Get ready for a SAG strike in June...
From the SAG Newsletter:
Why Is New Media Important To Actors?
Today 134 million Americans (or 3 in 4 Internet users) view online videos each month. This means over 9 billion videos are watched online per month. YouTube alone has over 200 million unique visitors every month. This year the leading 100 media companies will realize an estimated $20.7 billion in Internet revenue. And advertisers will spend $2.9 billion annually on online video ads by 2010. All this adds up to tremendous opportunities for actors.
What is the current state of affairs in new media?
• This season some shows are being streamed live multiple times before the episode is scheduled to broadcast.
• Some series have their entire catalog of episodes available for ad supported streaming.
• Ad supported streams, downloads for rental and electronic sell through of feature films are now available.
• Some made-for new media content is moving to broadcast television.
• Made-for new media content is being created to complement the coming fall broadcast lineup.
• Subscription services are offering unlimited streams of their television and film catalogs to subscribers.
• Producers are setting up new studio systems for the creation and distribution of new media content.
• Producers are editing library content down to snack size pieces for new media distribution.
Here’s what we are asking for:
1. Reasonable minimums for actors’ work in content made-for new media.
2. Reasonable residuals for actors’ work in content made-for new media.
3. Reasonable residuals for actors’ work in content moved over from traditional media to new media.
4. Reasonable protections and compensation for actors’ work moved over from new media to traditional media.
