This was a reply to an earlier thread that excerpted an interview with “Battlestar Galactica” producer Ron Moore, wherein he talked about him and his crew being asked to do free “webisodes.”
His wife, Terry Dresbach Moore — herself an IA member — joined that conversation, and we thought her reply was worthy of its own post here:
Hello,
I am Ron Moore’s wife, Terry Dresbach Moore. I am also a member of IATSE, local 892. As a staunch union supporter, I was incredibly proud when my husband refused to let his crew work for free, while everyone else involved in the project was going to be
paid.
Way too many of us in the creative fields agree to work for free, when the other crew members around us get paid. I see it all the time. Every department on set gets their turnaround and meal penalties, and the UPM shows up at the Wardrobe trailer door asking us to waive ours. How many art department crew work on weekends for free? All of them.
The teamsters don’t, the grips don’t, electric doesn’t. At least not on any show I have worked on for twenty five years.
I have always refused, and refused on behalf of my crew. As far as I am concerned it is one of my primary responsibilities as a department head, to protect my crew from the studios who continue to attack their compensation in every way possible.
I am proud to be married to a writer who does the same for his crew.
