Faculty and TV industry experts are available to comment on SAG-AFTRA negotiations

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Entertainment industry experts and faculty from the School of Communication at Northwestern University are available for comment on negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Aymar Jean "AJ" Christian is an associate professor of communication studies and director of the Media and Data Equity Lab (MADE) at Northwestern. He is the author of “Open TV: Innovation Beyond Hollywood and the Rise of Web Television,” and a book in progress titled, “Reparative Media,” which explores how to repair systemic harm and discrimination in media, technology and research.  

Christian engages industry and community-based organizations as part of his research. He has given lectures for and collaborated with the Sundance Institute, Vimeo, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Black Public Media, and more.  He is co-founded OTV | Open Television, a platform for intersectional television, and OTV Studio.  

Quote from Professor Christian:
“The SAG strike coinciding with the WGA is unprecedented and very significant. They are more emboldened than I've ever seen. The strike responds to the threat of both streaming and AI which significantly reduce earnings for all creative workers through lost residuals (streaming ate syndication) and by taking their jobs (AI). The studios are in a tight spot, hammered by Wall Street because streaming is not as profitable as cable. So, the studios are consolidating in a bid to compete with Netflix, the only one who seems ready for Hollywood's fully digital era. The streaming model is making the studios both more powerful and cost-conscious. This will be a grind. Unless the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) gives in quickly, which seems unlikely, this could be the longest production slowdown in history.”

 Henry Godinez is Carlos Montezuma Professor and chair of the department of theatre. He is a resident artistic associate at the Goodman Theatre where he directs the Latino Theatre Festival. Television/film credits include “The Fugitive,” “Above the Law,” “The Beast,” “Boss,” “Chicago Code,” “Empire” and “Chicago Fire.”

Quote from Professor Godinez:
"The impending strike today by members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) follows more than a month of negotiations between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over key issues like the erosion of performer income due to the advent of streaming platforms over the past 10 years, and more recently by what SAG-AFTRA considers ‘the existential threat’ that Artificial Intelligence poses. Both issues demand language in union contracts that protect actors from having their images and talents exploited.   

"Our students are deeply concerned about equity and injustice on all levels of our society, and their generation has been on the forefront of demanding change since the murder of George Floyd. They are no doubt watching this moment very intently, given that they represent the future of the entertainment industry on both sides. "

Cindy Gold is a professor of theater and an active member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA. Her research and practice expertise areas include acting, comedy, improvisation, performing arts and television. Television credits include “Chicago Fire,” “Empire,” and the film “I Used to Go Here,” written and directed by Kris Rey.

Quote from Professor Gold:
“There is way too much new technology coming down the pike that has to be negotiated for. The strike authorization puts the union in a position of strength.”