What if, the studios said F_CK IT and end their contract with the WGA?
I’m going to play devil’s advocate for a second. What if the studios cut their losses and end their deal with the WGA?
I’m already seeing clever and conniving strategies. I first caught wind of it when HBO started taking films and series out of their library. Residuals hurt their bottom line! Now with the invention of AI, ChatGPT, Deep Fake, and Midjourney, it’s only going to get more devious. SAG would end as well. What if actors license their faces and voice for a nice fee? No reason to go on set. You can do multiple films a year without physically being there. IATSE? Everything is basically green-screened and AI is making realistic sets on demand. Maybe DGA will survive a little longer with a skeleton crew.
It’s hard to think about these questions from a corporate point of view or a sociopath. But the warning signs are there.
So where will that leave us? How are we going to salvage a 100-year-old institution? How are you safeguarding your future as a filmmaker?
Granted I have never worked/pitched to the studios or networks before. Everything I’ve done has been independent but I read the trades daily and I’m feeling a zeitgeist.
Filmmaker Rant – Jesús Sifuentes
