UNSUNG workers who make movie superheroes fly and lightsabers crackle were turning to labour unions as relentless demand for content turned dream jobs into gruelling routines.

A union trend that started at an independent game studio last year gained momentum as video streaming services vied for subscribers and video game makers pushed to keep players engaged.

The latest moves came from visual effects (VFX) crews at Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, said to labour organisers representing behind-the-scenes workers in entertainment.

The rash of organising came as Hollywood is in the throes of shutdown brought on by unionised writers and actors over pay and concerns about the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Mail-in ballots will be tallied Tuesday by the National Labor Relations Board to determine whether VFX workers at Marvel will be certified as the first union of its kind at a major studio.

Labour organisers at the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) saw the effort as a major shift in a job that was largely non-union since VFX was revolutionised by “Star Wars” in the 1970s.

Visual effects crews at Walt Disney Pictures would vote this month whether to unionise.

“We are witnessing an unprecedented wave of solidarity that’s breaking down old barriers in the industry and proving we’re all in this fight together,” said IATSE international president Matthew Loeb.

“Entertainment workers everywhere are sticking up for each other’s rights, that’s what our movement is all about.”

‘Crunch’ time woes

Competition between streaming television titans Amazon, Apple, and Netflix has ramped up demand for shows, almost all of which involve visual effects these days, IATSE organiser Mark Patch told AFP.

“Without VFX, you wouldn’t have a lightsaber; you wouldn’t have Avengers flying around,” said Patch.

“We love this work, but we need healthcare; we need to be paid overtime, we need to have meal breaks…”

It is common for VFX workers to put in 15-hour-plus days, even sleeping under desks while facing production deadlines, said Patch.

Video game industry workers have long complained of similar gruelling schedules during crunch times to make release dates.

Employees in studios were increasingly seeking solidarity to improve working conditions, said IATSE international representative Chrissy Fellmeth.

Video game worker pay and benefits have stagnated in the multibillion-dollar industry, while the speed of releases has accelerated along with demand for updates, Fellmeth told AFP.

And with games rushed out the door, studio workers have had to scramble afterward to fix software bugs.

People working behind the scenes in video games typically last about seven years before changing careers to other tech sectors, said Fellmeth.

“They tend to leave for greener pastures,” she said.

“Even though they love working in games, it turns out to be way too difficult.”

Game studio Workinman Interactive in New York State, which boasts clients including Nintendo and Disney, last month saw the start of a unionising effort, said the IATSE.

They joined a handful of video game studio unions, including the Game Workers Alliance Union launched early last year by quality assurance workers at Activision Blizzard’s Raven Software.

“I’m so excited to see what the future holds for us now that we have a chance to have our voices heard and respected as equals,” said Workinman junior developer Cori Mori in a release.

Actors’ strike spark

Interest in union protection among video game workers heightened as studios curtailed remote work, meaning employees were being pressured to live near offices in cities that tend to be expensive, said Fellmeth.

The ongoing strike by film actors and writers was also a factor, spotlighting the power of workers uniting.

Writers walked off the job in May, followed by actors in July. Both unions asked for better pay and guarantees AI will not steal their jobs and income.

The strikes halted production on many studio films and television series.

“Writers and the actors being on strike have brought the idea of organising to a lot of people’s attention, and that absolutely includes game workers,” said Fellmeth. – AFP, September 10, 2023.