This has been a season of extremes, beyond the weather.
It is the summer of Barbenheimer, when movie theaters are packed for the first time in years.
It is also the summer of a complete Hollywood shutdown.
Getty Images / Bella Geraci
(Representatives for IATSE Local 706 and 798 did not return our requests for comment on this story.)
If IATSE members dont work a certain number of hours a year, they stand to lose coverage.
Some members agreed to speak only on the condition of anonymity to protect themselves and their projects.
These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
The actors hadn’t flown in yet.
But I had done my part, which is three months of coming up with what everybody looks like.
It’s a lot of drawings, a lot of wig-making.
Of course I am nervous when people throw out crazy dates [for when the strikes may end].
Some [beauty brands have been] working really closely with hair and makeup people, giving them work.
My team is just trying everything to be creative with finding alternative jobs right now.
We don’t earn enough money to not earn money for months on end.
“We don’t earn enough money to not earn money for months on end.”
I think a lot of people think it’s very glamorous work, which it is not.
It’s very hard, long hours.
A normal day [for my crew] is between 12 to 16 hours.
They are outside in 120 degree weather or -20 degree weather.
It’s a passion.
I’m concerned [for the crew], but they are strong people and they’re capable.
We are very supportive of our actors.
As we take care of them, they take care of us that’s how it’s always been.
We need them to be cared for and they need us to be cared for.
There are so many people [involved], and we all need each other.
We need the studio.
We need the actors.
We need the writers.
But we also need to keep it modern, and we need to keep it fair.
Before the SAG-AFTRA strike, I was eagerly preparing for a movie scheduled to begin filming in early fall.
The entire entertainment industry is grappling with the repercussions.
Despite these challenges, I believe we will emerge as a stronger and more united community.
As artists, all we seek is fair compensation for our craft.
In solidarity with actors and writers, I support their pursuit of just wages for their invaluable contributions.
We deeply cherish the artistry and creativity involved in our work.
We know that we will go back to work at some point, we just don’t knowwhen.
So it’s the stress of, how far is your money going to stretch?
It seems studios were expecting a strike and prepared accordingly.
I can understand their side of it.
They knew the writers were going to strike like I knew in November that Id better prepare.
Its hard for beauty supply retailers, too, who were just affected in this way by the pandemic.
Hairstylists and makeup artists depend on Nigel Beauty Emporium and Naimies, private beauty supply companies.
None of us are shopping, productions aren’t buying in bulk it hits them pretty immediately.
It’s really a huge impact on the community.
IATSEs contract is up next year.
It’s definitely a thought in the back of our heads.
Like, Are you guys gonna stand withus?
Unfortunately, this means our work has come to a standstill as well, until this is resolved.
Before the strike, I was booked for San Diego Comic-Con.
Due to the rules of the strike, actors cannot participate, so all jobs fell through.
Many of us are concerned that rates will drop again post-strike.
We simply cannot afford to lose more than we already have.
This same concern goes out to all workers in the entertainment industry.
We love being artists.
Its something we are extremely passionate about.
We are a union that is not easy to get into and we pay our dues to get in.
There is no studio money backing it.
Basically, this job will give me a little bit more than unemployment, plus insurance hours.
Because technically, if you’re on strike, that’s by choice.
But [if you choose to work], your union looks at you like a scab.
So you’re screwed.
They keep saying October or November [for the strike to be resolved].
October, I could probably push it, but I will be on fumes financially.
I also just got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
I’m on medication for the rest of my life.
What are my doctor follow-up visits going to cost?
If I don’t have health insurance, I can’t afford it.
Her makeup artist, who is in the union, and I were flying back from London.
I’m hopeful that [the actors and writers] will be successful, because its a long-time coming.
It’s about the greater good.
I was like, Oh, come on.
That’s not gonna happen.
But this was before everyone was talking about AI and doing the [viral] AI pictures and stuff.
If we just let this go, it will never be the same.
Most people who work in hair and makeup do background work.
It trickles down to restaurants and catering and laundromats.
Anything you’re able to think of.
The whole city [of Los Angeles] runs on this industry.
The strike has been a financial and emotional strain, but in a different way, uplifting.
The strikes demonstrate that we’re no longer buying these soundbytes.
In film, TV, and theater, we like to say “the crew is a family.”
Do these sound like family companies to anyone?
My biggest concern is about the push for AI in the entertainment business and other industries.
CEOs in a lot of industries seem to love to treat their human resources as expendable.
A friend who worked on Wall Street said, “They always have the money.”
The people who create the product deserve a fair share.
Scheduling becomes a nightmare in these scenarios.
The pay disparity is disgraceful.
Its clear that our entire industry is changing.
A career that provides them with a comfortable, stable life a life this industryshouldhave no difficulty offering.
They certainly dont hold back when it comes to cutting checks for CEOs.
They simply cant handle the roller coaster of uncertainty any longer.
