Uncategorized : Union - join or not ... I am a… by Michael Neal

Michael, I was just working in your city this past October. Heard of Untouched, a feature? First City Films was behind it. Regarding SAG, I just printed my papers today I've been eligible for 16 years. I'm ready to travel outside of the southeast, so it is necessary. Prior to that my talent agents wanted me to wait, so i could do both union & nonunion for them. I respect SAG & have had several times that they have assisted me, even as a nonmember.

I met with the producers and director of Untouched. They didn't have a real need for boats...and a small budget. Sounded like they did a lot with a small budget.

have you reached out to anyone in Charleston? i lived there for 18 years and have contacts, one a location scout. can link you if it'd help. have you reached out to the head of the Beaufort Film Festival. that should be a good marketing event for you if you're planning to stay on the gorgeous east coast;)

Would love the link...have concentrated in Savannah and worked on three films last year..need to expand my contacts to SC.

will send you a P.M.

It is a tough call. Unions are great in a state that supports Unions. In New York and Los Angeles, they are essential... In Florida, not so much... In some instances it can hurt your chances of getting work... Don't know GA or SC at the moment...

It seems like all the larger productions 5 million plus are union. I have worked on those but don't want to miss out if a 40 million production comes and they bring in someone from NC who is in the union.

It is always that way. You can work a bunch for less money (non-union) or work less jobs a year with more money (union jobs). Just make sure there are enough Union gigs planned to make it worth while to INVEST in a Union (remember that a Union is a type of investment)... I would contact a potential Union and ask the questions, how many union jobs planned for 2012, can you defer joining until the first Union gig and call yourself "elegible" for that particular union? Actors do this in non-union states to open themselves up to both union and non-union jobs. The Unions don't like it much, but it does allow for a staged transition from non-union focus to union over a period of time...

It also depends on location. If I was in NY or LA right now I would be working on productions because of my contact base, but in FL, jobs are few and far between (union or not). And in some instances a slow economy can raise the viewer base of well marketed films. The numbers of tickets sold in 2008 to 2009 went UP as the economy tanked. The desire for 'escape' grows and people go to more movies. The margins are small, but the film industry did not suffer through the initial stages of this 'recession-depression' (sources: [www.the-numbers.com/market][1]). They just said they did like every other large corporation. [1]: http://www.the-numbers.com/market

I don't mind making the investment if it gives me an edge on others that might be dabbling in the industry. I don't want to be cut out of indie productions because they help build my resume and provide employment.

Georgia is doing pretty well for productions right now...have some good tax incentives

That is the catch-22. This is what typically happens... Dude stays non-union for a while, he gets that itch to go union. Goes union, works less for more money (because of location), but he feels like he isn't doing enough. He packs up and creates a remote location in LA, NY or other appropriate locale and spends time developing contacts there. Then he gets sucked into the "scene life" (LA life, NY life), spends too much and misses where you came from... I would contact your potential union rep and discuss the options that are available to avoid this track in life... I bet they offer 'exemptions' of some sort so that you can do low budget stuff and keep you contact base growing... They are in the business of recruiting you and protecting you once you've joined. But the first business for them is to get your dues, so be sure they can show you on paper the exemption options. Otherwise you run the risk of joining and then breaking their rules, which is no fun to deal with...

Great idea on exemptions...I have witnessed the moves to LA and the migration back...I can't see myself ever making that move..a visit maybe but I can't handle the scene of LA or NY

Please keep me posted as I'm curious how the union reps are handling themselves during this economic frailty.

Thank you Richard! I have been a recluse for almost 5 years. Now I'm starting something new and coming out of hiding. Glad to be back amongst the Creatives!

Well it has been an interesting couple of days...I talked with the union rep and he said their local encourages union members to take any work union or not. They evaluate the projects in the area and decide if it is worth pursuing as a union. I also talked to an AD that is very experienced and is a friend and he recommended it. I also spoke with some crew I've worked with on a feature and they pushed me to join. So the ending result is I am joining...they are waivering the initiation fee due to the films I worked in the past. Let's hope for a 3 year project on the water...anyone planning a big pirate tv series set in Savannah with a really big budget?

Glad to hear that you investigated and determined the best path for yourself. I'll be card carrying, too. I hope we cross paths & get to work on a project together. I'll let you know when we premier Untouched and have you attend if you're available. Here's to the Pirate Project!

Thanks everyone for their input on this.

I know this is an old post but just wanted those in this group that I just wrapped my first department head job as the Marine Coordinator on Anchorman 2, as a member of IATSE 491