American talent is no longer needed for projects, but some see a bright side
Some production work in the Ottawa area has been put on hold because of the strike that has shut down much of the U.S. film industry.
Members of SAG-AFTRA, which represents American actors, stunt performers, and other people who work on screen, joined writers on strike last week. Writers have been on strike since early May. They are going up against Hollywood studios and streaming services over everything from pay to the use of AI.
Shane Boucher, the owner of 1Department Entertainment in Ottawa, said that just the rumor that actors would walk off the job sped up the production schedule in the capital, as films with American actors who are members of the striking union rushed to finish production before July.
“It makes a big difference,” he said. “There were a lot of networks trying to get a lot of projects done, at least from the production stage, that would have needed the actors.”
Boucher says that Ottawa is a popular place to film made-for-TV movies, like Hallmark’s Christmas and Valentine’s Day movies. Some of these projects have been worked on by 1Department.
In June, there was a rush to finish production before the expected strike date, but since then, nothing has been done.
“We don’t have any projects planned for July,” said Boucher.”I’ve worked in the business world in Ottawa in some way or another for almost 20 years, and I’ve never had a July off.”
He said that SAG-AFTRA members are often needed for Hallmark movies, even when they are shot in Canada.
During the strike, there has been a shortage of talent, which has stopped production work. However, Boucher said that this could be good for members of Canada’s Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), who are not on strike.
“We may now have the chance to push for all-ACTRA casts on some slightly bigger productions, especially in Ottawa in the movie-of-the-week sphere,” he said. “This is a great chance for some up-and-coming actors to maybe get a chance to play the lead.”
Strike may benefit independent Canadian studio
Matthew MacDonald, a cinematographer in Ottawa who just started working as a writer, director, and producer, sees another bright spot. Actors who are on strike in the United States can still work for smaller independent studios, including those in Canada, which are not part of the strike.
“That gives us a chance to do something. “Big studios won’t be able to hire actors who are on strike,” Macdonald said.
This may make it easier for the feature films he’s working on to get actors who might not have been interested in them if the strike hadn’t happened.
Still, MacDonald thinks that the strike is making even Canada’s film industry uncertain, and he hopes that it doesn’t last too long.
He said, “I hope they can come to a fair agreement.” “A fair deal that lets the writers and actors keep doing the great work they do and keep making meaningful art that people can enjoy.”