The Brief

Striking actors on the picket lines are demanding studios ask for consent and compensate them fairly when it comes to digital replicas.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is the chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union supporting the strike. During a press conference last week, he said actors faced “an existential threat to their livelihoods, with the rise of generative AI technology.”

It all sounds a little bit like the Black Mirror’s “Joan is Awful” episode, but actor Erik Passoja told LAist he has a real-life cautionary tale from his experience working in the video game industry.

Passoja said he did motion capture work back in 2014 for the video game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. He said he got a daily rate to play a Belgian geneticist, one of the bad guy’s henchmen.

But after the game was released, Passoja got an unexpected call from a friend. “He said ‘Hey Erik, my son just shot you!,’” Passoja recalled.

Turns out Passoja’s digital likeness was also used in a multiplayer version of the game, something he said he didn’t consent to.

“I found out that someone had plastered my face on a playable character, so now you can shoot me, blow me up, burn me, throw me off a cliff,” Passoja said.

Passoja said he never saw a penny of residuals, which actors don’t typically receive on video games.

The SAG-AFTRA strike order does not include work under its Interactive Media Agreement, which covers video game work.

But Passoja said he’s concerned Hollywood studios could do the same thing.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said in a statement that its contract offer includes a “groundbreaking” requirement to ask for a performer’s consent before using a digital replica.

But according to Crabtree-Ireland, the AMPTP had proposed “that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get paid for one day’s pay, and their company should own that scan, their image, their likeness and to be able to use it for the rest of eternity in any project they want with no consent and no compensation.”

“If you think that’s a ‘groundbreaking’ proposal, I suggest you think again,” Crabtree-Ireland added.

“If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said at the press conference announcing the strike.

For his part, Passoja said he believes in the power of AI and technology if it’s used ethically, but he feels exploited by the situation, especially when you consider that Call of Duty is a multi-billion dollar franchise. Passoja said he's running to be a SAG-AFTRA local union delegate, in part because of this very issue.

Call of Duty developer Activision did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Timeline: SAG-AFTRA strike

Some things to note: This is the first SAG strike since 1980. The 1960 strike, which took place while the WGA was also striking, was led by Ronald Reagan, then the president of SAG. Current events:

• May 17: Union leaders ask for and receive a strike authorization vote ahead of contract talks.
• June 7: SAG-AFTRA begins negotiations with the AMPTP; contract due to end June 30.
• June 30: Both sides agree to extend talks through July 12.
• July 12: Federal negotiator is brought in.
• July 13: The national board of SAG-AFTRA authorizes its 160,000 members to go on strike.
• July 14: Picketing begins at 9 a.m. at major studios and streamer HQ’s across the city.

The issue: Actors

Minimum earnings: SAG is asking for an 11% general wage increase to reflect inflation. The AMPTP is countering with 5%.

Share of revenue: Actors feel they haven’t received their fair share of revenue from hit streaming shows.

• Traditionally compensation has been linked to ratings. Streamers like Netflix, however, don’t release how many people watch their shows, so it’s difficult to know which ones are major hits. SAG-AFTRA proposed bringing in a third-party company to measure ratings and devise residuals. The AMPTP rejected this. 
• Executives at studios and streamers maintain they’re still recovering from pandemic losses and have spent billions of dollars creating and buying content for new streaming platforms, some of which are far from profitable.
• While some streamers are thriving (Netflix recently reported $1.71 billion of quarterly operating income), The Walt Disney Co. has announced the firing of 7,000 employees to save money, having lost close to $10 billion to date on its streaming platforms. Warner Bros. Discovery is making deep cuts because of its $50 billion in debt. 

Artificial intelligence: There is deep concern about how artificial intelligence will be used, with particular anxiety about the use of a performer’s image and likeness. The union wants to prevent studios from training AI programs on actors’ work without permission, and for actors to consent and be paid if AI is used to replicate them. The AMPTP offered what it called a "groundbreaking" proposal that it said “protects performers’ digital likenesses." The union rejected this.

Self-taped auditions: Since the pandemic, self-produced audition tapes have become the norm — meaning actors light and film themselves. It’s labor intensive, with no pay, and widens an already competitive pool of performers. The union says it understands self-taped auditions can be useful, but wants to put restrictions around them.

• Read SAG-AFTRA’s summary of negotiation points 
• And what the AMPTP has to say about the negotiations

Go deeper

• TV And Movie Writers Strike Over 'Gig Economy' Conditions. What’s At Stake In The WGA Walkout
• From Gas Stations to Restaurants: How The WGA Strike Will Hit The LA Economy
• This Hollywood Writers Strike Could Have Massive Economic Impact. An Economist Explains What We Can Learn From 2007
• How The WGA Strike Of 2007 Strike Brought Donald Trump To Power
• A History Of Strikes: How The WGA Has Played Catch-Up As Emerging Technologies Made Others Richer

A new music festival comes to Santa Monica this weekend, curated by a living legend. The inaugural Santa Monica International Jazz Festival is the brainchild of master bassist Stanley Clarke, a five-time Grammy winner who has played on every festival stage from Montreux to Monterey. He said the idea to bring a jazz fest to Santa Monica came to him during a walk on the Third Street Promenade.

" I live very close to Santa Monica and I'm pretty much in Santa Monica all the time," Clarke said. "That whole area down there is really beautiful, and I thought, 'Man, what a perfect place for a jazz festival.' And it was really that simple. Just in my head. Bing."

The festival runs from May 1-9 and includes performances from headliners Kamasi Washington (who recently won a Grammy with Kendrick Lamar), Isaiah Collier and Lakecia Benjamin. Clarke will also be performing two sets during the festival. One will be a tribute to John Coltrane. The other will feature drummer Stewart Copeland from The Police. Clarke said over time, jazz has become a more undefined term to him.

"It's a lot of different things for me," Clarke said. "Where I'm at on the definition is that any music that has improvisation in it, where guys playing solos and are jamming, I can say that it has a jazz feel. So, the term jazz is more of a feel to me now than anything."

In a modern world of TikTok fads and music made by artificial intelligence, jazz may seem like it belongs to an older generation. But Clarke said he isn't worried about the genre's future.

"I actually think that jazz is definitely in the city of Los Angeles exploding," Clarke said. "We have my festival.  There's another festival called the L.A. Jazz Festival. There's the Blue Note that just opened up too.  So, there's a resurgence."

Clarke said education plays a key part in promoting jazz. Because of that, an afternoon slot on the festival will feature the Santa Monica High School jazz band.

"All these new groups and all these new young people that are just doing stuff," Clarke said. "I don't think it's so conscious where everyone's getting together and having a meeting going, 'Hey, we're gonna expand jazz.' I think it just human nature. Things just come together."

Clarke said the community will ultimately decide if this festival becomes a part of the fabric of Santa Monica.

" I think for a jazz festival, the main thing is it's not just music," Clarke said. "It's community, food, weather, scenery and we have all of it. It's the royal flush."

Performances on May 3 at Third Street Promenade are free to the public. Tickets for all other events are available at the festival's website.

Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling narrowing the Voting Rights Act undermines legal protections that have helped Latinos gain representation in politics, California Democrats and activists say.

The case centered on the boundaries of a Louisiana congressional district. The court found by a 6-3 majority that Louisiana had relied too heavily on race to decide the borders.

“One may lament partisan gerrymandering, but … partisan gerrymandering claims are not justiciable in federal court,” wrote Justice Samuel Alito for the majority. “And in a racial gerrymandering case like the one before us, race and politics must be disentangled.”

The ruling scales back Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting practices that discriminate against people based on their race.

The ruling will not change California’s congressional districts, which were redrawn to favor Democrats after voters approved Proposition 50 last November. Partisan gerrymanders are permitted under the constitution, the Supreme Court has previously ruled.

The decision also nullifies the California Republican Party’s “Hail Mary” attempts to invalidate the state’s new maps, which the GOP argued were a racial gerrymander to favor Latinos.

But when it comes to House majority math in the U.S. Congress and which party clinches a majority in the November election, the curtailing of Section 2 could make Democrats’ Prop. 50 gains moot.

Gov. Gavin Newsom put forward the measure after Texas Republicans redrew congressional boundaries to favor the GOP. Prop. 50 was meant to help Democrats pick up five additional California seats.

After the new ruling, several southern states in particular could redraw their maps to eliminate “majority-minority” districts that were drawn to magnify the power of nonwhite voters. Such a move could oust as many as 12 Democrats, according to a New York Times analysis, and shift the long-term balance of power in the House toward Republicans. The GOP could then control Congress’s lower chamber even if the party loses the popular vote by a wide margin.

Newsom called the new ruling “outrageous.” Attorney General Rob Bonta, also a Democrat, said in a statement that while it’s unclear what impacts the changes will have on California, the ruling overall endangers minority voters in other states.

“While the full impact of this ruling is still uncertain, we know from past experience that decisions striking down, or effectively gutting, provisions of the Voting Rights Act are often followed by new state laws that restrict access to the ballot for voters of color,” Bonta said in a statement.

Kristin Nimmers, policy and campaigns manager of the Black Power Network, said in a statement that the decision rolls back “generations of progress.”

“The ability of voters to challenge discriminatory districts manipulated to drown out people’s voices based on race is a critical safeguard against being silenced,” Nimmers said.

In California, Voting Rights Act violations aren’t only a memento of Civil Rights-era discrimination. As recently as 1990, a federal judge cited Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in declaring the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors had unconstitutionally gerrymandered their districts to exclude Latino voters.

Section 2 required that redrawn district maps must be “equally open to participation” from protected groups — including racial minorities. The Supreme Court decision on Wednesday left Section 2 intact, but significantly curtailed how it could be applied by raising the bar for violations to “a strong inference that intentional discrimination occurred.”

The high court’s three-justice liberal minority argued that the changes to Section 2 effectively dismantled the Voting Rights Act. The conservative majority on the court has been narrowing the law since 2013.

Conservatives in California celebrated the ruling.

Chris Kieser, senior attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, said the ruling was a victory long hoped for by California conservatives who had argued that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act improperly used race in redistricting.

“The very idea of a majority-minority district and having a candidate of their choice is kind of antithetical to democracy,” Kieser said. “Voting is an individual right, it’s not a group right.”

The Voting Rights Act has been primarily used to help the state’s growing Latino population achieve political representation from the 1960s to the 1990s. Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the ruling is unlikely to have much immediate impact in California.

The ruling won’t affect California’s recent redistricting effort, he said, nor will it affect the independent state redistricting commission’s decisions.

“I don’t believe there is any challengeable gerrymandering in this state,” Saenz said.

But Rosalind Gold, chief public policy officer of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, said the ruling has dire long-term implications for Latino representation in California.

“By eviscerating the Voting Rights Act, this could open the door to counties and localities looking at how they used Section 2 to draw their maps and challenging those maps,” Gold said.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Westlake has never been an easy neighborhood to summarize.

At its center sits MacArthur Park — a landmark that has come to embody the city’s sharpest contradictions, a place of beauty and crisis, history and neglect, that now anchors one of Los Angeles’s most contentious debates over how to address its unhoused crisis.

The neighborhood’s development arc is long. In the mid-19th century, it drew newcomers chasing California’s promise — the Gold Rush, the weather, the mythology of the West. Over time, the neighborhood evolved through many identities: home to members of the Hollywood and business elite, a more affordable enclave for middle- and working-class Angelenos, and later, a refuge for immigrants fleeing political unrest in Central America during the 1980s.

That layered past now finds expression in an unlikely form: art. 

But what truly sets Westlake apart from the many other artsy L.A. neighborhoods is how friendly it is to up-and-coming artists of all ages and backgrounds. Admittingly, that that ecosystem is fragile: Astralab, a cultural hub serving Southwest Asian and North African diaspora communities, was recently forced out of the neighborhood where it has operated for nearly two years. 

With Astralab’s loss, it becomes even more important to highlight four other institutions anchoring it, each operating on the conviction that creative life should be available to artists of every age and background, not just those who can afford a trendy address. 

Frida Kahlo Theatre — Moisés Rodríguez Ovidio González and Christopher John Magallanes en Ruben Amavizca-Murua’s “Ayotzinapa Situacion Desaparecido.”

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Courtesy Ruben Amavizca-Murua

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Mexican Center for Culture & Cinematic Arts

There is no shortage of Mexican artistry represented throughout the City of Angels, and few places offer a stronger starting point than the Mexican Center for Culture & Cinematic Arts.

Located within the Consulado General de México en Los Ángeles (Mexican Consulate General in Los Angeles), the venue showcases a wide range of work by Mexican and Mexican American artists, as well as creators whose work explores Mexican culture more broadly.

With both a gallery and theater space, the Mexican Center hosts art exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, conferences and cultural programming throughout the year, serving as a bridge between artistic expression and community identity.

Art Division

A painting class at Art Division.

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Courtesy Art Division

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Founded in 2010, Art Division was created by Dan McCleary, who recognized a critical gap in arts education for young adults over the age of 17.

This nonprofit is dedicated to supporting aspiring artists ages 18 to 27 — particularly those from underserved communities — as they continue developing their craft beyond high school.

Art Division’s campus includes a library of more than 10,000 books, studios for multidisciplinary workshops, a printmaking studio — where students learn linoleum and woodblock techniques — and a gallery space that hosts exhibitions throughout the year. 

The organization functions not only as a creative incubator but as a launchpad for emerging artists navigating professional pathways.

Heart of Los Angeles

For younger artists looking to develop their skills, Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) has served children in grades K-12 since 1989 with programming that spans academics, athletics, music and visual arts.

HOLA has partnered with respected institutions such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Eisner Foundation and the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, offering students access to high-quality musical instruction and mentorship.

For visual artists, the organization provides classes, public artist residencies, exhibitions, field trips and additional creative opportunities that nurture both artistic growth and personal development, including classes, public artist residencies, field trips, exhibitions and more.

Frida Kahlo Theater

At the Frida Kahlo Theatre, Ruben Alejandro and Dina Jauregui in Ruben Amavizca-Murua's “Frida Kahlo.”

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Courtesy Ruben Amavizca-Murua

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The Frida Kahlo Theater is where the Grupo de Teatro SINERGIA hosts its groundbreaking productions in both English and Spanish, all of which shine a spotlight on stories and voices from Latin America.

Beyond its performances, the theater functions as both an incubator for rising talent and an educational platform for young creatives seeking a welcoming environment to explore storytelling and performance.

Programming includes the annual 10-Minute Play Festival (as well as the Theater Youth 10-Minute Play Festival), the Staged Reading Series and on-site workshops that foster artistic development across generations.

Frida Kahlo Theatre — Daniel Mora, Itzel Ocampo and Eden Vera en “Yellow” by Jose Henrickson.

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Courtesy Catherina Cojulun

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I spent the weekend in my other favorite LA — Louisiana, that is, at the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Seeing Stevie Nicks in the rain and the Pine Leaf Boys in the sun was worth the trip. But the jazz love doesn’t have to end now that I’m back home, because the first annual Santa Monica Jazz Festival kicks off this Friday at venues around the Westside (and one downtown).

If you’re not festivaled-out yet post-Coachella/Stagecoach/Jazzfest/wherever you got to in the past few weeks, BeachLife takes over Redondo Beach all weekend long. Headliners are Duran Duran, The Chainsmokers, James Taylor and The Offspring. Beyond that, Licorice Pizza has more music picks, including Health at the Hollywood Palladium and Helloween with Beast In Black bringing the darkness to the YouTube Theater on Friday.

Saturday, Lewis Capaldi is at the Hollywood Bowl, the Wedding Present performs their classic album Seamonsters in its entirety at the Lodge Room, Pup with Illuminati Hotties will be at Pomona’s Glass House and Shoreline Mafia plays Ontario’s Toyota Arena. Also on Sunday, L.A. club impresarios and drag pioneers the Boulet Brothers will bring their Dragula to the Fonda.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can take a look at the Natural History Museum’s new orca exhibit, read about a shipping container turned into art and get your tickets to celebrate 100 years of the L.A. Public Library with us on Saturday.

Events

L.A. TACO: Taco Madness

Saturday, May 2, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. 
Gloria Molina Grand Park, Downtown L.A. 
COST: $25; MORE INFO 

Get a taste of L.A.'s best tacos from favorites like Taqueria Frontera, Tire Shop Taqueria, Evil Cooks, LaSorted's and many more — so come hungry and support our fellow non-profit media friends at L.A. TACO. There’s also craft beer from Boomtown Brewery and DJ sets from Slow Jamz, Ambiente Central, Camilo Lara (Mexican Institute of Sound), Spiñorita, El Marchante and Sonrisita.

Irene Tu

Saturday, May 2, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. 
Hotel Cafe
1623 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood
COST: $30; MORE INFO 

Irene Tu will do two shows at Hotel Cafe.

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Michael Tullberg

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Getty Images

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Comedian Irene Tu takes the stage for two shows at the intimate Hotel Cafe — one is a taping for a TV special, the other a late show. Tu’s relaxed comedy style often goes viral in social media clips; her stories focus on everyday life and her experiences as a lesbian Asian American woman. Tu was featured as one of Vulture's "Comedians You Should and Will Know,” and will also perform during the upcoming Netflix Is a Joke festival as part of the "Asian Nation" show hosted by Margaret Cho.

Cinco de Mayo at UCLA Spring Game 

Rose Bowl 
1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

UCLA's spring game this Saturday will be the first for new coach Bob Chesney.

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Luke Hales

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Getty Images

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The Bruins head across town for their Spring Game — less of a game game and more a preview of the upcoming fall football season under new head coach Bob Chesney. The free day includes a Cinco de Mayo Marketplace featuring handmade jewelry, clothing and local resources, plus lots of food and drink options. There’s also a boxing tournament in the Court of Champions and live music.

Teen Beat Live: '80s Movie Mixtape

Through Sunday, May 17 
CineVita 
1248 District Drive, Inglewood
COST: FROM $59; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Teen Beat Live

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The '80s come alive at this immersive music experience at the new CineVita theater at Hollywood Park. The mirror-lined Spiegeltent brings the action to you, with jams from your favorite classic teen movies like Footloose, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Dirty Dancing, Back to the Future and more. Totally rad.

Master Harold and the Boys 

Through Sunday, May 10 
Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood 
COST: FROM $45; MORE INFO

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Jeff Lorch

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Geffen Playhouse

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South African playwright Athol Fugard’s now-classic 1982 play takes a deep look at race, power and betrayal during apartheid. The Geffen’s revival got a rave from the L.A. Times, where Charles McNulty noted the relevance of its message of hope in times of political darkness.

Khorus Harmonia

Through Saturday, May 2
Hudson Theatres 
6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
COST: $65; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy Shelter PR

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Fans of Sons of Anarchy will want to book in for this latest collaboration between the show’s masterminds (and married couple) Katey Sagal and Kurt Sutter. Khorus Harmonia is a 66-minute-long choral concert that Sagal conceived following the L.A. fires to build community. The result is an event that combines artists and instrumentalists performing music from favorites like Bon Iver and U2, with choral arrangement and direction by Steven Argila. All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights & the Wounded Warrior Project.

HERITAGE BARBECUE X Genevieve Taylor Guest Chef Dinner 

Friday, May 1, 5 p.m.
31721 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano
COST: $200 per person; MORE INFO

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Courtesy FWD PR

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British barbecue expert and cookbook author Genevieve Taylor pays a visit to San Juan Capistrano’s Heritage Barbecue to celebrate the release of her newest book, How to BBQ: The Definitive Guide to Fire Cooking. The evening will feature a five-course menu prepared by Taylor using recipes from the book, including dishes like maple-cured cold-smoked bass crudo with lime and tequila dressing, smoked honey carrots, ribeye tagliata parmesan and more.

World Labyrinth Day 

Saturday, May 2, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Various locations, including Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens
3500 West Adams Blvd., West Adams
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens

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Avid walkers and hikers in L.A. have been charmed many times over by the peaceful labyrinths amid the hiking trails and gardens in our fair city. Discover new ones and celebrate the world of meditative walking on World Labyrinth Day. The annual event includes time slots at the Peace Awareness Labyrinth in West Adams (which is designed after the one at Chartres Cathedral in France), as well as many others marked throughout the region on this map.