Member Town Hall Meeting in Los Angeles The AMPTP has failed to address the needs of actors at the bargaining table despite the efforts of your negotiating team and the intervention of a federal mediator. Your national negotiating committee has directed that a strike authorization ballot be sent to paid up SAG members for their consideration and approval. This Town Hall meeting will give Hollywood members an update on the negotiations and a chance to ask questions about the upcoming strike authorization ballot referendum. A strike authorization from SAG members will show the AMPTP that the unique needs of actors cannot be addressed by a pattern of bargaining. Actors needs must be addressed for deal to be made. Don't miss this important meeting. Let your voice be heard. When: Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Where: Renaissance Hollywood Hotel Hollywood Ballroom 1755 N. Highland Ave Hollywood, CA 90028 Note: Please Bring your SAG membership card (paid thru October 2008) for admittance. Parents/Guardians of SAG members under 18 years old may attend with the minor. Parking: Self parking at Hollywood and Highland - validation available for the Hollywood & Highland complex. $2 for 4 hours when you get validated in any shop, restaurant or theatre that is part of that mall Volunteers are needed to assist with outreach. To volunteer, please emailcontract2008@sag.org or call (323) 549-6665. Rule 1 in New Media / Act as One on 01.01.09 Click here for more information
New Media Means New Opportunities
B R A V E N E W M E D I A
10 December 2008
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28 July 2008
A Rose By Any Other Name
In 1994, my first name became was associated with Olympic figure skating competitor Tonya Harding who plead guilty for conspiracy to harm her competitor Nancy Kerrigan. For about a year I endured snide comments and jokes about my name that happens to be the diminutive for "Tatiana" an otherwise lovely name that means "Queen of the Fairies".
Over a decade later, my best friend Katrina suffered even worse torment and ridicule when the deadly hurricane of the same name slammed into the north-central Gulf Coast.
Now imagine for a minute what the name "Osama" conjures. And then imagine how westerners would relate to you if "Osama" were your name?
"Before 9/11, the only Osama I knew was my 7-year-old cousin in Pakistan. On that terrible day, another Osama came into my life. I just can't seem to get rid of him," says filmmaker Masood Kahn, who along with Farrah Jaral, have embarked on a mission to meet 500 Osamas across the Islamic world in just 50 days, asking each one; "What do you love?"
"Osama" and "Loves" are not two words you often hear together, or expect to. By going on this incredible journey, Farrah and Masood want to demonstrate to the UK the "warmth, humour and diversity" of the Islamic world, and that it's not a homogenous culture; to explore what Islamic culture and belief really means to them; and to provide insight into the day-to-day realities of Muslim communities, their concerns and hopes, their perspectives and loves. "By meeting 500 people who share nothing but their first name, I want to show that, whatever the cultural or social background, we all love much the same things" said Jarral.
The public can follow Farrah and Masood's mission and they are relying on viewers to get involved. If you know where they should go to find the next Osama, where they should stay [or how to get the most out of their journey], let them know by visiting www.osamaloves.com
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18 July 2008
17 July 2008
09 July 2008
Today on KCRW's "The Business" SAG & AFTRA Presidents Have A Bitchfest
This special edition of The Business features a rare head-to-head conversation about future of acting with the dueling presidents of SAG and AFTRA. It's the first time the leaders have spoken since March 29.
Download MP3 here.
08 July 2008
AFTRA MEMBERS RATIFY PRIMETIME TELEVISION CONTRACT
AFTRA Leadership to Focus on Unity Initiatives Moving Forward
LOS ANGELES (July 8, 2008) – The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) announced today that AFTRA members ratified a new three-year primetime television agreement (Exhibit A of the AFTRA Network Television Code) reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) by a 62.4% margin.
AFTRA—the nation’s second largest performers’ union—represents more than 70,000 actors, recording artists, broadcasters, and other talent working in the entertainment and media industries.
AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon made the following statement:
“Today’s vote reflects the ability of AFTRA members to recognize a solid contract when they see it. Despite an unprecedented disinformation campaign aimed at interfering with our ratification process, a majority of members ultimately focused on what mattered—the obvious merits of a labor agreement that contains substantial gains for every category of performer in both traditional and new media.
“Clearly, this was not a typical ratification process, and it would be disingenuous to pretend otherwise. To those of us for whom labor solidarity is more than just a slogan, the idea that politically-motivated leaders of one union would use their members’ dues to attack another union is unconscionable. Working people do not benefit when their union is under attack.
“For the sake of our members, organized labor must be united, especially in a world of ever-increasing corporate consolidation. Given this, AFTRA leadership is eager to focus on several important initiatives in the months to come:
1) Building on the suggestion of our valued supporters, we will seek to organize a summit of top actors, performers, and union leaders to engage in a thoughtful, constructive discussion of how we can achieve unity among performers—and ultimately, if feasible, merger of the performers’ unions.
2) Given that working men and women accomplish more when we work together with trust and mutual respect, we will ask the leadership of the AFL-CIO AEMI ICC unions, the DGA, WGA, and others in the labor community to come together well in advance of the next round of contract negotiations to explore ways of maximizing the leverage of entertainment industry workers.
3) Finally, I intend to promptly review with our National elected leadership and the Presidents of all AFTRA Locals the conditions needed to restore trust to re-establish joint bargaining on our respective commercials contracts.
“I sincerely appreciate the committed work of the negotiating committee, elected leaders, the labor community, and individual activist members of AFTRA who worked tirelessly and publicly to secure this solid contract for television industry performers. I am especially grateful for the support of many joint members of SAG and AFTRA—such as those in Chicago, Florida, Houston, Nashville, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle—who displayed courage in the face of potential retribution, by taking a stand against disunity with the power of truth and solidarity.”
Negotiations with the AMPTP over the AFTRA Primetime TV contract began on May 7. They concluded on May 28 with a tentative agreement that was unanimously recommended for approval by AFTRA’s 31-member negotiating committee. The AFTRA National Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved the primetime television contract on June 7 and recommended the deal to members, which was ratified today. The new contract is effective from July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2011.
AFTRA contracts cover more than 70% of the programming hours on major network television.
AFTRA primetime TV dramas and situation comedies include “Rules of Engagement,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “Dante’s Cove,” “Til Death,” “Reaper,” “Project Gary,” “Harper’s Island,” “Roman’s Empire,” and the new “90210.”
The AFTRA Network Code, which was ratified by AFTRA members on April 30, also covers actors and all on-camera and off-camera talent on all forms of television programming: reality shows, syndicated dramas, daytime serials, game shows, talk shows, variety and musical programs, news, sports, and promotional announcements. Programs covered by the Code include “American Idol,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Good Morning America,” “20/20,” “The View,” “The Tonight Show,” “Oprah,” “The Price is Right,” “Deal or No Deal,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “Days of Our Lives,” “All My Children,” “Cake,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Entertainment Tonight,” and “Survivor,” among others.
26 June 2008
MSN VIDEO GOES RETRO
So maybe ( I mean maybe) there's life after that 17 day window the WGA got.
MSN Video and Getback Media today announced that the largest, video-only streaming service on the web will be adding Getback’s “Retro Minute” to their MSN Video Life Channel. Retro Minute is a daily 60 second video that reflects on the current date and ventures back to the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s where they highlight the important events of that day in a fast-paced, short web-video. Getback is a website that incorporates a series of channels, applications and interactivity that are based on pop culture from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
