Studios Dragging Out the Strikes Affect More Than New York and California

Hot Strike Summer continues as neither the WGA strike nor the SAG-AFTRA strike have made agreements with the AMPTP. The entertainment industry has been upended in a way we haven’t seen in decades. Both California and New York have been hugely impacted by the ongoing strikes, but they aren’t the only places. Other states like Virginia and Georgia deserve attention too.

The ongoing disputes between the guilds and the AMPTP have impacted the state of Virginia. In the past couple of years, more people who work in cinema have stayed in or near the Commonwealth. More movies and some TV shows have chosen to set up shop there, which has brought employment to the state. One of those people who has depended on this kind of work is Ken Hicks. He had been working on small projects but got a big opportunity in 2019 to work in the art and lighting departments for The Walking Dead: World Beyond. Since then, things have been going well for him, with more and more gigs rolling in. But in May, the negotiations involving WGA broke down and things started to change. Production came to a halt. There are about 500 people in the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees/Film Production Union who live in Virginia, and the strikes have greatly impacted their economy. 

Georgia also deserves to be highlighted. The Peach State has become a huge entertainment hub in recent years, thanks to Tyler Perry Studios and Marvel’s presence. In fact, in 2021, Georgia was third in the entire country in TV and film productions! An estimated 39 movies that have been filmed there have grossed over $100 million domestically, including massive hits like Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Georgia also has tax incentives that help bring production to the state. This has been very successful, obviously! The addition of the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson, allows for easy access to production sites. While there aren’t many WGA members who live in Georgia, vendors who seek to work on productions could be greatly impacted. As are the folks who moved to the state specifically to work in the entertainment industry. The strike makes it that much harder for up-and-coming artists to find work.  For no, Georgia’s soundstages sit empty. These stages are often large and isolated and cannot be used for outside business ventures.

So while California and New York have been getting so much attention (and deservedly so), we must remember the impact the strike has had all over the country.

(featured image: David McNew/Getty Images)