CLAYTON REFLECTS ON HIS TIME ON STRIKE

For most of my career I’ve had people ask some variation of “How are you Not SAG already?” when acknowledging my accumulated work experience, credits on my resume, and thankfully, materials to show for it. And the simple answer I held onto for nearly 18 years of pursuing this craft has been “I just haven’t had to yet”.

Well in late 2022, thanks to a dubbing job for Netflix (Learn more about that Here)my answer to those questions changed. Now, for those not keeping up to speed with everything happening in the entertainment industry, the timing of my joining was a tad precarious, as by the end of 2022 there were already rumblings of a possible Writer's Strike and then the same for Actors (SAG-AFTRA) not long after. And not to spoil anything, but in 2023 both occurred. Both unions, striking together with support from several of the other unions with which we collaborate with on the daily. Were one to say that this period of time within the industry was unprecedented, it would be an understatement. These strikes went on for several months and the topics being negotiated ranged widely. While I consider myself to be still very much a “newbie”, I’m proud to say that I indeed Am a member of SAG-AFTRA and while there are aspects of the agreed upon contract that retain reservations regarding, I stand by my fellow members and will continue to bask in the solidarity I felt while walking the picket line with each and every member I saw and those supporting the cause in any other way they could.

I'm hopeful that at the very least the contract that was ultimately voted for will prove to be a strong bedrock for future negotiations. In the meantime, I am looking forward to finally having the opportunity to pursue this work at the level I moved 3,000+ miles across the country to in 2019. So, here is to seeing what I can make happen in 2024!

Special Mention: To any member of the WGA that happens to be reading this - Congratulations to all of you on your monumental achievement regarding your new contact. Even when I was not able to be on the line with you in-person, my heart was with you and it is with you still celebrating this long overdue win!

I held off sharing "All The Photos" from the line, but am presenting them here for anyone curious to see if they recognize any faces besides my own.