Hollywood strikes: UK film industry workers hit by US dispute
Entertainment
Effect is still being felt across the UK film industry
(Web Desk) - After almost five months, a tentative deal between writers and studio executives could end a strike that has halted most film and TV production.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) called the agreement "exceptional - with meaningful gains and protections for writers".
But with the actors' strike continuing, a ripple effect is still being felt across the UK film industry.
Workers have struggled to pay rent and some small businesses have shut down.
Alongside issues around pay, actors and writers are fearful of the potential impact of artificial intelligence replacing their talents and expertise.
The dispute has shut down many of America's top programmes and film productions, but a knock on effect has been felt across the industry in the UK.
Bectu, the British union for workers in behind-the-scenes roles in creative industries, surveyed 4000 of its members and 80 percent said their jobs had been affected, with three-quarters not working at all.
Filmmaker and camera operator Rizwan Wadan has compared the recent halt in production to another lockdown for industry workers.
"After the Covid lockdown we had a bottleneck of productions and there was a boom. Everyone was busy."
"Now, because of the strikes, it has come to another lockdown."
Rizwan added that a number of rental houses where equipment is hired have had to close down because of the lack of equipment requests and others have moved down to four-day working weeks.
He said the lack of financial investment from the US has also stifled talent development in the industry.
"We are recognised for the UK talent and infrastructure" he said, "but amazing freelancers and trainees can't enter the industry at the moment either."
Rizwan still has hope that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel once all of the strikes are over, and believes the industry will experience "another boom" in production because of a new bottleneck in production.
Dave Sullivan is a set and prop designer who has previously worked on large franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter.
He says as far as the industry is concerned, the current situation is "absolutely catastrophic".
"We support our brothers and sisters in the industry but we have to draw the line somewhere. It's completely ground to a halt and the unions aren't doing enough.
"We seem to be forgotten about. It is quite distressing really."
He adds: "The cost of living crisis and pandemic was bad enough. Thankfully the pandemic was over to a certain extent and we were getting back on track again.
"When you go from earning a relatively good salary to nothing overnight you can imagine the impact it will have on a family. People are losing their houses."
Asked if he is concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence potentially damaging the industry and its employees, Dave said AI was "an inevitable part of the future of the film industry".
"AI needs to be used as a tool to make production better, but we can't forget the people that already work in the industry and throw them in the bin."
