The reverberations of the ongoing major strikes in Hollywood are making a significant impact on Australia’s film sector, with numerous cast and crew members engaged in international productions being adversely affected.
The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG_AFTRA), boasting a combined membership of 160,000, recently joined the Writers Guild of America in walking out due to failed pay negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
The impasse shows no sign of resolution.
Veteran US film and TV actor James Huang, now in Melbourne, supports the decision to halt Hollywood and global productions. Huang, a SAG-AFTRA member since the 1990s, explained, “This strike is entirely about advocating for the working class. It pertains to studios exploiting actors’ likeness with AI, technology, streaming, and accountability for residual income, which is integral to actors’ livelihood. Celebrities supporting the strike may represent it, but it’s fundamentally about the working-class actor.”
The disruption from streaming platforms has transformed the landscape for writers and actors. Residual income from DVD sales and re-runs, a stable source of earnings, has dwindled with the rise of streaming services.
The strike has affected offshore productions in Australia, notably halting “Mortal Kombat 2” and “Apples Never Fall” on the Gold Coast, where around 800 workers were temporarily laid off without pay.
The effects extend beyond the screen. The production halt has left Docklands Studios underutilized, and the virtual production studio funded by the Victorian government is in maintenance. Supply chain businesses like prop shop Prop-A-Ganda also face challenges.
The delays caused by the strikes have pushed back releases and promotions. Despite Australia’s attraction to big-budget productions through tax incentives and subsidies, concerns have arisen about the dependence on international productions.
While streamers like Netflix have found success with Australian content, industry players call for local content quotas to ensure a sustainable local industry amidst the digital disruption. The Australian Writers’ Guild advocates for at least a 20% local content requirement for international streamers.
Peter Mattessi from the Australian Writers’ Guild emphasized, “If we don’t address the issues arising from the digital disruption of streaming platforms, we risk losing more than just jobs; we risk losing our connection to stories that have helped people understand the world for centuries.”
As Hollywood’s strikes continue to unfold, the effects on Australia’s film landscape underscore the intricate interconnections within the global entertainment industry.
