This week at the Met Gala, actress Amanda Seyfried answered a difficult question. When asked what she thought about the likely Writers Guild of America (WGA) Strike, she remained firm: everyone needs to be compensated for their work and that was “f**king easy”. That night, the WGA declared a strike.
The WGA collectively spoke out to demand more writers per show, better minimum pay and shorter exclusive contracts, arguing that streaming services have created an existential crisis for writers. The union also wants stipulations that would prevent studios from using AI to generate source material, or to train it on writers’ existing work. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) suggested the possibility of yearly meetings, but this has done little to appease the writers’ union.
Historically, when technology threatened their jobs, Luddites chose to destroy the machines that automated their labour. This is a misconception however, as the Luddites didn’t reject technology, but rather called for machines that produced high-quality goods and were overseen by workers with appropriate wages. In this sense, the WGA’s position is much in the same spirit.
The company mentioned in this article is the Alliance Of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) which is an umbrella organization representing many of the major US film and television studios. Some of the members of this organization include Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney and Sony. Their purpose is to set standards, terms and other conditions for writers employed by these members.
The person mentioned in this article is Amanda Seyfried, an American actress and model. She rose to fame in 2004 when she starred in Mean Girls and has since continued to build an impressive resume of films and television series, including Mamma Mia!, The Ted Bundy Story and A Million Little Things. Additionally, Seyfried has graced the covers of multiple high profile magazines and featured in various advertising campaigns. She currently stars in the popular show The Dropout.
