After the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) reached an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that brought their months-long strike to a close, it felt like a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.
AMPTP snuffed it out late last night, announcing that they were pulling out of negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
In a press release, they noted that talks ended because they believe SAG-AFTRA representatives were asking for too much during the latest round of negotiations between the two sides.
"After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction," the AMPTP wrote. "SAG-AFTRA's current offer included what it characterized as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year — which would create an untenable economic burden. SAG-AFTRA presented few, if any, moves on the numerous remaining open items."
SAG-AFTRA responded with a press release of their own this morning, accusing AMPTP of negotiating in bad faith and publicly muddling details of the negotiations.
These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI, they refuse to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work generates for them. We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57¢ per subscriber each year. They have rejected our proposals and refused to counter.
Instead they use bully tactics. Just tonight, they intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the above proposal – overstating it by 60%. They have done the same with A.I., claiming to protect performer consent, but continuing to demand "consent" on the first day of employment for use of a performer's digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).
As the strikes continue, the only productions able to proceed with filming and promoting under SAG-AFTRA guidelines are independently made flicks like Sofia Coppola's Priscilla and the Nicolas Cage-led Dream Scenario.
Read the full list of AMPTP's reported proposals below.
• A first-of-its-kind success-based residual for High-Budget SVOD productions
• The highest percentage increase in minimums in 35 years, which would generate an additional $717 million in wages and $177 million in contributions to the Pension and Health Plans during the contract term.
• A 58% increase in salaries for major role (guest star) performers wages on High Budget SVOD Programs.
• A 76% increase in High Budget SVOD foreign residuals for the four largest streaming services.
• Substantial increases in pension and health contribution caps, ranging from 22-33%, which will make it easier for performers to qualify for additional periods of health coverage and earn years of service toward a pension.
• Meeting nearly all of the Union's demands on casting, including guardrails around self-tapes, options for virtual and in-person auditions, and accommodations to performers with disabilities.
• Compensation adjustments of 25% for singers who dance and dancers who sing on camera in the same session, whether in rehearsal or photography, representing a 30% increase over current wages.
• Wage increases for stunt coordinators of 10% in the first year and outsized increases in years two and three, and giving television stunt coordinators fixed residuals for the first time ever.
• Substantial improvements in relocation allowance – a 200% increase if the performer is on an overnight location for 6 months. The relocation allowance would now be payable for every season in which the performer is on an overnight location (versus a current limit of two to four seasons).
•Substantial increases in Schedule F money breaks of between 11% and 41%. The 41% increase applies to one-hour television programs, which covers the largest number of productions done under the Agreement.
• A 25% increase in span money breaks.
• Covering performance capture work under the Agreement, which the Union has sought for 20 years.
• On AI protections:
AMPTP snuffed it out late last night, announcing that they were pulling out of negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
In a press release, they noted that talks ended because they believe SAG-AFTRA representatives were asking for too much during the latest round of negotiations between the two sides.
"After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction," the AMPTP wrote. "SAG-AFTRA's current offer included what it characterized as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year — which would create an untenable economic burden. SAG-AFTRA presented few, if any, moves on the numerous remaining open items."
SAG-AFTRA responded with a press release of their own this morning, accusing AMPTP of negotiating in bad faith and publicly muddling details of the negotiations.
These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI, they refuse to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work generates for them. We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57¢ per subscriber each year. They have rejected our proposals and refused to counter.
Instead they use bully tactics. Just tonight, they intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the above proposal – overstating it by 60%. They have done the same with A.I., claiming to protect performer consent, but continuing to demand "consent" on the first day of employment for use of a performer's digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).
As the strikes continue, the only productions able to proceed with filming and promoting under SAG-AFTRA guidelines are independently made flicks like Sofia Coppola's Priscilla and the Nicolas Cage-led Dream Scenario.
Read the full list of AMPTP's reported proposals below.
• A first-of-its-kind success-based residual for High-Budget SVOD productions
• The highest percentage increase in minimums in 35 years, which would generate an additional $717 million in wages and $177 million in contributions to the Pension and Health Plans during the contract term.
• A 58% increase in salaries for major role (guest star) performers wages on High Budget SVOD Programs.
• A 76% increase in High Budget SVOD foreign residuals for the four largest streaming services.
• Substantial increases in pension and health contribution caps, ranging from 22-33%, which will make it easier for performers to qualify for additional periods of health coverage and earn years of service toward a pension.
• Meeting nearly all of the Union's demands on casting, including guardrails around self-tapes, options for virtual and in-person auditions, and accommodations to performers with disabilities.
• Compensation adjustments of 25% for singers who dance and dancers who sing on camera in the same session, whether in rehearsal or photography, representing a 30% increase over current wages.
• Wage increases for stunt coordinators of 10% in the first year and outsized increases in years two and three, and giving television stunt coordinators fixed residuals for the first time ever.
• Substantial improvements in relocation allowance – a 200% increase if the performer is on an overnight location for 6 months. The relocation allowance would now be payable for every season in which the performer is on an overnight location (versus a current limit of two to four seasons).
•Substantial increases in Schedule F money breaks of between 11% and 41%. The 41% increase applies to one-hour television programs, which covers the largest number of productions done under the Agreement.
• A 25% increase in span money breaks.
• Covering performance capture work under the Agreement, which the Union has sought for 20 years.
• On AI protections:
- Advance consent from the performer and background actor to create and use Digital Replicas;
- No Digital Replica of the performer can be used without the performer's written consent and description of the intended use in the film;
- Prohibition of later use of that Replica, unless performer specifically consents to that new use and is paid for it; and,
- A "Digital Alteration" that would change the nature of an actor's performance in a role is not permitted without informing the performer of the intended alteration and securing the performer's consent.