How Hollywood writers' strike could impact Georgia film production
Writers to begin picketing Tuesday
Thousands of television and movie scriptwriters appear to be headed for the picket line as early as Tuesday. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted unanimously overnight to go on strike after failing to reach an agreement with production companies over salary increases.
In some cases, viewers at home will see the impact of the strike immediately. Your favorite late-night shows such as “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will be sent into reruns starting Tuesday night, as the hosts rely heavily on writers to put together monologues and segments that cover the day’s biggest news stories. “Saturday Night Live” could nix the rest of their 48th season. Former cast member Pete Davidson was scheduled to host the long-running sketch comedy show for the first time this weekend.
Daytime soap operas will eventually run out of new episodes. Network television will not be immediately impacted, as many shows have already wrapped up production for the season. But a prolonged strike might push back the fall premieres of some of your favorite shows.
The last writer’s strike in 2007 lasted over 100 days and took a devastating toll on the movie industry. But the television landscape has changed a lot in the last 15 years, with many viewers ditching cable and turning to streaming services for entertainment.
It is this shift that is at the center of the dispute between writers and production companies. Streaming has surged in recent years and it got a huge boost from the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, this has resulted in increased budgets for streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+. But the writers say that their share of the money has shrunk.
“Streamers’ use of smaller staffs — known in the industry as “mini rooms” — for shorter stints has made sustained income harder to come by, the guild says. And the number of writers working at guild minimums has gone from about a third to about half in the past decade. Writers of comedy-variety shows for streaming have no minimum protections at all, the guild says.”
Georgia’s film industry has also exploded in the last 15 years. A series of tax breaks and film credits passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature have catapulted the Peach State to the third most active filming hub in the country, behind only New York and California.
Most writing does not take place in Georgia, so don’t expect to see lots of writer walk-outs in the metro Atlanta area. But while there aren’t many writers based in Georgia, their work remains crucial to getting production off the ground.
King Williams, an Atlanta-based media and entertainment reporter, believes that the impact will be minimal for TV shows and movies that have finished writing their scripts. “As long as it’s a movie or TV show that’s fully written, the production can still go along,” he said.
The strike will likely have somewhat of a trickle-down effect in Georgia. From hair stylists, makeup artists, set constructors and even actors/actresses, lots of people could soon find themselves out of work if an agreement is not reached soon.
Williams worries that a prolonged strike could cause more layoffs, consolidation and mergers, which could lead to Georgia missing out on future production opportunities. But because the cost of production in Georgia is much lower compared to cities like Los Angeles and New York, the economic toll might not be as heavy here in the long run.
Film production contributed more than $4 billion to the state’s economy in 2022, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
“The Georgia Film Office, a strategic office within the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), reported that the State of Georgia hosted 412 productions, represented by 32 feature films, 36 independent films, 269 television and episodic productions, 42 commercials, and 33 music videos between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.”
Beth Moore, an entertainment attorney and a former Democratic state legislator, says that both writers and producers have concerns that need to be addressed to help the film industry move forward. She is hopeful that negotiators will come to an agreement that will allow the industry to resume work without disruptions while ensuring that writers are given the pay and the working conditions they deserve.
“I am optimistic a resolution can be reached through constructive dialogue and compromise, and that the Georgia film and television industry will continue to thrive in the long term,” Moore said.