Dual Hollywood film strikes hit Alberta's movie industry hard

The ripple effects of a Hollywood battle is already being felt in Alberta's film and television industry, as actors and writers are on strike south of the border — causing local productions to shut down and lay off staff. 

Union leaders of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists voted to strike Thursday. In May, the Writers Guild of America put down their pens and laptops after failing to reach a new contract with the trade association that represents Hollywood studios and production companies.

Marion Milner, a script supervisor who lives near Crossfield, Alta., says she's out of work "indefinitely" due to the strikes.

"Is it two months? Is it six months? Is it Spring? Who knows? That's going to be very difficult for a lot of people," she said. 

"How do you plan for that?" 

She said Alberta is a popular filming location for American productions, and she's worried for her younger colleagues who aren't as financially stable as she is. 

"I know people who are concerned because their mortgage is due and they were concerned about what the new payment is going to be with the higher interest rates," Milner said.

"Their payment might be doubling and now they have no job." 

The walkout is the first double-barrelled strike by actors and screenwriters in more than six decades. 

The guilds have similar issues with studios and streaming services. They are concerned about contracts keeping up with inflation and residual payments, which compensate creators and actors for use of their material beyond the original airing, such as in reruns or on streaming services.

The unions also want to put up guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence mimicking their work on film and television.

Damian Petti, president of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 212 in Calgary, said the union represents 1,500 members in southern Alberta, and the majority of them are now out of work.

He said the strike has had a "dampening effect" on Alberta's industry after a number of successful years. 

"This kind of sets us back in terms of growth and in terms of the money that comes into our economy," Petti said.  

He said the day after the actors' strike was announced, two Alberta productions have laid off staff. However, Petti said Canadian productions, like the Alberta-filmed Heartland, are still filming. 

He said businesses that many don't think about when it comes to the film industry are also affected. 

"It drives hotels and restaurants and equipment suppliers and everything from prop shops to  costume shops," he said. 

He added that the reasons for the strike are important. 

"Their victories will be our victories. What they stand to gain, we stand to gain," Petti said. 

"They're going to be losing jobs if they don't defend them." 

Blair Young, president, Alberta branch of Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, echoed that sentiment. He said actors and writers are taking an important stand. 

He said the use of artificial intelligence could affect people's futures, and its role in film still needs to be figured out.

"If we're going to talk about taking somebody's face, having somebody come in for one day of work, scan their face, maybe their voice too, and then use that inside a computer to create a film, that means there's only one day for the cameras, one days for the lights, one day for the hair and makeup," Young said. 

"So it could affect all of the industry."