Iatse?

[D'Snowth]

Several people have urged me to join a union for being in the entertainment industry, some saying I should join SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) and/or DGA (Director's Guild of America).

I've been thinking, however, for someone like mean, who's not only a puppeteer, but a producer who does almost all of his own directing and writing, wouldn't it be best if I joined IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employes)? They seem to represent everybody ranging from performers and actors on screen to cameramen and technicians and such off screen; on top of that, you see their little logo during the closing credits of movies and television series all the time.

I've always been apprehensive about joining unions, but they seem like the most logical choice to go with...

 

[Was Once Ernie]

Several people have urged me to join a union for being in the entertainment industry, some saying I should join SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) and/or DGA (Director's Guild of America).

I've been thinking, however, for someone like mean, who's not only a puppeteer, but a producer who does almost all of his own directing and writing, wouldn't it be best if I joined IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employes)? They seem to represent everybody ranging from performers and actors on screen to cameramen and technicians and such off screen; on top of that, you see their little logo during the closing credits of movies and television series all the time.

I've always been apprehensive about joining unions, but they seem like the most logical choice to go with...

Well, as the Vice President of The Animation Guild, local 839 of IATSE, I have a little bit of knowledge about unions.

Yes, unions are necessary. Producers take advantage of people who aren't in unions. I wish that weren't the case, but it is.

However, most unions are "closed shops", meaning you can't join the union unless you get a job on a show that is under the jurisdiction of that union. SAG, DGA, WGA and all of IATSE are closed shops. So, unless someone hires you on a show where the producer is a signatory of that particular union, you can't join it. For instance, if you get a job as an actor on a SAG show, then you can join. In some unions, like the WGA, even one job isn't enough to join. You have to get so many "points" before you have enough to become a member.

It's the old "Catch-22". You can't get a job unless you're in the union, but you can't join the union unless you get a job. However, plenty of people manage to break through.

 

[D'Snowth]

Again, I AM a producer myself.

Really, my only apprehension regarding joining any union is that it seems like there's union strikes ALL THE TIME, and as such, if you're part of the union, you have to stop working so you can partake in the strike... and if you don't work, you don't get paid anyway (and didn't I read something about WGA threatening yet another strike after they just had one here three years ago or so). As I work indepently, I don't want to have to halt anything I'm working on, just because everybody else says we need to go on strike.

But I digress, as that wasn't my initial point... that's interesting insight, though funnily enough, it makes sense... like how everybody says "You can't even get into the business unless you know somebody". Again, I just simply wondered if IATSE was the way to go, considering the variety of workers in the entertainment industry they cater to, as opposed to a union for one thing (actor, directing, writing, etc).

Or, what about POA (Puppeteers of America)? Are they a union? I remember having a brief chat with a local professional puppeteer, Leon Fuller, who once mentioned that it IS possible to make a living souly on puppetry alone "so long as you do your own writing, directing, producing", etc, which I do. Would they be a wise to go with being a puppeteer who also does his own directing, writing, producing? And wasn't Jim a member?

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Just to clarify, generally speaking producers are not unionized in the North American film & television industry, at least not for producing. They might be a union member in another capacity. For example, a writer/producer in TV might be a member of the WGA because they write for their show. And, yes, during the last strike a lot of writers were technically on strike against themselves.

Unionized American puppeteers are generally members of AFTRA and/or SAG. IATSE is primarily a union for technicians. PofA is not a union, it's a non-profit association of puppeteers (and if you're serious about puppetry, you should join).

As Ernie mentioned, unions are closed shops and you cannot simply apply for membership. PofA Membership - like UNIMA membership - is open to anyone with an interest in puppetry. The two are very different.

 

[D'Snowth]

Oh yes, I am very serious about puppetry, and have been thinking about joining PofA.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

When a union goes on strike, some shows and independent producers make their own deals with the union and therefore don't have to go on strike. During the last Writers Guild strike, David Letterman's company made a separate deal and was able to bring their writers back to work after a few weeks while the rest of the Guild stayed out.

There is the AMPTP, the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers. This is a large organization that negotiates on behalf of the major studios with the unions. That's why when the Guild strikes Paramount, they also strike Warner Bros., Fox, Sony, Universal, etc. If the unions had to negotiate individually with each studio and production company, it would be a never-ending process.

 

[Melonpool]

I had no idea you were so high in the Animation Guild! What do I have to do to get my foot in that door? Maybe I could give you a few more lines in our little movie?

Kidding -- but wish I could someday make a real living in the Entertainment industry -- instead of perpetually faking it.

 

[D'Snowth]

Kidding -- but wish I could someday make a real living in the Entertainment industry -- instead of perpetually faking it.

Well then, you fake it very convincingly, because all this time, I assumed you were actually doing all of this for real... your puppets certainly look very complex and professional.

 

[Melonpool]

Thanks!

I guess I teeter on the line -- I work professionally as a freelance puppet designer (conceptual art side of things) on things like the recent NIKE MVPuppets commercials (I designed all of the characters except Labron, Kobe and Lil Dez), as well as a few other projects. But as far as building, I've pretty much only done things for my own projects.

I would love to do the puppet stuff full time -- and had an opportunity to do so a few years ago, but the Writer's Strike canceled a lot of the projects I was supposed to work on, so I ended up having to go back to my print production job to pay the bills. With any luck, once the economy shapes up, I'll try to make the transition a little more successfully.

Either that, or my puppet movie will become a cult classic and I can write my own ticket.