After more than four months without work due to a historic Hollywood actors鈥� strike, Canadian performer Kristian Bruun says it was a 鈥渆uphoric relief鈥� to learn he鈥檒l return to the Vancouver set of his Netflix series in the new year.
The Toronto-born actor says the cast and crew of 鈥淭he Recruit,鈥� starring Noah Centineo, are slated to begin shooting the spy thriller鈥檚 second season on Jan. 4. It was originally set to go to camera in late June but was halted by the strike.
Whilea timeline to return to work offers some solace to the Los Angeles-based Bruun, it could take months before his paycheques start rolling in, and even longer before he gets health insurance again.
鈥淚鈥檒l still be living off my savings,鈥� says Bruun. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not as simple as, we just turn everything back on and we鈥檙e back to normal. It鈥檚 going to be a months-long process.鈥�
Like many U.S.-based television series and movies that shoot in Canada, the show鈥檚 production plans were upended when the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists hit the picket lines in mid-July, joining thealready striking Writers Guild of America.
The dual strikes effectively brought the entertainment industry to a standstill, and devastated many of the tens of thousands of Canadian crews and talent who depend on American productions for work.
The actors鈥� strike ended Nov. 9 after SAG-AFTRA struck a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents streamers and studios including Disney, Netflix and Amazon. The union鈥檚 board members voted to approve the deal a few days later, touting gains on major sticking points in earlier negotiations, like increases to minimum pay and protections over the use of artificial intelligence.
The three-year contract is now subject to a ratification vote from the union鈥檚 membership with a Dec. 5 deadline. And with the WGA having ratified its own deal with studios in October, signs of life are beginning to show in the Canadian production industry known as Hollywood North.
While some shoots like Bruun鈥檚 that were camera-ready when the strike hit are already gearing up to resume filming after the winter holiday shutdown, industry observers anticipate it could take months before production returns to full capacity, as producers wait to hear how the terms of SAG-AFTRA鈥檚 deal will affect future projects.
Vancouver film commissioner Geoff Teoli says there鈥檚 been an uptick in pre-production scouting and scheduling since the actors鈥� strike ended, and promised some filming around town by the end of the year. But he doesn鈥檛 expect a full recovery for the production hub until spring 2024, after seeing a 75 to 80 per centdrop in the city鈥檚 usual activity for the year.
Teoli says he鈥檚 heard from producers that there is an immediate need for 鈥渙n time and on budget鈥� projects since 鈥渢ime is short and money is tight鈥� following the strikes.
The labour dispute鈥檚 resolution is cause for celebration for Toronto talent agent Karin Martin, and especially for many of her clients in production who haven鈥檛 worked in nearly a year since U.S. studios anticipated job action last winter and scaled back orders. But she warns that Canadian workers could be returning to a transformed industry.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had monumental shifts in our industry in the past, obviously one was when we went from film to digital, and this is another big one,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his is going to be huge for the industry. It鈥檚 going to reduce it tremendously.鈥�
Despite the dual strikes, legacy studios and steamers still turned a short-term profit by collecting revenue from streaming services and ready-to-go content, without production expenses going out, Martin says. She predicts that formula of lower financial output will likely continue in the post-strike era, leading to reduced slates for studios and streamers.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think throwing money at anything is going to happen as much as it used to. It鈥檚 going to be very focused on how every penny is going to be spent, whereas before it was a little more fluid,鈥� she says.
鈥淏etween creative and finance, I think the compromise is going to go a little more towards the bottom line versus the artistry of it.鈥�
Some production workers are already adapting to new realities after widespread hardship brought on by the strike.
Scenery constructor Perry Frigault, whose Toronto-based company Topshelf Industries Inc., serves TV and film sets in southern Ontario, was forced to break the lease on his business鈥檚 brick-and-mortar location after 17 years. Now he鈥檚 in the process of moving all his equipment and tools into a 53-foot trailer that will travel from location to location, and set up productions as needed.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a ton of hardship. People have lost their homes, people are out on the street,鈥� said Frigault.
Ian Drummond, whose Toronto company the Ian Drummond Collection Inc., rents 20th century vintage clothing to film and TV shoots, says he鈥檒l remain in savings mode since he doesn鈥檛 envision a return like the boom seen coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also worries a production slowdown will move the focus from high-budget, limited series to longer, procedural shows.
鈥淭hey want the new 鈥楩riends,鈥� the new 鈥楥heers,鈥� the new 鈥楩rasier鈥� 鈥� things that have longevity. They might not be as interested in telling an eight-party story,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a changed world. We鈥檙e just going to have to adapt to it and plan accordingly.鈥�
Bruun, the actor, says he鈥檚 unfazed by any potential budget changes, script revisions or adjustments coming to the Vancouver set of 鈥淭he Recruit.鈥� He鈥檒l be busy packing his bags, doing wardrobe fittings and memorizing his lines.
鈥淚鈥檓 just happy we can all get back to doing what we love to do.鈥�
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