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People picket outside of FOX Studios on the first day of the Hollywood writers strike on May 2, 2023 in Los Angeles. Hollywood is gearing up for another labor fight, and once again worries about artificial intelligence are front and center. Hollywood's talent wants to create guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in future television and film productions. "Our members are human beings, not puppets, and it is a violation to use AI technology to make them do or say something without their informed consent." Actors have varying comfort levels with how AI is used, which is why SAG-AFTRA is looking to advocate for informed consent when it sits down with the AMPTP.

Persons: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Timothee Chalamet, Wes Anderson, Duncan Crabtree, AFTRA, Crabtree, James Earl Jones, Jones, Darth Vader, Obi, Wan Kenobi, Anderson Organizations: FOX Studios, Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Star Wars, SAG, CNBC, of America, Writers Guild of America, Disney Locations: Los Angeles . Hollywood, Ireland

☆ Hollywood actors, studios agree to media blackout for labor talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The actors' union is seeking pay increases and protections around the use of artificial intelligence in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), Netflix Inc (NFLX.O), Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) and other companies. The actors' negotiations are taking place as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) remains on strike. The work stoppage, which began May 2, has shut down late-night talk shows and halted production of shows such as a new season of "Stranger Things." SAG-AFTRA members have authorized a strike if their talks fail to yield an agreement by June 30. Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marg Helgenberger, Lisa Richwine, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: CBS, Screen Actors, Writers Guild of America, Universal Studios, Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt Disney Co, Netflix Inc, Comcast Corp, SAG, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, ANGELES

☆ Hollywood actors authorize strike as writers still out
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, June 5 (Reuters) - Hollywood's actors union voted to authorize a strike if contract talks break down, turning up the heat on major film and television studios already grappling with a monthlong work stoppage by writers. No new negotiations are scheduled with the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents 11,500 film and TV writers. A strike by actors would lead to a broader shutdown across Hollywood and increase pressure on studios that need programming to feed their streaming services and the fall TV broadcast schedule. In the negotiations, actors are seeking higher pay and safeguards against unauthorized use of their images through artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA leaders said the industry had changed dramatically with the rise of streaming television and the emergence of new technology such as generative AI.

Persons: AFTRA, Bravo, Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree, Lisa Richwine, David Gregorio, Lisa Shumaker, Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Bravo SAG, Guild of America, Warner Bros, HBO, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt Disney Co, Netflix Inc, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Hollywood, Ireland

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Hello, Apple Vision Pro
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Nerd Helmet, as coined by The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern, has arrived! Apple on Monday unveiled its first hardware release in almost a decade: The $3,499 Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. But while Meta has aimed to make VR/AR affordable for the masses, with limited success, Apple is squarely aiming the Vision Pro at early adopters and developers. Apple's Vision Pro headset has an exterior "EyeSight" display to make your eyes visible to others around you. Say hello to the Vision Pro.

Persons: Lara O'Reilly, Joanna Stern, Apple, Let's, Tim Cook, Bob Iger, Elizabeth Holmes, Justin Sullivan, Linda Yaccarino, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Altman, OpenAI, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Bernstein, Hollywood's, Roy Rochlin, Craig Federghi, Jack Sommers Organizations: Apple, Meta, Apple's Worldwide, Conference, Vision, Getty, Twitter, Venture, Sequoia, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Alliance, Producers, Hollywood, New York Stock Exchange, Wall, nab, Wall Street Locations: London, ChatGPT

☆ Directors Guild's deal with Hollywood doesn't necessarily foreshadow end to writers strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Writers picket in front of Netflix on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, as the Writers Guild of America goes on strike, May 2, 2023. Hollywood producers have struck a tentative deal with film and TV directors, but that doesn't mean we should expect sudden resolutions to the writers strike or talks with the actors union. Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America is entering the second month of its strike. During the last writers strike in 2007 and 2008, which lasted 100 days, a studio deal with the DGA prompted writers to head back to the bargaining table. "The AMPTP will not be able to negotiate a deal for writers with anyone but us."

Persons: AFTRA, Chris Keyser, Keyser Organizations: Netflix, Writers Guild of America, Hollywood, Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, DGA, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, Radio, WGA, Warner Bros, Disney, National Board, SAG, YouTube Locations: Hollywood , California

☆ Hollywood's next big fight is over how actors will get paid for work by their AI 'digital doubles'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hollywood actors want to get paid for work done by their AI "digital doubles." SAG-AFTRA starts negotiations this week for a new contract with Hollywood studios, and AI is a hot topic. Hollywood is gearing up for another union battle this week, and a big topic will be how actors are paid for work done by their "digital doubles" created using artificial intelligence. Crabtree-Ireland told the FT that the starting point for negotiations would be getting union-scale payments for work using digital doubles. And while the use of AI might scare some actors, others in Hollywood are embracing the potential paydays the tech could bring.

Persons: Duncan Crabtree, Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones, Darth Vader, Crabtree, AMPTP negotiaotors, Hilary Krane Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, Morning, Financial Times, Alliance, Television Producers, Reuters, Guild of America, Saturday, CAA Locations: Ireland, Crabtree, Hollywood

☆ Actors Authorize Potential Strike With Hollywood Writers Still Picketing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Nicole Sperling | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

According to the writers, the studios offered little more than “annual meetings to discuss” artificial intelligence, and they refused to bargain over limits on the technology. Background: It has been a long time since the last actors’ strike. The last time the actors went on strike was in 2000, in a dispute over commercial pay. What’s Next: Negotiations begin on Wednesday. With negotiations expected to begin on Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA is bullish about what this strike authorization means.

Persons: ’, We’re, ”, Duncan Crabtree, “, we’re Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, SAG Locations: Ireland

☆ Actors union vote to authorize July strike, possibly joining writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

If the actors do walk out, they would join members of the Writers Guild of America already on picket lines. The DGA tentative deal “doesn’t hurt the leverage or the pursuit of better working conditions for the writers and possibly the actors. : An Industry at War in the Internet Age.” He puts the chance of an actors’ strike at about two to one. Some television shows, particularly late night shows that are written daily in order to be timely, have had their production halted by the writers’ strike. Some shows and films that have had scripts already completed have continued to film since the writers went on strike.

Persons: isn’t, Radio Artists “, ”, Fran Drescher, “ I’m, AFTRA, Duncan Crabtree, “, Tom Nunan, doesn’t, Jonathan Handel, Nunan Organizations: New, New York CNN, Screen, — American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Alliance, Television Producers, Companies, Amazon, Apple, CBS, Disney, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony, Warner Bros ., Guild of America, DGA, SAG, UCLA School of Theater, Film, Television Locations: New York

During the last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008, a studio deal with the DGA prompted writers to head back to the bargaining table. If approved, it could offer a blueprint for the striking writers and upcoming talks between studios and SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors. In the DGA's agreement, directors secured wage increases starting at 5% the first year, an increase in residuals from streaming, and a guarantee that "generative AI cannot replace the duties performed by members." AI has emerged as a major concern of writers and actors, who see their jobs as especially vulnerable to the new technology. The WGA work stoppage has disrupted production of late-night shows and shut down high-profile projects such as Netflix's "Stranger Things" and a "Game of Thrones" spinoff.

Persons: Chris Keyser, Keyser, AFTRA, Lisa Richwine, Maria Caspani, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: of America, DGA, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix, Walt Disney Co, Guild of America, WGA, YouTube, SAG, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, New York

☆ Directors Guild of America reaches tentative deal as writers strike goes on
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Directors Guild of America reached a “historic” tentative deal for wages, work hours, residuals and even artificial intelligence Saturday night as the writer’s strike continues. “We have concluded a truly historic deal,” said Jon Avnet, chair of the guild’s negotiations committee in a statement. Keyser thanked other industries for their solidarity, including the Directors Guild. We have always been strong enough to get the deal we need using writer power alone.”The 19,000 Directors Guild members would see a 5% wage increase in the first year, 4% in the second and 3.5% in the third year. CNN has reached out to the producer’s alliance and the Writers Guild for comment.

Persons: ”, Jon Avnet, Chris Keyser, Keyser, “, ” Keyser, Halyna Hutchins Organizations: New, New York CNN, of America, Alliance, Television Producers, Writers Guild, CNN, Writers Locations: New York, Mexico

☆ Netflix shareholders withhold support for executive pay package
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 1 (Reuters) - Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) shareholders on Thursday withheld their support for the company's executive pay package, in a non-binding vote that followed a call by striking Hollywood writers to reject the proposed 2023 compensation. "While investors have long taken issue with Netflix's executive pay, the compensation structure is more egregious against the backdrop of the strike," wrote Writers Guild West President Meredith Stiehm. Netflix shareholders withheld support for the executive compensation structure for 2023, in a non-binding "say on pay" vote. Last year, the company's executive pay package won support from just 27% of the shareholder votes cast. After last year's vote, Netflix said it made changes including instituting a salary cap for its co-chief executives and a performance-based bonus plan.

Persons: Guild of America West, Meredith Stiehm, Stiehm, Reed Hastings, Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters, Peters, Ari Emanuel, David Zaslav, Dawn Chmielewski, David Gregorio, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Netflix Inc, Guild of America, Guild West, Comcast Corp, Netflix, Hollywood, Endeavor, Warner Bros Discovery, Alliance, Television Producers, SAG, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles

☆ The top Hollywood exec made $498 million in the last 5 years—384 times as much as the average writer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That's a staggering 384 times the average pay of a Hollywood writer. Overall, average pay for Hollywood's top execs climbed to $28 million in 2021, up 53% from 2018 (and roughly 108 times the average writer's pay) according to the analysis, which uses compensation data from the research firm Equilar and includes stock options, base salaries, bonuses and other perks. Meanwhile, average pay for Hollywood writers has remained virtually flat at about $260,000 as 2021, the Times reports. Hollywood executive pay dropped in 2022 due to stock market volatility and investor pressure to make streaming profitable. From 1978 to 2021, CEO pay grew by 1,460%, adjusted for inflation, versus just 18.1% for the typical worker.

Persons: David Zaslav, That's, Ari Emanuel, Reed Hastings, Bob Iger, Walt, Ted Sarandos, Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, Brian Roberts, Joseph Ianniello, Patrick Whitesell, Kaitlin Fontana, Kelly Evans Organizations: Hollywood, Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros, Discovery Inc, Times, Writers Guild of America, Endeavor Group Holdings Inc, Netflix, Walt Disney Co, Fox Corp, Comcast Corp, Paramount Global, Endeavor, Paramount, Disney, Company, WGA, Alliance, Television Producers, LA Times, Economic, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, California

☆ Digital doubles, fake trailers: AI worries Hollywood actors before labor talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

AI already has divided studios and striking film and television writers, who want assurances that the emerging technology will not be used to generate scripts. SAG-AFTRA wants to ensure its members can control use of their "digital doubles" and ensure studios pay the actual actors appropriately, said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union's chief negotiator. A representative for the AMPTP had no comment on its position on use of AI with actors. In negotiations with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the AMPTP proposed discussing the topic once a year, which the Guild viewed as an attempt to avoid the issue. You're never going to see anything like that if we're all using AI."

Persons: Julia Louis, Dreyfus, Christine, Wes Anderson, Harry Potter, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, AFTRA, Duncan Crabtree, Crabtree, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Reeves, Leland Morrill, we're, Morrill, Justine Bateman, Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, Walt Disney, Ford, Stephen Colbert, James Earl Jones, Darth Vader, Carrie Fisher, AFTRA's Crabtree, Bateman, " Bateman, Lisa Richwine, Jorge Ramos, Dawn Chmielewski, Mary Milliken, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Warner Bros ., Screen, Writers Guild America, YouTube, SAG, Microsoft Corp, Walt Disney Co's, Lucasfilm, Disney, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix Inc, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, ANGELES, Hollywood, Ireland, ., Los Angeles

☆ Read ChatGPT's 'insulting' and 'garbage' 'Succession' finale script
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Here's an AI-generated script of the 'Succession' finale — and what experts thought of it. Next, Insider asked ChatGPT to write a scene from the finale based on that prediction. The most striking difference, he said, is how the AI-generated script contains "zero subtext," which he said "Succession" excels at. Jim Burnstein, another screenwriting professor at the University of Michigan and a WGA member, told Insider the script is "really insulting" and "should be off the table right away." "A bunch of monkeys" can write "Hamlet" better than ChatGPT can write "Succession," he added.

☆ 'Hot labor summer': Los Angeles unions back Hollywood writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Jorge Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, May 26 (Reuters) - Unions representing teachers, truck drivers and other workers who will be headed soon to the bargaining table turned out in downtown Los Angeles on Friday to support Hollywood's striking film and television writers. On Friday, a few hundred members of unions in the tourism and hospitality industries, teachers, logistics workers and public employees rallied in downtown Los Angeles in a show of unity. The participating unions represented more than 200,000 workers with collective bargaining agreements also due to expire in 2023, organizers said. "It's going to be a hot labor summer," Lorena Gonzalez, executive secretary of the California Labor Federation, told the crowd. [1/6] Union workers rally to fight alongside Writers Guild of America for liveable wages and future contracts in Downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 26, 2023.

☆ Striking Hollywood writers lament residuals slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The streaming residual check amounted to one-third of the $12,000 Jones received in residuals for writing one episode of the ABC drama "Queens." The writers argue that streaming services, which upended decades of television industry business practices, have significantly undercut their compensation. RESIDUALS WERE 'VERY HEALTHY'Streaming changed the compensation structure and now accounts for the largest share of TV residuals. One studio executive said writers negotiated a 46% increase in residuals for streaming programs, starting in 2022. The latest guild proposal would bump foreign streaming residuals by 200%, a number studio executives noted fails to recognize that subscription fees vary from country to country.

☆ Hollywood actors' union asks members to authorize possible strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, May 18 (Reuters) - The board of Hollywood's actors union asked members on Thursday to give negotiators the power to call a strike, a move that would add new pressure to major studios already facing a writers' strike. The SAG-AFTRA actors union set a June 5 deadline for its 160,000 members to cast ballots in a strike authorization vote. If approved, the measure would allow union leaders to call a work stoppage if they cannot reach a new contract agreement with major Hollywood studios. The writers' strike has disrupted production of late-night shows and some TV series, but some filming is continuing. A strike by actors would lead to a broader shutdown across the industry.

☆ ‘Picket’: Once a Military Barrier, Now a Tool of Protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Ben Zimmer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Linguist and lexicographer Ben Zimmer analyzes the origins of words in the news. Read previous columns here. Since May 2, when the Writers Guild of America called for a strike after contract talks fell through with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, WGA union members have joined picket lines in Los Angeles and New York City. Picketers have gathered every day in front of the offices of major studios, streaming services and networks, showing their solidarity with chants and creative signs.

☆ 'I got a check the other day for $8': TV and film writers share why they're on strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

TV and film writers at the picket line in New York on the first day of the WGA strike, May 2, 2023. Every three years, the Writers Guild of America, the TV and film writers' union, negotiates a contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. "You go from job to job," and each contract can look different from writer to writer depending on their experience, for instance. TV writer Sheri Holman on strike in New York. TV and film writer Chisa Hutchinson.

☆ 'iCarly' writers join the WGA strike as showrunner Ali Schouten calls out Hollywood studios' 'corporate greed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Insider spoke to Ali Schouten, the showrunner behind Paramount+ series "iCarly," about what's at stake. The "iCarly" writers will link up with the picket line outside the lot where the show is filmed, according to Ali Schouten, the series' showrunner and executive producer. Ahead of the "iCarly" writers' picketing on Thursday, I spoke with Schouten to understand what she and her colleagues are fighting for. Lisa Rose/Paramount+The last writers' strike resulted in $2 billion worth of losses for the California economy, and some experts predict the impact of this work stoppage could be even greater. How is the writers' strike impacting you, your business, or your family?

☆ Film and TV writers 'should not fear' AI, the chairman of UCLA's screenwriting program says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The chairman of UCLA's film program said writers may find AI tools useful despite their flaws. "Writers should not fear it," Walter told Insider regarding AI. "Writing and the writing process evolves," Walter, who has been "writing professionally for over half a century," said. He compares the advent of generative AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT to the invention of writing tools like Microsoft Word, saying they could potentially make the jobs of writers easier. For Walter, the more "profound" question is less about the current capabilities of AI and more about what's to come.

☆ With writers' strike already underway, film and TV studios start labor talks with directors
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Television and film studios, already dealing with a strike by the Writers Guild of America, started contract negotiations Wednesday with the Directors Guild of America. If those talks break down, they could lead to even broader work stoppages on film and television sets nationwide. Writers Guild of America members and supporters picket outside Sunset Bronson Studios and Netflix Studios, after union negotiators called a strike for film and television writers, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 3, 2023. There’s a good chance the Writers Guild could still be on strike at that point. Late night television shows were the first to be halted by the writers strike, and some other popular shows now in production, including Stranger Things, have been postponed as well.

☆ We asked ChatGPT to write a scene from the 'Succession' finale. Experts say it's 'insulting' and 'garbage.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AI is one of the unresolved issues that has led the WGA to strike, but ChatGPT isn't ready for prime time. Here's an AI-generated script of the 'Succession' finale — and what experts thought of it. To see if AI could actually do the job of a screenwriter, Insider asked OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus to write a hypothetical scene from the series finale of HBO series "Succession." Next, Insider asked ChatGPT to write a scene from the finale based on that prediction. "A bunch of monkeys" can write "Hamlet" better than ChatGPT can write "Succession," he added.

LOS ANGELES, May 8 (Reuters) - Writing for a new season of "The Handmaid's Tale" and a coming "Game of Thrones" prequel was halted as a nearly week-long strike by thousands of film and television writers rippled across Hollywood on Monday. Writing of the dystopian drama stopped when the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called a strike last week, Chang told Reuters on Monday. Martin said in a blog post that the writers' room for prequel series "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight" was "closed for the duration of the strike." Warner Bros has not announced a release date for "The Hedge Knight." The second season of "House of the Dragon," another "Game of Thrones" prequel, began filming in April, Martin said, and will continue in London and Wales.

☆ Hollywood writers' strike halts production of 'Stranger Things,' 'Severance,' Marvel's ‘Blade’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

More than 11,000 film and television writers, who say their compensation doesn't match the revenue generated in the streaming era, are on strike for the first time since 2008. Since then, a number of notable films and shows have halted or wrapped production early, including Netflix's "Stanger Things," Disney and Marvel's "Blade," AppleTV+'s "Severance" and Paramount's "Evil." Beyond the delayed production, and likely delayed releases, of these titles, industry experts worry the work pause could have a financial toll greater than that of the previous writers' strike. A number of productions with finished scripts, like Amazon's "The Rings of Power," have decided to continue filming without writers or showrunners on set. "While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike.

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