One of the many legitimate reasons SAG-AFTRA is striking is due to the AMPTP demanding actors allow productions to do ‘full body scans of performers.’ It’s not just the scans, it’s the fact that actors would only be paid a day’s wages to be scanned. Those results would then be the property of the production, “for the rest of eternity,” with the actor never receiving compensation for uses of their likeness.
SAG President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland addressed the public in a rousing press conference yesterday, announcing the strike. They touched on this scanning proposal from the AMPTP, which was news to many.
Tony Award winner and Grammy nominee Lena Hall, who stars in TNT’s “Snowpiercer,” has confirmed she and other series regulars did “full body scan and full range of emotion capture” for season 4, without being told “the real reason why.” This is the first confirmation we’ve gotten so far that the practice was already going into effect.
She also clarifies in the comments that “they told us it was for special effects but were very vague!” Yeah, we guess this could be considered special effects? This is pretty obviously a horse of a different color in terms of perceived and intended use, especially with this exact thing being mentioned in the AMPTP’s “historic offer,” which SAG-AFTRA refused to accept.
Using computer-generated versions of celebrities is far from a new debate. There is even an episode of “Black Mirror” and countless sci-fi and horror properties revolving around the subject. While this tech may be great for a situation like allowing Carrie Fisher to posthumously continue her role as Princess Leia. Or to de-age actors when certain roles call for it. These scans applications can become sinister, especially in cases like Hall’s where consent was NOT given for perpetual use.
“The Flash” recently used a generated version of the late Christopher Reeve‘s Superman. Because Reeve passed away in 2004, he obviously could not consent to his likeness being used in this way.
To demand all performers give up their likeness with seemingly no/little stipulations about how it can be used is highly unethical. But adding that they are being asked to do so under threat of not being hired makes it so much worse. It’s pretty clear why the SAG-AFTRA has gone on strike with the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Since studios, as well as news outlets, are pushing the uses of AI and computer-generated content to insane limits. And using it to threaten to replace human performers and writers if they ask for any amount of reasonable compensation for their work.
Labor is a basic and expected cost of doing business. If you can’t afford to pay your workers a livable wage, then you can’t afford to be in business.
