What the fuck are the studios gonna do, make movies and shows without actors?
Highlights: The negotiating committee of the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, told its members on Saturday that it had received a “Last, Best and Final Offer” from the major entertainment studios as a strike that has brought much of Hollywood to a standstill continued for a 114th day.
“We are reviewing it and considering our response within the context of the critical issues addressed in our proposals,” the negotiating committee said. They did not say when they would respond to the offer, which came after an hourlong video conference call that included top studio executives.
Included in the offer was a wage increase that could be the highest in four decades, according to a person familiar with the offer who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations. The studios also offered the actors a new way to determine residuals for streaming programs based on performance metrics, and protections on artificial intelligence, including consent and compensation requirements. The studios also offered an increase to the pension and health funds.
If AI can write, direct, act, and stage the movie then what is the production company for?
If everything can be done by computer, then one small shop can type the idea into some cloud service and spit out a movie just as easily as Disney.
Sure, for a couple years things might be proprietary, but just like every other software innovation, it’ll quickly trickle down to everyone else and then the only thing left for a studio to do is marketing.