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Writers and Actors Guild of America Strike 2023

May 3, 2023#1

ThatNickGuy

Welp, the writers in Hollywood are on strike, which means that, unless this is settled fast, we're about see repeats of the 2007 strike.

The Writer's Guild of America (WGA) are being very transparent about their demands, too. This isn't just about pay, although that is part of it. This is also about how they were screwed by the shift the streaming. How streaming platforms have zero transparency about their viewership, which means there are no bargaining tools if the writer wants to renegotiate or ask about getting a second season. It's also arguing against AI, something that is becoming an ongoing fight against corporations.

Naturally, I'm in favor of the strike, as writers often get the short end of the stick when it comes to Hollywood. What I'm most curious about is the aftermath of it, how long it'll go, and how that will affect any current productions. The second season of House of the Dragon, for example, won't face any delays as all the scripts were handed in. However, that ALSO means they can't legally do any reshoots or rewrites. They'll have to use the scripts as is. Things like this nearly killed shows back in 2007, like the second season of Heroes.

May 3, 2023#2

GasBandit

Oh boy, here comes more "Reality TV".

Adam Conover went on CNN to talk about how the MediaCorps "pleading poverty" is ridiculous when the requested compensation for all the writers doesn't even equal the CEO's pay last year.

May 3, 2023#3

PatrThom

GasBandit said:
the requested compensation for all the writers doesn't even equal the CEO's pay last year.

Hmm…where have I heard that level of disparity before?

—Patrick

May 5, 2023#4

ThatNickGuy

May 5, 2023#5

ThatNickGuy

Studios Demand Showrunners Work During Writers Strike

Studios Demand Showrunners Work During Writers Strike

Letters to striking writer-producers from studios including those owned by Warner Bros. and Disney state that they must perform non-writing duties and may be obligated to act against their guild's own mandates.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

I hope every single showrunner spits in the studios' faces from the picket line.

May 5, 2023#6

ThatNickGuy

Warner Bros Discovery’s Hour-Long Earnings Call Omits Any Mention Of WGA Strike, But CEO David Zaslav Tells CNBC He Believes “A Love For Working” Will End It

Well, if that's the case, let's cut his pay and bonuses entirely and see how much that love for working works out for him.

May 6, 2023#7

mikerc

ThatNickGuy said:
Studios Demand Showrunners Work During Writers Strike

Studios Demand Showrunners Work During Writers Strike

Letters to striking writer-producers from studios including those owned by Warner Bros. and Disney state that they must perform non-writing duties and may be obligated to act against their guild's own mandates.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

I hope every single showrunner spits in the studios' faces from the picket line.

Yeesh. Saying they don't need to pay them while they're on strike, threatening to sack them if they strike & frantically trying to imply that they'd be better off resigning from the WGA and keeping working during the strike, using very similar language to Amazon et al when they're desperately trying to stop people forming unions.

Spitting in their faces is to good for them.

May 6, 2023#8

figmentPez

ThatNickGuy said:
Studios Demand Showrunners Work During Writers Strike

Studios Demand Showrunners Work During Writers Strike

Letters to striking writer-producers from studios including those owned by Warner Bros. and Disney state that they must perform non-writing duties and may be obligated to act against their guild's own mandates.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

I hope every single showrunner spits in the studios' faces from the picket line.

Andor is Also Resuming Production During the Writers Strike
"showrunner Tony Gilroy is doing non-writer duties for his hit show."

May 9, 2023#9

Ravenpoe

figmentPez said:
Andor is Also Resuming Production During the Writers Strike
"showrunner Tony Gilroy is doing non-writer duties for his hit show."

Booooo

May 9, 2023#10

ThatNickGuy

figmentPez said:
Andor is Also Resuming Production During the Writers Strike
"showrunner Tony Gilroy is doing non-writer duties for his hit show."

I have to wonder what "non-writing duties" look like.

May 9, 2023#11

Bubble181

ThatNickGuy said:
I have to wonder what "non-writing duties" look like.

Typing, dactylography, calligraphy,...

May 10, 2023#12

Dave

Stranger Things 5 is on hold indefinitely due to the strike. Man that sucks a lot.

May 10, 2023#13

evilmike

Tony Gilroy has told The Hollywood Reporter that he is no longer performing any non-writing duties for Andor, the Disney+ Star Wars show he created and runs. In a statement, Gilroy responded to criticism he received from a fellow Writers Guild member for performing such services during the WGA’s strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios and streamers.

May 10, 2023#14

figmentPez

Writers Guild is scary because of Leverage.jpg

May 12, 2023#15

ThatNickGuy

May 12, 2023#16

figmentPez

Well, look who continues to belong in the Milkshake Duck thread:
Ken Jennings returns to host 'Jeopardy!,' crossing picket line in the process

The writers of Jeopardy are on strike, and Mayim Bialik stepped down from hosting in solidarity.

May 21, 2023#17

ThatNickGuy

Awww, these chants seem to have visibly bothered him.

Good.

Jul 12, 2023#18

ThatNickGuy

Just when you think Hollywood executives couldn't be any more moustache-twirling, reprehensible fucks, they go and prove you wrong.

"The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” a studio executive told Deadline. Acknowledging the cold-as-ice approach, several other sources reiterated the statement. One insider called it “a cruel but necessary evil."

Hollywood Studios’ WGA Strike Endgame Is To Let Writers Go Broke Before Resuming Talks In Fall

The 2023 scribes' strike could go a lot longer than the 2008 labor action if executives have their way

deadline.com

Jul 12, 2023#19

Bubble181

Not to put to fine a point on it, but isn't that exactly where unions are supposed to come in? Union dues paid while working to support members during strikes?
If the union can't ensure the members' living, the fuck die they spend their money on?

Jul 12, 2023#20

Ravenpoe

Bubble181 said:
Not to put to fine a point on it, but isn't that exactly where unions are supposed to come in? Union dues paid while working to support members during strikes?
If the union can't ensure the members' living, the fuck die they spend their money on?

The WGA does have a strike fund, but that money isn't infinite and will run out, dues aren't coming in while on strike obviously. That's entirely the executives goal, run both the union and the individuals out of money.

Jul 12, 2023#21

Tress

Anyone can donate to the fund here. If you are not in a place where you can donate (which is totally understandable), please at least consider sharing the link.

Jul 12, 2023#22

Frank

ThatNickGuy said:
Just when you think Hollywood executives couldn't be any more moustache-twirling, reprehensible fucks, they go and prove you wrong.

"The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” a studio executive told Deadline. Acknowledging the cold-as-ice approach, several other sources reiterated the statement. One insider called it “a cruel but necessary evil."

Hollywood Studios’ WGA Strike Endgame Is To Let Writers Go Broke Before Resuming Talks In Fall

The 2023 scribes' strike could go a lot longer than the 2008 labor action if executives have their way

deadline.com

Deadspin has been doing PR for the studios this whole strike. This feels like more fear mongering to scare the writers. The studios leads are terrified and fucked if they even have one bad quarter right now.

Jul 12, 2023#23

ThatNickGuy

Frank said:
Deadspin has been doing PR for the studios this whole strike. This feels like more fear mongering to scare the writers. The studios leads are terrified and fucked if they even have one bad quarter right now.

Oh, this is absolutely a PR move by the studios to scare the writers.

Jul 12, 2023#24

Dei

Jul 12, 2023#25

ThatNickGuy

Dei said:
View attachment 45545

"OH SHIT, YOU GUYS. Saying we'll force them to sell their homes didn't work! They saw through our bullshit! Backspace, backspace!"

Jul 13, 2023#26

GasBandit

Jul 13, 2023#27

Frank

Bob Iger, a man who makes 75000 dollars an hour, says that the demands of the writers and actors are disturbing to him.

Strike the whole system to pieces actors/writers. Let the directors (the whiniest guild towards the others unions in this whole situation) write and act in all their own movies.

Jul 13, 2023#28

Celt Z

Frank said:
Strike the whole system to pieces actors/writers. Let the directors (the whiniest guild towards the others unions in this whole situation) write and act in all their own movies.

You want only Kevin Smith films? Because that's how you get only Kevin Smith films.

(I know that he's not the only director who does this. The ones that can are few and far between, with varying degrees of success.)

Jul 13, 2023#29

GasBandit

Celt Z said:
You want only Kevin Smith films? Because that's how you get only Kevin Smith films.

(I know that he's not the only director who does this. The ones that can are few and far between, with varying degrees of success.)

Tarentino's gonna taste a whole lotta starlet feet is what I'm hearing.

Jul 13, 2023#30

PatrThom

2024: The year of Adam Sandler.

--Patrick

Jul 13, 2023#31

Frank

They scheduled the premier an hour earlier just to hopefully get the cast there, but once the time to strike hit, they all left.

Jul 13, 2023#32

figmentPez

I've heard some cultures believe that a camera can steal your soul. Hollywood executives seem to have taken that as inspiration.

Hollywood wants cameras to be able to steal souls.png

Jul 13, 2023#33

PatrThom

This does not feel out of character for the studio, and "ground floor zero" sounds like the ideal starting point for negotiations. In that spirit, I would recommend the background actor propose at least a $75million counteroffer (or $150million if a CA resident), and then they can both negotiate towards something more reasonable.

--Patrick

Jul 14, 2023#34

Shakey

Jul 14, 2023#35

PatrThom

C'mon, Iger. Just admit you want to pay actors the same (low) rate you pay the artists.

--Patrick

Jul 15, 2023#36

PatrThom

TIL that Fran Drescher is the current president of SAG-AFTRA.

--Patrick

Jul 17, 2023#37

ThatNickGuy

This is straight up supervillain level shit.

Jul 17, 2023#38

Frank

Gonna kill those trees.

Jul 17, 2023#39

figmentPez

ThatNickGuy said:
This is straight up supervillain level shit.

1990s: Captain Planet is so childish. The villains are completely unbelievable. Real life corporations don't just make machines that pump out pollution to make money with no other product, and they don't just kill trees out of spite!

2020s: Well, shit.

Jul 18, 2023#40

ThatNickGuy

First point: updated the the thread title to add the Screen Actors Guild strike.

Also, here are their demands and the multiple things Hollywood studios completely rejected.

Jul 18, 2023#41

Dave

Jet Li Explains Why He Rejected A Role In The Matrix Sequels

Jet Li was seriously considering playing Seraph in The Matrix sequels.

screenrant.com

Jul 18, 2023#42

GasBandit

Jul 18, 2023#43

figmentPez

Since there's been some confusion on social media about cosplaying.

Basically, if you're just a fan you can cosplay what you want, but use your social media to draw attention to the strike is you can.

If you're getting paid, or otherwise compensated for cosplaying, make sure it's not for a struck production.

If you're an actor or writer, want to be an actor or writer, or otherwise are involved with the striking unions, then you'll need to find out more.

Jul 21, 2023#44

GasBandit

Jul 21, 2023#45

GasBandit

Jul 22, 2023#46

figmentPez

Tree Law has failed us: NBCUniversal to Be Fined $250 After Strike Tree-Trimming Controversy

Jul 22, 2023#47

figmentPez

The Animation Guild Announces Unionization Efforts At Warner Bros. And Cartoon Network

Jul 22, 2023#48

Dave

AI cartoons could hardly be trippier than actual cartoons, and that’s coming from someone who watched the AI Heidi trailer.

Jul 22, 2023#49

PatrThom

Dave said:
AI cartoons could hardly be trippier than actual cartoons, and that’s coming from someone who watched the AI Heidi trailer.

I'm agreeing with this, and that's coming from someone who (co-)owns practically the entire run of Heavy Metal and has been to several Spike & Mike festivals.

--Patrick

Jul 22, 2023#50

GasBandit

(Laughs in Pop Team Epic)

Jul 24, 2023#51

GasBandit

ThatNickGuy said:
This is straight up supervillain level shit.

City of Los Angeles fines Universal Studios $250 in connection with illegal tree cutting

An investigation by the Los Angeles City Controller’s Office has found Universal Studios liable for illegally trimming trees on studio property, on a day when writers, actors and other unionized fi…

ktla.com

$250 fine. That'll teach that megastudio.

Jul 24, 2023#52

evilmike

On July 13, as SAG-AFTRA leadership declared the union was going on strike, SAG-AFTRA Foundation president Courtney B. Vance and executive director Cyd Wilson drafted a letter to 2,700 of the union’s highest-earning actors outlining the financial need that many would face in the work stoppage....

According to a report in Variety, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson has made a “seven-figure donation,” exact amount not revealed, to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation (“a non-profit organization associated with the union, but not part of it”) (Gizmodo)

Jul 24, 2023#53

PatrThom

The (other) studios could take a lesson from A24's example.

--Patrick

Jul 26, 2023#54

evilmike

The annual Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions is on pause after a number of recent winners revealed they wouldn't be back for the annual event in solidarity with Hollywood's historic double strike by SAG-AFTRA and the WGA. (Yahoo)

Aug 26, 2023#55

ThatNickGuy

AMPTP Hires New Crisis PR Firm as Strikes Go On

Studios: Shit, we're losing face with the public. Instead of maybe pay writers more fairly, let's...try to make ourselves look better! That'll do it!

AMPTP Hires New Crisis PR Firm as Strikes Go On

As talks with the Writers Guild of America stall, the studio trade association has retained D.C.-based firm The Levinson Group to pursue a fresh messaging strategy.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Aug 26, 2023#56

Dave

And I wonder how much they spent on that.

Aug 26, 2023#57

PatrThom

Dave said:
And I wonder how much they spent on that.

It’s about principle!

—Patrick

Sep 2, 2023#58

ThatNickGuy

I'm gonna cross-post with the video game news thread, but LET'S FUCKING GOOOOO.

SAG-AFTRA Seeks Approval for Second Strike Against Video Game Companies

SAG-AFTRA Seeks Approval for Second Strike Against Video Game Companies

SAG-AFTRA on Friday called for a strike authorization vote as it prepares to negotiate a new video game contract.

variety.com

Sep 12, 2023#59

figmentPez

‘Drew Barrymore Show’ Audience Members Say They Were Kicked Out for Writers Guild Support Amid Picket

"Two audience members, who had signed up for free tickets to the taping, were handed WGA pins by picketers as they walked in the door and say they were asked to leave before the show began because they were wearing the pins."

It's also worth noting that the 'Drew Barrymore Show' is somehow continuing production without writers. They claim they're adhering to WGA and SAG-AFTRA rules, but a lot of people have questioned how that's possible.

Sep 13, 2023#60

figmentPez

Not directly related to the strikes, yet: Marvel VFX Workers Unanimously Vote to Unionize With IATSE

Sep 19, 2023#61

GasBandit

Sep 19, 2023#62

Dave

Striking actor Stephen Fry says his voice was stolen from the Harry Potter audiobooks and replicated by AI

The actor told an audience in London that AI was a “burning issue” for actors.

fortune.com

Sep 19, 2023#63

Tinwhistler

Dave said:
Striking actor Stephen Fry says his voice was stolen from the Harry Potter audiobooks and replicated by AI

The actor told an audience in London that AI was a “burning issue” for actors.

fortune.com

non paywalled site https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/09...en-from-harry-potter-books-for-ai-voice-warns

Sep 19, 2023#64

Dave

Sorry. Didn't realize it was paywalled. I didn't have anything blocked for me.

Sep 19, 2023#65

Tinwhistler

Dave said:
Sorry. Didn't realize it was paywalled. I didn't have anything blocked for me.

I wasn't calling you out

I'm just used to finding non paywall articles on reddit on the regular, so I just went into "add a helpful comment" mode

Sep 24, 2023#66

PatrThom

Deal! WGA, AMPTP Reach Historic Contract Agreement to End 146-Day Writers Strike: ‘This Deal Is Exceptional’

The WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative contract agreement that will bring an end the 146-day writers strike.

variety.com

Exact details forthcoming once everything has been ratified.

—Patrick

Sep 25, 2023#67

Dave

Note that this has nothing to do with SAG-AFTRA.

Sep 25, 2023#68

figmentPez

Dave said:
Note that this has nothing to do with SAG-AFTRA.

Not directly, but I've heard that the WGA deal will specify that the writers won't go back to work until the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved.

Sep 25, 2023#69

ThatNickGuy

In the WGA's official statement, they use the phrase "tentative agreement." And "tentative" is the key word there. It still needs to be voted on. Nothing is over, yet.

Sep 27, 2023#70

ThatNickGuy

The writer's strike has come to an end and holy shit, the writers got pretty much everything they wanted, with few concessions. The percentages of pay raises isn't quite as high as the original demands, but they're pretty damn close.

Adam Conover posted a great graph of what the original demands were, the original counter-offer, and the final, tentative agreement. It's here, as a PDF.

Oct 12, 2023#71

figmentPez

Negotiations are not going well for SAG-AFTRA:

For those that don't Twitter:

"It is with profound disappointment that we report the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter our latest offer.

We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began.

These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI, they refuse to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work generates for them.

We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57¢ per subscriber each year. They have rejected our proposals and refused to counter.

Instead they use bully tactics. Just tonight, they intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the above proposal – overstating it by 60%.

They have done the same with A.I., claiming to protect performer consent, but continuing to demand “consent” on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).

The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA – putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators.

But, just like the writers, our members are smarter than that and will not be fooled.

We feel the pain these companies have inflicted on our members, our strike captains, IATSE, Teamsters and Basic Crafts union members, and everyone in this industry. We have sacrificed too much to capitulate to their stonewalling and greed.

We stand united and ready to negotiate today, tomorrow, and every day.

Our resolve is unwavering. Join us on picket lines and at solidarity events around the country and let your voices be heard.

One day longer. One day stronger. As long as it takes.

- Your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee"

Oct 13, 2023#72

figmentPez

Wow, the CGI generated crowds are so life-like, it's no wonder Hollywood wants to use them. </SARCASM>

Link in case of embed failure

Nov 7, 2023#73

figmentPez

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XIX

Copied from Wikipedia (emphasis mine):
How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising
Homer takes Maggie to a daycare and encourages her to enjoy a mural featuring Krusty the Clown to make her feel better while she is away from her parents. However, Krusty is already there to have the images of his face sandblasted from the mural, as his likeness is trademarked and had been used without his permission. This leaves Maggie upset and an outraged Homer shoves Krusty in retaliation, accidentally sending him flying into a wood chipper, shredding him alive. Homer is later approached by two advertising agents who have heard of his deed and explain their plan to use celebrities' likenesses in advertising without issues over permission by simply killing those who refuse to lend their names to advertising. Homer is then hired as a celebrity assassin, taking out such famous faces as actor George Clooney, singer Prince, and astronaut Neil Armstrong. In Heaven, the dead celebrities are outraged by this and stage an attack on the living, with Homer as their main target. Krusty's angel kills Homer, who gets revenge by locking all the celebrities out of Heaven, leaving only himself and the apparently gay Abraham Lincoln.

Why mention this episode of the Simpsons?

Movie Studios want to use the dead without permission.jpg

Nov 7, 2023#74

evilmike

figmentPez said:
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XIX

Copied from Wikipedia (emphasis mine):
How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising
Homer takes Maggie to a daycare and encourages her to enjoy a mural featuring Krusty the Clown to make her feel better while she is away from her parents. However, Krusty is already there to have the images of his face sandblasted from the mural, as his likeness is trademarked and had been used without his permission. This leaves Maggie upset and an outraged Homer shoves Krusty in retaliation, accidentally sending him flying into a wood chipper, shredding him alive. Homer is later approached by two advertising agents who have heard of his deed and explain their plan to use celebrities' likenesses in advertising without issues over permission by simply killing those who refuse to lend their names to advertising. Homer is then hired as a celebrity assassin, taking out such famous faces as actor George Clooney, singer Prince, and astronaut Neil Armstrong. In Heaven, the dead celebrities are outraged by this and stage an attack on the living, with Homer as their main target. Krusty's angel kills Homer, who gets revenge by locking all the celebrities out of Heaven, leaving only himself and the apparently gay Abraham Lincoln.

Why mention this episode of the Simpsons?

View attachment 46483

Wow. Shades of Looker.

Nov 7, 2023#75

PatrThom

evilmike said:
Wow. Shades of Looker.

I was trying to explain this movie to someone at work recently.
I still own a VHS copy of it.

--Patrick

Nov 7, 2023#76

Celt Z

Well, this is taking "The Simpsons did it" to a whole new level.

Nov 7, 2023#77

PatrThom

Now we have a category for "Michael Crichton did it."
Anyone's guess which one'll be first, though...The Andromeda Strain, The Terminal Man, Looker, or Jurassic Park.

--Patrick

Nov 8, 2023#78

Dave

PatrThom said:
Now we have a category for "Michael Crichton did it."
Anyone's guess which one'll be first, though...The Andromeda Strain, The Terminal Man, Looker, or Jurassic Park.

--Patrick

Fuck The Andromeda Strain. What a fucking terrible movie (and book). The ending is so stupid and deus ex machina that it ruins everything that came before it.

Nov 8, 2023#79

GasBandit

We're pretty far down the path of "Next" though.

Nov 8, 2023#80

PatrThom

Dave said:
The ending is so stupid and deus ex machina that it ruins everything that came before it.

That’s…that‘s what actually tends to happen with new antigens, though.

—-Patrick

Nov 8, 2023#81

Dave

PatrThom said:
That’s…that‘s what actually tends to happen with new antigens, though.

—-Patrick

Not in a fucking suspense novel about an alien pathogen. Oh humans are on the brink of extinction! We don't know what to do! No worries, it just mutated so it's no longer dangerous. Tee hee! Oh well.

Nov 8, 2023#82

bhamv3

I think a sequel was written by someone else after Crichton's death, which revealed the Andromeda organism was actually intelligent alien machinery. So basically, Andromeda didn't just mysteriously mutate into a benign form for no reason, rather it sort of went, "Okay, our job on Earth here is done, byyyeeee!"

But I don't know for sure cause I haven't actually read this sequel.

Nov 8, 2023#83

PatrThom

bhamv3 said:
Andromeda didn't just mysteriously mutate into a benign form for no reason

They actually propose this in the movie and/or book.

—Patrick

Nov 8, 2023#84

Vrii

Dave said:
Not in a fucking suspense novel about an alien pathogen. Oh humans are on the brink of extinction! We don't know what to do! No worries, it just mutated so it's no longer dangerous. Tee hee! Oh well.

Do you hate War of the Worlds too?

Nov 8, 2023#85

@Li3n

Vrii said:
Do you hate War of the Worlds too?

Why didn't Tom Cruise just punch the aliens ? It works in every other one of his films...

Nov 8, 2023#86

GasBandit

What I hated about War of the Worlds was the fucking teenager.

(Explosions, Tom Cruise's car squeals to a halt)
TC, urgently: "Quick! Get in!"
Snot Nosed Imbecile: "WHY?"
TC, even more urgently: "Get in!"
SNI: "No!"
TC, screaming with The Voice Of Ultimate Parental Authority: "GET IN NOW!"
SN: "But I don't understand what's going on, so I refuse to do anything an adult tells me!"

Nov 8, 2023#87

Tress

GasBandit said:
What I hated about War of the Worlds was the fucking teenager.

(Explosions, Tom Cruise's car squeals to a halt)
TC, urgently: "Quick! Get in!"
Snot Nosed Imbecile: "WHY?"
TC, even more urgently: "Get in!"
SNI: "No!"
TC, screaming with The Voice Of Ultimate Parental Authority: "GET IN NOW!"
SN: "But I don't understand what's going on, so I refuse to do anything an adult tells me!"

And yet, now that I'm the parent of a teenager, it feels more believable. I'd like to think my daughter wouldn't be that stubborn and shortsighted in a similar situation, but I can't be sure.

Nov 8, 2023#88

GasBandit

Tress said:
And yet, now that I'm the parent of a teenager, it feels more believable. I'd like to think my daughter wouldn't be that stubborn and shortsighted in a similar situation, but I can't be sure.

Realism, particularly the reminder of the idiocy of the common manling, is NOT why I indulge in escapist science fiction media >_<

Nov 8, 2023#89

Dave

Vrii said:
Do you hate War of the Worlds too?

I did think the War of the Worlds was a cop out ending, but at least that makes a teensy bit more sense than the virus mutating last second just because. I don't understand how the aliens in WotW were able to breathe our atmosphere and if they weren't and had to rely on containment how they were affected by germs to begin with.

Nov 8, 2023#90

@Li3n

Dave said:
had to rely on containment how they were affected by germs to begin with.

Because in the late 1800's they didn't have widespread knowledge of the possibility of total containment.

...

But also, the last few years should have made it clear that the failure point was probably some dumbass aliens not actually respecting protocol in high enough numbers to fuck them all over.

Nov 8, 2023#91

GasBandit

@Li3n said:
Because in the late 1800's they didn't have widespread knowledge of the possibility of total containment.

...

But also, the last few years should have made it clear that the failure point was probably some dumbass aliens not actually respecting protocol in high enough numbers to fuck them all over.

I wonder if they had an AI who decided that bringing back samples was potentially lucrative enough to jeopardize all personnel on the mission.

Nov 8, 2023#92

PatrThom

bhamv3 said:
I don't know for sure cause I haven't actually read this sequel.

I keep meaning to read the sequel, but since the last time I read the book/saw the movie was probably back while I was in high school, I don’t remember which one has the protagonist or one of his adjuncts musing that the whole purpose of the pathogen was as a medium of making initial contact*, and so it was “programmed” to move itself towards harmlessness. The reason they have to abort the whole nuclear option is because they realize doing so will not destroy the pathogen, it will instead cause an ridiculous number of random mutations, any one of which could be just as (or more) virulent than the original, plus it will scatter the new ones over a wide area.

—Patrick
*We wouldn’t send a virus into space as a message. We sent spacecraft and radio waves. But we are not aliens, so who knows what form actual communication from an alien race would take?

Nov 8, 2023#93

GasBandit

Tress said:
And yet, now that I'm the parent of a teenager, it feels more believable. I'd like to think my daughter wouldn't be that stubborn and shortsighted in a similar situation, but I can't be sure.

Nov 8, 2023#94

Dave

STRIKE OVER: Actors Make a Deal With Studios After 118 Days

The work stoppage will end 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Nov 8, 2023#95

Dave

So how long before the next wave of rate increases for streaming services?

Nov 9, 2023#96

PatrThom

There have been, like, two this year for every service. Where have you been?

--Patrick

Nov 10, 2023#97

Dave

PatrThom said:
There have been, like, two this year for every service. Where have you been?

--Patrick

Pirating content.

Jan 12, 2024#98

mikerc

SAG-AFTRA just stabbed voice over artists in the back.

It's all well and good to say this agreement means the VO artists can opt out of having a digital copy of their voice made to be used in future projects instead of the actual person getting hired again, but every new person trying to break into the business, every non-famous actor who does voice work is going to be told if they opt out they don't get that role they've just auditioned for.

Remember when Bruce Willis spent the last 2 years of his career appearing in as much crap as he could because it was the best way to make a lot of money for his family in a short time while he still could because of his illness? You think he wouldn't have been tempted by this if it existed then?

This will kill VO work within a generation at the latest if it isn't stopped.

Also while SAG-AFTRA claims this agreement was "approved by affected members of the union’s voiceover performer community" said community has reacted universally to this announcement by asking who exactly approved it because they certainly didn't & nor did anyone they know.

Jan 12, 2024#99

Frank

Yup. Fuck em.

My wallet is fucking closed to anything AI related.

Steam will be implementing an AI tag if a game has AI voices or assets and I can tell you who will never spend a dime on that shit.

Jan 12, 2024#100

figmentPez

I agree with Frank, and there's a part of me that's sad such a stance is the best option right now.

There are things I wish we could use AI for, if corporations weren't hell-bent on using it to grind workers into powder. Things that would be impossible, like having fully voiced dialogue in a game that includes players being able to arbitrarily choose their name, and have NPCs call them by their name. There's no way to have a voice actor record lines for each and every player, individually. Even if there's a ton of overlap in popular names. AI could make that happen, but if we give an inch they'll take a mile.

Jan 16, 2024#101

General Specific

I named my character AEIOUAEIOUJOHNMADDENJOHNMADDEN

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