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SAG-AFTRA ratifies TV animation contracts that establish AI protections for voice actors
SAG-AFTRA announced on Friday night that its members approved new three-year contracts for voice actors working in TV animation. The contracts define voice actor as a term that "only includes humans" and set protections around AI, along with wage increases.
SAG-AFTRA deal includes a $40 million streaming bonus and AI protections
SAG-AFTRA reached a tentative deal with Hollywood studio executives this week, and are now calling on members to vote to ratify the deal. It would establish wage increases, AI protections, requirements for intimacy coordinators and the end of racist makeup practices.
SAG-AFTRA accuses studios of 'bully tactics' after talks break down
CEOs from Disney, Netflix and more reportedly walked away from the table.
Netflix lists $900,000 AI job as actors and writers continue to strike
Will this pair of Hollywood strikes ever end? It looks like the big corporations are digging in for a long battle, illustrated by Netflix’s recent job posting for a machine learning platform product manager. The position pays a $900,000 annual salary at a time when most actors make around $200 a day, according to the pre-existing SAG-AFTRA contract.
Striking actors say rejected 'AI proposal' would let studios use their likeness without fair pay
The AMPTP says the proposal was designed to 'protect performers' digital likenesses.'
Netflix deal with Hollywood union promises better conditions for actors
Netflix regularly works with unionized actors (they're ubiquitous in Hollywood), but usually on a show-by-show basis. Now, though, it's establishing a deeper connection. The service has signed a roughly three-year contract with SAG-AFTRA that provides expanded coverage for union work. It now recognizes "performance capture" (think motion capture) and dubbing as covered work, giving actors in those fields the same labor protections as others. The people voicing the English-language version of your favorite anime might have better pay and working conditions, to put it one way.
Video game voice actors gain bonus payments with new contract
Members of SAG-AFTRA have voted overwhelmingly to approve a new video game contact that grants performers bonus payments. The deal comes just over a month after the gaming industry's voice talent agreed to suspend one of the longest strikes in US history. Launched against 11 major game publishers (including EA and WB Games) on October 21st 2016, the strike lasted 340 days in total. Now that the trade union's board has given the proposal the thumbs up, the strike is officially over.
Video game voice actors reach deal to end almost year-long strike
SAG-AFTRA has reached a "tentative agreement" with leading video games publishers to end its strike. After months of debate, and rejected deals, voice artists began striking on October 21st. Along the way, they also carried out picketing campaigns against Electronic Arts, WB Games, and other firms. Now, 340 days down the line, the strike could finally be coming to a halt. The new agreement (which still needs to be approved by the labor union's board of directors) includes bonus pay relating to the amount of sessions a performer works on a game. The payments start at $75 for the first session and max out at $2,100 for ten sessions.
Actors on streaming shows reach a deal for better pay
It's not just writers who are getting a better deal from streaming video providers. SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a "tentative" 3-year deal that includes better pay for actors on Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and other subscription-based on-demand services. They'll now get their first residual payments (compensation for subsequent showings) within 90 days, rather than a year. They'll also get a higher residual rate, and will receive their first residuals for "foreign use." A streaming show available worldwide will be about 300 percent more lucrative over the first 2 years.
Voice actors will picket WB Games on November 3rd
Striking video game voice actors are determined to keep up the pressure on developers. In the wake of a picketing campaign against Electronic Arts last week, the SAG-AFTRA union is calling on actors and supporters to picket WB Games on November 3rd. This action by itself probably won't get WB and other targeted studios to change their ways, but it stresses that actors aren't backing down on calls for better pay, particularly for strenuous voice recordings or popular titles.
Video game voice actors push for standardized contracts
In the midst of a protracted squabble, the union representing voice actors has come up with a contract for low-budget indie game developers. SAG-AFTRA is promoting a new agreement for titles under $250,000 that would limit difficult vocal sessions (presumably involving yelling or other vocal gymnastics) to two hours. Actors would also be paid double for such work, and collect residuals above the normal rate ($825.50 for four hours) for games that sell 500,000 units or more.
Video game voice actors may go on strike
Voice acting in video games is serious and often thankless work. You have to recite hours of dialog that doesn't always get heard, and only a handful of actors (like Nolan North, John DiMaggio and Troy Baker) have high-profile careers. However, they're now fighting to get a bigger piece of the pie. The actor union SAG-AFTRA is considering voting for a strike that would push for more payments and greater rights for game voice actors. It's proposing that these performers should get bonuses every time a game sells 2 million copies, and stunt pay when they have to strain their voices -- think about every game where your character screamed from taking damage. The guild also wants stunt coordinators for motion capture work, and it hopes to prevent companies from both hiring their own unionless staff as well as instituting fines over relatively arbitrary faults, such as failing to audition for small roles.
