SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.A plethora of stars, including Adam Scott, Lena Dunham and the cast of “New Girl,” have taken to eBay to sell off strange things in an attempt to fill the coffers for out-of-work union members picketing studios. On eBay, a new store has been established by the Union Solidarity Coalition, which is auctioning off celebs’ talents and items to fans.According to the group’s website, it’s hoping to “offer direct financial support to crew members who have lost health insurance due to strike-related shutdowns.”The fund-raiser includes a multitude of listings from A-listers across film and TV that viewers can buy in an effort to raise money for crew members who are financially suffering during the protests.One listing shows “Parks and Recreation” and “Severance” star Scott, 50, offering to walk your dog for an hour — for $3,050!However, your doggo must be located in the Los Angeles area.
Art Directors Guild Chief Says Below-The-Line Workers Are “Bearing The Brunt” of Ongoing WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes
02.09.2023 - 21:17 / deadline.com
Chuck Parker, national executive director of the Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800, said that “it has become frighteningly apparent” that below-the-line workers are “bearing the brunt” of the ongoing strikes by actors and writers. He is reminding his members that help is available for those struggling to maintain their union health coverage and to make ends meet.
“I understand that most of you are frustrated by the condition that our Industry is currently in,” he wrote in an email to members on Friday. “Both the writers’ and actors’ strikes have brought our industry to its knees. I also realize that many of you have passed the point of frustration and find yourselves in despair, and for some, borderline desperation.
“While the writers and actors have the right to strike over what they feel (and have consistently communicated that) they deserve, they also feel that the employer is not engaging with them in a meaningful way.” The Writers Guild has been on strike since May 2, and SAG-AFTRA since July 14.
“However, it has become frighteningly apparent that the ones who are bearing the brunt of the resultant economic fallout are the rank-and-file members of the IATSE, the Teamsters, the Basic Crafts and our valued vendors that we rely on, on a daily basis,” Parker wrote.
“If I could make a phone call to anyone who is responsible for this situation and get us all back to work, I would,” he wrote, saying that Matt Loeb, president of IATSE, and Mike Miller, head of the union’s West Coast office, would, too. “The truth, though, is that we have no standing in this dispute. The only thing we can do, the only action we can take, is to find ways to help each other that have consequence.”
“We know that many members are heading into
Bill Backed By WGA & SAG-AFTRA To Give Unemployment Insurance To Striking Workers In California Clears Labor Committee; Now Heads To Full State Senate
A bill that wouldmake striking workers in California eligible to receive unemployment benefits was approved on Wednesday by a 4-1 vote of the state Senate’sLabor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. Senate Bill 799, which has already been passed by the state Assembly, now goes to a vote of the full Senate. If approved there, it will be up to Governor Gavin Newsom to either sign it into law or veto it. Last year, he vetoed 169 bills while signing nearly 1,000.
Herb Alpert Foundation Donates $250,000 To Entertainment Community Fund To Aid Industry Workers During WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes; Matching Donation Brings Gift To $500,000
The Herb Alpert Foundation has donated $250,000 to the Entertainment Community Fund to aid idled film and TV industry workers during the ongoing Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes. A matching donation by an anonymous donor brings the total gift to $500,000.
Inevitable Foundation President Says Disabled Writers Are Resilient Amid SAG-AFTRA Strike Despite Facing ‘Ticking Time-Bomb’ of Losses
Paul Plunkett The entertainment industry can be brutal and punishing even during the best of times, let alone amid disruptive WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. But it’s even tougher for those with disabilities.While there have been highly publicized donations to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation from superstars such as Dwayne Johnson, Oprah Winfrey and other A-listers to help their fellow union members through this challenging time, philanthropic organizations such as the Inevitable Foundation, launched in 2021, have stepped up while keeping their focus on their mission, helping writers with disabilities. “The higher up you get up in the industry, the less representation there is offscreen,” says Richie Siegel, the organization’s co-founder and president, noting that America’s largest minority group, the disabled, is the least visible.
Cinecittà Studios CEO Nicola Maccanico on Impending Pain of SAG-AFTRA Strike: It Could ‘Become a Big Problem for Us’
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Nicola Maccanico, a former Warner Bros. and Sky Italia senior exec, has been spearheading the radical overhaul of Rome’s Cinecittà Studios since June 2021, when the government-owned facilities secured a multi-million dollar loan provided by the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery fund to upgrade and expand the iconic facilities. Under Maccanico’s watch, the studios – which now boast 20 state-of-the-art soundstages and one of Europe’s largest LED walls – have become a magnet for Hollywood productions, such as Netflix’s period soap “The Decameron” and Roland Emmerich’s gladiator series “Those About to Die,” which is still currently shooting.
California Assembly Passes Bill Supported By WGA & SAG-AFTRA That Would Provide Unemployment Insurance For Striking Workers
A bill that would provide unemployment insurance to striking workers in California passed the state Assembly on Monday and now is headed to the Senate Labor Committee and then to the Senate floor. If passed there, Senate Bill 799 would go to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature.
‘Beetlejuice 2’ Has Less Than Two Days of Filming Left to Shoot Once SAG-AFTRA Strike Ends; ‘It Is 99% Done,’ Tim Burton Confirms
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Tim Burton and Micheal Keaton’s “Beetlejuice 2” only had a day and a half left of filming when the SAG-AFTRA strike shut production down indefinitely. The Warner Bros.’-backed production started filming in May in London amid the WGA strike. “I feel grateful we got what we got,” Burton told The Independent in a recent interview.
Drew Barrymore On Talk Show Return Amid WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes: “I Own This Choice”
Drew Barrymore is opening up about returning to her daytime talk show amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Earlier this year, The Drew Barrymore Show host walked away from her hosting duties at MTV Movie & TV Awards in support of the writers.
Drew Barrymore Announces Talk Show Return, Says New Season Will Still Follow WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strike Rules
Michaela Zee Drew Barrymore is returning for the fourth season of her eponymous daytime talk show sooner than expected. Barrymore announced on social media that “The Drew Barrymore Show” will begin its fourth season soon, in accordance with the rules of the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes. The actor first referred to her decision to step down as host of the MTV Film and TV Awards in May, in a show of support and solidarity to the striking WGA members.
Greg Berlanti Sets $800,000 for Strike Relief Fund Benefitting Employees, Below-the-Line Workers
Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Prolific showrunner Greg Berlanti is donating nearly $1 million to current and former employees affected by Hollywood’s ongoing labor strikes and urging “other industry workers in a fortunate enough situation” to do the same. An email from the “Love, Simon” director circulated Friday afternoon and was addressed to any Berlanti staffer in recent years who needs immediate financial assistance over work stoppages from the ongoing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Beverly Hills Temple Of The Arts Offers Free Admission To High Holy Day Services For Striking WGA & SAG-AFTRA Members
The Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts at the Saban Theatre, the largest arts and entertainment synagogue in the U.S., is offering complimentary seating to striking members of the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA and their immediate families for its High Holy Day Services on Rosh Hashanah (September 15 and 16) and Yom Kippur (September 24 and 25). Tickets for non-Temple members for both services normally cost $500 each.
Dispatches From The Picket Lines: WGA & SAG-AFTRA Rally To Support California Granting Unemployment Benefits To Striking Workers; NYC Event Focuses On Climate Change
This is Day 129 of the WGA strike and Day 56 of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
WGA & SAG-AFTRA To Rally For California Bill That Would Grant Unemployment Insurance To Strikers
The Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA will rally on Thursday at Amazon Studio in Culver City to highlight their push a bill that would provide unemployment insurance to striking workers in California. Striking writers and actors in New York and New Jersey are already eligible to receive unemployment benefits after 14 days on the picket line, but not in California.
Warner Bros. Discovery Says It Will Take $300 Million-$500 Million Hit in 2023 Earnings Due to Dual WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strikes
Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery expects the ongoing Hollywood strikes to have a $300 million-$500 million negative impact on the company’s 2023 earnings.
Revisiting the 1980 SAG-AFTRA Strike with ‘MASH’ Stars, an Emmy Boycott and All-Night Negotiating Sessions: ‘We’re Going to Strike Like Hell’
Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Loretta Swit remembers well the night she won her first Emmy Award. On Sept. 7, 1980, the “MASH” star sat in her agent’s living room in Beverly Hills, watching the ceremony on TV when she heard her name called out and saw her picture flash on the screen.
NYC Filming Permits Drop 53% in August, First Full Month of Dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes
Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer New York City filming permits declined 53% year over year in August, which marked the first full month of the year during which both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) were on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Per the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MoME), 364 permits were issued to 157 projects from Aug. 1 to Aug.
Sam Asghari Walks SAG-AFTRA Strike Picket Line After Britney Spears Split
Britney Spears’ estranged husband, Sam Asghari, took to the streets of Los Angeles on Thursday to stand in solidarity with his fellow performers as part of the ongoing strikes organized by SAG-AFTRA and WGA.
‘Magpie Murders’ Indie Options C.M. Ewan Novel; Art Directors Guild Awards; Daisy’s Law Drama Series – Global Briefs
‘Magpie Murders’ Indie Options C.M Ewan Novel
Selena Gomez Deletes ‘Only Murders’ Instagram Post After Being Accused of Breaking SAG-AFTRA Strike Rules
Zack Sharf Digital News Director An Instagram post that tagged her Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building” was pulled from Selena Gomez’s profile after she was accused by many followers of breaking SAG-AFRTA strike rules. The post appeared to be a video from the set of the comedy show. Gomez tagged the official Instagram account for “Only Murders in the Building” in the caption for the video and added: “Missing and wanting.” The post generated over 1.1 million likes in 15 hours before it was pulled from Gomez’s profile.
‘The Creator’ Director Gareth Edwards On Film About War Between Humans & AI That Parallel WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes
Gareth Edwards, the director, producer and co-writer of The Creator, is opening up about the timing of the release of his film that draws parallels to the fight between SAG-AFTRA and WGA members against the studios.