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As a result, the “new” streamers have been consistently bleeding 100s of millions of dollars which has only been exacerbated by the joint strike for higher wages, benefits and more that can only impact their organizations’ bottom line, further endangering their $10-50 million salaries. Initial pain points such as increased pay, protections around the audition process, writing room size, pre-/post production TV series writing compensation, more favorable terms for pension and health contributions, on-camera rate for dancers’ rehearsal days and redefinition/increases in residuals have been major issues for a large portion of the 180,000 individuals who want to make a decent living in the largely freelance industry. Granted, it’s a well-defined freelance industry but they still move from one movie/show project to another, always working to keep their work calendar filled. During the early stages of the work stoppage, the largely US-based networks and studios have been able to do a little housecleaning by cutting costs/projects in a number of areas and realigning/streamlining a number of programs and activities to produce major saving. Physical and fiscal issues and details will be slowly - sometimes painfully - resolved to the point where neither side is 100 percent satisfied but each can show they were capable/willing to negotiate in good faith. But it has taken the one percenters – Tom Cruise, Christopher Nolan and other A-list actors/producers – to maximize focus and attention on the menacing ghost in the corner – generative AI. Star power even influences studio/network heads. Cruise, the most outspoken supporter of movie theaters, expressed his disappointment in actors not being able to promote their films in theaters during the strike. While his message probably didn’t go as planned (it felt a little self-serving as Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning), he knows star power dramatically increases movie house attendance. Ironically, the film deals with a rogue form of AI determined to manipulate/manage … everything. But he also voiced strong support for the physical and financial issues stunt performers, coordinators and background actors need to have addressed and also asked for more robust guardrails on the use of generative AI in entertainment. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that performers give consent and are appropriately compensated when their