SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors and performers, is on strike against major studios, and productions on the islands are feeling the effects.
Negotiations between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down on Thursday.
Irish Barber is a business representative for IATSE, a union for motion picture and television crews.
She said that, although the uncertainty is anxiety-inducing, the union stands in solidarity with the actors and writers who are directly impacted.
"If you don't have anyone to shoot in front of your camera, then you don't have a day's work to plan," Barber said.
Prior to the strike, IATSE had been preparing to build sets for "Lilo and Stitch" and "Moana." Now both projects have been put on pause. The future of "NCIS: Hawaiʻi" is also uncertain.
Barber called the delays in production "extremely disappointing," but she knows employers are erring on the side of caution in case a picket line forms.
"When it comes to actors, their faces and their images are their bread and butter," she explained.
"AI and deep fakes are real issues for actors and those who are in front of the camera. So we're affected because we stand in solidarity with them."
Moving forward, Barber hopes to see better wages within the movie industry, particularly for crews. Many of the people working on movie sets are local hires.
"These shows are backed by major corporations and their leadership, their CEOs, make hundreds of millions of dollars," Barber said.
"We believe that they have enough to share. … Allow us to have a living wage."
The SAG-AFTRA strike is a reminder that the Writers Guild of America is entering the 10th week of its strike.
This interview aired on The Conversation on July 14, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
