Not that we want the column to simply wind up as a kind of medical tote board, but then again, protestations to the contrary, we’re still in the throes of a pandemic. Until it all becomes endemic, at which point, we’ll have different decisions to make. Some more productions have been delayed since we last... »

In case you were unaware, several days ago, the current extension of Hollywood’s COVID protocols expired. Those protocols were part of an agreement between producers and guilds that included testing and vaccination mandates, brought COVID compliance officials onto sets to establish “safety zones” (a reassuring concept in such generally parlous times), and much more.... »

Happy 2022! Well, we can dream, can’t we? At a minimum, we hope your holidays and calendar changes remained relatively Omicron-free, and that the year ahead will have fewer sudden twists and turns than the one behind us. Although revered as plotting techniques, when used relentlessly in real life, those sudden twists can be... »

Nature bats last. It’s not every day we get to use a storied phrase from the environmental movement — one that has been a guiding philosophy, a mordant warning, a bumper sticker, and more — as the header for a column about below-the-line work in the glittery/gritty corridors of showbiz. But more and more,... »

“We are very disappointed that was ultimately rejected. Because we have an obligation to our customers and consumers to continue to provide the cereals that they know and love …we are hiring permanent replacement employees in positions vacated by striking workers, as is permitted by law.” If you replace the word “cereals”... »

So one takes a little holiday time off, (and thanks to Tomee Sojourner-Campbell for her thoughtful filling in), only to return and find an entirely new Covid variant making its way around the world. What this does to plans for packing (mostly masked) people into theaters for holiday tentpoles and end-of-year Oscar-chummers remains to... »

The holiday homestretch is almost upon us, and we’ll be taking a few of the ensuing days off, so the next time we see you in this columnar space will be a little deeper into December. We’re also undergoing a name change, from “Strike Alert,” since, it would appear the main specter of a... »

The results are in, and well, it seems the people have spoken — those people making up the rank and file of IATSE — and evidently, their wishes were ignored by the electoral-college style voting system the union has instituted for contract ratification. The approval announcement was made on Monday, after a weekend of... »

Most readers of this space will have already seen the open letter from the cinematography community, signed by a veritable who’s who of ASC and BSC members, Oscar and Emmy nominees, all the way up to  ASC President Stephen Lighthill. It calls for a ban on all functional firearms on sets, along with a “vow... »

“It’s a miracle I’ve made it this far,” reflects Tim Blake Nelson’s titular character in the evocative indie Western, Old Henry, currently wracking up critical praise during its multi-platform release. In Henry’s case, the reflection comes after his son makes a startling realization about his widower dad’s earlier life, and Nelson’s comments are about... »