2016–2017 video game voice actor strike

Last updated

2016–17 video game voice actor strike
DateOctober 18, 2016 – September 23, 2017
(11 months and 5 days, or 340 days)
Location
United States
Caused by
  • Failed contract renegotiation terms of Interactive Media Agreements
  • Voice actors not being allowed to earn residuals for their work on video games
Goals
  • Residuals given to voice actors for their work on video games
  • Transparency in what roles and conditions actors would perform
  • More safety precautions to avoid vocal stress
  • Better safety assurances for actors while on set
Methods
Resulted inTentative agreement reached on September 23, 2017; contract ratified on November 8, 2017
Parties

From October 2016 to September 2017, SAG-AFTRA, representing video game voice actors, went on strike against American video game companies over failed contract renegotiation terms of the Interactive Media Agreements that had been in discussion since February 2015. The union sought to have actors, voice actors, and motion-capture actors who contribute to video games be better compensated with residuals based on video game sales atop their existing recording payments; the game companies asserted that the industry as a whole eschews the use of residuals, and by giving the actors these, they would trivialize the efforts of the developers who are "most responsible" for the development of the games. In exchange, the companies had offered a fixed increase in rates and a sliding-scale upfront bonus for multiple recording sessions, which the union had rejected. Other issues highlighted by the strike include better transparency in what roles and conditions actors would perform, more safety precautions and oversight to avoid vocal stress for certain roles, and better safety assurances for actors while on set.

Contents

Actors within the union used both physical and virtual picketing to make the public aware of their complaints, and gained support from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the Actors' Equity Association, the British Actors' Equity Association, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, the Australian Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, and Equity New Zealand, who requested that their members not take any of the acting work that was open due to the striking actors. It was the first such unionized strike in the video game industry. Due to the commonly long development period for video games, the strike's impact on the industry was initially expected to be felt for years.

A deal between SAG-AFTRA and the companies was reached on September 23, 2017, effectively ending the strike after 340 days, making it the longest strike in the union's history. The agreement was ratified by SAG-AFTRA's board of directors and approved by majority vote in November 2017, creating a new three-year contract. The deal was praised by some but largely criticized by voice actors, who felt that the union conceded too much to the video game companies in order to accept a pay rise for actors and pointed out that the agreement did not include residuals or any specific terms in regards to the issue of vocal stress.

Background

Around a quarter of video games use some type of acting, either as live actors for full motion video, voice actors, or stunt actors for motion capture. [1] As the video game industry became more financially successful in the early 2010s and video game hardware became more ubiquitous in households, many video game developers and publishers started to bring in well-recognized actors from avenues such as film and television for recording lines or footage for video games. Obtaining recognized actors for games can help to sell the title and generate potential promotional leads from non-traditional channels, such as having that actor promote the game while on talk shows. [2]

Within the United States, several of these actors are members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) or American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), which merged into SAG-AFTRA in October 2012. The merged union has around 165,000 members as of 2016, with about 6,000 members that perform regularly for video games. [3] As early as the 1990s, these unions had developed Interactive Media Agreements with the video game industry to set standard rates for a typical four-hour recording session; [4] in 2005, this was about $759, [5] increasing to about $800–825 in 2013. [2] These are considered as minimum assured rates, but actors are free to negotiate higher rates with the game's developer or publisher. [2] The majority of video games use non-union actors, with Deadline estimating in 2016 that a quarter of games are union projects, with more established actors working on games. [6] [1]

Unlike other entertainment media such as film or television, video game voice actors are not paid residuals or secondary compensation based on the success of a game. [2] Part of this is related to the relative age of the video game industry, which only recently has been seen to be as successful as film or television; in 2005, the video game industry was worth about $11 billion, while the film industry drew in over $100 billion. As such, demanding residuals at that time was not seen as a necessary benefit to the actors. [2] Many actors had additional jobs in other entertainment sectors besides video games, and receiving residuals was not critical for them to make a living. [2] Video games were also rarely promoted to emphasize the actors behind the characters, unlike television and film, as consumers were unlikely to be directed towards purchasing a game based on its selection of actors. [7] Further, the video game industry itself is not as profitable as large growth numbers suggest, as much of the money earned by a sales or title is spent to offset the already-spent costs of having a large team of programmers and artists to develop the game. [2]

The video game industry has grown quickly since 2005, with projections that it would become a $100 billion industry by 2018. [8] As early as 2008, discussions and arguments from the actors' unions stated that the video game industry should pay residuals on sales to actors, seeking equality with other entertainment industries with the potential for a strike action if the industry did not agree. [2] [7] More pay was negotiated in June 2005 and informing actors of "vocally stressful work" was negotiated in October 2009. [9] [10] Michael Hollick stated that he had only been paid about $100,000 for voicing Niko Bellic, the main character of Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), which earned than $600 million within its first three weeks of release. [7] Despite this discussion, SAG-AFTRA and the industry negotiated continuations on the Interactive Media Agreement without the inclusion of residuals; in the most recent successful negotiation, to extend the Interactive Media Agreement through 2014, the two sides agreed to account for additional session fees for actors in games designed for cloud gaming. [4]

2015–2016 negotiations

With the Interactive Media Agreement to expire by the end of 2014, SAG-AFTRA and representatives of the video game industry began negotiating new agreement terms in late 2014. The parties had not come to an agreement when the Agreement expired, but the union members agreed to continue to provide acting work at the existing rates in good faith while negotiations continued. Meetings were held between parties in February and June 2015. At these meetings, the SAG-AFTRA representatives started pushing for inclusion of residual payments, stating that the video game industry now has the ability to pay such residuals because it "has grown, boomed and morphed into something bigger and lucrative than any other segment of the entertainment industry, and it continues to do so". [11] The union sought "performance bonuses" that would earn actors an additional $825 for each session they did on a game for every 2 million copies of that game sold, up to 8 million copies. [11] [12] The industry stated they were concerned that this type of payment structure would be financially harmful. [13]

The union was also concerned for actors involved in "vocally stressful" roles, and sought to have similar restrictions on session time and foreknowledge that one would give for stunt acting. [11] Around June 2016, SAG-AFTRA sent a letter co-signed by several of its members to the California division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requesting them to investigate health and safety issues related to the "vocally stressful" roles, citing several members who had developed vocal cord damage while recording screams and shouts for video games. The union specifically asked the division to evaluate these injuries resulting "voice acting in video games due to employers pushing too hard or not providing adequate safety measures". [14] The union said that they do not want to force new OSHA-driven regulations on the industry but considered this as a point of last resort if the video game industry did not help alleviate this situation. [15]

A third point of negotiation arose from transparency aspects for voice actor roles, an element that comes from the industry's background in the technology sector. Video game companies had relied on the same type of secrecy that high tech firms use, enforced by strict non-disclosure agreements, and do not want to have details of future games be presented to potential actors before they have committed to the part. These companies generally feared that leaks of seemingly trivial details from voice actors from a yet-announced or yet-published game can create a significant impact via social media, and could lead to competitors in the industry beating a company to market with their own product. [15] Even after actors have accepted their part, they may not have been told any details outside fundamental aspects of the character they are to voice or perform as, and with auditions and recording sessions that occur through email and remote communications, the actors could not inquire about the role, leaving them unprepared. [16] [15] The situation left actors unclear about the role they are expected to perform until they were on the job, which created issues if the role required "vocally stressful" situations. [16] In some cases, voice actors were not told what game they have performed for, only to discover their involvement after a game is published, making it difficult to maintain a professional resume for other gigs. [15] The union sought to have the video game industry provide sufficient details to actors about their parts without having to sacrifice their secrecy, so that actors can better negotiate terms of their contracts. [15]

By September 2015, SAG-AFTRA considered the negotiations to not go well, finding the industry's demands untenable, and proceeded to have its members vote for a strike authorization. [11] Union members agreed to authorize a strike by a 96% margin in October 2015, giving the SAG-AFTRA negotiators a bargaining chip to use during further discussions with the industry. [17]

Negotiations continued into 2016. Alongside the main negotiations for the Interactive Media Agreement renewal, SAG-AFTRA had started discussions to craft a special "low budget" agreement for union voice actors, defined for games with less than a $250,000 production budget, such as most indie games. The terms of this agreement addressed similar points as the broader Interactive Media Agreement negotiations, including dealing with "vocally stressful" roles, and would offer performance bonuses for every 500,000 units sold, up to 2 million units. [18]

By October 2016, the two sides had agreed to a 9% increase in the base session fee, but still stood at odds on the issues of residuals. While SAG-AFTRA still offered their session payment plan based on copies sold, the video game industry offered an up-front sliding-scale bonus based on how many sessions that actor performed for the game, starting at $50 for a single session and up to $950 for eight or more sessions. This bonus would be paid upfront to actors in lieu of the residuals. [13] Analysts believed that for a profitable video game (one exceeding $2 million in revenue or more), the financial terms of both SAG-AFTRA's and the industry's plans were nearly on financial equity. [3] However, the negotiations broke down because of how this performance bonus was to be written into the contract. SAG-AFTRA wanted to call their payments approach as "residual buyout", thus fulfilling their goal to obtain some type of residual payment to its members. The industry balked at this characterization, pointing out that the programmers and artists behind the games do not receive such residuals. [3] Scott Witlin, a Barnes & Thornburg lawyer negotiating for the video game companies, stated that the work provided by actors "represent less than one tenth of 1 percent of the work that goes into making a video game" and thus their demands were excessive. [19] The industry also feared that by writing the language of "residuals" into the contract, it would give the union more ability to demand a more traditional residual payment structure during the next contract negotiations. [1] SAG-AFTRA considered that the industry's approach was a "freeloader model of compensation", and did not consider it suitable for its members. [1] The disagreement has been characterized by some as hinging on the single word "residuals"; [13] as described by The Hollywood Reporter 's Jonathan Handel, the language of how "residuals" is presented is critical, as it is "a must-have for the union and a camel's-nose-under-the-tent deal-breaker for the companies". [20]

2016–2017 strike

With failure to come to agreement on this language, SAG-AFTRA used the previous authorization from its membership to issue a strike on October 21, 2016. [1] In addition to the residual payment issue, SAG-AFTRA said that the strike also related to transparency in the voice actor hiring processes so that actors are aware of what types of roles and performances they are to be hired for, issues related to the "vocally stressful" roles, and having more safety precautions while actors were on-set. [20] [19] The strike action targeted 11 companies: Activision Publishing, Blindlight, Corps of Discovery Films, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Interactive Associates, Take 2 Interactive, VoiceWorks Productions, and WB Games. The strike sought repayment and resolution for all voice actor work in games that started production after February 17, 2015. [1] Of the 11 officially struck companies, Interactive Associates have not released a game in recent years and was dissolved in 2002, and Corps of Discovery Films have not released a game since 2008. [21] SAG-AFTRA's strike was supported by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the Actors' Equity Association, the British Actors' Equity Association, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the Australian Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, and Equity New Zealand, who requested that their members not take any of the acting work that was open due to the striking actors. [22] [23] [24] [25] Voice actors that have spoken in favor of the union and the strike include Jennifer Hale, David Hayter, Elias Toufexis, Phil LaMarr and Wil Wheaton. [26] [27]

The first picket began on October 24, 2016 in Playa Vista, California against Electronic Arts. Additional picketing lines occurred at the Los Angeles headquarters for WB Games and Insomniac Games over the month of November. [20] These picket lines were joined by members of the American Federation of Musicians, the Writers Guild of America, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UNITE HERE, and drew between 300 and 400 people each. [20] More than 500 people participated in a rally march from the SAG-AFTRA headquarters to a park near the La Brea Tar Pits to support the strike. [28] In addition to physical picketing of the various industry companies, SAG-AFTRA encouraged its members to use virtual picketing by engaging with their fans on Twitter and other social media under the hashtag, "#PerformanceMatters". [29]

In response to the strike, the affected companies launched a website to inform the SAG-AFTRA members and the public what the state of negotiations were to demonstrate that they were trying to bargain but had been refused by the union. On this site, the companies stated that their proposed payments would be an upfront system and guaranteed regardless of how well a video game sold, making it a better deal for actors. They also noted that they had agreed to terms to split "vocally stressful" sessions from four-hour blocks into two two-hour ones, as long as actors could complete both within a week, but this proposal was rejected by the union. [30] The companies further criticized the union for not bringing its proposed offers to a vote to its members before calling the strike. [22] Union attorneys demanded the public relations firm Singer Associates, which set up the website on behalf of the game companies, to stop using their trademarks, citing potential confusion. [31]

Impact

By the end of 2016, it was unclear how much of an effect the strike had on the video game industry, as none of the companies struck had reported delays of upcoming titles due to the lack of voice actors. SAG-AFTRA noted that they had only targeted strike actions against a subset of the industry, and other publishers and developers would not be affected by their action. [16] Union president Gabrielle Carteris said that with the production time cycle for video games, immediate effects of the strike would not be easily seen, anticipating the strike to last for a long time. In the interim, they are working to craft amenable contracts with other developers and producers that they have not struck. [32] By May 2017, SAG-AFTRA stated that it had already signed twenty other companies for thirty games under their alternate contract for low-production titles, with "new deals are being signed every week". [33]

One of the first reported effects of the strike was the prequel Life Is Strange: Before the Storm , which had its first episode released on August 31, 2017. Actress Ashly Burch, a member of SAG-AFTRA who voiced Chloe Price in the original game, was unable to reprise her voice role due to the strike and was replaced by Rhianna DeVries; she remained onboard to consult on the character for the game. [34] However, with the strike concluded, Burch was able to return to voice Chloe in an additional episode for Before the Storm produced after the strike's resolution. [35] In a separate case, Giant Sparrow had approached filmmaker John Carpenter to provide narrative voice work for a section of What Remains of Edith Finch , modeled after Carpenter's Tales from the Crypt . The strike prevented Carpenter from participating in this manner, so he instead allowed the studio to license his iconic Halloween theme for the section. [36]

Kotaku reported some game developers were critical of the actors' demands in relation to their work compensation. [37] It also caused accusations between actors, with Felicia Day calling DeVries a "scab" in a tweet that she later deleted. PCGamesN noted that Burch did not resent the producers as she still worked on the game as a story consultant. [38]

It was the first such organized strike within the video game industry and the first voice actor strike in 17 years, as well as the first strike within the merged SAG-AFTRA organization. As of April 26, 2017, it is the longest strike within SAG, surpassing both the 95-day 1980 Emmy Awards strike, as well as the 180-day 2000 commercials strike. [39]

Other members of SAG-AFTRA, and other entertainment workers' unions, looked to the voice actor strike as a possible point in their favor during pending contract renegotiations, in light of how many entertainment industries are transitioning towards digital and streaming media; notably, the main SAG-AFTRA contract for film and television industries is due to expire in June 2017, and the solidarity behind the video game voice actors could be used as leverage in these negotiations. [40] SAG-AFTRA and the film and television producers were able to reach a negotiated agreement for new terms in early July, preventing a possible strike action. [41]

The video game industry itself has not had any type of trade union concept due to its origins in the tech sector and the white-collar nature of the industry, though there have been some efforts towards forming such unions. The voice actor strike had reengaged discussions about unionization of video game programmers and developers. [42]

2017 agreement

On September 23, 2017, SAG-AFTRA and the video game companies came to an agreement, effectively ending the strike. [43] The agreement crafted a new three-year contract with the companies to start after ratification by SAG-AFTRA's board of directors, expected to occur within a few weeks from the agreement. The agreement does not include residuals as SAG-AFTRA sought for, but does include a sliding-scale bonus payment for each recording session a voice actor participates in, starting at $75 for the first session, up to $2,100 for ten or more sessions. Keythe Farley, the chair of the SAG-AFTRA negotiations committee, said that these payments "are significantly larger now than what we had 11 months ago" and praised the new structure. [44] Video game companies must provide additional transparencies for roles voice actors are to perform under the new terms; while they do not need to name the game or character to maintain confidentiality when offering roles, companies must provide actors with project code names, gameplay genre, if the work is based on an existing franchise or character, and whether the work will include profanity, racial slurs, obscure technology terms, sexual or violent content, or physical stunts. [44] The agreement also will have SAG-AFTRA and the video game companies continue to work on addressing issues related to vocal stress within recording sessions. [44]

Voice actors expressed several concerns with the agreement, believing SAG-AFTRA conceded too much to the video game companies. Predominantly, the failure to negotiate a residual payment model was cited as an issue. Actors and some video game producers believe that without a residual-type payment system, the current approach keeps participation in the video game industry extremely different from other traditional forms of media. [45] Also of concern was the fact that the agreement contained no specific terms in regards to the vocal stress aspects of the union's complaint. Given the proliferation of struck studios readily using non-union voice actors at higher rates than their union terms during the strike, many guild members feared that SAG-AFTRA was not sufficiently committed to supporting voice actors in the video game industry, which comprise a small portion of the union's total membership. [45]

The tentative agreement was approved unanimously by SAG-AFTRA's board of directors on October 9, 2017, sending the issue to member vote. The vote was completed on November 7, 2017, and 90% of the 10% that voted approved the agreement. A new three-year agreement subsequently went into effect on November 8, 2017. [46] The agreement was extended for a further two years in 2020 to November 2022, [47] and then extended an additional year into 2023. During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike which initially impacted film and television, the union voted to authorize another potential strike action against the video game industry ahead of the renewed voice acting contract negotiations. [48] [49] On July 26, 2024, SAG-AFTRA would once again go on strike against major video game developers, this time due to concerns about the use of A.I. [50] [51]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video game developer</span> Software developer specializing in the creation of video games

A video game developer is a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large business with employee responsibilities split between individual disciplines, such as programmers, designers, artists, etc. Most game development companies have video game publisher financial and usually marketing support. Self-funded developers are known as independent or indie developers and usually make indie games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screen Actors Guild</span> American labor union (1933–2012)

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to create SAG-AFTRA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fran Drescher</span> American actress (born 1957)

Francine Joy Drescher is an American actress, writer, producer, and trade union leader, currently serving as the national president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). She is best known for her role as Fran Fine in the television sitcom The Nanny (1993–1999), which she created and produced with her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Federation of Television and Radio Artists</span> Performers union (1937–2012)

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was a performers' union that represented a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording artists, promo and voice-over announcers and other performers in commercials, stunt persons and specialty acts—as the organization itself publicly stated, "AFTRA's membership includes an array of talent". On March 30, 2012, the members of AFTRA and of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) voted to merge and form SAG-AFTRA.

Residuals are financial compensations that are paid to the actors, film or television directors, and others involved in making TV shows and movies in cases of the cable reruns, syndication, DVD release, or licensing to streaming media. Residuals are calculated and administered by industry trade unions like SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, and the Writers Guild of America. The word is typically used in the plural form.

Financial Core refers to a legal carve-out that permits workers opposed to participating in a labor union to be employed under the benefits of a union's contracts without compelling them to be a member of that union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartle Bogle Hegarty</span> British global advertising agency

Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) is a British global advertising agency. Founded in 1982 by British ad men John Bartle, Nigel Bogle, and John Hegarty, BBH has offices in London, New York City, Singapore, Shanghai, Mumbai, Stockholm and Los Angeles and employs more than 1,000 staff worldwide. The company is part of international agency group Publicis. In 2018 BBH was named the IPA Effectiveness Company of the Year.

Screen Producers Australia (SPA), formerly the Screen Producers' Association of Australia (SPAA) and earlier names, is a national organisation representing film production businesses, emerging producers, service providers and screen industry supporters. It campaigns for a healthy commercial environment for the Australian film industry. It also organises and hosts the annual SCREEN FOREVER conference for film industry professionals, and the Screen Producers Australia Awards, also known as the SPA Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike</span> American media labor dispute

From November 5, 2007, to February 12, 2008, all 12,000 film and television screenwriters of the American labor unions Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) went on strike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blindlight</span> American production services company

Blindlight, LLC is a Los Angeles-based company providing Hollywood production services to the video game industry. Notable properties the company has contributed to include the Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Guild Wars, Splinter Cell, Tomb Raider, Destiny, and Halo series. It was acquired by Keywords Studios in June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SAG-AFTRA</span> American media labor union

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is an American labor union formed in 2012 by the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. It represents approximately 160,000 media professionals worldwide. SAG-AFTRA is a member of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States. SAG-AFTRA is also a member of the International Federation of Actors.

A nationwide strike by the members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists against the American Association of Advertising Agencies began on May 1, 2000, and ended on October 30, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 actors strike</span> Labor action in United States

The 1980 actors strike was a labor strike held in July–October 1980 by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), two labor unions representing actors in the American film industry. The strike was caused by a breakdown in labor contract negotiations between the two unions and representatives of film studios, television networks, and other independent producers. The primary point of contention regarded residuals from home media, such as videocassettes and pay television. Specifically, the union was seeking a form of profit sharing wherein they would receive a percentage of the revenue made from home media releases. Additionally, the unions wanted a 35 percent salary increase across the board for their members. By mid-July, the union and industry representatives were at an impasse, and the strike started on July 21. Several days later, the American Federation of Musicians also went on strike for similar reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Handel</span>

Jonathan Handel is an American entertainment lawyer, journalist, author and commentator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Elmaleh</span> American voice actor

Sarah Horn Elmaleh is an American voice actor. She is known for her work in the indie video games Gone Home (2013) and Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (2018) and AAA titles such as Final Fantasy XV (2016), For Honor (2017), and Anthem (2019). Elmaleh became involved with the SAG-AFTRA union after she moved from New York City to Los Angeles in 2015. In 2019, she founded the multilingual, online games conference gamedev.world with game developer Rami Ismail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 SAG-AFTRA strike</span> American media labor dispute

From July 14 to November 9, 2023, the American actors' union SAG-AFTRA was on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). As the longest strike in SAG-AFTRA history, its combined impact with the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike resulted in the loss of 45,000 jobs, and "an estimated $6.5 billion" loss to the economy of Southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Hollywood labor disputes</span> American media labor disputes

From May 2 to November 9, 2023, a series of long labor disputes within the film and television industries of the United States took place, mainly focused on the strikes of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. It was the second time two Hollywood labor unions were striking simultaneously — the first having occurred in 1960 – and as such, the American news media named this phenomenon the "Hollywood double strike", and surpassed the 1960 dual strike as well. By November 9, 2023, both the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA had reached tentative deals with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and ended their strikes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duncan Crabtree-Ireland</span> American business executive (born 1970s)

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is an American business executive and the national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA. He joined the trade union in 2000 and has also held the roles of general counsel and chief operating officer. Crabtree-Ireland has been a judge pro tem of the Los Angeles County Superior Court and an adjunct professor at the USC Gould School of Law. He is a board member of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Entertainment Community Fund, and the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

At 12:01 am PDT (UTC-7) on July 26, 2024, the US labor union SAG-AFTRA initiated a labor strike against all video game companies signed to the Interactive Media Agreement. The strike had been authorized in September 2023. The strike started after a year and a half of negotiations which failed to result in a protection agreement from the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for all performers covered by the Interactive Media Agreement. In addition to video game performers, there were concerns about companies having the ability to train AI to replicate an actor’s voice, or create a digital replica of their likeness, without consent or fair compensation.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Robb, David (October 21, 2016). "SAG-AFTRA Strikes The Video Game Industry". Deadline . Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Griner, David (April 2, 2013). "Why Aren't Video Game Actors Treated Like Stars?". Polygon . Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Handel, Jonathan (October 21, 2016). "SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike: Is It Just About Terminology?". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Evans, Suzy (June 10, 2011). "New AFTRA Video Game Contract Includes First Streaming Payment". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  5. ↑ Brandon, Alexander (October 25, 2013). "Some simple math for figuring out your game's audio budget". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  6. ↑ Ng, David (October 21, 2016). "Video game actors go on strike. They want to be paid like film and TV actors". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on January 24, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 Schiesel, Scott (May 21, 2008). "A Video Game Star and His Less-Than-Stellar Pay". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  8. ↑ Pitcher, Jenna (June 25, 2014). "Games industry revenue may hit $100 billion by 2018, says research firm". Polygon . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  9. ↑ Totilo, Stephen (June 9, 2005). "Video Game Voice Actors Reach Agreement, Avoid Strike". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  10. ↑ McElroy, G. (October 7, 2009). "AFTRA, SAG negotiate new contracts for video game voice actors". Engadget . Archived from the original on June 2, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 4 McNary, Dave (September 23, 2015). "SAG-AFTRA Video Game Voice Actors Taking Strike Vote". Variety . Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  12. ↑ Reynolds, Brandon (May 17, 2016). "The Voice Actors Behind Video Game Characters Are Famous, but Also Nearly Invisible". LA Magazine . Archived from the original on January 1, 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 Robb, David (October 20, 2016). "Looming SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike Hinges On Single Word". Deadline . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  14. ↑ Wawro, Alex (June 6, 2016). "Video game voice actors' union calls on state regulator to improve working conditions". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Needlemen, Sarah (December 4, 2016). "So, You Were the Blue Zombie! Actors Play Videogame Characters in the Dark". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  16. 1 2 3 Williams, Iam (December 29, 2016). "The Ongoing Voice Actor's Strike Is More Than Just a Little Drama". Vice . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  17. ↑ Verrier, Richard (October 7, 2015). "Game on for SAG-AFTRA members, who give leaders authority to call a strike over interactive contract". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  18. ↑ Dent, Steve (October 5, 2016). "Video game voice actors push for standardized contracts". Engadget . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  19. 1 2 Smith, Iman (October 22, 2016). "Voice Actors Strike Against Video Game Companies". NPR . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Handel, Jonathan (November 17, 2016). "SAG-AFTRA Pickets Insomniac Games as Video Game Strike Continues". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  21. ↑ Robb, David (November 3, 2016). "Two Video Game Companies SAG-AFTRA Is Striking Aren't In Business Anymore". Deadline.
  22. 1 2 McNary, Dave (October 26, 2016). "AFL-CIO Backs SAG-AFTRA Strike Against Video Game Companies". Variety . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  23. ↑ Robb, David (November 3, 2016). "Two Video Game Companies SAG-AFTRA Is Striking Aren't In Business Anymore". Deadline . Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  24. ↑ Robb, David (November 18, 2017). "Actors' Equity Pledges Support for SAG-AFTRA's Video Game Strike". Deadline . Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  25. ↑ Vaudo, Zachary (January 10, 2017). "The Video Game: SAG-AFTRA STRIKE". OZ Magazine. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  26. ↑ Ore, Jonathan (November 18, 2016). "'One time, I actually threw up': Why video game voice actors are on strike". CBC . Archived from the original on January 25, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  27. ↑ Orland, Kyle (October 21, 2016). "It's official: Unionized video game voice actors are on strike". Ars Technica . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  28. ↑ McNary, Dave (February 2, 2017). "SAG-AFTRA Draws More Than 500 to Video Game Strike Rally". Variety . Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  29. ↑ Robb, David (November 22, 2016). "Video Game Strike: Actors Take To Virtual SAG-AFTRA Picket Line". Deadline . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  30. ↑ Alexander, Julia (October 28, 2016). "Activision, EA and others launch site attacking voice actors union over strike". Polygon . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  31. ↑ Chen, I-Chun (October 31, 2016). "SAG-AFTRA demands shut down of 'counterfeit' video game website". www.bizjournals.com. American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017.
  32. ↑ McNary, Dave (January 24, 2017). "On Eve of SAG Awards, President Gabrielle Carteris Talks State of the Union". Variety . Archived from the original on January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  33. ↑ Robb, David (May 17, 2017). "SAG-AFTRA Makes Inroads As Video Game Strike Drags On". Deadline . Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  34. ↑ Handranan, Matthew (June 13, 2017). "Life is Strange lost a key actor due to SAG-AFTRA strike". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  35. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (November 30, 2017). "Previously Blocked Due To Strike, Life Is Strange Voice Actors Return For Bonus Episode". GameSpot . Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  36. ↑ Shilling, Chris (June 2, 2018). "The making of What Remains of Edith Finch". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  37. ↑ Klepek, Patrick (September 24, 2015). "Not Everyone Is Supporting A Possible Voice Actor Strike". Kotaku. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  38. ↑ McKeand, Kirk (June 13, 2017). "Life is Strange devs "didn't even notice" Chloe's replacement actress". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on June 13, 2017.
  39. ↑ Robb, David (January 24, 2017). "Actors Strike Against Video Game Industry Now Second-Longest in SAG History". Deadline . Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  40. ↑ Ng, David (November 9, 2016). "SAG-AFTRA's video game strike could spark unrest in other Hollywood labor unions". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on January 25, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  41. ↑ McNary, Dave (July 4, 2017). "SAG-AFTRA, Production Companies Reach Three-Year Deal". Variety . Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  42. ↑ Maiberg, Emanuel (February 22, 2017). "Walk the Line". Vice . Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  43. ↑ McNary, Dave (September 25, 2017). "SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike Ends After a Year". Variety . Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  44. 1 2 3 Robb, David (September 25, 2017). "SAG-AFTRA Reaches Deal To End Video Game Strike, Longest In Union's History". Deadline . Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  45. 1 2 Wilbur, Brock (October 11, 2017). "Voice actors speak out about their 300-day fight for basic needs". Polygon . Archived from the original on October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  46. ↑ McNary, Dave (November 7, 2017). "SAG-AFTRA Members Ratify 3-Year Video Game Contract". Variety . Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  47. ↑ McAloon, Alissa (November 5, 2020). "SAG-AFTRA extends video game voice acting contract to November 2022". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  48. ↑ Robb, David (September 26, 2023). "SAG-AFTRA Members Vote Overwhelmingly To Authorize Strike Against Video Game Industry". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  49. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (September 3, 2023). "SAG-AFTRA is holding a vote to potentially strike against major videogame publishers". PC Gamer . Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  50. ↑ "SAG-AFTRA Members Who Work on Video Games Go on Strike; A.I. Protections Remain the Sticking Point". SAG AFTRA. July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  51. ↑ Parvini, Sarah (July 26, 2024). "Video game performers will go on strike over artificial intelligence concerns". Associated Press. Retrieved July 26, 2024.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.