Atlanta film industry prepares for potential ‘catastrophic’ strike as writers union negotiations end

ATLANTA — The Atlanta film industry is preparing for a possible strike this week.

The writers’ union is currently negotiating with production companies for better pay and hours.

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If a deal is not made by May 1, many television and film productions will halt.

“This is their year to say look, after all of the money you just made with COVID, how many people were streaming at home, everyone was streaming at home,” Linda Burns, the Creative Conference Director for the Atlanta Film Festival, said.

The last writers’ strike came in 2007, before the rise of streaming services.

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“If there is a strike, [shows] won’t be returning because [writers] won’t be there to write the new season,” said Charles Bowen, the founder of the Savannah Film Alliance.

Channel 2′s Elizabeth Rawlins reported that a writer’s strike would be catastrophic to an industry that pumps nearly $4.5 billion into the Georgia economy.

Last year, 412 productions were filmed in Georgia, including movies, television shows and commercials.

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“No one can predict what will happen, but everyone believes it will be bad,” he told Rawlins. “If I had to put one word on it, it would be catastrophic.”

The last writers’ strike came in 2007, before the rise of streaming services.

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