money or else they would not have that position or they'd tank their company very fast, it's just a very volatile and unstable market at the moment and whoever has the lucky and most shrewd hand will survive and prosper. Right now it's hard to tell who's up in the negotiations but i'd place my betting money on the unions as they are fighting for the very survival of their craft in the present and future, while the companies are "just" losing money. As i said before the companies/studios can't wait forever though ( especially if A List actors and actresses continue to fund the strikers to some degree) but the writers and actors are also hurting, some so much that they already have left the business altogether and are not likely to return once they have found something else that pays better or at least consistently.

Apparently neither side is hurting enough to make real moves towards the other side, if we disregard the first offers of the studios after they initially rejected all demands, which led to the strike in the first place. So the studios blinked first but that doesn't mean much in the long run as they're now apparently switching tactics and trying to break the union cohesion from within.

The execs will wait it out, release old content or foreign content, and cancel most active shows. The networks have a big enough catalogue overall to wait it out far longer than the content creators.

I agree with you that some streamers will fail or consolidate.

And here's a piece that nobody is talking about. The content creators on YouTube aren't striking. I'm seeing new content created every day. YouTube is in a fantastic position.

 

[Timby]

I don't think physical media will stay, in the long run digital/online media will win because of ease of use and accessibility as bandwidth and speeds get faster and cheaper.

Broadband availability is still an utter joke in much of the United States, as is the FCC's definition of what constitutes "broadband Internet."

And as for cheaper? Hah, I pay $92 a month for mid-grade Internet here in eastern Iowa.

 

[bdub76]

Broadband availability is still an utter joke in much of the United States, as is the FCC's definition of what constitutes "broadband Internet."

And as for cheaper? Hah, I pay $92 a month for mid-grade Internet here in eastern Iowa.

My ISP keeps increasing my download speed, and then they offer me lower speeds for far less. I'm down to $50/month for 250/10. I was paying $77/month two months ago. What I really want is faster upload, so that I can backup my media to the cloud.

Lots of articles about poor broadband availability.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...atly-overstates-actual-coverage-senators-say/

https://broadband477map.fcc.gov/#/

I think, we're still far away from physical media going away. And with the latest generation of game consoles, more homes will have 4K players if they don't buy the digital only versions.

 

[FPAlpha]

I'm not sure about physical media. At least here when i go to a media store or a regular mall/shopping centre the rows with actual Blu Ray's both for gaming and movies/shows have gotten smaller by the year. Previously they had almost an entire floor dedicated to them with various sections, now it's just a couple of rows, maybe one section of a wall and that's it.

Far away is debatable, i'm talking about at least 1-2 decades before there is a serious push to phase out physical media as everybody is already running around with smartphones and tablets and has a smart TV at home that can stream from all the major providers already built in when you buy it. So unless you hang onto them for whatever reason it will get harder and harder to get new material on physical media ( wasn't there even a thread somewhere here that talked about Disney completely cutting out the physical media and going online exclusively?

The advantages should be obvious - it is just far cheaper to do it all online. As internet connections get better over the next 1-2 decades ( unless you really live far outside in the woods but even then there are solutions if pricey) this is inevitable in my opinion. Last point - when was the last big new thing after Blu Ray entered the mass market? Companies don't develop physical media for mass market consumers anymore because it would not be profitable in the long run since Internet and Streaming has won that race, simple as that. There are obviously still physical media developments going on but these are mostly for professional use in huge server farms and not meant for normal customers.

With video games it is slightly different because you can trade games or buy them "used" on Ebay and elsewhere, some people use them as players for the few Blu Rays and DVD's they still have but i figure that the following generation or the one after won't even have optical drives anymore.

 

[Tuskin38]

https://allyourscreens.com/en/component/k2/item/4272-wga-to-amptp-thanks-for-getting-that-draft-in

https://variety.com/2020/artisans/a...yalty-agreement-for-german-series-1203535333/

 

[FPAlpha]

https://allyourscreens.com/en/component/k2/item/4272-wga-to-amptp-thanks-for-getting-that-draft-in

https://variety.com/2020/artisans/a...yalty-agreement-for-german-series-1203535333/

Just shows how fucked up the thinking of some bosses is, unbelievable.

 

[Happy Hopping]

being too lazy to start a new thread, since the strike is still going on, is there a way to pay for Just CNBC subscription. Is there any subscription service that only charge for 1 channel, in this case, CNBC?

I found a place that gives live stream, but it doesn't seems to be able to record it. I just want to record 2 hr. per day and watch it later when I get home. Can anyone help?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

https://allyourscreens.com/en/component/k2/item/4272-wga-to-amptp-thanks-for-getting-that-draft-in

https://variety.com/2020/artisans/a...yalty-agreement-for-german-series-1203535333/

Setting a precedence for showing empathy and giving people a fair and livable deal?

The horror, the horror!

 

[Alexander Corrino]

Our German unions are very strong and heavily organized, have been for decades. It's never a good idea for big corporations to underestimate them or mess around with them. Also, I believe this is part of a new EU directive or something, so, if they don't implement this over here chances are they'd get sued into oblivion.

I guess Netflix simply thinks "as long as we can still get away with treating creatives like crap in the homeland of capitalism aka the US this is exactly what we will do".

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Relatedly, visual effects workers at Disney are unionizing! Not a moment too soon.

“Today, courageous Visual Effects workers at Walt Disney Pictures overcame the fear and silence that have kept our community from having a voice on the job for decades. With an overwhelming supermajority of these crews demanding an end to ‘the way VFX has always been,’ this is a clear sign that our campaign is not about one studio or corporation. It’s about VFX workers across the industry using the tools at our disposal to uplift ourselves and forge a better path forward,” IATSE VFX organizer Mark Patch said in a statement.

“The determination of these VFX workers is not just commendable, it’s groundbreaking. Their collective action against the status quo represents a seismic shift in this critical moment in our industry. The chorus of voices demanding change is unprecedented, and demonstrates our united movement is not about any one company, but about setting a precedent of dignity, respect, and fairness for all,” International President of IATSE Matthew D. Loeb said.​

 

[DarrenTR1970]

The other thing happening is that we've seen the cost of physical media drop while the cost of streaming has gone up. We're reaching a point now given how much content has been pulled along with limited new content that it will start to make sense to cancel streaming services and buy physical content instead.

In the past year, I've been able to reduce my Internet cost down to $50/month, canceled two streaming services, and I bought far more physical media than I have in the past five years. Of course, the media companies can also pull physical content. But this makes little sense given that POD services exist if they're worried about carrying inventory.

I'm already starting to do that because of what happened to Prodigy. It's really easier to go month to month on these streaming services and watch what you want to watch and then let it go. I can see a lot of these services also increasing costs in the next year again to the point where people might think about going back to Cable. That was basically me, considering there were channels I wanted but couldn't get.

With Picard done and the return of SNW in doubt at the moment, I'm probably going to go ahead and cancel my Paramount Plus subscription. With my antenna and YouTube, I'm not hurting for something to watch.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Khrystyne Haje, who played Simone on Head of the Class, and now mostly does voice work, posted on her social media that because of the strike she's not working and can longer able to afford to pay the rent on her storage unit and she's in danger of losing all her possessions. She's started a Go Fund Me in order to raise money to keep the unit through the end of the year.