Shop Talk – Below the Line

Editors Behind Pre-Filmed Segments on Saturday Night Live Threaten to Go on Strike; NBC Ready to Negotiate

January 23, 2023 Jeff Sneider Comments Off

If you’ve been paying attention to Saturday Night Live over the past year or so, you’re probably familiar with Please Don’t Destroy, the comedy trio responsible for many (but not all) of the show’s pre-filmed segments — many of which are highlights are week. Those segments also include music videos and commercial parodies, and they are, of course, edited, but while those editors recently formed a union, they still don’t […]

IATSE’s New York Local 52 Settles Complaint Over Rights of Nonunion Workers, Which Could Have Larger Ramifications

November 3, 2022 Jeff Sneider Comments Off

In news that could have larger ramifications across Hollywood’s unions, Studio Mechanics Local 52 in New York has entered into a settlement agreement with union member James Harker that states it will not discriminate against nonunion workers who are trying to get jobs in the entertainment industry. Local 52 is IATSE’s largest production local in New York, and after Harker filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, it […]

Chaim Kantor Named Interim National Executive Director of ICG, Where He’ll Succeed Rebecca Rhine

October 28, 2022 Staff Comments Off

Chaim Kantor has been named interim National Executive Director of the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600), it was announced Thursday by Baird B. Steptoe, the National President of the ICG. Kantor succeeds Rebecca Rhine, who stepped down in September and promptly took a position at the DGA. Kantor’s appointment was unanimously confirmed by the guild’s National Executive Board and he now has “the authority to exercise direct supervision over […]

Community

Guild of Music Supervisors Offers Statement of Support to Netflix Colleagues Looking to Unionize

October 27, 2022 Jeff Sneider Comments Off

Upon the recent announcement that a supermajority of Netflix’s Music Supervisors filed for an official election at the labor board to unionize with IATSE, the Guild of Music Supervisors has released the following statement in support of the effort: The Guild of Music Supervisors is a non-profit membership-based organization founded to provide professional and educational support to those working both in the field, and adjacent to, the craft of music […]

Hollywood Guilds Including DGA and SAG-AFTRA Extend Covid-19 Safety Agreement

October 26, 2022 Staff Comments Off

SAG-AFTRA and IATSE, along with the DGA, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and the Hollywood Basic Crafts, (Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Local 78) have just announced the extension of the COVID-19 Safety Agreement through Jan. 31, 2023. The agreement maintains the multi-faceted approach that has kept the industry working safely since shortly after the onset of the pandemic. The extension […]

Netflix Music Supervisors File for Unionization Election at Labor Board

October 24, 2022 Staff Comments Off

Netflix’s Music Supervisors, in collaboration with IATSE, filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking a union certification election on Monday. The move comes after an overwhelming majority of music supervisors currently or recently employed by Netflix requested voluntary recognition of their union from the company, a request Netflix has declined. Music Supervisors are the craftspeople who specialize in storytelling through music. Their responsibilities include curating the music used […]

Ron Herrera Resigns as Labor Federation President in Wake of Racist Scandal Following Outcry From Labor Unions

October 12, 2022 Jeff Sneider Comments Off

Labor Federation President Ron Herrera has resigned from his position in the wake of a race-based scandal that has rocked local LA politics, including Hollywood’s labor unions, all of whom called for Herrera’s immediate resignation. Herrera stepped down from his position on Tuesday morning following the release of recordings that exposed racist comments made by prominent Los Angeles leaders Gil Cedillo, Kevin de León, and Nury Martinez during a recent […]

Costume Designers Guild Sets New Executive Board Under President Terry Gordon

September 18, 2022 Staff Comments Off

The Costume Designers Guild (IATSE Local 892) has announced a new Executive Board that includes Catherine Adair, Phillip Boutte, Salvador Perez, and Nancy Steiner as members at large. Terry Gordon serves as the President of the CDG, while Ivy Thaide serves as Vice President, Kristin Ingram serves as Secretary, and Nanrose Buchman serves as the guild’s treasurer. Meanwhile, David Matwijkow serves as the Assistant Costume Designer Representative, while Oksana Nedavinaya is […]

Awards

WGA Unveils Key Dates for 2023 Writers Guild Awards and Some Changes to Eligibility Criteria

September 7, 2022 Staff Comments Off

The Writers Guild of America has announced that the 75th Annual Writers Guild Awards, which honor outstanding writing in film, television, new media, news, radio/audio, and promotional categories, will be presented on Sunday, March 5, 2023. Before we get to the key dates, it’s important to note that the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have made some changes to the eligibility and submission […]

Rebecca Rhine to Join DGA as Western Executive Director Following Her ICG Departure This Fall

August 19, 2022 Staff Comments Off

Rebecca Rhine, who has served as the National Executive Director of the International Cinematographers Guild since 2015, announced that she will be joining the DGA as its new Western Executive Director once her ICG contract expires in September. Rhine will assume her new post in October, and she will have oversight of the DGA’s Western Region and national responsibility for the Contracts Department, Safety and Agency Relations, in addition to […]