Fans for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA

An inter-fandom movement, supporting the WGA and SAG-AFTRA to fix what the studios broke

[fans4wga]

Welcome to fans4wga, a central hub run by fans who work in the entertainment industry and want to promote inter-fandom solidarity with the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

We're here to support the writers and actors on strike with both financial and moral support, combat misinformation, and disseminate helpful information for how you and your fandom can get involved!

why support the WGA/SAG-AFTRA? -> The people who make the entertainment you love are being systematically underpaid, understaffed, and undervalued by gigantic corporations with CEOs who make millions every year. Writers and actors are striking for fair pay, better work conditions, and an end to exploitative labor practices like mini-rooms and scanning people to use digital likenesses to replace real actors. Writers and actors deserve a fair contract, but the studios have refused fair negotiation at every turn.

how can fans get involved? -> Please boost info about mutual aid and strike funds, correct misinfo when you see it (and cite sources when possible), and keep strike morale strong in your fandom spaces!

want to support the strike? -> donate to the Entertainment Community Fund and the Green Envelope Grocery Aid Fund, or join a fandom group that's organizing on Twitter: Our Flag Means Death, Star Trek, and Manifest fandoms are already active in organizing food and drink donations to the picket lines. Join a picket line if you can. Support the strike on social media with the hashtags #IStandWithTheWGA #DoTheWriteThing #Fans4WGA

who are you exactly? -> this hub is run by Ani (@abnerkrill) and Algie (@equalseleventhirds) on behalf of the #fans4wga movement, supported by WGA members Jo Miller and Rob Kutner.

should I stop watching TV shows/movies to support the strike? -> there is currently no official call for a boycott! Some people are canceling their services in support of the WGA. However, this is not an official ask and could in fact damage viewing numbers that give the unions leverage. In other words: No need to change your watching activity, but please vocally support the WGA/SAG-AFTRA on social media and in real life!

is fanfic scabbing? -> Definitively no! Please keep writing fic. The confusion about this question comes from SAG-AFTRA's guidelines against influencer promo. Influencers (by SAG-AFTRA's official definition) are being asked not to promote present or past studio works. However, fans and hobbyists without significant social media followings who don't want to join SAG-AFTRA in the future can keep posting normally.

have any others questions? ask box is open!

[please note anon is currently off to limit spam and hate mail. apparently some people side with corporate CEOs over workers. couldn't be us!]

[shostakovalexei]

Oust Miller — He Was Never Elected. Remove Him.

The most powerful man you never elected sold his house to hide. We're not hiding. Take action to oust Stephen Miller.

American friends, please visit https://oustmiller.com/ and take action to oust Stephen Miller.

[fans4wga]

*NEWS* WGA statement on Netflix acquiring Warner Bros

The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent. The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers, raise prices for consumers, and reduce the volume and diversity of content for all viewers. Industry workers along with the public are already impacted by only a few powerful companies maintaining tight control over what consumers can watch on television, on streaming, and in theaters. This merger must be blocked.

WGA on Bluesky

Now's the moment to get loud about blocking this merger. Educate those around you, contact your representatives, and post on social media. You can also cancel your Netflix accounts and provide this reason when canceling.

[shostakovalexei]

Phineas (@phineas.bsky.social)

New awareness campaign

[hightide-error]

extremely cool that the removal of wolf protections in europe are being driven by an eu official having one of her horses killed by a wolf. literal cartoon villain shit

[hightide-error]

if you own horses you should be disqualified from participation in government

[hightide-error]

and after this happened, they put that specific wolf on a kill list and then proceeded to shoot the wrong wolf. geniuses

[somejack]

Environmental groups condemn EU Parliament’s approval to downgrade wolf protection as an attack on nature Today, the European Parliament app

For anyone who thought this is too stupid to be real, I'll remind you the year is 2025. The EU official in question is Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. She is the latest in a long line of idiot Germans to think the CDU disguises her evil.

[shostakovalexei]

okay here's a petition against this

[fans4wga]

Keep Colbert on Air!

We need Colbert’s bold and frank commentary now as much as ever, and we need to stop corporations like CBS from cowing to political intimida

CBS announced it is cancelling “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” just days after Stephen Colbert criticized on air the recent settlement between President Donald Trump and Paramount Global—CBS’s parent company—calling it a “big, fat bribe.”

This cancellation is deeply suspect: More than 2 million viewers tune in every night, making it the top-rated late night show on air. And Colbert has been hosting this show for nearly a decade.

We need Colbert’s bold and frank commentary now as much as ever, and we need to stop corporations like CBS from cowing to political intimidation of this administration. Add your name to the petition to demand they reverse their decision and keep Colbert on air! 

[wilwheaton]

“Given Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show’s cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval. Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramount’s decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR. The Writers Guild of America calls on New York State Attorney General Letitia James, no stranger to prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices, to join California and launch an investigation into potential wrongdoing at Paramount. We call on our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account, to demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the President.”

— WGA Statement on Paramount’s Decision to Cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

[fans4wga]

SAG-AFTRA Ends Video Game Actors Strike

The video game actors strike has ended.

SAG-AFTRA's statement: "This agreement builds on three decades of successful partnership between the interactive entertainment industry and the union. It delivers historic wage increases of over 24% for performers, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions requiring transparency, consent and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games. We look forward to continuing to work with performers to create new and engaging entertainment experiences for billions of players throughout the world"

[sirfrogsworth]

Nostalgic memory loss and cherry picking annoy me to the core.

2006 features other CGI-laden flims such as...

Son of the Mask

And Ultraviolet

While 2024 featured...

Dune 2

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

This shot was literally impossible to create in 2006.

Good CGI is made by good artists who have the proper funding, time, and resources. The year doesn't matter.

There has always been bad CGI. There has always been good CGI.

Current CGI is much more advanced and allows for much bigger stories to be told. Most of it is so good, people do not even realize they are looking at CGI. Yes, Top Gun 2 shot a lot of amazing practical footage. But they still had 2400 VFX shots.

And no one could tell the difference.

But also, movies with 2000+ CG shots usually have a quality delta. They run short on time and budget and they have to prioritize which shots get the most love. If there is one valid complaint about modern CGI, it is the lack of consistency.

You might have a weird looking floating head in one scene...

And that is very easy to cherry pick and say "look at how bad CGI is these days!"

But then later in the movie you have the shadow realm moon.

A gorgeous scene that used a groundbreaking lighting effect. Using a strobe technique and a high speed camera, every frame in the scene had six different angles of lighting.

They were able to show a fast revolving sun circling around the characters without having to rig up some crazy light that flies around the room.

Again, not possible in 2006.

When artists have proper resources they will blow your mind.

CGI isn't worse. It is better than ever. It's just that the artists making Davy Jones were amazing. They had the time and money to realize their vision. They had 1400 fewer shots to make than Top Gun Maverick. (Jurassic Park only had 63.)

They also understood their limitations and didn't try to force the CG to do something it wasn't ready for yet.

[thefrogman]

Reminder that this rhetoric is causing real harm to VFX artists.

They are struggling to unionize and studio marketing is trying to hide their contributions. They turn BTS footage of green screens to gray screens. They boast "all practical" movies that have 2000 VFX shots. They keep many artists out of the credits.

The anti-CGI hate gives real artists a weak hand to bargain with.

Criticize the system and the working conditions, not the art.

People get so upset about AI taking artists' jobs but then they complain that 2 shots in a Marvel movie aren't photorealistic and ignore the 1000 that were and devalue the work of those same artists.

I love practical effects too. And I think the best VFX I've seen have been when practical and CG team up. But there are so many stories I love that could not have been created without the amazing work of VFX artists. I mean, I watch Dune and forget CGI even exists. I feel like I'm just watching real shit the entire movie even though it has giant worms and whatnot.

Change the conversation.

Instead of "Ugh, this CGI sucks."

Why not try, "Ugh, why didn't Disney give their artists enough time to make this look cool?"

[bbcwhereareyou]

Do you play daily NY Times games like Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, or Strands? The NYT Tech Guild workers who make those games possible are currently ON STRIKE and asking you to not cross the digital picket line.

Spread the word! For other ways to help, you can also contribute to their strike fund here.

[pomme-poire-peche]

I told my boyfriend, who plays these!

[fans4wga]

Mutual aid fund for struggling entertainment workers - donate if you can in wake of the video game strike!

Apply for $250 Grant Here

Green Envelope Grocery Aid was launched by WGA captain and IATSE member, Joelle Garfinkel, during the 2023 dual WGA & SAG/AFTRA strike as a grassroots effort to provide mutual aid to all industry members in need. The efforts raised 264,000 and provided aid to 2,698 people.  As we continue to rebuild during this difficult time, Green Envelope is back to provide $250 grants from mutual aid gift donations. Fueled by mutual aid gift donations, we're so grateful to our community! 

*full disclosure this mod has received some grants from green envelope for grocery money. it is an incredibly helpful fund for those of us affected by the strikes - please donate and boost if you're able!

[dduane]

Lionsgate Signs Deal With AI Company Runway, Hopes That AI Can Eliminate Storyboard Artists and VFX Crews

The studi says that replacing human artists with AI will save “millions and millions of dollars.”

(a) No it won't. (b) Alas for the other humans who work for/with them; now they know they're next on the list.

…Why can't these idiots just let creatives be creatives? It's not like we overcharge. (Back of brain: "It's that we make them feel insufficient. Like that's somehow our fault.") :/

[nuttysaladtree]

Complete tangent, but friendly reminder that SAG-AFTRA has been striking against video game companies since July [2024, for any readers in the far future]. One of the things video game companies are failing to give the actors is protection against their performances being used to train AI.

The union has not called a boycott at this time, but please check out SAG-AFTRA's official site and @fans4wga for ways to help. They're unaffiliated with each other, but the latter has been providing useful info on Tumblr for this video game strike and last year's film and TV strikes.

[fans4wga]

Thanks for tagging us! Please continue to vocally support the striking video game actors and stay up-to-date on the news.

[dovesndecay]

Hey fellow workers and union men🐈‍⬛, SAG-AFTRA has released a series of short, plain-language explanations regarding the fight for AI protections in video games, and what they're fighting for.

Please share this widely for game performers, current and future, and make sure to support the union!

SAG-AFTRA vs Employer's AI Proposals

[nuttysaladtree]

@fans4wga

[ot3]

so the new dragon age dropped for preorders and what im seeing is that the physical merch bundles to not actually come with the game? unreal. unreal. starting off strong with this one. cant wait to witness all of the bountiful discourse cycles this game will provide. as someone who has never played dragon age its one of my favorite spectator sports

[ot3]

ninety us american dollars to buy a 'deluxe edition' on console with includes exactly zero real life bonus objects BUT DONT WORRY

you an pay them another one hundred and fifty dollars to get actual stuff on top of that price tag. beautiful stuff guys

[ot3]

im crying theyre trying to sell you a collectable case for the game without the game in it. peak AAA game dev antics

[thefloatingstone]

Reminder EA (who is Bioware's publisher) is on the boycot list released by the Screen Actors Guild due to their CURRENT AND ACTIVE STRIKE against the video game industry for job security in the face of their likeness and voices getting used by AI banks.

Video game actors go on strike over AI protections | Semafor

The fallout threatens to bring the video gaming industry to a standstill in a repeat of last year’s Hollywood strikes.

Video game actors are on strike. Here's what that means

Video game actors are on strike after performers union SAG-AFTRA and the video game companies couldn't agree on AI terms.

Video game actors are officially on strike over AI

The last video game strike lasted 11 months.

It's not getting NEARLY the support here on tumblr that the strike against movie studios last year and that's really upsetting to see.

Stop fucking pre-ordering shit.

[silurisanguine]

There isn't a boycott. Sag-Afra have stated podcasters should not talk about struck work, but fans should still buy the games as not buying them will effect the devs who worked on them! https://www.sagaftra.org/videogamestrike-faq#forfans Just dont buy scammy shit like this! If you love Dragon Age and want to support Bioware and all the devs who worked on it, but the basic game when it comes out.

[fans4wga]

Where are you getting the info that podcasters shouldn't talk about struck work? From the SAG-AFTRA website, podcasters should refrain from talking about struck work only if they performed on it:

[ot3]

so the new dragon age dropped for preorders and what im seeing is that the physical merch bundles to not actually come with the game? unreal. unreal. starting off strong with this one. cant wait to witness all of the bountiful discourse cycles this game will provide. as someone who has never played dragon age its one of my favorite spectator sports

[ot3]

ninety us american dollars to buy a 'deluxe edition' on console with includes exactly zero real life bonus objects BUT DONT WORRY

you an pay them another one hundred and fifty dollars to get actual stuff on top of that price tag. beautiful stuff guys

[ot3]

im crying theyre trying to sell you a collectable case for the game without the game in it. peak AAA game dev antics

[thefloatingstone]

Reminder EA (who is Bioware's publisher) is on the boycot list released by the Screen Actors Guild due to their CURRENT AND ACTIVE STRIKE against the video game industry for job security in the face of their likeness and voices getting used by AI banks.

Video game actors go on strike over AI protections | Semafor

The fallout threatens to bring the video gaming industry to a standstill in a repeat of last year’s Hollywood strikes.

Video game actors are on strike. Here's what that means

Video game actors are on strike after performers union SAG-AFTRA and the video game companies couldn't agree on AI terms.

Video game actors are officially on strike over AI

The last video game strike lasted 11 months.

It's not getting NEARLY the support here on tumblr that the strike against movie studios last year and that's really upsetting to see.

Stop fucking pre-ordering shit.

[pokegeek151]

Genuine question: are they actually calling for a boycott? I haven't seen anything saying that, including those articles. And unless striking workers actually want a boycott, doing one can hurt their cause.

@fans4wga Do you have info on if SAG-AFTRA wants a boycott on the struck game companies?

[fans4wga]

There is no consumer boycott!

Straight from the SAG-AFTRA website:

[ID: screenshot from the SAG-AFTRA FAQ that says, "For Creators & Streamers" and then a dropdown menu with the question selected; "Are creators and streamers being asked to stop playing certain video games?" the answer says, "The only situation in which streaming a struck video game would be in violation of our strike order is if you had rendered services as a performer in that struck game. Otherwise, we are not asking you to stop playing/streaming video games. In fact the opposite! Please continue doing what you love, and any support and solidarity would be extremely appreciated!" end ID]

[ID: screenshot from the SAG-AFTRA FAQ that says, "For Fans" and then a dropdown menu with the question selected; "How can I show support for the striking video game performers?" the answer says, "You can help amplify our messages online using #LevelUpTheContract, #VideoGameStrike and #SagAftraStrong. Click HERE for a look at how you can engage in this fight. Have another idea of how you want to show your support? Reach out to us at [email protected]." end ID]

[3rdbogwitch2theleft]

After a year and a half of contract negotiations, Video game performers are on strike.

You can find out if a game is struck here

[historic-on-main]

and to be clear, they are NOT calling for a boycott. they want you to keep playing games. to support the strike, they're asking you to be talking about it and spreading awareness. you need to keep playing games to show the industry that there's a market for them and they need actors to fill that market.

[convito]

​If We Don’t Get Your Help Now, It’s Game Over

The actors who breathe life into the video games you love are facing an existential threat. After more than 18 months of negotiations, emplo

If you believe voice actors deserve to be treated fairly and with respect in the face of AI endangering their livelihoods, please sign this petition. They're not asking for a boycott (so no need to feel guilty about being RIDICULOUSLY excited for Dragon Age: The Veilguard) but please PLEASE show your support for these hard-working people.