Victory for the WGA!

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[@ladykimono401]

Unions are the foundation in why the Scandinavian countries enjoy so many benefits like fully paid sick leave, 5 weeks paid vacation and retirement plans. Unions are beneficial for ANY group who is getting abused. Workers, disabled people, renters and the LGTBQ+. United, we are strong!

[@hortencya302]

As a swede I can confirm

[@mirthkos]

Yep, that's why Finland's new right wing government is trying to limit workers rights to strike etc.

[@9UWmember]

​@@mirthkosYeah, it really sucks for Finland. But the important word is try, though. I don't believe they have a chance to defeat the unions. That being said, the Finnish government is an absolute trashfire made up of the scum of our political system, so bad things will happen even if they lose to the unions.

[@Thed538dhsk]

Several unions have been racist and excluded black and Latino and even LGBTQ, Muslim, disabled, and Asian workers including the WGA. You know this right?

[@Thed538dhsk]

​@@mirthkoslike Biden breaking up railroad workers ability to strike in the US?

[@StonerBaer]

As a PROUD Union Man working for the Minnesota Teamsters Local #320, I am SO FUCKING HAPPY to see that the Writers got what they wanted! Fuck the Scabs, fuck the Union Busters - EVERYONE is deserving of a livable wage and security in the fruits of their Labor and the Sweat of their Brow. SOLIDARITY FOREVER.

[@onyxfrench-king611]

Fellow Teamster up here in Kentucky, Local #651! You're damn right, Brother!

[@StonerBaer]

@@onyxfrench-king611 FUCKYEAH, BROTHER! CHEERS, FROM MINNEAPOLIS!

[@clarewillison9379]

✊🏼❤️✊🏼❤️✊🏼

[@ohdarah]

congrats!!!!!

[@lydia1634]

Important clarification on the Marvel VFX union. It isn't the computer animators who have unionized. It's the on set VFX department. So the actual effects are are still going to be exploited (for now), but the people on set, have to do green screen and lighting checks and taping and mo-cap suits, working 12 hour days with three hour turnarounds, those people are the ones who now have a union. Unfortunately, the people doing crunch behind a computer are not protected. Yet.

[@Dave102693]

Hopefully they will be

[@jq77]

@Dave102693 I wish so too but no idea how it will ever happen - I imagine the moment one country's vfx workers unionises, the company will just close the whole shop and move to another country. It's been happening for the longest time (the closing and opening in different countries) and I know many in the industry who are forced to be like global nomads chasing work around the world and not being able to set down roots until they leave the industry.

[@Dave102693]

@@jq77I know it will be hell in trying, but hopefully fruits of their efforts come into existence real soon

[@jq77]

@Dave102693 I hope so too but it cannot be a coincidence that ILM's latest studio opened end 2022 is in India.

[@Dave102693]

@@jq77corpos cutting corners as usual

[@rellikai945]

I saw rumblings that a lot of animators contracts are gonna be up next year, and they're looking to strike as well. They're already asking for people to hopefully give as much support to them as they did the writers and actors, and I sincerely hope they do. Animation in general is already a very devalued artform in the eyes of the general American public, so I'm fearful they won't get as much attention, but I'm really gonna be wishing them all the best.

[@НяшкаОртодокс]

im afraid they gonna betray animators, many still think animation is lesser and "for kids" and many actors and directors don't treat it seriously, and that's very bad, animation and vfx are usually the most underpaid and overworked of all jobs in the industry. and you are extremely replaceable and it's hard to get there, you pay a fortune for education to get a job that won't repay that in like 20 years. it's like as if there was a university for future MacDonalds employees

[@Dave102693]

@@НяшкаОртодоксthis

[@SavageBroadcast]

@@НяшкаОртодокс Dunno, I've seen a good amount of solidarity from WGA members. Plus, there'll be lots of note taking on how to coordinate a strike and go the distance from this.

[@finnster3276]

YES please oh god I hope so . Animation has never been given a fraction of the respect they deserve . The least they could do is pay them, and not even that necessity is met. My dream job was to be an animator ever since I was kid, but growing up seeing how nothing has changed and they’re still being abused and underappreciated made me switch future plans entirely :(((

[@tinkergnomad]

From what I understand, the reason Netflix doesn't run anything for more than three seasons is because there is an intro period where people get paid less for the first three seasons, then they can ask for more money if the series continues.

[@Ezeka93]

i though that was Disney only, but it would make sense why does it happen (not saying is a good practice at all)

[@rosethunder3820]

Now Im wondering about the dragon prince. Maybe that’s why there was such a long gap between season 3 and season 4

[@tinkergnomad]

@@Ezeka93 @rosethunder3820 If I understand correctly it's a practice that's been around for a long time, and it's a holdover from network television. Basically the first three seasons of any show were contracted for less pay to see if the show could gain a following. If it did, contracts would typically be renegotiated so writers/actors could get paid more based on the popularity of the show. Problem is, all these streaming services used it to do the crew dirty and save money. They cancel the show after three seasons (or sometimes one season in Netflix's case) so the crew can't negotiate for more.

[@Ezeka93]

@@tinkergnomad i remember seeing ex disney stars that what disney did to avoid that was renaming the series as another, so that is a really big middle finger to all the people

[@tinkergnomad]

@@Ezeka93 I've heard that too. I'm guessing Netflix got the idea from Disney.

[@idab9958]

As someone trying to make a living in this neoliberal capitalist hellscape of a modern society, this feels like a desperately needed reminder that things aren't completely hopeless.

[@kayleescruggs6888]

While I wish these strikes weren’t needed, I’m thankful that they are happening. I’m encouraged by more unions being created. Gives me some hope for the future.

[@CorwinFound]

The start of the UAW strike may have been the last straw. It's one thing for the public to ignore or just be apathetic towards a strike by a bunch of "Hollywood elite writers." But when labour action spreads to manufacturing, which the vast majority of Americans support, it's only going to cause increasing negative attitudes towards CEO's and corporations. Labour solidarity is rising fast and these execs saw that delay would only work against them.

[@GeekFilter]

I saw a scary comment from a writer who thinks the streaming services are going to form a lobby group under the guise of “opening doors for inclusion in writing“ which would allow them to bust future strikes (like the railroads) . So basically wielding diversity like a wrecking ball while likely making it less diverse. I hope that’s just catastrophizing and not the future

[@marocat4749]

Good to be aware as,it would be not the first time, the price of staying strong there i guess is eternal vigilence.

[@KariIzumi1]

I don't put anything past them TBH

[@annaphallactic]

They've announced a streaming business alliance, so this is already in motion

[@kimyoonmisurnamefirst7061]

This is true. But it's mostly one network, but they are pretending it's different networks so it looks more diverse than it is. OMG, Telemundo and BET... etc. Mostly for lobbying purposes and trying to lobby to bust unions.

[@Thed538dhsk]

That's history and the present. Could happen. But if the unions are inclusive then those tactics won't likely work

[@ourphilosophyis9119]

The way you said “I bet they arrrrre!” is the greatest moment in the history of the internet. I laughed like a hyena.

[@laurahandl2815]

Same here😂 Vera, you are delightful ❤

[@supremeoverlorde2109]

Very happy for the writers! Big companies absolutely need to be kept in check, and I think it's great that the Unions are taking a stand.

[@cyberwolf_1013]

We all win with this. Happy writers are motivated to write good things. Which means better scripts and stories being put out there for us to enjoy. Unions DO work! They can win!

[@monicahoger]

Adam Conover was recently featured on a stream where he went into more details about the new agreement as well. He acknowledged that while it's certainly not perfect, the 3-year deadline means they can streamline things and address emerging issues much faster. He definitely considers this a win though!

[@AveryTalksAboutStuff]

Watching these CEOs go from, "we'll starve them out" to "can we get back to work pweese uwu" has been very validating.

[@russmiddleton5486]

If they train AI on Fan Fiction then we're in for a wild ride.

[@Hair8Metal8Karen]

A part of me wants to see that.

[@loner844]

AI has been trained on fanfiction. ColeyDoesThings did a video on it called 'we need to talk about AO3 and AI'.

[@Elwaves2925]

Woo-hoo!! Not only did they win, they won very solidly. I've said before that if it wasn't resolved early on, the next chance would be at the start of the US winter TV season....and here we are. The studios could only go so long without new output and because of the timing for when the strike started, they wouldn't have a lot in reserve. Just the actors to sort out now but I don't see that being much of an issue now.

[@JoeyTheBeastHD]

Congrats to All the writers 👏👏

[@alguemalguem]

If I understand correctly, it's also possible that IATSE will strike. Their situation is also not very good, and through the WGA and SAG strikes halting production, they weren't able to work either, so IATSE were essentially striking without being on strike. I wonder how much they'll be able to leverage on whatever gains WGA and SAG get.

[@Neurodivergent_RN]

I hope they will get the gains they deserve too.

[@SkyP9812]

Sounds great, just one thing... Who are IATSE? That's a genuine question by the way, I just want to stay informed

[@alguemalguem]

@@SkyP9812 They're the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. It's basically an union of the various stagecraft employees, like craftsmen, set designers, costume departments, makeup artists, film unit managers, basically several forms of crew members. I believe the efforts to unionize by the VFX artists is to join IATSE instead of making their own union.

[@JennyMorash]

I think the studios forgot something very basic about writers: Writers are skilled at using their words to get the reaction they want from the public. And good for them for using that tool to their benefit, I'm thrilled with the outcome.

[@GarrettCRW]

The Culinary Union here in Las Vegas (the union that covers most of the front line workers at the big casinos) has authorized a strike……for ALL of the casinos. Given that they kept a strike going at the Frontier for most of the ‘90s (which is a big reason why the Frontier no longer exists), the chances that a strike gets protracted and costly for the casinos is high.

[@RoyalDarkness107]

Congratulations for the writers!!! 🎉 Best of luck to the Actors union as well. Also thank you for mentioning the UAW strike. While I am not apart of the strike as our specific union has already settled the contract with our company that is a supplier earlier in july, my department was immediately laid off since it supplies Jeep parts under Stalanes. The sooner the Big 3 get their heads out of their asses and cave the better.

[@amberhancock2039]

Super gratifying. Members of my family were calling me a backwards hick for not being on the studios-the side of tech progress-side. They said I was like a gal on a horse yelling at a Model-t. They were sure the studios were going to win. But they didn’t 😂YES!!!

[@KidarWolf]

Then your parents aren't aware that in many areas of the world, horses have the right of way over cars (except on motorways, where for safety reasons, they're banned.) Glad the proverbial horse won!

[@amberhancock2039]

@@KidarWolf lol. They might not. It was more my siblings this time. My father believes AI is inherently liberal and so doesn’t support it.

[@RedSpade37]

​@@amberhancock2039 As Stephen Colbert once said: "Reality has a liberal bias"

[@amberhancock2039]

@@RedSpade37 you know, I wish more people believed that.

[@knitcrochettiger361]

actors, writers and artists deserve more than what they were getting.....good that they were able to score what they could....i'm happy for them.....and i hope things keep getting better for them

[@celia1888]

AI trained by fanfics, We're gonna get so many ABO stories.... Honestly it's gonna be fun. Either way I'm so glad the Union has won. Now we've got all the other strikes going on 💪

[@KidarWolf]

I'd be peeved if my fanfics were used to train AI, but... I don't own the rights to it, so... time to write some crappy AI training fic perhaps, with the statement, in the tags, that it's not meant for human consumption, and is just there to mess with AI training 😂

[@linneathesystemsdruid308]

@@KidarWolf ok but if I came across fanfic that in the tags said that it wasn’t for human consumption it would make me laugh so much

[@vapx0075]

@@KidarWolf lol. You just reminded me of an episode of ST:TOS where Kirk gets himself replaced by an android and loses some of Spock's respect in the process. Scratch that, that is literally what you're suggesting to do here.

[@celia1888]

@@KidarWolf I mean why not. (Tho tbh I'd still read something like that for fun to see the different way ppl write something for AIs) I'll particularly enjoy Disney's notoriously fast lawyers get on other companies' asses once the AI have gone through several fanfics rabbit holes and end up copying something from their catalogue. Like it'll be an ourobouros moment I'll enjoy as much as I can.

[@Starbush69]

As an amateur writer who hasn’t published anything, I’m happy about this too. 😅💜

[@davehall7041]

I totally agree with you I am part of a union and we went on strike for a while and got everything we wanted but were vilified by non union members who are now happy to take the things we got for them so well done to the writers

[@benw9949]

We want great things for the writers and actors. They deserve more. Glad the writers have won. I hope the actors also win.

[@michaelkaduck1915]

I am so happy to hear this! Writers deserve so much better than what the studios do to them. I am glad to know that the little guy can succeed to accomplish the right thing in a broken world. Prayers for the Actors, Auto Workers Railway Workers, And Grocery Store Empoyees hete in Canada on strike!

[@DavidBeddard]

I've never been a fan of strikes as a form of industrial action, and I've known a bunch of unions throw the s-word around too readily, along with some disappointingly toxic rhetoric, when strikes should be the method of last resort, but I'm very pleased that WGA have achieved this new agreement for their members. Unions are an absolute necessity and I am a proud member of tech branch of the British union Prospect. ✊

[@elitettelbach4247]

Huge congratulations to the writers and the WGA! Unions really are an effective tool for labor! They help workers and they help consumers.

[@carrierae550]

So happy for the writers, and I just want to say how happy I am for you, seeing the sparkle in your eyes as you reported on this win for the working class really made my day.

[@hatchetfieldharpie3276]

Whenever possible, unionize

[@KayleighBourquin]

SAG isn't the only union strike to be resolved, the contracts for animators are up soon and it's likely they'll strike also

[@ioannam605]

Thanks for talking about Marvel's VFX workers unionizing as well and how important that is. Just a small correction and explanation. It's VFX workers that are unionizing not special effects. Special effects are effects done in camera (pyrotechnics for examples). VFX is whatever is passed to post production to create the CGI work and the work done during the shooting to prepare the work that will be passed on.The workers that are unionizing though are not the ones creating the final CGI, they are the in-house Marvel workers that set up the work on marvel shows on VFX. It's a massive progress that they are unionizing but the thousands of CGI artists working in post have not been able to form a union yet.

[@cliftonchurch6039]

I had heard mentioned that it seems like the "old Hollywood" companies came to the writers and told them it was Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix (the "new Hollywood") that was preventing things from moving forward. Almost like those that have been in the business understand that the art that goes into writing and recognize its value, even if they didn't mind those other guys trying to get everyone to pay less for it.

[@FrumiousMing8]

Time to celebrate!🥂🎉 But when the celebrations are over I need people to continue this energy for vfx workers, animators, and game developers. They are so undervalued and overworked and deserve as much attention and ado as the writers and actors got.

[@vapx0075]

Definitely need to keep up the hype train. Everybody deserves fair pay all round.

[@baldboygrunt]

One thing I keep seeing in the comments is some variation of "well the studios will just start using only writers who agree to work with AI". Not only does the agreement prohibit this, it also requires the studios to pay any writer that works with AI as if the work was entirely originally generated. It costs them the same whether or not the writer uses AI so there's no benefit for the studios to require this. The people who negotiated these deals know what they're doing folks, you're not going to find some massive loophole that they didn't think of.

[@OtterlyChaoticProductions]

Now all we need is a video with all the studio execs doing the apology dance!

[@scpatl4now]

I just saw that Amazon cancelled The Peripheral, blaming the strike (they had previously renewed it). This has me majorly angry. We just can't keep good scify anymore

[@voltijuice8576]

Dammit - I had checked before the strike and was looking forward to it.

[@cjfhotshot2838]

Message of the year It's Never too late to Unionize

[@superkid801]

This is excellent news to hear! They deserve it! Woohoo! This will definitely be a change we need to see! To the writers, well done 👍🏽

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

That confidential info may also help the writers know what hits. From numbers not just from talking heads.

[@ken_danerdiest1]

I'm very proud of them.

[@fantasmike]

Such amazing news, have to thank you for your coverage on this as well, it’s honestly provided such a good jumping off point for everything going on! Here’s to the actors also being able to cut a deal

[@itsmarthai]

Only you can tell us "told you so" and it's the best thing ever :D so so so happy!

[@meander112]

The people united were not defeated! Stay strong!

[@TwoCentReview]

Glad to hear this good news. Hoping that Sag Aftra gets what it wants.

[@mrwho995]

My main concern is what you described for the AI agreement. From the sounds of it, couldn't studios simply refuse to hire writers that don't agree to the studio's desired use of AI? There are always going to be more writers looking for work than studios looking to hire. And in terms of material for AI to train on, I would have thought that the work of the WG would be a relatively small percentage of what's available, so I'm not sure it'll make much difference. I'm not sure if these AI protections sound very robust.

[@KidarWolf]

What that then comes down to is writers, as a collective, refusing to work with studios that engage in that practice. Is it ideal? No. I think it's likely to lead to another strike action if it comes down to that, which when you need money to survive, is less than ideal.

[@SavageBroadcast]

Ai trained on publically available material won't be worth that kind of hardline. Just look at the mess AI artwork is in right now - the training is now eating other AI work and sending the quality plummeting.

[@shallendor]

Hopefully this will mean that seeing 5 seconds of a show doesn't count as a view on streaming!

[@vapx0075]

Previews certainly shouldn't count. Netflix would have to pay more money so they would prevent previews if that was the case? What would be considered a view? 5%? 20%? Speaking of hate views, I was quite happy when Netflix invented the ability for me to remove */*/* from my 'do you want to keep watching this?' playlist. I generally used to think of myself as a tolerant person.

[@waffles3629]

I've had some people in my life try and convince me how horrible all these strikes are (literally meaning every strike) because it inconveniences other people. Like oh, how terrible, you are _inconvenienced,_ the *horror.* Have some strikes inconvenienced me? Yeah. Do I care? Not a bit, everyone deserves fair and safe working conditions and pay.

[@Neurodivergent_RN]

You were so right! I must admit, that when I saw your episode about Drew, and you said it wouldn't last, well, I kinda thought you were just really wrong on that. I'll confess that I've been feeling pretty defeated lately and just thinking that the big corporations will always win, so while your arguments were sound, I just didn't really let myself believe in the hope you were giving us. But then, the day after I saw your piece, Drew backtracked, and everyone else followed - just like you said! And again, just as you predicted, the studios caved - maybe with the news of their scabs leaving them, they felt a bit of the defeat that corporations have been inflicting on the working class for years. (Or maybe they don't have hearts, and it's just a bottom-line issue - but let's just imagine that it's the feeling bad thing.) I only found your channel less than a month ago, but I'm so glad you did. You communicate your well-thought out conclusions in a measured and kind way, and that is lovely to see in the current environment. The next time you tell me to have hope, I'm gonna try like hell!

[@luminyam6145]

I wanted to thank you for your imposter syndrome video. My son suffers from this. He is a very successful dungeon master and yet he really doubts himself. Your video inspired me to think how unique his particular style of game is and that no one (not even famous dungeon masters ) has ever done what he has done. When I told him and explained how good he is and why (with the proof) he stated he appreciated the support. Thank you again for your video. It made many things clear.

[@CapriUni]

My thoughts? Are these: In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold, Greater than the might of armies, multiplied a thousand-fold. We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old For the union makes us strong. Solidarity forever! Solidarity forever! Solidarity forever! For the Union makes us strong!

[@valmid5069]

Can’t wait for more updates and content!

[@sarahwatts7152]

I'm pumped! I hope that more unions form as a result of this victory

[@uriahhammock3731]

Party time 🤟

[@jq77]

16:58 YES and it's been made worse by globalisation - they just close shop and open whereever regulations are lax and/or they get good tax breaks. ILM recently announced they will shut down completely in Singapore by December, with about 350 people affected.

[@meganvincent5381]

Yeeeees keep unionising ya'll! ❤️

[@vrubin]

if using AI requires consent from both the writer and the company, can’t the company just fire any writer that refuses to use AI? that’s my concern.

[@baldboygrunt]

No. The language of the contract specifically prohibits it.

[@Brunoxsa]

Thank you for the video, Vera! These are excellent news! Most people must be more aware how, in any industry, average employees/workers have no power to fight individually against exploitative and greedy practices by management and executive groups. To the latter, they always and only care about profits, while treating workers as easily replaceable labor animals. That is why unions are so important. Even if they are not perfect, unions are the best way of pushing back against anti-labor practices. Two additional informations about the writers and actors' strike. First, despite the Writers Guild of America (WGA)'s demands being accepted and ending oficially their strike (with writers being allowed to return to work), they will keep their support in the picket line to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Second, recently, most members of the SAG-AFTRA in the gaming industry did vote in favor to also go in strike.

[@rebeccasam3434]

I hope the AI thing is nailed down well, as studios could claim a writer breached their contract for using spell check or virtually any word processing program maybe beyond Notepad.

[@vapx0075]

"Lets eat grandma!"

[@prowolf633]

I never doubted the writers strike would win. Now all we need is the SAG AFTRA strike to get their deal, the animation guild unionized (and a possible strike of their own), certain cancelled shows and movies revived(especially everything cancelled from the HBO merger, they CAN be brought back) and the corrupt executives of the studios (especially David Zaslav) eventually thrown out of office

[@colinmacaoidh9583]

The Unions make us strong! when we forget this, everyone but the fat cats suffer

[@ColzoArt]

✊🏻 solidarity with the unions!! 🎉

[@leiffitzsimmonsfrey4923]

Woot! They won! If the clause preventing union work from being used for AI training becomes commonplace, art AI is dead. (Or at least will not progress far beyond its current form.) Unless they can have the AI work out what art is from first principles like AlphaZero, no training data means no AI.

[@productjoe4069]

This feels like shooting ourselves in the foot tbh. The problem isn’t the AI, it’s our concept of copyright and how we compensate for creative works as a society. This issue affects much more than just writing and other forms of art. Sticking band aids over the problem is just delaying an inevitable reconsideration of how we incentivise creativity and intellectual output overall. Not that I think it’s the job of the WGA to figure that out. It’s the job of us all and through our political process. We’re still rhyming with the early Industrial Revolution right now.

[@vapx0075]

@@productjoe4069 We first need to fix our capitalism problem. Then we can talk about this. And by we, I mean, society as a whole. You and I won't be alive by that point.

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

I can't help but think that they decided to finally negotiate now because awards season will be happening by, like November. Also, Stephen Amell got major karma. His show got cancelled!

[@andreubotella6464]

Hey, a while ago you talked about the effects of the WGA strike on upcoming movies and TV shows based on the fallout from the 2007 strike, but the actors weren't striking in 2007. I'm curious what you think the effects of the combined strike will be. I assume we'll only see extremely rough scripts for things that finished production after the start of the WGA strike but before the SAG-AFTRA one, since when the actors strike ends there will be writers available. But I assume execs still want to minimize delays wrt their planned release dates, which will mean much rougher special effects, soundtracks and sound mixing.

[@VincentPaterno-hs2fv]

This pre-WGA scribe is thrilled my writing cohorts got nearly everything they wanted. My goal as a screenwriter is selling comedy features, mostly rom-coms (at my age, I'm probably a bit too old for TV writers' rooms), but this is a major advance for the industry. I have hopes SAG-AFTRA can achieve similar success; my one qualm is that they are reportedly seeking an 11 percent salary hike, whereas AMPTP was offering 5 percent or so (forgive me if I have the numbers wrong). Perhaps Fran, Duncan, et al can get a raise in the 8 or 9 percent range in exchange for a few minor trade-offs. My late father founded a federal employees union (and worked a lot with Sen. Joe Biden in the '70s, since one of its principal chapters was in Delaware) so I have a good sense how the sausage is made.

[@cas4047]

I'm so happy they got so much that they wanted!! The unions can't be defeated! 🥳

[@waffles3629]

Please never stop doing your outro, it really helps when I'm having a bad day. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[@AceOfSevens]

If I'm understanding this right, AI-generated materials can be the basis for a script, but for credit & payment purposes, the writer is considered to be writing an original script, not doing a revision on someone else's work.

[@AceOfSevens]

Like, some suit can tell ChatGPT to pitch a movie it thinks will be a hit, and they present the output to a writer & ask them to turn it into something useable, but that writer would then get story by credit & it would be considered an original screenplay.

[@katyyulig]

Great news! ❤

[@rashkavar]

So nice to hear some good news for a change. Looking forward to the end of the SAG/AFTRA strike too (as that end looks likely to be in favor of the union), as I've been collecting a list of shows to pick up on stream since I have a bit saved up for a short term subscription to one of those services (between Arcane and Nimona, that'll probably be Netflix). I'd been planning on doing that right around when the WGA strike started, but your and Jesse's commentary on the issue convinced me that this was not the best time to be starting to give Netflix money. Yeah, one subscription is absolutely chump change to Netflix as a company, my withholding that has a negligible impact on them in isolation. But...I'm not an influencer. I'm not a person who can give free advertising that reaches thousands of people. I can't make a big dent in their budget. I can just not give them money when they're trying to starve out the very people who make the product they offer worth paying for. It's not much in isolation, but as an audience member, that (and using the tiny amount of internet influence I have socially to support the unions) is about all I can do.

[@dee7352]

ty for the message at the end :)))

[@Respectable_Username]

I'm kinda shocked the studios caved so quickly. Happily shocked, but shocked nonetheless. I was expecting the executives to cause so much more pain before getting to this inevitable outcome! Solidarity comrades 💪

[@CouncilofGeeks]

Quickly? This was the second longest stretch of time the WGA has ever had to strike.

[@Respectable_Username]

@@CouncilofGeeks I was expecting closer to a year or more TBH, with execs trying to cram out AI garbage in the meantime and only relenting when audiences _repeatedly_ demonstrate they're not interested and bleed their cash reserves dry

[@CouncilofGeeks]

The thing is AI isn't good enough to get a workable finished product yet. It may be one day, which is why it was a sticking point in the negotiations.

[@Respectable_Username]

@@CouncilofGeeks Oh I 100% agree it's not good enough for a workable finished product. I'm more surprised the executives care enough about quality (though still at an incredibly low bar) to not just use it anyway! Considering how very rushed the writing and CG on some more recent productions has felt (cough Good Omens season 2 and The Flash movie respectively), I would have thought they'd be fine with an even greater quality drop if it means they could avoid paying writers altogether. They're _already_ not paying for enough time to get a quality end product after all. Though maybe the low engagement with these underdeveloped shows (again, no shade on the creators, it feels like early draft material they weren't given time to polish which is entirely executives' fault) scared the executives enough out of the idea they can do away with these professionals entirely

[@roguedogx]

7:23 that is gooooooooood. Glad to hear it.

[@roguedogx]

9:56 also just looking forward to digging through the data (if possible) to see what shows are suprise hits.

[@marocat4749]

Iknow eternal vigilence, but for now, hurray! Cant wait for the detailed video

[@Cnichal]

If Drew Barrymore would’ve just waited a couple more weeks; I would still like her.

[@M_M_ODonnell]

I hope we see more of this. Can industry execs agreeing to acceptable terms be the new normal economy-wide, please? If SAG-AFTRA and UAW both get a similar quality of deal, we'll call it a trend (and keep building the foundation to make it one) -- in the meantime, I'm looking forward (as an absolute media nerd) to knowing that one more category of the people who make all the stuff I like are getting a fair living. (Oh, and no transphobic ads on this video for me -- maybe not news on the same scale, but a nice cherry on top.)

[@luminyam6145]

Omg I am in heaven, this is wonderful!🥰

[@elliart7432]

I'm hoping conditions improve for artists as well. I hear stories all the time of animators expecting to take on increasingly more implausible work loads with no extra pay, specialized artists being forced to do several other steps in production because studios won't hire a full team, hell animators wanted fair pay in comparison to those who work in live action production, BEFORE they went on strike for better wages, so that should really tell you something. I'm scared to enter the industry because our work is constantly undervalued, not to mention ai is a huge looming threat for us as well. Luckily a lot of these were addressed last year, but studios are still able to apparently just wipe whole shows out of existence on a whim

[@bigjake360t]

🎉 Power to the people.

[@TheDumdei]

Didn't the writers pledge to continue to refrain from working as long as the actors still don't have a deal? In which case, things REALLY can't get moving.

[@insilencea4599]

Congratulations to the WGA! I have a feeling we're going to see more 6-episode series after this, but I don't want to jump to conclusions as to whether that's a good or bad thing for storytelling. We'll see what happens. 👍

[@vapx0075]

As a Doctor Who fan, 6 episodes = 3 feature length eye-popping action blockbuster movies. You have a good point if things are "unnaturally edited". Cutting stories down in such a way as to hollow out what could be a long, juicy plot full of wonderful intricate characters... whilst simultaneously feeling like they still crammed too much into too small a time frame. People were complaining about that happening to the 'School of Good and Evil'

[@Jamestopboy]

The one thing I am certain of is this: by 2026, striking in that way will, absolutely, be illegal. You think the companies AREN’T going to put pressure on politicians after this? A sort of “if you want us to depict you in a good way in the election to help you win, then you give us this and make sure it never happens again ever.” thing.

[@SavageBroadcast]

Considering that unionization is on the rise, and how many near-constant errors the studios made, don't think it'll be quite that cut and dry.

[@Jamestopboy]

@@SavageBroadcast It will if it becomes law, passed by the president and upheld by the supreme court. I can guarantee you, if not illegal, by 2026 it will be *much* harder for them to strike and win.

[@bobmathis-friedman6742]

Makes me waaayyyy happy!

[@bjam89]

So the Studios finally did the right thing

[@michaelcain9324]

I'm very happy that they've won, and that there's forward momentum for the others. My experience being in the Union from about 20 years ago is not positive. When we were on strike,over and over again we saw cars crossing our picket line, and these cars had the bumper stickers for other unions on them. Other unions decided our Union wasn't important enough to keep them away from gambling and alcohol. So, they crossed our line like it didn't matter. That always left a bitter taste in my mouth. But, as I said, I'm glad that the wga has won, and the other unions are doing well. Maybe, though, the unions themselves, and their members, should keep in mind to respect each other more. If you're in a union, and you see a union on strike, do not cross their picket line.

[@baldboygrunt]

One thing this video got wrong - AI being trained on WGA writer's work is not prohibited by the agreement. The WGA retains the right to claim that is not allowed but that's something that will be dealt with in court not through this agreement. Essentially, the WGA is saying "we don't agree you can do that but we're not going to hold up this agreement over the issue". It may seem like a relatively small point of clarification but one I believe was worth pointing out.

[@9UWmember]

Yes! Love it when unions show their teeth and the employers have to give ground.

[@Onic14]

Leeeeetz fkn GOOOOO!!!!!!! 😮 The pople have won holly shet nice :D

[@melopuss375]

unfortunately, shoe polish connoisseurs are never in short supply and some people did, in fact, think the studios were the good guys. fortunately, such people have never been smart or capable enough to have an impact on anything.

[@BigWordsWriting]

Knowing that, no matter what happens moving forward, companies are going to need a massive amount of text upon which to train their LLM's, I would humbly suggest that some use might be made of public domain material. There is a solid argument to be made that this is the least harmful method of bringing at least a little restraint to what, at present, is a Wild West of larceny, falsehoods, and sidestepping rules. If companies see the benefit of a well-maintained public domain, then we might see these companies scanning and transcribing material which is still not uploaded. Yes, I am well aware that this is a fanciful preposition, given that they will look for the easiest way out, but I can hope.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

So weird to have so many start of century parallels with last century (pandemic, unions vs the excesses of capitalism )

[@aspergianstoryteller6204]

Use fanfiction for AI training at your own risk, lol. Well done WGA, good luck SAG-AFTRA!

[@victoriafreeman7747]

We all won.

[@krose6451]

Yay! So happy!

[@christineherrmann205]

Apparently they already arevusing fanfiction to train AI. And it pisses me off as a fanfiction writer who put a crap load of work into my _Mass Effect_ passion project. The idea that it could be taken to train AI given all the research I did, the rewrites, etc... and if I was Bioware, I'd also be annoyed.

[@tokublwhovian]

What does this mean for your Doctor Who coverage? I know you said you won’t be reacting to the recent trailer, but are you able to review the specials?

[@CouncilofGeeks]

I've said before I can review the specials. Things will go back to normal after the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved.

[@tokublwhovian]

@@CouncilofGeeks Thank you!

[@cathyn7640]

Yay!!!!

[@LunarArsonist]

finally studios agreed, now theyll make good shows again