This week we’ve seen a strong call for mandatory COVID vaccination across the industry, prompting SAG-AFTRA to talk the matter over as more and more employers want vaccine proof as a condition of employment. BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Lawyer Los Angeles dive into the thorny issues this raises in a little more detail.
To date, vaccines are not mandatory
The industry’s return-to-work protocols don’t currently demand proof of vaccination for cast or crew. Yet we see these existing protocols expire on Wednesday, heading back to the negotiating table with major companies and unions.
With this in mind, we’ve seen SAG-AFTRA’s national board of directors approve a motion to allow mandatory vaccination policies. This is stimulated by pressure from members and producers that want the union to allow producers to mandate vaccination for access to set. Nor is this a small movement, with representation from big-name shows airing across major networks currently as well as support from the Producers Guild of America and HBO as well.
Many justifications for the call
Why has this become a hot-button issue? It’s certainly understandable. Not only are there heavy requests from crew and casts to see these policies in place, but it would make for considerable on-set simplification if there’s widespread vaccination in place to limit COVID exposure and harm. Not to mention it would also provide a key buffer as we go forward into uncertain and unclear national COVID protocols and their ever-evolving status. On the side of independent producers, it will no doubt also make obtaining insurance coverage considerably easier.
With such widespread industry support, the motion certainly has a strong chance of becoming reality. Nor is this particularly unfair. Having brought the industry through the pandemic with relatively few casualties, indeed, even introducing novel policies to keep sets safe that far outstrip many other industries, it would be the greatest of pities to suddenly have lost health and closed sets because of unknowing exposure to the virus. Too many have worked too hard to keep creative content afloat through the worst of closures and lost income to easily give up the victory now. Actors and crew, like any other workers, have the right to feel safe at work and this is a deadly virus, not a toy or fad.
That said, a quarter of the SAG-AFTRA board voted against the new guidelines, with most citing the right to personal autonomy as their reason. Others fear matters of discrimination along medical or religious lines rearing its ugly head. HIPAA makes for a valid concern, too, as technically one’s employer can’t delve too deeply into your medical history, although this can probably be worked out with some creative thought. A small subset of concern seems to come from the ‘experimental’ nature of the medication, too, although it’s hard not to see citing the FDA, the U.S Constitution, the 14th Amendment, and the Nuremberg Codes about a vaccination program as a little ridiculous in the face of an unprecedented global health crisis.
Will we see these guidelines adopted? Only the SAG-AFTRA final decision will tell, but it will be an interesting one to watch. BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Lawyer Los Angeles will keep you in the loop going forward.
Chinese Propaganda To Get Boosted Screen TimeIt will now be mandatory for all Chinese cinemas to not only show, but also actively promote, a minimum of two propaganda films per week until the end of the year.
This is part of an overall propaganda drive designed to celebrate the centenary of the ruling Communist Party.
BLAKE & WANG P.A top entertainment law firms Los Angeles dives deeper into this intriguing new announcement.The first batch of eligible titles now showingThis twice-weekly screening is not even the maximum expected.
Theaters which are part of the “People’s Cinema”, the National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas, a group of over 5,000 venues with halls specifically dedicated to showing propaganda or using subsidies in order to promote such content- must up showings to 5 times a week.
No hero unhailedThese works must be “closely focused on the themes of loving the party, loving the nation and loving socialism,” and “sing the praises of … and eulogize the Party, the motherland, its people, and its heroes.” This must promote Xi Jinping Thought, the president’s eponymous ideology, primarily to promote a suitably celebratory anniversary air throughout the country.
We have been told that all film entities must “attach great importance [to the screenings], execute them in earnestness… painstakingly organize them and ensure tangible results.” It is expected that these films take the best slots, have ticket price incentives, and use other methods to attract audiences.
Perhaps unappreciated by many entertainment-focused businesses, however, we’ve seen a boom in the podcast industry as well.
It’s enough to see upfronts for podcast advertising now becoming a normal practice.
BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Attorney Los Angeles investigate further.The impact of the podcastWhile streaming has been the de facto winner of the entertainment wars over the unprecedented time in human history we have recently lived through, the podcast has, in many significant ways, been the runner-up.
We’ve even seen one true-crime podcast attract significant attention and accolades for helping to reveal new evidence and drive arrests in a 25-year old murder case.As with streaming, the podcast offers a format that can be produced at high quality with smaller production teams, yet offers a versatile and easily adaptable broadcast.
With regards to advertising, we’ve even seen advertisers opt to be less squeamish about advertising alongside hard news podcasts, vs the same genre in other formats.
This growth is typically linked to an ‘audio renaissance’, with innovative ad tech, spikes in listener interest, and the evolution of premium content services all driving it.
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