“The rumors we’re hearing is that [actor’s union national President Alan] Rosenberg would like to walk out,” said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. “But no one wants to see another strike.”
From Nov. 5 to Feb. 12, studio production in much of the entertainment industry was brought to a crippling halt as the Writer’s Guild of America walked out of work, demanding an increase in revenue sales from projects streamed on the Internet and on new media outlets from the producers.
Like that stoppage, actors are looking for a more equitable pay structure for royalties from the sale of projects distributed through new media methods, including distribution via the Internet and DVD sales, neither of which are written into the actors’ contract, officials said.
The three-month strike between the writers and producers cost Los Angeles County $2.5 billion, and another work stoppage could thump the economy in a similar fashion, Kyser said.
“Things still aren’t back to normal,” he said. “We could see a ripple impact from the lack of production.”
In Burbank, the number of film permits issued this year is down precipitously from last year’s mark, a measure of how much the writers strike affected a city with more than 100,000 media-related jobs, said Scott McGookin, economic development manager.
This year, 55 permits have been issued for filming in Burbank, a decline from the 87 issued in January, February and March of last year, he said.
