Project Presents: For the New Pilot Season, AFTRA Is In and SAG Is Out!

Last year’s crippling writers’ strike is still fresh in the minds of both Hollywood power players and the American public who witnessed all new and original television content disappear practically overnight. True, each show had a few episodes in store that were shot prior to the strike, which the producers were able to economically debut at varying intervals to maximize the number of weeks remaining before the shows went into indefinite repeats, but overall the strike’s effects were devastating to both the industry and the media-consuming public alike. No one wants a repeat of what transpired, especially in the present economic downturn, but with SAG, the Screen Actor’s Guild, and the AMPTP, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, currently unable to reach an agreement in their negotiations of SAG’s new contract, this remains a real possibility. Even more troubling than their failure to reach an agreement is the success of AFTRA (The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) in signing a separate agreement last summer with the AMPTP in lieu of teaming up with SAG to negotiate jointly as it has previously done. As a result of AFTRA’s success and SAG’s unresolved negotiations, those in charge of the approaching 2009 pilot season are increasingly choosing AFTRA contracts over those of SAG. Fifty of the seventy pilots that have been greenlit for filming and network presentation are doing so under AFTRA—sending a message to SAG that they better settle negotiations quickly, or lose out on the season altogether. The more AFTRA shows are made the less power SAG has to negotiate with now and—if AFTRA becomes the increasingly popular choice beyond this season—in the future. Indeed, there are already indications of a more permanent utilization of AFTRA contracts in primetime television

Whereas in the past there was a clear distinction between the two unions—AFTRA represented television and radio artists and SAG solely covered feature film contracts—recently both unions have begun taking on projects in all three categories, blurring the distinctions between each while simultaneously expanding the competition for jobs. What makes AFTRA so appealing to Hollywood executives right now is the security it offers. For almost a year SAG has been plagued by infighting due to dissenting opinions within its own bureaucracy. Richard Verrier points to the strides SAG is making to address and ameliorate their internal problems, specifically by ousting Doug Allen, the former chief negotiator and a strong advocate of striking, in the hopes that his removal would bring a resolution of the negotiations, but as of yet no progress has been made. However, with the television world securing alternatives and moving forward without SAG, even if the organization were to strike, they have lost much of their bargaining power. The best strategic tactic any union has is the ability to picket, but as the general population felt with the writers, television is where the audience first experiences the impact. While the industry recognizes the immediate ramifications of a motion picture actor’s walkout, because it means shutting down production on all films, the American public and international audiences do not see any tangible effects for one or two years, when new movie debuts cease. The film content slated for 2009 and 2010 has already been shot, and studios will have to release them on schedule in order to keep revenue flowing. Absent the backlash from the general population that affected the writers’ negotiations, SAG would have difficulty gaining an upper hand by imposing a boycott. Furthermore, during the writer’s walkout last year, Dave McNary wrote in Variety that the support of SAG and the Director’s Guild was key in solidifying a WGA (Writers Guild of America) win; yet according to Patrick Goldstein, SAG would not get much support right now because of the recession, but more importantly he argues that “when the WGA went on strike, there was a true sense of solidarity with other guilds, notably SAG, based on the feeling that the studios had pushed things too far…the WGA had the high moral ground. SAG today doesn't have similar support.” If the perception of intransigence on the part of SAG members persists and if the union’s reputation as being difficult to deal with continues there might very well be a repeat of AFTRA dominance even after SAG has worked out its issues.

What may in the end cement AFTRA’s return to primetime dominance is its positive impact on the bottom line. All AFTRA projects are required to be shot on non-film mediums, which led to its success in the 1960s and 1970s when recording multi-camera comedies on video was the norm. When the cost of film processing declined shortly thereafter the industry shifted back to celluloid. However with the current boom in HD technology and the new RED camera, a digital tool that looks like thirty-five mm, going back to alternative formats for television seems like a smart and convenient way to cut one to two percent of production budgets without cutting production value or jobs. Cheaper costs mean more profit for the networks and studios, which is important right now especially with online downloading and video streaming stealing television viewers and advertisers. The most important thing is to keep the industry working and delivering to its audiences, who have been faithful. Since the beginning of 2009, movie ticket sales have been up17.5% and theater attendance has risen 16%, indicating that while the rest of the country is experiencing the hard hits of the recession Hollywood is booming. Accordingly, studios should be investing in new projects, but the possibility of a SAG walkout is keeping them at bay, worried that a strike could push Hollywood into financial crisis. If this were to happen, a backlash would most certainly ensue, leaving SAG even more alienated than it already is. In the end, money talks, and it will continue speaking long after SAG has a new contract. The best suggestion to SAG would be to keep negotiating, settle quickly, and avoid any disruptive strikes, because in this town, when you’re out, you’re out.