After nearly five months of labor strikes, Hollywood's writers are back to work and the actors and actresses may follow suit.
On Tuesday, the Writers Guild of America came to an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
American Actor and Louisiana native Billy Slaughter said this is a step in the right direction, but there's still more work to be done.
"It's a wake up call not just for the entertainment industry, but I think it's a wake up call for most of where labor and business is right now and moving into the future," Slaughter said.
Slaughter, known for his roles in The Magnificent 7, The Campaign, The Big Short, Bad Moms, and hundreds of other film and television series said the next step is for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to come to an agreement with Hollywood studios.
This way, actors and actresses can resume producing television series and movies.
"We're seeing the workers often needing to work more and more and having more expected of us as we're getting less and less," Slaughter said. "It's not that our products are any less desirable. It's a multi-billion-dollar industry."
Andrew Morgan Smith is a Composer from Youngsville.
He said there's still a price to pay for lost time.
In a statement, Smith wrote, "There's been a significant reduction in the number of projects available for pitching. In a typical period, I would pitch on several projects over the course of a month or two. However, since the onset of the strike, this activity has come to a halt."
I also reached out to the Executive Director of Marketing and Operations at Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge, Kevin O'Neil.
He said it's time to ensure film and television contracts are keeping up with the rapid advancements in technology (e.g. streaming services and artificial intelligence.)
"Now that the writers have come to an agreement, it's usually about a three-week ratification with the members," O'Neil said.
