SAG-AFTRA, the union which looks after voice actors (among loads of other jobs), is mulling over whether to strike in order to obtain better conditions for its members.
Specifically, they want it enshrined in contacts that there’s better protection and pay for when a role requires physically demanding voice work (such as repeated loud screams), clearer definition between the roles of voice actors and motion-capture actors (the former is often expected to do the latter unexpectedly) and performance bonuses should a game sell over 2 million copies.
Why a strike? The union and video game publishers met first in February and then in June to try and sort out a new contract for voice actors, and were unable to come to an agreement. So a vote is going down early next month, and if over 75% of members agree, then all union members working on video games will go on strike.
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12 responses to “Video Game Voice Actors Are Thinking About A Strike”
I picture this strike being laura bailey, nolan north and troy baker having beers.
you forgot Jennifer Hale
Dammit. That’s her name. I knew I was missing her I just couldn’t remember her name. Voice of female trooper in SW:TOR
also the voice of Female Shepard and just way to many more to list
You also forgot Steve Blum, he is in literally every game in some way or another.
And Matt Mercer.
Wil Wheaton had already tweeted about it too.
Are they striking because Nolan North keeps taking all their jobs?
according to the escapist, its because the union whats the VAs to receive bonuses if a game sells well ( mentioning that activisions COO got a 3million dollar bonus last year) and publishers want to have the option to beable to use non union member for small roles.
There are other issues as well, but those are the 2 big sticking points at the moment besides the fact that VAs arent paid all that much. iirc even the current big 4 still have to pay for all travel and accomodation to not just do their job but to even apply
I think that’s fair enough about the mocap if it’s not specified that they’d want the VO to do it as well. It’d be interesting to see how they would classify physically demanding voice work because some actors have a crazy range that might cause other actors harm so it’ll probably have to be a case by case basis and mostly after the fact
its think its the death garggles and such as they put a real strain on your voice, yeah you can do it every now and then but doing it for upwards of 8hrs….
The strikes aren’t so much over union demands not being met (of which absolutely none have been), as much as what studios are demanding of the union. One of the crazier ones is that studios want the right to dock a voice actor $2500 for “inattentiveness”. Imagine if you lost two and a half grand every time you looked away from your work for a few seconds.
Why do they all repeat the same lines when it comes to combat? i mean they give the exact same script to different people and its fucking stupid.
also that guy who was voiced in doom 3 and dawn of war 2 as the sniper, he used to get so much work its not funny, so over his voice in tons of stuff 🙁