Industry Damaged By Actors' Strike

SAG/AFTRA actors are expected to return to work today. But some in the industry worry that the 6-month-old conflict caused irreparable damage to the U.S. commercial-production industry.

Los Angeles alone is reported to have lost $125 million in commercial-production business during the strike. “You could see the American production business going the way of the American steel business because of this strike,” said Matt Miller, president of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. He said foreign production ac-counted for half the total spots produced during the strike, which the Joint Policy Committee estimates at 10,000.

Because shops have experienced lower costs, Miller said he expects many to continue to go outside the U.S.