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Entertainment Marketing: Movies, TV, Music and Gaming SAG-AFTRA Technology

SAG-AFTRA says video game actors will strike

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By Kyle O'Brien, Creative Works Editor

October 19, 2016 | 3 min read

Hollywood hasn’t seen an actor’s strike for a while, but the latest threats by acting union SAG-AFTRA is aimed at the video game industry, which is set to take place on October 21 if negotiations fail.

The SAG-AFTRA website recently put an update on its website, encouraging video game actors to strike, writing:

Unless you hear differently from us, effective Oct. 21 at 12:01 a.m., you should be prepared to strike the following video game employers with regard to all games that went into production after Feb. 17, 2015:

  • Activision Publishing, Inc.
  • Blindlight, LLC
  • Corps of Discovery Films
  • Disney Character Voices, Inc.
  • Electronic Arts Productions, Inc.
  • Formosa Interactive, LLC
  • Insomniac Games, Inc.
  • Interactive Associates, Inc.
  • Take 2 Interactive Software
  • VoiceWorks Productions, Inc.
  • WB Games, Inc.

The union is seeking a fair contract for actors and a larger cut of royalties and limits on “vocally stressful sessions,” according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. They are arguing that voice and motion-capture actors in the video game industry have so far received unequal portions of the multi-billion dollar revenue due to outdated contract terms.

“Despite years of concerted effort and negotiating sessions, video game employers have steadfastly refused to reach a fair deal during our contract negotiations. We head back to the table Oct. 17-19 with the goal of creating a fair contract that is rooted in industry standards and best practices. Based on past experience, we are not confident management is willing to make the changes necessary to bring this contract up to the standards of our other agreements,” said the notice on the SAG-AFTRA site.

“The video game employers we are striking continue to operate under the terms of an agreement structured more than twenty years ago for an Industry that was only beginning to utilize professional performances,” wrote SAG-AFTRA in a statement.

They also want video game makers to tell more about the characters the actors will be portraying, plus more work with stunt coordinators on motion-capture shoots.

The Interactive Video Game Publishing Companies, which represents video game developers, has been in negotiations with the actors for 18 months, and they are warning that a strike would be counterproductive for the union.

“We consider the Union’s threatened labor action to call a strike precipitous, unnecessary and an action that will only harm their membership,” the organization said in a press release, as reported by the Business Journal.

“SAG-AFTRA represents performers in less than 25 percent of the video games on the market. Any strike would not only deny SAG-AFTRA’s membership work, but this would also give their competitors, who do not engage union talent, a leg up while any strike would be in place.”

The issues SAG-AFTRA have are only with the companies named, not all video game producers.

Entertainment Marketing: Movies, TV, Music and Gaming SAG-AFTRA Technology

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