Strike by actors, writers impacts film production in the Hudson Valley
This Lionsgate Studio is a brick-and-mortar example of how important Yonkers has become to the filming industry. Hollywood on the Hudson is taking a hit during the strike.
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The actor and writer strike is having a direct impact on film production in the Hudson Valley.
This Lionsgate Studio is a brick-and-mortar example of how important Yonkers has become to the filming industry. Hollywood on the Hudson is taking a hit during the strike.
"Daredevil," "Severance," "Raising Kanan" and "Law and Order" are just a few of the productions filmed in Yonkers over the past decade.
"On any given week, we have anywhere from two to three productions filming here in Yonkers, and our streets are always busy," says Melissa Velez Goldberg, director of the Mayor's Office of Film & Photography.
Velez Goldberg says the booming industry has brought economic prosperity to the City of Hills, but the current actor and writer strike has essentially brought production to a halt.
"It's a big impact. The big productions are the ones that really support our businesses that bring revenue into the city. So, without them, we are feeling the impact all around," she says.
Leaders of SAG-AFTRA voted to strike after contract talks with studios and streaming services collapsed on Thursday night.
"They want to be able to hire someone as a background performer for a particular piece, for a particular scene, and then capture their images and reuse them through AI wherever they want to for the rest of eternity for one day's work," says Richard Masur, former national president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Masur lives in Westchester and spoke to News 12 before heading to the picket line in Manhattan Friday afternoon.
He says another major roadblock at the negotiation table is residuals from streaming.
SAG-AFTRA leaders say they are in it for the long haul, meaning production could be at a standstill for months.
"We're hopeful that it's short, but there's rumors that this may go into the new year, which we're hoping that it's not," says Velez Goldberg.
The Writers Guild of America began striking back in May, and negotiations on that front have all but stalled.
