- Content: Kristoffer Polaha Speaks Up About Strikes: ‘Life is Being Disrupted’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Actor Kristoffer Polaha shared his thoughts on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in a recent Instagram post.
“Unions have a long history and the shop owners are often at odds with them, but being a union man AND a shop owner I find myself in unique moment in history,” he stated.
“What we, as entertainers, provide is certainly not a ‘need.’ We don’t provide grain or raw materials to push industry forward, but what we make—our stories—are a ‘want’ which, when consumed, pushes our souls forward. You want them and you (we) will always want them.”
“We want our stories so we can escape the hardness of life, if even for only two hours in a darkened theater filled with strangers, or over the course of a season on TV, or to disappear into a book for a few weeks. Story tellers aren’t going anywhere because people want to be told stories, to escape, to dream, to learn from each other and to root for each other, and to be inspired,” he said.
“How we get our stories doesn’t really matter, stories will find a way,” Polaha continued. “We have a beautiful system in place, we make a story and you can see it from anywhere in the world, a global market, and brought to you at a reasonable price!”
“For the first time in the history of this modern business of storytelling, our way of life is being disrupted in a way that is breaking the back of the business and the hearts of your story tellers; the men and women who make your shows and movies, thousands of skilled laborers who work hard for a decent living,” he explained.
“Sure, times change, but we have always shared the take at the door,” he concluded. “If you tell the story, you get paid for it. Simple as that. Syndication worked, fair wages for base pay works, the right to your image works, the right to own your voice works.”
Although the writer’s strike is ongoing, The Verge reported, “Well-connected CNBC anchor David Faber cites people close to negotiations between the major Hollywood studio producers and striking writers, saying the sides ‘hope’ to finalize a new deal tomorrow. The WGA strike began in early May before the actors (SAG-AFTRA) also went on strike in mid-July, marking the first time that has happened in 63 years.”
Movieguide® recently reported on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes:
As the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) joins the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on the picket line, media executives need to settle negotiations fast otherwise the repercussions could change the future of the industry.
“There’s going to be a lot of blood in the water,” director emeritus of USC’s Annenberg Innovation Lab, Jonathan Taplin said. “This is not going to end well.”
The industry has already been suffering from the WGA strike that has been ongoing since the beginning of May. Production on most scripted shows and movies have been delayed until the WGA members come back to work. Now, as 160,000 actors and other performers join the strike, the only projects that can still be worked on are those in the post-production phase.
- Content: +4Share:
- Content: +4