Nova Saffo

The writers' and actors' strikes in 2023 were punishing, and the industry in the aftermath has shrunk.

Jobs are dwindling.

Kate Fortmuller at Georgia State University is writing a book on the subject.

Studios have been cutting costs amid intense competition.

Overseas tax breaks are pulling jobs elsewhere.

Todd Holmes teaches entertainment media management at Cal State Northridge.

Against this backdrop, the studios and SAG-AFTRA, which also represents Marketplace employees, are planning to talk initially over the next four weeks.

The biggest areas to be hammered out between the two sides are thought to be similar to last time, improving compensation over streaming content,

as well as... AI, AI, AI.

That's entertainment industry lawyer Skylar Moore.

People don't want to admit it, but AI is replacing below-the-line crew.

And the cost savings, Moore says, are too enticing for studios.

He says actors and writers may have no choice but to strike again.

Tom Noonan is an independent film producer.

Noonan says how negotiations go will ultimately depend a lot on tone.

And so far, all sides have been sounding more conciliatory than they had prior to the strikes in 2023.

I'm Novosafo for Marketplace.