STORY: Hollywood reels as screen actors join writers on strike
DATELINE: July 16, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:10
LOCATION: LOS ANGELES, the United States
CATEGORY: ENTERTAINMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the protesters

STORYLINE:

As Hollywood actors took to the picket lines outside major studios Friday morning, two of Hollywood's most powerful labor unions are striking simultaneously for the first time in over 60 years.

To the echoes of "One day longer, one day stronger" being chanted on the strikers' picket lines, 160,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike on Thursday at midnight, joining the 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) who have been on strike since May.
   
"We feel that our wages, our craft, our creative freedom, and the power of our union have all been undermined in the last decade. We need to reverse those trajectories," said SAG-AFTRA in a public letter signed by many of the most famous names in Hollywood.
   
The SAG-AFTRA strike, supported by thousands of Hollywood stars and other actors, came after negotiations for a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down.
   
The strike comes at a challenging time for the entertainment industry, which is still grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid technological advancements.

Streaming services have disrupted traditional revenue models, while the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) poses both opportunities and threats to creative professionals.
   
On one side, the actors and writers are seeking improvements in compensation, better benefits, and safeguards against the growing use of AI in the industry.
     
On the other hand, studio executives argue that increased spending on content creation to meet consumer demand has negatively impacted profits, leading to job cuts.
   
The ongoing WGA strike, which began in May, has already caused significant disruptions in Hollywood, with many TV shows and movies having to cancel or delay production.
     
Both writers and actors are prohibited from promoting their projects during the strike.
   
The strikes will also impact industry events, such as San Diego Comic-con for actors, where writers and directors usually interact with fans and promote their work. Award shows like the Emmys and potentially the Oscars may be delayed if the strikes continue into 2024.
   
Only animation (not including voice actors) reality shows and projects shooting outside the United States with non-SAG actors can continue during the strike.
   
Many actors and writers blame much of the current loggerheads on the bloated executive salaries at streamers and studios, which can be tens of millions per year to each executive.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Los Angeles, the United States.
(XHTV)