are each on strike against the studios and streamers regarding streaming residuals, abuses of writers, artificial intelligence, and more. Many of the demands of both unions are issues that have not been updated in decades.: Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav made $246.6 million; Disney’s Bob Iger made $45.9 million; and Paramount Global CEO’s Bob Bakish made $32 million.
It’s the wrong attitude. It’s not the attitude of their predecessors. The people before them, at least outwardly, had a professional humility regarding both their positions and the need for the artists. They understood that association with a great film or series was the reward pinnacle and the true reward of all this hard work. And the contracts were made to reflect that, such as thethat established residuals, pensions, and health insurance for its members.
The degenerative slide of the film business took the following path: The studios forgot their own competitive advantage of having relationships with writers, directors, actors, and crew members. The streamers forgot that they’re visitors here, and soon after arriving, they “pivoted” and shucked the let-the-artists-have-full-creative-reign position with which they began. The studios then started chasing the streamers’ business model and lost billions of dollars doing it.