Social media stars don’t need Hollywood to get famous, but they still have to follow some of the industry rules.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is encouraging digital content creators, even those who are not part of the union, to avoid promoting movies and TV series in solidarity with the union’s strike against major studios of the industry.
The union shared its specific guidelines for influencers amid confusion among online digital content creators about how they could support those on strike while still honoring some of their existing contracts.
Some influencers are SAG-AFTRA members, but even those that aren’t are still subject to the strike rules. They risk being blacklisted by the union if they “grub,” a term for someone who continues to work while union workers are on strike.
Many content creators said they plan to strike along with union members, pausing film and TV content creation until the strike is resolved. Others drew backlash after initially saying they would continue to work with specific studios.
When Ellen Orsi, a digital creator who focuses on pop culture content, received a $5,000 offer to promote a major superhero franchise, she knew she wouldn’t take the deal because of the strikes.
“While it’s a lot of money right now, I just don’t want to cross the line and make a quick buck now and potentially burn the bridge with wonderful creators of all kinds, across multiple platforms, in the future,” Orsi said. .
She said it would feel wrong to take advantage of such opportunities, even if they seem tempting in the short term, when most strikers don’t earn enough to qualify for health care within the union.
“If there is this kind of budget to reach influential people, there is definitely a budget to pay workers and meet the demands of the strike,” he said. “So, I just wanted to be supportive within that industry.”
SAG-AFTRA, whose 160,000 members include some of the entertainment industry’s most famous faces, began the strike Thursday after high-stakes negotiations between the union and the Television and Film Producers Alliance, a trade association representing the main studios of the entertainment industry. broke.
As actors picketed, singer-actress Ellysa Rose was among many weighing what to do and what not to do. do on social media.
Rose, a member of SAG-AFTRA, cautioned content creators that if they have “any creative goal that requires them to join a union,” not to “cross a picket line, not even a digital one.”
“Studios will start reaching out to influencers,” Rose, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. said in a TikTok video. “And now here’s the thing: there’s going to be big numbers thrown at you, especially small influencers, because a lot of the big influencers are already at SAG.”
Much of the talk about proper protocol for influencers during the strike began after Juju Green, who goes by Straw_Hat_Goofy on TikTok, posted a video saying that because he was not unionized, he intended to honor his contract, and implied that union rules did not apply to him.
“This is how the strike will affect my content. The answer is: very little,” Green, who has 3.4 million followers, said in a TikTok video. “I am not an actor, nor am I a writer. Therefore, my work does not overlap with what the writers and actors cannot do during the strike.
Green, who is known for posting content about film and television, also shared a parody about continuing to post during the strike, which some called insensitive. He later deleted the video and He apologized.
In an emailed statement, Green said the post was in poor taste and that there was limited information from both SAG and WGA when he made the videos.
“I have removed that parody and apologize for any harm it has caused. Once SAG released clear official information, I have complied with all regulations and will not accept any new jobs from the striking companies until the strike is resolved and the union gets a fair deal,” Green said. “I support SAGAFTRA”.
But Green’s content moved creators, particularly those in the union.
“You are right, there is a lot of misinformation floating around about the strike,” said Franchesca Ramsey, a creator and member of SAG-AFTRA whose answer to green went viral. “That’s why it probably would have been a good idea to do more research or at least wait for a response from SAG before making 3 videos about the strike filled with their opinions and not facts.”
Ramsey declined to comment.
In its guidelines, SAG-AFTRA said influential people who had already signed contracts to promote striking projects should “fulfill their labor obligation” but should not accept new jobs from striking companies. Influencers are discouraged from promoting movies and shows, even if it is as a fan and not as a sponsored partner.
The guidelines acknowledge that there will still be cross-promotion work with influential partners who fall into a gray area. For those circumstances, the union suggests contacting a strike captain or the union itself.
Still, the union emphasized: “Any non-member seeking future SAG-AFTRA membership who performs covered work or services for a striking company during the strike will not be admitted to SAG-AFTRA membership.”
It’s unclear exactly when SAG-AFTRA’s influencer-specific FAQ page went live. The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
If I’m being honest, I think I was looking for excuses not to disrupt my own life while still showing support. But that’s selfish.
— Kit Lazer, TikTok creator
Many creators said they support the cause, even if it means their own brands will suffer.
Kit Lazer, who makes TV and film content for his 462,000 TikTok followers, he said in a video over the weekend he was “on strike” with SAG and WGA, “if you can call it that.”
“I don’t know of a way to make ethical content about watching these new movies and TV shows that isn’t promoting the work of the studios,” Lazer said.
He added that he wished people “had been nicer, because a lot of this is new,” noting that in the 1980s, when the last SAG strike happened, social media, podcasts and other technology didn’t exist. Now content creators are trying to catch up.
“If I’m being honest, I think I was looking for excuses not to disrupt my own life while still showing support,” Lazer said. “But that’s selfish.”
Lazer declined to comment.
Other creators said they will follow SAG-AFTRA guidelines in part because they hope to join a union one day.
Reece Feldman, a non-union creator known for interviewing celebrities on the red carpet, announced in a Tik Tok Video that it will no longer accept new contracts to work or promote degrees for studies on strike.
Feldman, who was not available for an interview, said in the video that he supports the joint strike as someone who hopes to join the WGA in the future.
“In essence, I realize that this problem is much more important than myself,” he said. “And it really takes a group effort to make sure that the studios understand how important this is.”
