Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Ripple effects from Hollywood strikes reach other industries
CANVAS Arts: The company had struggled for years, tossed around by pandemic-induced production shutdowns that began in March 2020. Last year, though, business for Valentino's Costume Group had finally picked back up.
Hoping to capitalize on that good fortune, the shop moved in January to a North Hollywood space twice the size of its old building.
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3 comments:
Although I know that strikes or protests of any kind can significantly affect the community around them, I still managed to forget how large the impact would be, especially in a community built so much around its industry like Hollywood. It personally makes me very angry because the executives and shareholders of the larger production companies aren't really affected. They have made enough money that they can just wait it out, as SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher mentioned ("It could be a tactical strategy to see if we they can wait us out until we lose our resolve and then they can make a better deal for themselves.") Meanwhile actors and writers are simply asking for fair pay and job protection. I really admire the shop owner of Valentino’s Costume Group, Shon LeBlanc, for continuing to show support for the WAG and SAF-AFTRA strikes, even while experiencing financial difficulties as a result of that strike. I think it really drives home how important this strike truly is.
I found this article to contain the nuance around the strike that many reports about SAG-AFTRA and WGA have been lacking. While striking for proper rights for actors and writers is vital for the longevity and health of arts workers, it will inevitably hurt other businesses outside of the corporations the unions are striking against. From this statement in the article, I now ask myself the question: how will the WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes affect entertainment designers that work in support of film and television, not directly for film and television studios? As TV and film projects are being shut down due to the strike, what does this mean for us costume stitchers, electricians, and freelance production assistants? More importantly, are there systems in place to ensure the longevity of the creative businesses tangential to the film industry? The clear solution is for studios to meet the very reasonable demands of union members, however until that happens, I believe temporary solutions include the unions financially supporting these businesses, grants being created specifically for tangential art businesses, and government funding to protect the LA economy.
In all honesty, I’m not very up-to-date with the whole strike situation that’s going on in Hollywood because it happened during the summer and I was not here. But having heard just enough information to know what’s going on, it’s disappointing and disheartening to see that this strike is still dragging on. Many people are struggling with basic living because they lost their primary (and probably the only) income. While I did know that the strike affects people who are outside the entertainment industry, it still makes me angry when the article lays it out so clearly. I can completely understand how workers in other industries are frustrated and probably scared too because of the loss of customers. LA depends so largely on its entertainment industry that the chain effect is so prominent in its economy. Although I don’t really know how the logistics work here, I think it’s pretty obvious that if the strike isn’t resolved soon, it might reach a point of no return.
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