Cred. TIFFANY TAYLOR The Hollywood Reporter 
Understanding the SAG-AFTRA strike and its impact on UK performers in the UK
If you're an actor or performer in the entertainment industry, you may have heard about the SAG-AFTRA industrial action. We’ll break down what the strike means, how it affects performers, and what actions you can take.

What is the SAG-AFTRA industrial action? 
It's a work stoppage initiated by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). This action comes as a result of ongoing contract negotiations with the Association of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) which represent corporations that create streaming/film content. That includes companies like Netflix, Amazon and traditional studios. 

Why is the strike happening?
SAG-AFTRA is negotiating with AMPTP about fair wages, improved working conditions, protection of performers' likenesses (including the fight against a requirement for performers' consent for the creation and use of digital replicas, or for digital alterations of a performance), and better residual payments for performers in film, television, and digital media.
You can read more about the strike on SAG-AFTRA’s website.
https://www.sagaftrastrike.org/

How does the strike affect UK performers?
You may have noticed the lack of projects and opportunities due to the affects of both the actor and writer strikes.
If you’re a performer who has Equity membership but you’re not a member of SAG-AFTRA, the advice is to continue to work when you can.
If you're involved in co-productions or working with SAG-AFTRA members, the strike can potentially disrupt or delay productions. It's important to stay informed and be prepared for any changes that may arise. 

Should I/can I participate in the strike? 
If you’re an Equity member, their UK lawyers have advised that whilst the strike is lawful in the US, it’s not legal in the UK. Therefore any performer joining a strike or who refuses to cross a picket line in the UK will have no protection against being dismissed or sued by the producer or engager for breach of contracts. 

How long will the SAG-AFTRA industrial action last? 
Unfortunately, the duration remains uncertain, as it depends on the progress made in ongoing negotiations. It could be resolved relatively quickly or extend over a longer period. We’ll keep this page updated as we find out more.
During this period of industrial action, it's crucial to stay informed, support your fellow performers, and seek guidance when needed.

Once upon a time Hollywood was the name and place known for its stellar and consistent delivery of high quality, emotionally moving cinema to the silver screens. The art of storytelling and high-level production behind the ‘Hollywood’ name has made the rest of the world looked stateside for the gold standard of filmmaking. However, on the other side of the pond, us Brits have been carving our own creative path. Although not as explosive as our US counterparts, the UK has spawned several generations of organic tales, all representing a different facet of our diverse British culture. Here are a handful of our favourite filmmakers, all hailing from this little island.

In stark contrast, his other credits include several war-based films, with diverse time periods (Kingdom of Heaven- 2005) or settings in space such as the steampunk landscape found in the original Blade Runner released back in 1982. Tony, while still capable of delivering the same atmospheric tone as his brother, opted for the more rooted action/thriller movies. Denzel Washington fans will have caught his work in Crimson Tide (another war based in solely in a submarine), Man on Fire and other Tom Cruise collaboration Days of Thunder (1990).

Though this is a list of only 5 of the UK's film directors, there are countless of internationally known visionaries and of course the many up-and-comers from around the UK that we love to see grow! Some Honourable Mentions for some of the many UK Film Directors: Guy Ritchie, Gurinder Chadha, Tom Hopper, Lynn Ramsay, Ken Loach, Christopher Nolan, Richard Ayoade.

​Perhaps one of voice overs best kept secrets, Baker has voice acting credits to rival the greats despite being only 44 (arguably one of the youngest prolific voice actors in the industry); and he is steadily adding to his résumé. Typically working within the field of video gaming, Baker has shown a confident approach to the leading action man role in combat, fighting based games. However the role that brough critical acclaim and international attention was his role as Joel, the protagonist of zombie horror survival game The Last of Us, which incorporated the use of motion capturing in its development process, in order to fully capture the psychological core of the main characters. With this role, Baker epitomises the lone wolf persona, simultaneously offering emotional depth unseen in games before then. Baker’s Joel became a standout character and a landmark in the storytelling aspect of modern gaming.

Armed with a powerfully intimidating voice fit for kings and gods, Cummings is another staple in the voice acting community having played countless roles over the years. Alongside the legendary Mel Blanc, Cummings is the only other actor to portray the iconic Tasmanian Devil; a character known to communicate in growls and snarls instead of actual speech tells us that sometimes being a voice actor is being able to access those primal, animalistic sounds. Although another anthropomorphic cartoon character, Jim Cummings has portrayed the lovable Winnie the Pooh (and his energetic friend Tigger), demonstrating his skill at harnessing the cadence of his voice to suit the softly spoken Pooh (The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh-1988).
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​Long-time fans of the iconic animated series The Simpsons will know the man responsible for breathing into life our lovable, drunken patriarch Homer Simpson is none other than Dan Castellaneta. I would confidently say that Castellaneta’s Homer is one of the hardest voices to perform, as he achieved a voice quality into the Duff loving family man that few can replicate. Other fan favourites Castellaneta voices include Homer’s elderly father Abe “Grampa” Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Homer’s perpetually inebriated cohort Barney Gumble, and hundreds of others spanning over his 690-episode credited appearances in this show.

With some of our young performers recently attaining professional work with premium broadcasters and companies, it is no surprise that here at IPM we have a passion for fostering juvenile talent. Not only do we nurture our child and teen performers through in-depth industry training and on-set experience, we also think it is important for them to be inspired through the performances of fellow young actors. Here we will explore some of the most impressive juvenile performances seen in films, examine what makes them stand out and evaluate what our IPM performers can be inspired by:

 
1. Saoirse Ronan as Bryony Tallis (age 13) in Atonement (2007)
There is no wonder that Saoirse Ronan became one of the youngest actors to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Atonement. Furthermore, it is not surprising that Ronan has gone on to become one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood, and this can nearly be foreseen through this early performance. In the role of Bryony, Ronan is subtle and seems to be acting almost entirely through her piercing blue eyes. Her natural, childlike innocence makes her a thoroughly engaging onscreen presence and her ‘outside-in’ acting approach is no doubt something for fellow young performers to be inspired by! 
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​2. Jodie Foster as Iris in Taxi Driver (1976)
Performing the role of a 12-year-old sex worker in one of the most iconic films ever made certainly must have been a memorable experience for Jodie Foster, who has now become one of the most reputable actresses and now directors of her generation. In the part of Iris, Foster is completely electric: she exudes charisma, charm and total wit. Acting against Robert De Niro as a kid certainly must have been intimidating, but Foster plays it off with total self-assured coolness. This is certainly a performance to look up to when looking for inspiration for onscreen confidence! 

3. Abigail Breslin as Bo Hess in Signs (2002)
Breslin is perhaps best-known as a child actor for her role in Little Miss Sunshine (2007), although she could  be seen as even more impressive earlier in her career with her role as Bo in M. Night Shamalyan’s Signs. She gives a staggering performance as the youngest daughter in a family who undergo the strange experience of extra-terrestrials invading their home. Breslin performs in of the most convincing crying scenes: in this dinner scene, we see the totality of her character’s vulnerability and desperation. This is a performance to be inspired by when considering how to compellingly and naturally convey a diverse range of emotions.

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4. Christian Bale as Jamie ‘Jim’ Graham in Empire of the Sun (1987) 
​It is not at all surprising that the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures invented the ‘Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor’ in the wake of Bale’s tremendous early performance in this film. Bale conveys an outstanding versatility in this role, varying between a spoilt child living with his ex-pat family in Shanghai to an orphan left wandering the streets following the Japanese invasion. We may primarily associate Christian Bale with his strongly masculine, belligerent roles in the later Dark Knight Trilogyand The Fighter,although Empire of the Sunconveys the subtler, understated nature that Bale has about himself. This performance can inspire us through its naturalness and variability. 

5. Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
Despite being a younger age than what the original casting call had requested, Quvenzhané Wallis impressed with her head-strong personality to such an extent that she was cast immediately, and the brief was even changed to adapt to her as a performer. She is truly remarkable in this film: obstinate, assertive and thoroughly mesmerising while playing a young girl living in Louisiana with her father. In spite of her lack of previous acting experience, Wallis commands the screen and demonstrates that sometimes, it is simply a matter of drawing from one’s natural emotions and instincts for a performance. 
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​5.Jacob Tremblay as Jack Newsome in Room(2015)
Brie Larson may have been the performer to win an Oscar for Room, although it seems shocking that the young Jacob Tremblay was not in with a nomination as his role as the protagonist’s son born in captivity. In this film, Tremblay conveys an overwhelming combination of innocence, fear, vulnerability and naivety which would completely overshadow some trained adult actors. The onscreen charisma he shares with Larson is extremely touching, and the intensity that Tremblay manages to generate in his performance as Jack is truly electrifying.