#fuck amptp

[thefirsthogokage]

So, the AMPTP basically said that the studios take too much risk to pay people anything for streaming shows. Here's John Rogers and David Slack responding to that.

(link to top of thread)

[Image ID: A tweet thread from John Rogers on July 23rd, 2023 that reads in its entirety:

Last time I had a failure - which was collateral damage in an argument between the studio and the network - I had to personally fire 200 people, they all were off payroll by that afternoon, and I was also out of a job. The executives all continued to get paid. So fuck off.

Actually, that’s not true. The failure after that one happened as collateral damage in one of the mergers, so it had nothing to do with the quality of the show. And I had to wait, forbidden to work, not earning a dime, as they shopped it for six months.

Also several of my writers were cheated of their expected salaries, some losing up to 75%, for reasons too complicated to explain here. Those executives, both studio and streamer, all kept their jobs. So double fuck off.

Actually no, my last failure was a show where after delivery the network made us wait *seven months … for a PASS*. Seven months where I was in first position, and again, was forbidden from working.

Do that was one pilot fee, cut in half with a partner, for a year and a half’s work counting development. Those executives, both studio and network, kept their jobs.

So *triple* fuck off.

Luckily I had my tiny sliver of back end from TRANSFORMERS - no, wait, no, because according to the Hollywood accounting while that movie grossed something like a billion dollars all in, it unfortunately wound up $36 million in the hole.

So QUADRUPLE fuck off.

If you’re dumb enough to take that AMPTP statement at face value, responsible adults should remove all the scissors from your home. You are the reason hair dryers have the “Do not use while sleeping” warning.

/End ID]

I believe that merger one was Leverage or The Librarians. Both were doing REALLY well before they got cancelled due to network shit, I know that much. So the network/studio one could be either of those as well. Probably Leverage?

(Link to top of thread)

[Image ID: A tweet thread from David Slack posted July 21st, 2023 that reads in its entirety:

The studios claim they shouldn’t have to share revenue for the success of the shows we make succeed because they assume all the risk.

Well.

To paraphrase a famous actor: There’s more than one type of risk, motherfucker.

While the studios and their new hedge fund besties may assume some modest financial risk, any losses just go on a balance sheet next to the C-suite’s golden parachutes.

The workers in this industry, on the other hand, risk a hell of a lot more than that.

Most working actors live with the constant uncertainty of never knowing where their next paycheck will come from or how long it will be between jobs. That’s risk.

If they work a second job, they often risk losing it every time they take time off for auditions or jobs.

Actors also generally have little control over the final product, so *every* role is a risk for them. Sure, it could be the hit that changes everything. But it could also be a flop that hurts their career for years. They become “the guy from that thing” and can’t get more work.

Under our old contract, writers put in untold hours of free work developing and rewriting pitches and scripts for features and TV. Much of this work is on spec. That’s a huge risk writers take on — yet the studios are happy to benefit from the upside without taking on any risk.

Writers, actors, crew, and directors also risk our personal relationships, spending long hours at work, frequently across the country or around the world. Our partners soldier on without us. Our kids miss us and we can only hope they’ll understand.

That’s a huge risk.

Stunt performers literally risk their lives for the shows we make. Productions and crews take every possible precaution to ensure their safety, but accidents still can and do happen.

You gonna try and tell us that’s not risk?

All of us risk our health and safety working insane hours to keep up with the schedules our bosses create. When was the last time David Zaslav or Bob Iger worked a Fraturday? Do they even know what one is?

In production, where 14, 15, and 16 hour days are common, people have died from falling asleep at the wheel driving to and from set.

And the studios have the fucking gall to say they’re taking all the risk?

We risk our finances, our families, our friendships, our futures, and sometimes our lives to make a product for you that you have no idea how to make yourselves.

All you risk is money.

And by the fucking way, we *know* you can afford to give us success-based pay — because you’ve been doing it for 83 YEARS.

Remember 1960? When both the WGA and SAG went on strike and won…

residuals for TV?

Residuals for TV *are* success-based pay. Great movies and TV shows re-ran more often, so the people who created and starred in them got more money as a reward for that success. It’s a great system that incentivized workers to bust their asses to make great shows.

And you know what happened to the entertainment industry in the 8 decades studios have been making these success-based payments?

IT THRIVED.

Studios made billions in revenue selling our product all around the world.

But now, the studios say they can’t afford it. They say it’s not “fair” for actors to ask for success-based pay because they don’t take on any risk.

That’s stupid.

It’s offensive.

And it’s a lie.

It’s shameful that the AMPTP and their studio bosses are trying to deny the workers who make their product a bonus for success that is time-tested and has 83 years of precedent.

And that they’re lying about it?

That’s just… uncivilized. #WGAStrong #SAGAFTRAStrong

/End ID]

The absolute fuckery of this statement that came from the AMPTP is that the studios thought this would gain them sympathy. They were wrong. They genuinely thought this was a good statement from them because they DO think they take all the risk because they can't see people who don't have their wealth as real people. They can't.

Wealth is a disease.

No one should make the kind of money these people make. It makes them so out of touch they think of themselves as gods among ants. They step on those ants? They don't notice. They don't care. They just keep moving forward to gain as much money as possible, even though they have no way to spend it.

Fuck the studios, a new system needs to be built around them so that they'll die.

[thatrandomblogsays]

Source

[Image ID: the destiel meme, Cas is saying ‘I love you’ below him is Dean with the caption ‘The SAG strike has ended. The union has reached a tentative agreement with AMPTP. Go union!]

[chubbydino]

tfw a major car brand accepts your salary range and wants to move on to the next round of interviews

[classycoffeecat]

In light of AMPTP walking away from the bargaining table, thought I would post this fun little link right here:

There are a lot of areas around the country hosting pickets, rallies, and events for the strike, not just in NYC and LA.

You dont have to be a member to join the lines or participate in the events (unless specified), just be respectful and also be mindful that members of SAG-AFTRA can't talk about certain shows or media, so don't be surprised if you are talking to someone and they are being vague about their projects. Part of actors' contracts is promotion and even talking about a show on a picket line could be considered promotion.

Anyways, do with this info what you will! 😉

[melodichaeuxx-lacritquexx]

The AMPTP didn’t even try to negotiate, they just straight up rejected mostly everything and and it was so reasonable. @destinyc1020 come look at this bullshit

[tangledndark]

Katy O'Brian on Twitter

[greatcanadian-eh-hole]

[montanabohemian]

if i see a single one of you pissed that your faves canceled an event or a con appearance because they're striking for fair wages then imma come for you in your sleep 🔪🔪🔪

(direct that fury where it belongs: AMPTP and the execs)

[littleblackraincloudofcourse]

Since the studios dicked around for months (and still are), instead of settling the strikes, after this month I'll be out of new shows for I while. Time to catch up on my reading and rewatch some old favorites. I've also started writing fanfiction again for the first time since high school. If my post seemed weird before . . . Honey you have no idea

[hypercaring5]

It truly hit me just how big of a ramification the AI takeover on acting could have on the entertainment business. Sure, there's the obvious one of having AI-generated stand-ins instead of actual actors, but I mean it'll affect all other parts of the industry.

We all know the big-name actors are probably going to shrug this off like it's nothing, but the smaller actors? They're hurting a lot and we need them! Imagine, without these actors, there won't be make-up artists making sure the background actors fit in the world they're trying to film. There won't be a costume department dressing the extras. They won't need propmakers to create and source props for these actors to interact with. Stuntpeople? Definitely won't need them. Catering won't be needed because there are no people to feed. Casting directors aren't really that necessary anymore. Agents? Why would AI need agents? Same goes with PR, publicist, etc. There are probably even more situations that I can't think of right now!

In this capitalist world, the only people that benefit from AI are the 1% that already hold most of the wealth in this world anyway. And I don't want the world to go in that direction.

[thefirsthogokage]

More call outs on bullshit the AMPTP is saying they have all the risk and the people who work on their productions don't.

This has been in my drafts for apparently like a month and a half and I have no idea why I didn't just post this before. Anywho, sorry, my bad.

[Image ID: a tweet thread from Geoff Thorne's (@wintermanbooks) from July 23rd, 2023, that reads:

When I agreed to come on as showrunner for Black Panther's Quest, I was presented with an NDA that precluded me or my reps from telling anyone what I was doing or who for, for the duration. this took a 2-year bite out of my career & ghosted me in the eyes of potential employers.

When I was done with that job, my live-action career was AGGRESSIVELY stalled because, as more than one potential employer told me, "I thought you'd left the business." That 1 job (nominated for 2 IMAGE awards, BTW) nearly ended my career. Talk to me about risk again. #WGAStrong

CODA.

Even though I was the showrunner & head writer on that show, because it was an animation gig, guess what I get in residuals for that near career-killer?

That's right, zero dollars. No, risk?

Go and entirely fuck yourselves, you money-shuffling posers.

(Link to tweets: one - two - three)

/End ID]

[Image ID: A tweet thread by Matt Altman (@mattaltman2) from July 23rd, 2023 (that I had a real hard time getting to because Twitter is bullshit or him deleting it? Or he went private? Probably the glitching) that reads in its entirety:

I optioned a script and did 23 rewrites and a bunch of polishes for free so we could get a director attached and then they’d activate the one paid rewrite. I barely (with the help of friends) paid rent for months. But we don’t take risks. Oh yeah— that happened more than once

I “sold” my first script, got an announcement in Deadline, had meetings about the rewrite, and waited over a year and a half for the lawyers… only for the company to declare bankruptcy and never get paid. But no risk. I’ve done untold hours of free development… but no risk.

Optioned a feature script with rewrite. They brought me in for another rewrite, but were shocked when my reps billed for the optional step. They expected free pass. Fired me, hired a big writer to rewrite my original spec for 7 figures. My step would’ve cost 25k. But no risk

(Link to tweets: one - two - three)

/End ID]

[thatrandomblogsays]

I’m so happy for them

[Image Description: Castiel from Supernatural is saying I love you, underneath is an image of Dean Winchester with the caption: “After four months of striking the WGA has a reached a tentative agreement & finalizing the contract. If all goes well writers will get to return to work with better pay and protections. They did it. Go unions”]

(Source)

[fairyboygenius]

it’s incredibly disheartening to be a writer who wants to eventually work in hollywood and finally discovering how people in my life really feel about the compensation writers in hollywood deserve (and how few of them actually believe that AI is a real danger to the future of the arts)

[azuremist]

SAG just released all the deal points and the AMPTP’s response, and you can find ALL of it online but I feel like this screenshot from it sums the whole thing up.

[theabstruseone]

More bullshit going on with the strike. Here's basically what happened (linking to the official WGA statement on the matter if you want a proper source minus all my snark)

AMPTP asked for a meeting about having a meeting about coming back to the negotiation table with the WGA.

AMPTP straight up DEMANDED a full media and press blackout about the meeting.

AMPTP said they were unwilling to negotiate the majority of major issues the WGA are striking over.

AMPTP then IMMEDIATELY started leaking information to Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and other industry news outlets that are owned by AMPTP member company Penske Media (this conflict of interest is seemingly never stated in their coverage of the strike)

WGA released a statement.

AMPTP is pretending to be angry that the WGA broke the media blackout that they themselves never intended to uphold.

A poll conducted by marketing research firm Leger released on Wednesday shows that the AMPTP only has support from 7% of respondents. That's not a typo, only seven percent.

[queerxqueen]

thinking about how much more fun stranger things day would be if netflix would agree to sag aftra's reasonable demands for living wages and protections so that the cast could actually be involved and the folks involved could proudly promote their work. instead we have official accounts promoting merch and streaming full episodes on tiktok, because they have nothing better to offer, because they've been dragging their feet on paying the people who actually make their content for literal months.