Critical Role and Dimension 20 recently put out statements in support of the SAG-AFTRA strike. That said, both Dungeons and Dragons actual play shows are taking different approaches towards the strike, and will be affected in varying degrees.
Recently, the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA, joined the Writer’s Guild of America in a massive multimedia strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, or AMPTP. After poor compensation from streaming services and its misuse of AI technology, thousands of writers and actors have risen up, grinding new content in Hollywood to a halt.
Sam Reich, CEO of Dimension 20 parent company CollegeHumor, made an official statement on how the strike would affect the shows on its streaming service, Dropout. Several members of the executive team, including Reich, are members of the Screen Actors Guild. As such, Dropout has decided to pause production on all new content. Dimension 20 and other Dropout entertainment aren’t associated with the AMPTP, so they may be able to strike a bargain with the SAG, but without the blessing of the guild and performers, active production of Dropout and Dimension 20 content will be on hold until the SAG’s demands are met.
Critical Role also supports the SAG strike. The voice actors on the cast are also members of the guild and stand in complete solidarity with their striking fellows. That said, Critical Role has stated its schedule will not be affected by the strike and will continue to release content unless the situation changes. Like Dimension 20, Critical Role is not affiliated with the AMPTP, but it has decided to stay the course and continue producing content for the time being. It remains to be seen if the strike will affect production on The Legend of Vox Machina or the Mighty Nein Critical Role show considering they are being produced by Amazon–an AMPTP affiliate.
“We fully support the strike and stand in solidarity with our fellow actors. Currently, our release schedule is not impacted by the strike, but we will continue to evaluate and take the necessary steps should it be impacted in the future."
Actual plays are in a gray area as far as the SAG and WGA strikes are concerned. Both Critical Role and Dimension 20 are improvisational in nature and run independently by their respective companies. However, the differing approach to post-production makes it an individual challenge when responding to a strike. Either way, it is good to know watching new Critical Role or Dimension 20 content will not constitute crossing the picket line.
According to Reich, Dropout has a backlog of content that should last just past the end of the year. Meanwhile, Critical Role’s third campaign is kicking into high gear. With a massive live show planned for October 25, and two panels at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20, Critical Role fans still have plenty to look forward to in the coming months.
Source: Comic Book