Departments

New Academy Members

Congratulations to Local 695 members Pud Cusack and Lisa Pinero for their invitation to membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Welcome New Members

Kayla Croft, Y-1
Terrell Taihe Miller, Y-4
Morgan Hobart, Y-8
Keith Little, Y-1
Alexander Brayman, Y-1
Mac McAlpin, Y-7
David Napoli, Y-4
Logan Shepard, Y-1
Michael McCurdy, Y-16
Michael St. Hilaire, Y-1
Christopher Robbins, Y-1
Detdrich McClure, Y-1
Justin Junior, A2
Benjamin Mischke, Y-4
William “Willie” Tipp, Y-4

President Loeb Appoints Scott Bernard

Local 695 Business Representative Scott Bernard was appointed by IATSE President Matthew Loeb to serve as a Labor Director on the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans. Additionally, he was appointed to serve on the Audit and Collections Committee and the Benefits/ Appeals Committee on the MPIPHP Plans.

YWC Helps Stamp Out Hunger

The Local 695 Young Workers Committee organized a group on May 21 to volunteer at the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, co-sponsored by the AFL-CIO and the United Way.

MPTF Day at the Races

The 5th Annual Day at the Races will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2016, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. There will be fun activities for the kids, raffles and a silent auction in addition to the horse races. All proceeds from the event will benefit MPTF and sustain the safety net of programs and services that are provided to fellow industry members in times of need. More information and tickets are available at mptf.com/datr. Tickets include admission, parking, race program and lunch buffet.

SAVE THE DATE!

The next General Membership Meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at the Local 80 Stage, 2520 W. Olive Avenue in Burbank.

IN MEMORIAM

RONALD L. COLLINS
Y-1 Sound Mixer
March 5, 1939 – August 2, 2016

ROGER J. PIETSCHMANN CAS
Y-1 Sound Mixer
March 27, 1945 – July 26, 2016

Our hearts are heavy to report the passing of Sound Mixer Roger Pietschmann, who succumbed to multiple system atrophy on July 26. Roger was 71.

Son of Sound Mixer and Cinerama pioneer Richard Pietschmann, Roger first started working in New York in the 1970s, where he served as a recordist on films like Taxi Driver and The Front. He moved to Los Angeles and enjoyed a successful career as a Boom Operator for feature films, lending his skills to PeeWee’s Big Adventure, Project X and The Seventh Sign. In the 1990s, Roger progressed in his career to Sound Mixer and enjoyed success mixing a variety of movies and television shows. His credits include Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, Family Law, The Division, Sleeper Cell, Dirt and Dexter.

Having worked with Roger for several years as his Boom Operator, I am particularly affected by his passing, and not just because I’ll never hear my caller ID try to pronounce his name again. Roger was one of the good guys, an unflappable man who was able to maintain his sense of humor and dignity through the most stressful of situations. He always insisted that we have fun despite the long hours and pressure inherent to production. He had great taste in music and food and people and was one of the giants of heart and soul.

Roger is survived by his wife Andrea and daughter Devin.

–Patrick Martens

DAVID M. SCHNEIDER
Y-1 Sound Mixer
December 9, 1958 – August 2, 2016

David liked to be referred to as a “Sound Technician.” He came up thru the ranks as a Utility, Boom Operator and then Sound Mixer.

Dave was a mixer that would always jump in and help his guys if needed. Running video cables, antennas, moving the cart, etc., were never an issue. He would just do whatever it takes to never slow down production.

David was also very meticulous. His soldering skills were impeccable, making some of the cleanest cables I’ve ever seen. He also had an astounding ear. Dave had so much passion in his craft, it was contagious. It wasn’t about getting good sound but great sound.

David had a gift for empathy; he could relate to almost anybody, and he prided himself on this ability. It drew people to him on the set, and was a big part of why he was so well loved. Anybody could talk to David, and he loved to talk. Those few who resisted were a challenge to his charms that he gladly took on, to sometimes hilarious results; he was also a world-class practical joker. A personality like that is an asset to any sound crew—in fact, to any crew.

Dave was a great guy who loved doing sound and loved working on a set. They don’t make them like him very often. To say he will be missed is an understatement.

David leaves behind his wife Martha, daughter Josie, sons Jonah and Jarrett, and stepdaughters Aubrey and Caitlin.

–Ross Levy, Andy Rovins CAS and Rob Scott

Contributors to this edition

JILLIAN ARNOLD
Jillian is a video engineer, who specializes in digital acquisition, media management and workflow solutions. Her love for the technical side of filmmaking emerged at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a video technician for the Mars Program.

RICHARD LIGHTSTONE CAS AMPS
Richard began his career in Montreal and continues to mix in Los Angeles. He is currently on the Executive Board of Local 695, a co-editor of Production Sound & Video and a former President of the Cinema Audio Society.

PEGGY NAMES
Peggy Names has been a member of IATSE Local 695 since 1977. Ms. Names is serving her second term as Trustee of the Local and is Chair of the Building Committee. Peggy has spent most of her career working on movies with a few television, commercial and motion-capture projects thrown in to mix it up. Ms. Names hung up her boom but is still very active at the Local.

JAY PATTERSON CAS
Jay Patterson has been involved in sound for radio, television, stage and film ever since he began as a voice talent in radio at age eleven in 1965. A Cinema Audio Society Award winner, he is serving his fifth term as VP of Local 695, and is Co-chair of the Technical Trends Committee.

BILL RUCK
Bill Ruck, a native San Franciscan, has been a Broadcast Engineer since the mid-1970s. His career includes KUSF, KJAZ, KALW, NPR-West and Susquehanna Radio for twenty one years (KFOG, KNBR, KSAN and KTCT) as Engineering Manager. Bill is the Chair of the Northern California Frequency Coordinating Committee overseeing the use of Part 74 Broadcast Auxiliary frequencies. Mr. Ruck is a volunteer with the Maritime Radio Historical Society, a former RCA Coast Marine Station KPH, now part of Point Reyes National Seashore. Bill Ruck is the 2014 Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame inductee chosen by Chapter 40 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Bill poses in front of a WWII vintage PW-15 transmitter restored and in service at KPH.

Photos courtesy of the respective contributors

WHY SHOULD I JOIN A UNION?

I get asked this question many times. There are still people who do not understand the benefits of joining a union. I could list a hundred reasons why unions matter, but I’ll stick to the core seven.

1. Money: Generally speaking, union jobs pay more than nonunion jobs. Yes, IATSE does have several contracts that have lower wages than the Basic Agreement, but these shows would have even lower wages if they were nonunion, and there would be no benefits. Union jobs generally pay significantly more than nonunion jobs. If you ask any nonunion employer why they don’t sign a union contract, they’ll tell you they don’t want to pay better wages and provide benefits.

2. Benefits: Health insurance, pensions, individual retirement account plan, holidays, overtime premiums. These are only some of the benefits enjoyed by IATSE union members. As a member, you have access to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, The Actors Fund and many other resources to help you when times are tough. If you need training for a new career outside the motion picture industry, it can be provided through the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Both of these organizations have helped hundreds of Local 695 members in times of need.

3. Safety: A union contract gives employees the immediate right to address unsafe conditions. If you ever encounter an unsafe working condition on production, call this Local’s office immediately or call the IATSE 24- hour IATSE Safety Hotline at (844) 422-9273. No job is worth risking serious injury or even losing your life.

4. Dignity: Union workers are treated better than nonunion workers. Employers have a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with working conditions they must follow. This helps to even the playing field between the employer and union members. The employer knows if they violate the CBA, the union has the right to file a grievance to protect the rights of their members working under the CBA.

5. Security: The CBA gives members a level of security that nonunion employees do not enjoy. If you are fired improperly from your job, the union will represent you. Unions have been at the forefront of ending the barriers that held back women and minorities.

6.Training: Union workers have better training and as a result, are better employees. Union members have additional training available to them to allow them to FROM THE BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE move up to higher paying positions. Employers realize the benefits of hiring a trained union worker.

7. Activism: You must get involved with your union and support the politicians who stand up in support of the Middle Class. It’s not a coincidence that the decline of the Middle Class began with the decline of union membership. That decline has meant more citizens are working in lower wage jobs, without health insurance and without the means to save for retirement.

Unions matter today more than ever if we want to rebuild the Middle Class. In November, you have choices to make. Who do you want in a government office to represent you and the working men and women of this country? We must vote for the politicians that stand up for Labor, that stand up for the working Middle Class. Don’t continue to elect the same people who don’t support unions and the Middle Class.

I quote IATSE President Matthew Loeb:

Organized labor has been under siege for too long and in order to overcome some of the challenges we face, we must increase our involvement in the political process or lose the ability to protect our members nationwide. We cannot afford to allow anti-worker politicians to blame workers for the problems that are the product of irresponsibility on the part of others. Our voice must be heard on the local level as well as the national level and we have the opportunity to act and not just stand by as our rights are stripped away.

So how do we fight back? Join me and your IASTE Brothers and Sisters who contribute to the IATSE–PAC (Political Action Committee) Stand Up, Fight Back campaign. Very soon, in your start paperwork, you’ll find a form to sign up for the IATSE–PAC. I strongly encourage you to join me and many of your IATSE Brothers and Sisters who have decided to “Stand Up, Fight Back.” To learn more, go to the Local 695 website or call me at (818) 985-9204. If the Middle Class is going to return, it’s up to the unions to make it happen.

Fraternally,
Scott Bernard
Business Representative

UNION STRONG, UNION STRONG, UNION STRONG…

I’m feeling something coming alive in this union, a sense of engagement, ownership and, yes, optimism. The empowering of our members as active participants in their collective professional destinies have never seemed so evident. We are writing new chapters of our history together by virtue of the surging activism from our members. We’re seeing record turnouts for our training classes, Board meetings, membership meetings, organizing drives, picket lines, benefit events and very significantly, our Young Workers Committee.

I’ve been attending many union gatherings in recent weeks, the California Labor Federation Biennial Convention, Local 695 General Membership Meeting, the IATSE General Executive Board Meeting and the IATSE District 2 Convention. The importance of the US presidential election has brought a certain energy to all these events and has revealed to me that the current turning point in the broader culture is reflected within our union culture. People are aroused to action and change is in the air. I see it as a change for the better and in the interest of the working men and women of this country and certainly, this industry. We have been a harbinger of growth and demonstrated a leadership trend in successful organizing locally and nationally in a difficult environment for Labor.

Quoting a recent AFL-CIO communique on Internal Organizing:

“Determined to build power for working people in today’s political climate, unions across the country are recharging efforts to reach out to new members and increase engagement among existing ones.”

We are a microcosm of this phenomena, especially in the private sector where 90 percent of us statistically self-identify as members of the labor union movement in the US.

This means not seeing the union as a third party, but as a tool for joining together for common interest, seeing things in terms of building something good, rather than only eliminating the bad and most importantly, seeing ourselves as working people “making life better for our families, through collective advancement.”

So, a few principles to consider under the heading of Internal Organizing:

•  Power in numbers

•  Making a commitment and participate in your union as a stakeholder

•  Bringing change with knowledge and persistence

•  Strengthening our communities through enlightened self-interest

•  Retake the reins and set the rules, own it

•  Negotiate collectively for legitimate leverage

“Coming together, we can get a fair return for our work, paid time to be home when our families need us and a more secure retirement. By acting in union, we have the power to make our communities better and win at work.”

In this issue, you’ll read about the physical rebirth of the Local’s building and I hope you’ll understand how much this represents the genuine revitalization of Local 695’s membership community. I’ve been privileged to be a member since 1983 and I believe our union connection is the best vehicle for all of us as we journey the beginning of a sea change in the larger culture regarding the worth and rights of working people.

Warmest fraternal regards,
Mark Ulano CAS AMPS
Local 695 President

From the Editors

Welcome to the summer edition of Production Sound & Video. The membership of Local 695 is the most technically proficient in the entertainment industry. That’s not a boast, it’s fact.

Jillian Arnold goes in depth on “Asset Management” and Pronology. The new Aaton CantarX3 is explained and reviewed with informative testimonials from multiple owners, all members of this Local in “All About the CantarX3.” Bill Ruck gives us part two of “The Radio Frequency Spectrum Puzzle” and we introduce a new column by Jay Patterson CAS, “FCC Update.”

The cover of this edition shows off the Local’s new look and it’s not just a fresh coat of paint. Peggy Names introduces the makeover of the entire office in “The Newly Renovated Offices of Our Local.”

As always, we are excited by the response to our publication and the desire of you to contribute articles. This magazine is for and by the membership but it also serves as an excellent way to promote our skills, exemplify our knowledge and inform the industry how much we contribute every day to every project.

There are extra copies of this publication available and we welcome your requests to hand them out to fellow crewmembers, producers and talent. In fact, it’s the perfect excuse to come by our office and check out the new digs!

Fraternally,

Richard Lightstone, Eric Pierce and Mark Ulano