While SAG-AFTRA and WGA are still hard at work on the picket lines, certain news outlets have taken to promoting the betterment of the industry. Recently, Deadline has done a piece, attempting to give a voice to the struggling workers, including helping Jonathan Daniel Brown get his voice out.
Head of Party Crasher Films, based out of New York, Brown is most well-known for starring in Project X from 2012. He’s made it his own goal to recapture the magic of 70’s and 90’s films, using bold and entertaining independent films to channel that energy.
As he said, he spent 14 years in L.A. as an actor, but turned tail due to the habits of the big studios there. He turned his sights to New York, in attempts to make his mark on the independent film scene there. As he said, the filmmakers there had a unbridled love for cinema, and are burning for their passion to break into the industry.
He is absolutely elated to see SAG-AFTRA hit the picket lines, and push back against the suits. He reported that SAG-AFTRA has thrown a curveball into the mix that will shake up the strike, but a revision is needed, and fast. They’re welcoming those eager to push back against the AMPTP, but the contracts need heavy revisions, and will lead to big projects with bigger casts getting the go-ahead, while smaller projects are put on the back burner.
Brown also laid down a suggested path to remedy the issues caused by the strike, in hopes of saving young, starving talents. In summary, it starts with creating an online portal for productions, with clear guidelines and contracts. Then, IAs will be given to guild members who are also producers, so they can get a leg up over bigger production companies. And finally, a simple letter from the independent producers to the financers, urging them to invest in independent movies.
For further updates on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, stay with us here.