So Let’s Talk About The Hollywood Strikes — How Do They Affect Booking?
So Let’s Talk About The Hollywood Strikes — How Do They Affect Booking?
On May 2nd, the Writer’s Guild of America announced that they were going on strike. A little over two months later, our team sat together in the office and watched as the live-streamed press conference confirmed what the industry had suspected — SAG was going on strike as well. We support the actors and writers and know that the other side of this is a better one for all.
And just as work in Hollywood dried up instantly, news articles, think pieces, shareable social media graphics, and long(er) form TikTok videos from the picket lines suddenly drenched the internet in its place. 38,000 jobs. $3 billion. The effects of this labor dispute were deeply felt and far reaching. Though resilient, CE is not strike-proof. We exist as a nexus between different parties and sectors in the entertainment industry, and a great majority of our projects rely on the impacted unions. Most shows cannot exist without writers, and without actors and actresses willing and able to talk about their upcoming projects in any format, the reduction in output was derailing.
At Cultivated, we felt a sense of unease, even as we steeled ourselves to overcome yet another “unprecedented” era in the world of entertainment. The return to normalcy and stability in a post-Pandemic landscape was as hard-earned as it was short-lived, and promises of a fertile economic and creative landscape felt further away than they had two years ago. But CE not only made it through that precarious period, in many ways, we made our name on the phenomenal projects we were able to bring to life during that time, like the first entirely remote Emmys Awards and YouTube’s groundbreaking Dear Class of 2020.
Though limitations are something we come up against on a daily basis, they are surmountable. The first shift we instituted was one of perspective. Ok so, talking about film and TV projects is off the table, but what can be discussed? We’ve leaned into celebrities & talent with brands or product lines or other non-related projects like books or podcasts. While they’re pausing production, these business ventures are still active and are perhaps even more important to direct attention to.
Brands swing two ways — owned by talent, and in need of talent. We’ve been expanding our services in this sector, and this has been an opportunity to break further ground to build these relationships and strategies upon. Connecting companies with celebrity creators and influencers that can support and enhance their new campaign, product, or platform is a specialty we have honed in projects with some of the most recognizable brands in the world. It is also a model of promotion that is not going anywhere. Having this time to dedicate more of our resources towards how CE can bring our own take on it is a silver lining, and we’re always looking for those!
Talent is also a sweeping concept whose boundaries are being constantly expanded and redefined. While Hollywood has halted, musicians, athletes, comedians, authors, designers, chefs and more are working, creating, and performing. Our ability to book broadly across this range of talent is not only what makes us unique as an agency, it has allowed us to buoy ourselves against a standstill in any one area. At the risk of sounding too much like stock brokers, diversifying really is one of the best ways not just to grow and build, but cultivate and sustain (as a business or, we suppose, with personal finances.)
As a small business in the entertainment industry, the standoff between the networks and the writers and actors can feel minimizing, and it's completely out of our control. As much as we are problem solvers, there is no way we can change/speed up/help these negotiations. And thus, we wait. We take it day by day … or more accurately, email by email. There are times when it’s incredibly frustrating, but we’re thankful to still be working. In the most positive light, a problem is really just an invitation to think creatively. We are here to keep pushing boundaries, being creative and resourceful and to keep fighting (as always). So if you need help with that, you know where to reach us. We’ll see you on the other side, Hollywood! (Or for a drink if you ever want to catch up and commiserate.)