Christopher Kaczmarczyk-Smith’s Post

For the latest edition of Axios Pro Media Deals, we covered: ✊ Hollywood's latest labor battle 🛍️ Complex Networks acquires IDEA GENERATION and what's next for NTWRK 👀 Trian’s The Walt Disney Company white paper

By now, you’ve likely heard about the film/TV strike. While this may not have a direct impact on your income, it’s something that every business leader should pay attention to right now. Here are a couple of takeaways from the situation in the streets of Hollywood… 1️⃣ Every person, every department, has an important role to play. While certain departments may seem to bring more value, if any department is underproducing, it affects the entire company. 2️⃣ The people behind the scenes of your business matter. If they don’t feel valued and appreciated, it could cause problems in your company now or down the road. 3️⃣ Benefits and perks are great, but if your team can’t pay their bills, that’s a problem. Your team members deserve to be fairly compensated. What’s been your biggest takeaway from the Hollywood writer’s strike?

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc (NASDAQ:WBD) has cut its full-year earnings guidance due to the ongoing impact of the strike by writers and actors. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the entertainment group lowered its adjusted underlying earnings (EBITDA) for 2023 to between $10.5 billion and $11 billion, saying earnings would be $300 million to $500 million lower than previously forecast, mostly due to the impact of the strikes. However, it raised its free cash flow expectations for the full year to at least $5 billion. Additionally, it expects to exceed $1.7 billion in free cash flow for the third quarter of the year, in part due to the strong performance of Barbie as well as the incremental impact of strike-related factors. Members of the Writers Guild of America union have been on strike for more than 100 days, and the actors joined picket lines in July. More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors #NASDAQ #WBD http://ow.ly/QWO8104Thlg

the theory from a friend: 1st strike: huge losses, lets use ai instead. results: layoffs. 2nd strike: more losses, lets use more ai instead. results: more layoffs if still not satisfied, there will be more strikes. The leaders will be happy in their place, small artists will suffer just like none of big artists opened their mouths when ai started taking over art because their position is safe. Just a theory.

Robert Half just released its 2024 Salary Guide and grateful for the opportunity to share the latest insights on the guide earlier this week with FOX19 WXIX! For more details check out the link below!

Last year, when the actors and writers in America stopped work to fight for their rights, we in India, especially those of us working in VFX, faced a lot of problems. Despite these difficulties, we supported them because we understand the value of standing up for what's fair. But now, hearing about another possible strike, it's really worrying. Many of us are already struggling to find work, pay our bills, and take care of our families. The truth is, the situation is becoming very hard for VFX artists, not just in India but around the world. In India, it's even tougher because a lot of us depend on just one job to feed many mouths. We showed our support, but now, as we face more challenges, it might be time for us to come together and form our own group. This way, we can make sure we have a say in our future and protect our jobs. We could also think about not working or supporting for those who are striking, not because we don't support them, but because we also need to survive. They might be getting support or money while they protest, but we are facing the possibility of not having a roof over our heads. Let's talk about creating a system where we help those who really need the work. It's important for everyone to understand that while fighting for rights is necessary, we also need to think about the impact on all of us who are part of making movies and shows come to life. We need to come together and find a way to get through these tough times, ensuring we all have work and can take care of our families. By standing united, we can make a real difference for our community.

As an independent producer, I fully support the SAG & WGA strike and support the talented individuals walking the picket line. It's important too to clear up any misconception that the guilds are striking against independent producers. They are not, and have offered a waiver system for independents to keep producing. The strike is targeted at AMPTP which represents studios, networks, and streamers. Writers, Directors, and Actors are among my closest friends, as well as many industry professionals directly affected by the slowdown. I know that those who cannot work are facing tough times and difficult decisions: crew, agents, rental companies and even producers like myself. However, this is the time to take a stand, to support the unions' right to bargain for job security and better terms for their members. We all know the industry has changed, demanding some sort of formula to generate an equitable balance between creative input and back-end profits. Although the industry faces major adjustments, perhaps even a sea-change from AI, to me, people come first. Let's use the strike to hit "Reset" so studios and streamers can join all other stakeholders to collectively pave a new way forward, creating wonderful content that entertains for years to come while offering equitable participation to all.

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An interesting article on the pending auto industry strike and the possible impacts. For those of us working in broadcast television, this is something to keep a close eye on.