One group of people that SAG-AFTRA is fighting for is background actors. You might not think much of them, but they play a significant role in bringing a scene to life. After all, you don’t want your main lead to walk in an empty city. You want it to be bursting with activity. However, allegations surfaced that Disney scanned the background cast of WandaVision without their consent and had no clarity on when or where their digital copies would be utilized.
Marvel cast member Alexandria Rubalcaba recalled the time when she was scanned, along with other background actors, during the middle of the show’s production. In an interview with NPR, she recalled how they were told to have their arms out and do multiple expressions in front of cameras for 15 minutes.
“Have your hands out. Have your hands in. Look this way. Look that way. Let us see your scared face. Let us see your surprised face,”
Rubalcaba clarified that she did not grant her consent to Marvel Studios or Disney to scan her likeness. She also claimed that they had never been informed about how or when the digital avatars would be used or whether they would be notified or compensated for their use in other projects.
Currently, background actors who are part of SAG-AFTRA receive a rate of $187 per day or $23.38 per hour. The actor’s rates change if they possess specific talents, are exposed to elements like water or smoke, or act as a stand-in. Rubalcaba expressed concerns that AI might eventually “weed out” background actors and raised ethical questions about using digital likenesses.
“What if I don’t want to be on MarioVision, or SarahVision? I fear that AI is eventually going to weed out background actors. They won’t have any use for us anymore.”
SAG-AFTRA released a comprehensive list outlining their demands and detailing the response received from AMPTP. Among these concerns is the use of artificial intelligence. The guild wanted to “establish a comprehensive set of provisions to protect human-created work” and requested that actors consent to use their digital likenesses.
Unfortunately, the AMPTP failed to address these concerns, especially when it was once reported that Tom Cruise was at the negotiating table to express his concerns about using this technology and how it would affect stunt workers.
Amongst the people on the picket lines aren’t just actors; it’s also background casts, stunt actors, and other people who may be irrelevant but are also important. Each of these people is fighting for better working conditions and fairer pay, especially when what was described felt similar to the events of Black Mirror: season 5.
This isn’t like what happened to James Earl Jones, who consented to digitally replicate his Darth Vader voice through AI. Background actors want to be paid, and using digital copies without their consent is just a studio’s cheap way to make films without paying them.
SAG-AFTRA argued that if the studios don’t return to the negotiating table and address these concerns, acting may no longer become a viable career path for the next generation.