Potential catastrophic Hollywood strike

Good

What the fuck are they complaining about now?

Damn--you mean all those bad performances, shitty remakes, and garbage superhero and animated films are going to be postponed??! YAYE!

There’s striking because of all the streaming channels. They are wanting them to work 12/14 hours a day. With no breaks and lunch. And reduce their pay. Because as we know, Amazon and Apple are broke.

When I worked in film, you had a 12 hour turnaround. Meaning if you finished at 8pm on Monday, you didn't report to set until 8am on Tuesday.

Good thing people can make their own movies now on iphone13, at least according to apples’s inane tv commercials. God help us.

Horrible! Now I won't be able to watch WONDER GIRL AND THE WINTER SOLDIER: LET THERE BE THE MANDALORIAN in a timely fashion!

I’m honestly not sure if I’d notice if they went out on strike and stayed struck. I mean, I’m sorry it sucks to be them for whatever reason but I’m not interested in their work product. I joined the gym I did because it has a “cardio theater,” which is a movie theater-size screen and rows of stationary bikes and treadmills. I thought watching movies while I walked would alleviate the crushing boredom of using a treadmill during the rainy months of the year.

Wrong! The endless parade of CGI monsters and robots and collapsing Golden Gate bridges was even worse than nothing. They had subtitles but who needs ‘em? Young child or two, winsome young woman, burly guy all perceive danger and run, pause to utter a few lines of exposition, run again, and run, and run from [see above threats] until it’s time for the sun-drenched slow motion heart-warming moment before the credits roll for a half an hour.

Maybe there’s something out there and I just don’t know how to find it but I think not.

I'm not wild about most of what is being produced nowadays -but that's not the fault of the IATSE workers and craftspeople. They are doing first-rate work as a rule. 150 days without a day off? No weekends? Lower rates of pay when working for streaming networks like Netflix? No meal breaks??

These people aren't asking to become rich -they're asking for basic human rights; to not be treated as slave labor. I'd suggest a boycott to support them, but

a) it wouldn't help,

b) most of us already don't watch the crap that Hollywood is putting out these days.

Today's producers tend to be talentless, derivative hacks –Do they have to be greedy as well??

Good for them. They shouldn't be treated as slave labor, much like all those folks working for companies like Amazon. Frightening the direction corporations are going in. Workers should stand up.

Can they afford to strike and be out of work just coming back from a year long pandemic shut down?

Fire them all.

Go after Bezos !!

I'd never notice.

No one can "afford" to strike, R11. That's why it's always the last resort. You only strike when you can no longer afford NOT to.

Has The Nanny been sworn in yet? What a nightmare for her. She’ll have to be the FDR of Tinsel Town.

Working on movie and TV sets all sound like nightmares from the stories I’ve heard. These are passionate people who compromise their lives. Same normal person pay and long ass hours. They deserve whatever they want.

Bump

It would take me years just to catch up with the last several years of content. The amount of content that's been produced since 2008 has been staggering. I used to be someone who went to the theatre every week and tried to keep up with all that was out until I recognized it was hopeless. I don't think I'd be too bothered by it to be honest. There would still be plenty to watch.

r17 is right.

My roommate was a production assistant on a sitcom. After months of like 18 hour days he started having hallucinations. Twice he became so disoriented that (luckily) he called a psychiatrist he'd seen as a kid in the middle of the night and had to be talked down. He somehow made it thru the season but then went into a different field.

There will be plenty to watch.

Good grief! The IATSE was all-powerful! Don’t tell me….This from the late 90s? This all did unwind since NAFTA and all subsequent international trade agreements. This is on Billy Boy’s watch. Remember Ross Perot’s “What’s that giant sucking sound I hear!”.

Our politicians gave away our good-paying jobs to other countries. Some shit about the Right To Work clause: IATSE jobs could be made in non-union Canada and the producers could bring them back to the US and pay them non-union rates; however, US workers were barred from working in Canada.

Ditto Mexico

Ditto China

Man…we are FUCKED!

I worked on a show for Netflix doing costume research. It was a fun gig as I’m a costume nerd and I got to work from home for the most part. I was paid weekly and had a three contract and the money was decent. I’m not Union it was just a gig job for me. After the three months, they went in a different direction and asked me if I’d work for free from then on. Netflix asked if I would work for FREE! I’m guessing a lot of younger hungry types would have said yes but my old experienced ass told them to fuck off. They ended up paying me.

Bump

Who cares?

Hollywood production stopped dead for a YEAR. Months after they go back to work would seem a bit soon for a strike shutting it all down again, but maybe they are all rich.

For all the Covid-related shutdowns, I’m surprised there’s as much current content as there is.

R23, wow that’s really amazing! How was that experience? I think that’s so cool you got recognition in work for your hobby.

It will be tough today to find people sympathetic to Hollywood unions. One, because most of the content is shit. Second, a lot of people want to work in the entertainment business and never have the opportunity.

“The IATSE has a membership of about 60,000, with an estimated 47,000 of those based in the L.A. area. A popular Instagram account has thousands of anonymous entries from workers describing extreme conditions, working 136 straight days, forgotten health insurance, and 15 hours without a meal break, often for wages barely topping $16 an hour.”

Any have a link?

“They are wanting them to work 12/14 hours a day.”

I had read that 18 hour days are now expected with 20 and 22 hour days not unusual.

In my opinion most of what's been coming out of the industry for the last decade (or more) is garbage. This mostly computer generated Marvel crap is an abomination, but sadly the immature tastes of so many moviegoers today means it'll be around for a long time to come. So strike away. The lack of product won't be missed by many.

And what’s absolutely mind blowing is that it’s all because of what is basically a Cold War over content. No one could possibly watch all the content that is being created these days, but the streaming bubble has companies creating content head over fist because they’re obsessed with the content gap with their competitors. Hallmark Network for example has 41 original Christmas movies this year. Who could possibly watch all those?

Get that Golden time girls!

Here’s the Instagram account, R30.

There’s enough existing content for people to watch through several lifetimes, plus all the content on social media. Life will go on without Hollywood.

[quote] I thought watching movies while I walked would alleviate the crushing boredom of using a treadmill during the rainy months of the year.

[quote] Wrong! The endless parade of CGI monsters and robots and collapsing Golden Gate bridges was even worse than nothing. They had subtitles but who needs ‘em? Young child or two, winsome young woman, burly guy all perceive danger and run, pause to utter a few lines of exposition, run again, and run, and run from [see above threats] until it’s time for the sun-drenched slow motion heart-warming moment before the credits roll for a half an hour

Absolutely none of what you’re describing can be laid at the feet of the people in this article. They shoot the shows, but they don’t write, direct or produce them. They get the productions to the screen, but they don’t determine the content of those productions, so your beef is not with them.

I used to work crew in TV and I’m not sure how legitimate these concerns are. I quit and moved states when the pandemic hit but prior to that I had worked in TV production doing scripted live action for three years. I think most crew workers (and of course, actors) are very lucky. The work is enjoyable and everyone generally has a huge passion for what they do. The pay is average to good and there is a lot of down time to rest and recuperate. Plus, there are a ton of great benefits that come with a job on a union set. Everyone gets as much free food as they want, and it’s always good stuff. You have the privilege of different things going on at work everyday. Obviously, no one should be expected to work for free. I’m not sure how legitimate that concern is, though. Every set I’ve worked on has a very uptight attitude about the union paying for as much as you can get out of them. If there is a fog machine on set, everyone gets an extra hour of pay on their check for the day. If lunch is postponed even one minute, everyone gets an extra hour of pay. Yes, you sometimes have to work long hours but there is a long break from November to February where most productions aren’t shooting. I’d rather take several months off than work a monotonous job every day.

R38 clearly your skill set was not the kind needed that entails the 20 hour days some crew are working.

R39 what the fuck? How is that clear? I did work days like that. My point is that it is a choice to work in entertainment. People who work crew don’t usually give a shit how long they work because it’s what they want to do.

[quote] Hallmark Network for example has 41 original Christmas movies this year. Who could possibly watch all those?

Nobody will watch all of them. Everyone who watches that network may watch a couple of different ones depending on the couple or couple combinations and get exactly the same experience out of it. The 90s was the last time people all watched the same thing.

R28 I enjoyed it and wish it was my regular gig! Like most things Hollywood, I was in the right place at the right time and knew the right person. She says she’ll use me again if she produces anything else so, fingers crossed. She did offer me a job helping cast a reality show but I couldn’t commit to the time and the pay wasn’t great. Keep in mind I have no experience in that field and she was ready to hire me. Explains a lot about the entertainment industry.

My friend was a supporting player on a TV show for a bunch of years and then starred in one that got cancelled after 2 seasons.

He said that TV is "anti-family." His wife had a baby just as the second show started and he felt he missed most of the kids first few months on earth (as did crew members in similar situations.)

^Frau

[quote]And what’s absolutely mind blowing is that it’s all because of what is basically a Cold War over content.

Wait, what???

......

Humans need adequate sleep. That's all there is to it.

This will solve the problem.

What a tragedy. No more remakes of TV shows and movies.

Bad for Hollywood.

Good, potentially, for more films and TV from other countries. So not a bad thing for viewers as the best content has already left Hollywood and comes now from other places, with Netflix and others increasingly putting money into production facilities outside the U.S.

I won't cry too much over the loss of comic-based films and remakes of The Bodyguard.

If the strike were to delay even one of these 110 planned film sequels, the loss to Art would be devastating.

This could kill LA economy

What a bunch of ignorant anti-worker, anti-labor comments from bozos who think because they don't appreciate a tv show that those on the crew must be at fault. You mostly sound like entitled weirdos raised in the post-Reagan era.

My dad went on strike in the 70s, he was a Junior High math teacher who'd been working without a contract for two years. The city's last and best offer was a 5% pay cut! We were living on casseroles friends brought over. Ten teachers in the entire city were arrested in their homes and my dad went to jail that day. They wouldn't let the teachers put up their houses for a bail, so my grandparents pooled their cash to bail him out. Five grand was a lot of money in 1975!

I asked him why anyone goes on strike and he said, "Nobody goes on strike because they're tired of cashing their paychecks."

Actually, now is probably a good time to strike, at least in California. There are lots of social services programs put in place thanks to COVID to help with buying food and paying rent, etc.

.....

Jeff Bezos is evil

Working on tv/film productions must be a great job - my job is horrible and would crush the souls of almost anybody with a soul I'm only surviving because I have enough money that I can quit for a while - once my 2021 taxes are sorted out I might just do it

B-B-But these are mostly white workers. It’s immoral, I say. We are not Mexican.

Nabisco workers are also on strike.

Ha ihs

Many of the films and series streaming today were shot outside the US featuring non--american actors and non-american crews. Except for endless remakes and superheroes movies Hollywood is no longer the center for global moviemaking.

The biggest movie in the world right now is a Chinese film depicting their army defeating US forces in the Korean War,

My husband is in this union and it's just a vote for a potential strike if they don't get what they're asking for. It's not for sure they will strike YET.

They are asking for adequate breaks, which I can tell you, production is NOT getting. They are not getting their 4 hr breaks and often get shorted on meal breaks. (In addition to cost of living increases for the lower tiers)

Go Union!

Considering the behavior I've seen some talk about on an Instagram account (anonymously sent stories), and how that behavior has mysteriously changed all of a sudden, I hope they do go on strike and teach the big wigs a lesson about treating crew members like shit.

[quote] If there is a fog machine on set, everyone gets an extra hour of pay on their check for the day. If lunch is postponed even one minute, everyone gets an extra hour of pay.

It is nitpicking rules like those, that makes non-members not take unions seriously. Or, how you can't just move something on a set, that everyone agrees needs to be moved, you have to wait on a particular crew member to move it, because the union says so.

I talk to a friend who is close with one of the union members and said that the strike is guaranteed

Don’t forget….these are white folks y’all talking ‘bout. No f-ing undocumented MeXi an, okay?