Following the renowned 2008 writer’s strike, fifteen years later WGA members and the talent of SAG-AFTRA have found themselves in a labor dispute with AMPTP, demanding better working conditions, reasonable pay and protections against the inevitable rise of artificial intelligence. Hear the tales of creative UM alumni who were affected by one of the most pivotal moments in film and television history.
After graduating in May from the University of Miami with a degree in motion pictures and creative advertising, Ryan Gus moved to New York City and scoured listings for jobs in production and late-night television. Think “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night With Seth Meyers” and “The Daily Show.”
But just days before she would take her last final exam, complete her last project and don her cap and gown, the Writers Guild of America voted to go on strike. Beginning on May 1 and lasting for the next six months, the TV programs that perhaps could have offered Gus her first big-time opportunity ceased production. So, Gus, who had worked as a lifeguard since she was 16, settled for a job in aquatics as a swim instructor.
“It was a little rough. I went through little phases of me just breaking down a bit because I didn’t want to do it, and I had no choice but to go do it because I needed to make money until I found something else,” Gus said.
Last year was a difficult time for many film college students like Gus who were desperately trying to find jobs and internships in the midst of multiple strikes in the entertainment industry — Los Angeles and New York City were hit the hardest.
Geethika Kataru, a motion pictures and political science major who also graduated in May, received a summer internship at Starz in Los Angeles through the Television Academy Foundation. Since many projects were shut down because of the strikes, her internship experience consisted mostly of simulating tasks she might have done if there had been an actual production.
“There wasn’t that much internship work to be doing actively at the time because a lot of the projects that Starz has are filmed domestically and couldn’t be filmed at the time,” Kataru said.
Cut the Cameras
While those seeking to break into the industry felt the impact of the strike, members of the WGA also joined by the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, picketed across the country for a better contract. SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors. However, unbeknownst to the public, these unions also include announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals.
As guild members and supporters fought for a better contract, the industry was halted, and most film and television projects could not continue. It not only affected guild members, but everyone involved in making movies and television shows from production assistants to temporary staff, as well their audiences.
“There are certain things on the table people are really angry about or just felt it was time to change the deal,” said UM professor and filmmaker Tom Musca, a WGA member for 40 years.
Although she could not find a job in the industry, Gus said she supported the work stoppage and the unions’ mission to secure broader protections for their members over fair pay, the impact of AI and residuals from streaming platforms.
“It needed to happen. It was a little scary while it was happening, but I think everyone was in it together and that’s what made it possible for as long as it did,” Gus said.
Kataru echoes similar sentiments to Gus.
“As somebody who is breaking into the field, I want to know that I’m breaking into a field that cares about its workers and not only because I want it to treat my peers right. I want it to treat me right,” Kataru said.
Tom Musca, who has been teaching at UM for 14 years, was working on a film, “Aguadilla,” —a tale about Dominican migrants in the titular city — in Puerto Rico when the strike happened. At the time of production, only the writers were on strike, which meant they could keep filming but could not legally change anything written in the script. However, after four days, filming had halted because the actors went on strike as well. Many famous actors joined, showing their support for the strike and fellow guild members including big names like Jennifer Coolidge, Jack Black and Eric André.
“If you’re in the Writers Guild of America, you were on strike. You couldn’t work for a producer,” Musca said. “You’re dealing with the producers, and you know they’re going to push back. Now, in this case, it’s doubly weird because I’m the producer and director.”
Musca said after five days of sitting on their hands in Puerto Rico, they qualified for an interim agreement that allowed them to continue filming. They had to agree in advance to any new terms that would be included in the contract to be able to continue filming with their actors who were in the guild.
“The pause was a dent in a car, not a collision,” Musca said. “They were able to finish filming Aguadilla.” The film is currently in its post-production phase.
Returning to The Scene
After months of picketing and negotiating, SAG-AFTRA members ended their strike. On Nov. 9, the strike was officially suspended, and picket locations closed, after the TV and Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to approve a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Writers, also known as the AMPTP, a trade association that represents over 350 production companies.
The deal was a win for many guild members. It includes more than $1 billion in new compensation and benefit plan funding, new compensation models for performers in streaming and guardrails for the use of AI and other benefits. The new deal is set to expire in June 2026..
Some say the strike was not a surprise, and they won’t be surprised to see more strikes in the film industry in the future.
“From my observation of not only the guild and our industry, but technology and where and how the influence of tech has been on the creative fields, I would not be surprised if we were on strike every three years at the end of every contract expiring,” said Alex Musca, a motions pictures alumnus who co-directed “Aguadilla” with his father.
Meanwhile, some UM film alumni say they hope to reap the gains of the settled strike while they still wait to gain entry in New York and Hollywood.
Gus, who landed a full-time salaried position at a software company doing data entry, continues to apply for jobs in television and production in New York City. Gianfranco Key, another alumnus who graduated in May from the motion pictures business track program, said he plans to move to New York City in April.
A Miami native, Key stayed in the area after finishing school and is currently working as a front desk receptionist job at a gym near his house. He says there is a lack of a film industry in South Florida, which made it even more difficult to find jobs along with the ramifications of the strikes.
If he’s not able to land something in the Big Apple, he said he will work another job outside of the industry while he continues his search. Despite it being a scary time, Key said he is glad the strikes happened because workers need to be compensated, and the industry wouldn’t work without those players.
“There is a long history of these studios abusing the workers and kind of milking them for all their work and not compensating them enough,” Key said.
Although the pay is not good, the studios are so big that everyone wants to work for them still, he added.
“Why do we have to be like one of the only industries where we still have to struggle for years and years to get somewhere and have to play into this game that has been set up for years since the golden age of Hollywood?” he asked. “It’s stupid and it no longer is feasible in today’s society.”
Kataru, who finished her summer internship at Starz, now Lionsgate Studios, said she is grateful but frustrated.
“Even having that [internship opportunity] or having a name that is recognizable as a company on my resumé, I felt like it still wasn’t enough,” said Kataru, who has moved to Los Angeles with two of her friends from her film program.
While she said she eventually wants to find work as a production assistant with the long-term goal of being a production executive at a studio, Kataru is working two part-time jobs as an administrative assistant for the non-profit advocacy group Women in Animation — WIA — and at Trader Joe’s. She says the WIA job is work that is more adjacent to the industry rather than in the industry itself.
“I think that’s what a lot of people that are even fully working professionals in the industry had to do,” she said. “They had to take jobs that were adjacent or just completely different.”
Striked and Stopped
The strike brought many facets of the media industry to a full halt. Due to the unwillingness of executives to meet the union’s asks many projects have been pushed back. If you had a project you were looking forward to in the foreseeable future , you might have to wait a bit longer.
Blade
Original Release: February 5, 2024
Delayed Release: November 7, 2024
Deadpool & Wolverine
Original Release: May 3, 2024
Delayed Release: July 26, 2024
Euphoria: Season 3
Original Release: Sometime in 2024
Delayed Release: Sometime in 2025
A Quiet Place: Day One
Original Release: March 8, 2024
Delayed Release: June 28, 2024
Snow White — Remake —
Original Release: March 22, 2024
Delayed Release: March 21, 2025
White Lotus: Season 3
Original Release: Sometime in 2024
Delayed Release: Sometime in 2025
words_isabella popaduik. illustration_rachel farinas. design_galina dumov.
This article was published in Distraction’s Spring 2024 print issue.
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