Baton Rouge actor, Jason Bayle
The actors’ strike is officially over after members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) voted to ratify a three-year deal with studios. Streaming has drastically changed the economics of show biz and Baton Rouge actor Jason Bayle said it’s harder for middle-class actors like himself to make money. He voted to end the strike, but like others, he’s concerned about Artificial Intelligence or AI.
“The general theme of it seems to be cautious optimism. I should say very, very cautious optimism. People are excited they want to go back to work but they are keeping an eye out,” said Bayle.
The four-month strike not only kept actors out of work, but other professionals, like camera operators, caterers, and electricians to name a few. Bayle said the first-year raise they’ll receive from the new agreement probably won’t cover the amount of money they lost while on strike.
“But if nothing else I think we’ve demonstrated to the producers and to everybody else, that we’re really serious about this stuff. And I think the membership feels that way and I don’t think they would hesitate to do it again if they had to,” said Bayle.
In the past, Bayle said it was easy to measure viewership when a production aired on linear television and talent was compensated based on ratings. But with streaming he said actors aren’t properly rewarded.
“Streamer companies think of themselves as technology companies. So, they don’t share that data. And so, it’s very hard to find out what you’re worth,” said Bayle.
After both the writers and actors strike, Bayle said those in the industry are hoping the industry will return to a sense of normalcy in the coming months.
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