Departments

From the Business Representative

Ownership…

Recently, I found myself in a Socratic debate with an old friend regarding our responsibility for the survival of the work we create. This came about as our industry is migrating from recording to a stable medium that can be stored in vaults to trading out memory cards that are returned to us and reused. From my perspective, we mixers are among the primary players capturing original performances. We are “laying the bed” for all that follows regarding the dialog and effects, not unlike the creative recording producer in the music world. Up to this point, my friend and I are in agreement. But I take the further position that we also have a responsibility for the long-term survivability of the work we create. I think we need to raise this issue with our clients and employers and encourage them to adopt policies conducive to archival preservation. Acquiescing to a program where recordings exist only as temporary files is, to me, an irresponsible position.

Although sympathetic, and equally concerned about the end result, my friend’s position is quite different. Essentially, once we hand off the goods he believes the full and total responsibility lies with the producers and owners of the end result. Of course, legally and technically, my friend has a point. And the absence of a universally accepted archival storage medium also factors in the argument. But a large part of my disagreement comes from knowledge of how things tend to play out. History shows us clearly that companies and institutions have a poor record of responsibility toward the assets they create and accumulate. Cultural obligations fly out the window when corporate administrations change and the average turnover at film studios is under two years. Forget about hundred-year storage being a concern to the new guys.

By taking an active role in preservation we become participants in a larger community of professionals.  This issue of ownership of consequences has larger implications. Engagement in one issue leads naturally to involvement in others and extends, I hope, to greater involvement with the union and the issues that concern us all. Without participation, ownership can become meaningless. With it, anything is possible.

Warm regards,
Mark Ulano
President, IATSE Local 695

Website: On the importance of getting online

Judging by usage statistics, most of our membership makes great use of the Local 695 web site, with members taking advantage of its content and features on a regular basis.  But for registered members who may have overlooked some of the available features, and also for that smaller group who still haven’t even registered yet, here is some of what you’re missing:

• News & Announcements – Updated every few days, a good way to keep up with what’s going on.
• Education and Training – Info about upcoming classes (many free), training resources, online videos, etc.
• Membership Directory – An excellent way to promote your job skills (updatable in realtime).
• Available for Work List – Another great way to generate work opportunities or fill openings on your crew (updatable in realtime).
• Trading work days to get or share hours for healthcare qualification – If you’re worried about being a few days short, this could help.  And for members needing to hire someone for a few days, this is a great place to look.
• Classified Ads – Free ad listings for 695 members.
• Health and Safety – Links and information.
• Online access to the “695 Quarterly” – With archive of previous issues.
• Discounts – Including cellphone, insurance, mortgage, car buying, travel, entertainment and more.
• Online Store – Lots of new Local 695 accessories, including mugs, license plate frames, bags, hats, water bottles, wall clocks and more.

Registration only takes about 30 seconds at www.local695.com.

Yet another reason to register is to provide an email address that we can use to send occasional messages with announcements about training and events and other business related to the Local.  Don’t worry… you won’t get bombarded with tons of unwanted email.

PLEASE NOTE:  In the interest of conserving printing supplies and economizing mailing costs, the Local may use email for certain communications.  In order to receive these messages, you must provide a valid email address and see to it that these emails are not being blocked by your spam filters.  In some instances, you may need to add info@local695.com to your “whitelist”.  For those who are already registered on the website but haven’t been online in a while, please log in to make sure that the email address we have for you is still valid.

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Production Tracking Database: On the importance of “Calling In” your jobs

Since going online two years ago, the Local 695 Production Tracking Database has made it possible for us collect detailed information on more than 1,800 film and television productions, providing us with instant access to a huge volume of essential information.

This continuously expanding database, allows us to search and cross-reference historical data going back years… an indispensable tool for your Representatives at the Local 695 office.  We use this information to enforce the contracts, to help to ensure that you’ve been paid correctly and with proper contributions made for your health and welfare benefits, to help protect your job and the jobs of your union Brothers and Sisters, and also to support the IA’s continuing efforts to organize non-IA productions and create more union job opportunities for all IA members.  The earlier we know about these non-IA projects, the better chance there is to work with those companies to negotiate an IATSE contract before the project is completed.  In case you haven’t noticed, the organizing team at the IA has been very active lately, with numerous successes on projects both large and small.  Information stored in the Production Tracking Database is vitally important to our support of those efforts.

And if that’s still not enough reason to call in jobs, don’t forget that it’s one of the fundamental responsibilities of your membership in Local 695, as stated in Article Thirteen of the Local 695 By-Laws:

All members shall upon receiving employment immediately notify the Local No. 695 business office either by phone or electronic mail [or Website], when hired and provide the following information;

[a]  The name of the Employer.

[b]  The name of the production, studio and/or laboratory where employed.

[c]  The date[s] of employment assignment.

[d]  The name of the “payroll” company, if used.

[e]  The date of layoff and re-hire.

This pertains to every job that you accept… long-term assignments and day-calls… IA productions and non-IA shoots… films, television, commercials, so-called “reality programming”, sports broadcasting, “webisodes” and other content headed for the internet, documentaries, music videos, political ads… everything.

The next time you accept a job, you can phone the information in to our Office at (818) 985-9204 or you can email it to info@local695.com but the easiest and fastest way to report your job info right now and each time you take a job is to visitwww.local695.com/mbr/jobreport.php.  Just a few clicks and you’re done.  It is extremely helpful if you are also able to submit one of your call-sheets.  Attach the call-sheet with your email, fax it to (818) 760-4681, or the easiest way is to just include the callsheet PDF file with the input form you submit atwww.local695.com/mbr/jobreport.php.

News & Announcements

In Remembrance

“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.”
–Song of Solomon, Chapter, 8 verse 7

Vaya con Dios, Hasta luego mi Amigo.
Your Friends

A Farewell to Gene Cantamessa

Dear Gino,

I’m still stunned by the news of you leaving us. It’s like losing the Grand Canyon or the Mississippi River. You have stood as an icon for generations of sound people, a point of reference for the dignity and respect achievable in our craft. Your passion for the work only surpassed by your passion for life and family.

For me, you have been one of the few bridging personalities from the time before, when giants roamed the studio lots, to the present version of how we ply our trade to survive. You have been one of the very few who kept caring, staying involved, sharing the decades of experience, mentoring the next set of young pups daring to make their mark. You didn’t suffer fools easily, and we loved you for it. You fought for the quality of your work and the protection of your crew and we loved you for it. Your power as a family man, extended to all of us and the joy you experienced watching your son, Steve, carry on your tradition at the highest level and winning his Academy Award, moved many of us to tears, and again we love you for it.

When it came time for you to fight cancer, you did so with grace and positivity, again, setting the example.

I remember the night you were honored by the Cinema Audio Society for your Career Achievement in this work. One of the many famous directors who you supported was there and spoke of your specialness. He commented that if the weather were hot or cold, it was always 10 degrees cooler or warmer wherever you were set up. I also recall your push to the podium to thank your crew on the night you won your much-deserved Oscar; that inspires us to this day. You had an instinct for being in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing.

Not a few of us, will always pause in a tough moment at work and ponder, “What would Gino do?”

Having sat on the Board with you for almost 20 years and partnered in bringing the Local back from the brink, you taught me so much and for this I loved you and will miss you greatly. It seems to me that you never wasted a second.

Fraternally, with all my heart,
Mark Ulano

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Creative America is a grass-roots coalition formed by labor unions, guilds, studios and networks, which have launched a nationwide campaign to unite the more than 2 million Americans in all 50 states whose livelihoods are supported by the film and television industry.

As part of the concentrated effort, Creative America has launched a newly redesigned website, www.creativeamerica.org, where visitors can learn more about the impact of content theft on jobs, benefits and future work opportunities. They can also demonstrate support for the passage of important Congressional legislation such as the PROTECT IP Act in the Senate and similar legislation soon to be introduced in the House of Representatives.

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Local 695 Swag

In addition to Local 695 T-shirts and hats, we’ve now added mugs, water bottles, bags, clocks and more … delivered straight to your door. Check it out at https://www.local695.com/Quarterly/695-accessories

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IATSE-PAC

In June of this year, the IATSEPAC launched the Stand Up, Fight Back campaign to stand up to the recent attacks on our members from antiworker politicians. As you know, recent events have shown that the fight is only going to get tougher as we move closer to the 2012 elections. Among the many issues at risk are collective bargaining and the future of Social Security and Medicare. The IATSE believes that we must stand up to these attacks and ramp up our voice in politics through waging this campaign. The mission of the Stand Up, Fight Back campaign is to increase IATSE-PAC contributions and the IATSE’s commitment to fighting politicians and policies that do not benefit our members. The one way we can make a difference is to be heard loud and clear and our PAC is one of the most important ways to guarantee people in Washington will listen to us. Get more information about the Stand Up, Fight Back campaign at http://www.iatse-intl.org/pac/pac.html

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In Memoriam

EDWIN KNOWLES
Production Sound Mixer
May 10, 1922 – July 20, 2011

GENE S. CANTAMESSA
Production Sound Mixer
Feb. 17, 1931 – Nov. 8, 2011

From the Editors

We are all creatures of habit. Those of us in production, for example, are accustomed to setting up our “office” … our sound and video carts and work areas … in specific and very personal ways.

This familiarity in our workstations allows us to achieve better results by being in control of some of the chaotic elements that bombard us each working day. We often find ourselves in situations that require we work well outside of our comfort zones. There are night shoots, cold and rainy exteriors, noisy environments, extreme heat, run-and-gun shooting and multiple cameras. And, of course, there are the continuously evolving digital production workflows. The incentive to try something new, a different angle, a different approach, an alternate voice, naturally yields uncertainty; some chaos is an integral part of our business. We seek out a comfort zone when we can but, at the same time, thrive on the challenges outside that safe zone. The 695 Quarterly tells the stories behind these challenges. When circumstances demand, we improvise and invent something new.

Our profile of Local 695 Production Mixer Alan Bernard is just one of those stories, chronicling a post-war career path that took Alan from dubbing rooms to awards ceremonies as his career blossomed in the ’60s and ’70s. Willie Burton offers a unique first-person perspective of his amazing experience last summer, when he was asked to lay down his headphones and become a classroom teacher for aspiring young filmmakers in Kenya and Rwanda. Outside the comfort zone, indeed.

We hope you’re in your comfort zone right now, kicked back with this latest issue of the 695 Quarterly. Because time is fleeting, we encourage you to embrace every opportunity to go to a place you’ve never been and do something you’ve never done before. While you’re there, be sure to improvise, create, solve and experience. And when you come back, And
when you come back, we can’t wait to read all about it right here.

Fraternally,
Richard Lightstone
David Waelder
and Eric Pierce