MAY 2012 DGA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
NEW YORK Wednesday, May 23, 2012
LOS ANGELES Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Also in this Issue: • Protecting the Jurisdiction of AD/UPM Work • How to update your online profi le photo • Bay Area members attend Contracts Seminar • May Screenings, Meetings and Events MAY MONTHLY VOLUME 9, NUMBER 5 Contents 1 11 MAY MAY MEETINGS CALENDAR: LOS ANGELES & PayReel provides payroll and contractor SAN FRANCISCO 2-7 management services for video and DGA NEWS media, broadcast and film customers. 12-15 MEMBERSHIP Our clients depend on us to take the hassle 8-9 SCREENINGS UPCOMING out of hiring, managing and paying free- EVENTS lance contractors while reducing the risk of 17-19 RECENT employee misclassification and compliance 10 EVENTS complications. MAY CALENDAR: NEW YORK, 20 Freelance Contractor Services CHICAGO, MEMBERSHIP Visit payreel.com Or call 800.352.7397 & WASHINGTON REPORT Need A Crew? Visit our crewing resource at www.crewconnection.com
DGA COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE Morgan Rumpf Associate Executive Director, Communications DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA Sahar Moridani BUY TWO TICKETS AND SAVE $110!* Assistant Executive Director, Communications Darrell L. Hope Editor, DGA Monthly & dga.org James Greenberg Editor, DGA Quarterly Tricia Noble Graphic Designer Jackie Lam Publications Associate Carley Johnson Communications Associate Caitlin Jarrett Communications Associate CONTACT INFORMATION 7920 Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90046-0907 www.dga.org (310) 289-2082 F: (310) 289-5384 E-mail: [email protected] PRINT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING IngleDodd Publishing Dan Dodd - Advertising Director (310) 207-4410 ex. 236 E-mail: [email protected] LIVE AT KODAK THEATRE WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY PHILIPPE DECOUFLÉ DGA MONTHLY (USPS 24052) is published monthly by the Directors Guild of MUSIC BY DANNY ELFMAN America, Inc., 7920 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90046-0907. Periodicals Postage paid at Los Angeles, CA 90052. PRESENTED BY Visit cirquedusoleil.com/IRISlocals OFFICIAL SPONSORS or call 877-943-4747 SUBSCRIPTIONS: $6.00 of each Directors Guild of America member’s annual and mention code DMLocal dues is allocated for an annual subscription to DGA MONTHLY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DGA MONTHLY, Directors Guild of *Categories 1, 2 and 3 only. Restrictions apply. Subject to availability. Offer expires May 31, 2012. America, 7920 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90046-0907. DGA NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2011–2013 Taylor Hackford President
Steven Soderbergh National Vice President
Michael Apted Secretary-Treasurer
Scott Berger Assistant Secretary-Treasurer EXECUTIVE STAFF Paris Barclay First Vice President Jay D. Roth William M. Brady National Executive Director Second Vice President Russell Hollander Betty Thomas Associate National Third Vice President Executive Director/ Eastern Executive Director Gary Donatelli Fourth Vice President David Korduner Associate National Thomas Schlamme Executive Director/ Fifth Vice President Senior General Counsel
Vincent Misiano G. Bryan Unger Sixth Vice President Associate National Executive Director/ BOARD MEMBERS Western Executive Director Jace Alexander Kathryn Bigelow Jon Favreau David Dreyfus Stephen Glanzrock General Counsel Lesli Linka Glatter Cleve Landsberg Daniel J. Moore Michael Mann Midwestern Executive Director Donald Petrie Scott L. Rindenow Liz Ryan DGA Jesus Treviño COUNCILS
ASSOCIATES Western Directors Council Alan B. Curtiss Taylor Hackford D uncan Henderson Presiding Offi cer Dennis W. Mazzocco Barbara Roche Western AD/UPM Council Mary Rae Thewlis Marie Cantin ALTERNATES Chairperson Laura Belsey Theodore Bogosian Western AD/SM/PA Council Victoria Hochberg Valdez Flagg Rod Holcomb Chairperson Todd Holland Jeremy Kagan Eastern Directors Council Randal Kleiser Steven Soderbergh Linda Laundra Garry Marshall Presiding Offi cer Oz Scott Millicent Shelton Eastern AD/UPM Council Michael Zinberg Thomas J. Whelan Chairperson SECOND ALTERNATES Eastern AD/SM/PA Council Lee Blaine Joan Griffi n Timothy G. Engle Chairperson Julie Gelfand Kathleen McGill Jennie O’Keefe Joyce Thomas
MAY 2012 I 1 Website Updates: New 2012 Rate Cards Online The new 2012-2013 DGA Rate Cards are now available online in the Contracts section of the DGA website (www.dga.org). The new rate cards incorporate the 1.75% wage increase for 2012 that was negotiated as part of the 2011 Basic Agreement (BA) and Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement (FLTTA). Also taking effect on July 1, one-quarter-percent of compensation will now be diverted to the Health Plan as an additional Employer contribution. The 0.25% diversion is the result of a provision the DGA negotiated as part of the 2011 Basic Agreement to give it the fl exibility to help fortify the Health Plan. These rate cards are intended for general informational purposes. If you have a specifi c question, please call the DGA Contracts Department at (310) 289-2010.
Coming Soon: DGA Quarterly Online Survey
SPRING 2012 DGA members will receive an email at the beginning of May asking them to fi ll out a brief online survey about the DGA Quarterly. The Quarterly is the Guild’s publication celebrating and exploring the craft of directing. DGA members receive
THE DGA INTERVIEW a copy in the mail as one of the benefi ts of membership. CHRISTOPHER The DGA would like to know what kinds of articles members enjoy and what topics they would like NOLAN to see more often. How do members prefer to read the Quarterly — in print, on the website or on a THINKING MAN + MODERN FAMILY tablet device? What can be improved? IN THE FAST LANE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MOVIES FRONT ROW SEATS For questions about the survey, please contact the BLUE BLOODS’ ADs NEW YORK’S FINEST ZHANG YIMOU DGA Communications Department at (310) 289-5333. CHINESE CONNECTION
4 I DGA MONTHLY Proper Staffi ng & Protecting the Jurisdiction of AD/UPM Work The Guild believes it is worthwhile to periodically remind members of the duties and responsibilities of each represented category to guard against the erosion of the DGA’s jurisdiction over covered work. In March the AD/UPM Council East sent a letter to all Eastern AD/UPM members to remind them of the importance of protecting the juridiction of DGA work via adherence to proper staffi ng. A synopsis of the information in that letter is below:
The minimum staffi ng terms of the DGA Basic Agreement (BA) were achieved, and remain protected, through tough bargaining by the Guild’s negotiation committees over several decades. photo by Jojo Whilden/CBS Broadcasting Inc. 2nd AD Marc Garland and 1st AD Rebecca Strickland The Guild is aware that some employers seek to assign both UPM and Assistant at work on the show Blue Bloods Director exclusive duties to persons not covered by a DGA agreement. Any such assignment of exclusive DGA duties to employees not covered by the BA is prohibited. It is up to each individual member to help ensure that the Guild signatory project on which he or she is working is properly staffed. Here are examples of what one should do to protect that jurisdiction: 1. As part of the prep period, all additional staffi ng needs should be considered and scheduled. It is very helpful to the production when these requests can be included as part of overall staffi ng and budget needs. 2. First ADs, besides making their own staffi ng requests, should consider and support the recommendations of their Second ADs. Second ADs need to request additional support when the scope of the work exceeds the capacity of
the existing staff. Disney Pictures photo by Chris Castaldi/Walt 1st AD Geoff Hansen and 2nd AD Christina Fong 3. Though it may be tempting to avoid asking for additional staff, members should on the set of National Treasure: Book of Secrets keep in mind that the BA requires the Employer to “not unreasonably withhold its approval” of requests for additional Second Assistant Directors if the UPM or First AD determines one is needed. [BA Paragraph 13-202(b)]. Experience tells us that UPMs and producers are reasonable and will respect and support a well thought-out plan. 4. Additional Second ADs should be considered for: • Large background days or shoots where the scope of the set or specialty background requires extra attention • Stunt work • Large principal cast numbers, geographically spread-out locales, or period scenes • Lengthy wraps or lengthy check-in processes, so that an AD can complete all the paperwork on the clock
• Other situations where the performance of all exclusive AD duties photo by Jojo Whilden/CBS Broadcasting Inc. requires additional staffi ng 2nd AD Regina Heckman (right) works with actors on the set of Blue Bloods 5. If you believe duties are being delegated to non-represented employees, alert the DGA Staff or fi eld representatives, who will investigate and take proper action. 6. Finally, the accurate completion of paperwork can be a cost-saving measure for employers and must be done by ADs. Insist that our members take full responsibility for the completion of production reports and the SAG Exhibit G. The supervision and signing of all background vouchers is also a core Second AD duty. Please refer to the full version of this letter in the Membership News section of www. dga.org for the complete defi nition of the duties of Second ADs. Pass this information on to fellow directorial team members when starting a new job and help yourselves and your Guild by protecting your work.
To read the full version of the AD/UPM letter and a defi nition of the duties of Second ADs, please log-in as a member and visit the
Members-Only News section of www.dga.org. photo by Lisa Rose/Nickelodeon 2nd AD Mike Caron (left) and 1st AD Teri Pensky (far right) work with actors on the set of iCarly
MAY 2012 I 5 DGA Announces Location, New Date for 2013 Awards On March 19, the DGA announced that the 65th Annual DGA Awards will take place on Saturday, February 2, 2013 in the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles.
The decision to move the date by one week was made during the process of securing the venue. The DGA's Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally served as an accurate barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director. Only six times since the DGA Award's inception in 1948 has the winner not gone on to receive the Academy Award for Best Director.
Photos from 64th Annual DGA Awards on January 29, 2012
hours and hours up to 44% in Amazing Locations & of magic light production incentives Unforgettable People
6 I DGA MONTHLY Morgan Rumpf Promoted to Associate Executive Director; Sahar Moridani to Become Assistant Executive Director
On April 4, DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth announced the promotion of two executives overseeing the Guild’s Communications Department. Morgan Rumpf has been promoted to Associate Executive Director, Communications and Sahar Moridani has been promoted to Assistant Executive Director, Communications.
“Morgan’s leadership of the Guild’s Communications Department and dedication to the Guild and its members over the past nine years has been exemplary. We are fortunate to benefit from his energy, expertise and ideas and I look forward to watching Morgan continue to excel in his new position,” said Roth. “Sahar has taken leadership of the Guild’s press and public relations to a new level of excellence and her work on behalf of the Guild’s membership for the past four and a half years has been tireless.”
Morgan Rumpf joined the DGA in 2003, serving as Director of Communications and Media Relations until 2007, when he was promoted to Assistant Executive Director-Communications. In his new position as part of the Guild’s executive leadership team, he will continue to oversee all of the Guild’s internal and external communications efforts including the recently re-launched website, the DGA Monthly, the DGA Quarterly, media relations, mailroom and special campaigns such as the Guild’s 75th Anniversary activities last year. He will continue to report directly to the National Executive Director. Rumpf has an extensive background in media, nonprofi t management and independent fi lmmaking. He served for fi ve years as executive director of Outfest: the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Previous to Outfest, Rumpf was lead trainer for the Arts Leadership Initiative, a program for business professionals seeking to become effective board members for nonprofi t arts organizations. Immediately prior to joining the DGA, Rumpf served as a consultant to a consortium of six nonprofi t independent fi lm organizations exploring the possibility of consolidating fundraising and programming efforts. Rumpf received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA’s School of Theater Film and Television Morgan Rumpf and is an alumnus of the intensive nine-month non-partisan leadership training program in public affairs conducted by Coro Southern California.
Sahar Moridani joined the Guild in 2007 as Director of Media Relations. In her new position, she will continue to serve as the Guild’s primary spokesperson and will be responsible for managing and implementing the Guild’s messaging on issues ranging from collective bargaining to digital theft to entertainment community activities and events. Moridani was previously the director of communications for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and press deputy for the Mayor of Los Angeles. In Washington, D.C., Moridani served as special assistant to the U.S. State Department spokesman, managing the traveling press corps and coordinating international media events for the Secretary of State. Moridani began her government service in 1999 after being selected as a Presidential Management Fellow. She received her master’s degree from the School of International Relations & Pacifi c Studies at UCSD and her bachelor’s degree in political science and Latin American studies from UCLA. She will continue to report directly to Rumpf. photos by Howards Wise Sahar Moridani
MAY 2012 I 7 Michael Condon, SOC Andree Martin VP Digital Division VP Technical Services
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www.clairmont.com Hollywood Vancouver Toronto Albuquerque Montreal 818-761-4440 604-984-4563 416-467-1700 505-227-2525 514-525-6556 An AD/UPM Council West Mentor Committee Event: First AD Breakfast 2012
On March 10, the AD/UPM Council West’s Mentor Committee honored the ADs and UPMs of this year’s DGA Award-winning and nominated projects. For the ninth time, this popular event played to a packed audience who gathered in the DGA’s Los Angeles Boardroom to learn what went into the making of these celebrated projects. The subtitle for this year’s event was Thinking Outside the Box: Problem Solving Strategies, and took a look at how these talented members used innovative methods to achieve their goals. The participating panelists were: UPM George Parra and photos by Byron Gamarro 1st AD Richard L. Fox of Alexander Payne’s The Descendants; UPM Dan Stillman of David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; UPM Georgia Kacandes of Martin Scorsese’s Hugo; UPM Richard Rothschild, 1st AD Cara Giallanza, and 2nd AD Hope Garrison of Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston, Penelope Spheeris, Alicia Keys, and Patty Jenkins’ Five; UPM Stewart Lyons and 1st AD Nina Jack of Vince Gilligan’s Dramatic Series Award-nominated episode of Breaking Bad; and Stage Manager Jerri Churchill from Robert Weide’s DGA Comedy Series Award- winning episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Following welcoming messages from Mentor Committee Chair Randy Turrow and AD/UPM Council West Chair Marie Cantin, the panelists discussed their strategies and techniques for achieving the best in fi lm and television in a conversation moderated by 2012 Frank Capra Award recipient and former AD/UPM Council West Chair Katy Garretson. In addition to questions specifi cally designed to illustrate the unique challenges posed by these very different productions, other questions covered a number of topics such as how they got hired for these projects, tactics for working with a diffi cult cast or crew member, methods for effectively fi ltering and responding to the avalanche of data pouring into production daily via email and otherwise, and what advice they could share about keeping a project on schedule or on budget. From top left: (front row) Mentor Committee members Melanie Wagor and Sandra Milliner, Director Katy Garretson (moderator), Mentor Committee Chair Randy Turrow and Co-Chair Peter E. Jackson, and AD/UPM Council West Second Vice Chair Susan Zwerman. (back row) UPMs Dan Stillman, Georgia Kacandes and Stewart Lyons, 1st ADs Richard L. Fox and Nina Jack, UPM George Parra, Stage Manager Jerri Churchill, Mentor Committee members Lucille OuYang and Linda M. Rockstroh, UPM Richard Rothschild, 1st AD Cara Giallanza, and 2nd AD Hope Garrison, and Mentor Committee member Jay Tobias. AD/UPM Council West Chair Marie Cantin addresses the popular annual event. Audience members hear what goes into the making of a DGA Award-winning or nominated project. See more photos from this event at www.dga.org
MAY 2012 I 17
A DGA San Francisco Coordinating Committee Event: Bay Area Members Attend Contracts Seminar photos by Ron Lewis
On March 24, members in the San Francisco Bay area attended the seminar An Insider’s Guide to the Guild’s New Working Contracts, DGA CONTACT INFORMATION a primer on the recent changes in the new Commercial Contract and the long-form Film and Television Contracts. Hosted by the Executive Committee of the San Francisco Coordinating Committee OFFICES (SFCC), the seminar was held in San Francisco’s Delancey Street DGA National Headquarters — Los Angeles: Boardroom and led by DGA Assistant Executive Director Lisa Layer. (310) 289-2000/(800) 421-4173 New York: (212) 581-0370/(800) 356-3754 A member of the negotiating team, Layer guided the participating Chicago: (312) 644-5050/(888) 600-6975 members through the critical changes to the National Commercial DGA Website www.dga.org Agreement that went into effect on December 1, 2011, and the changes to the Basic Agreement and the Freelance Live and Tape REPORTING Television Agreement that became active as of July 1, 2011. To Safety Hot Lines (310) 289-5326/(800) 342-3457 illustrate situations these agreements were designed to address, Contract Violation Hot Line (310) 289-5300 members shared personal stories of the challenges they encounter OK to Edit Line (310) 289-5300 on the job. The group discussion that followed included advice from colleagues on how they have been successful in dealing with similar EVENTS INFORMATION AND RSVP situations and how the Guild can help. LA Events, Screenings & Programs (310) 289-5300 NY Screenings Hotline (212) 258-0890 Attendees also received copies of the Jeffords Rules and Welch’s Commercial Production Guild and Union Rules, the ever-popular FIELD REPS guides written in plain terms that cover DGA, SAG, IA, and Los Angeles Teamsters rules, as well as Child Labor Laws. The Jeffords Rules Matt Antonucci, Field Representative (310) 289-2047 and Welch’s Rules are also available for download by logged-in Mandana Changizi (310) 289-2006 members on the AD/UPM Council pages of www.dga.org. Jon Drew, Field Representative (310) 289-5336 Roberta Hutcheson, Field Representative (310) 289-5352 From top left: (front row) SFCC members Janice Goto and Cathy Hammer, DGA Assistant Executive Director Lisa Layer, SFCC members New York Carolina de San Martin and Phil Gallegos (back row) SFCC members Rebecca Blum, Business Representative (212) 258-0812 Lope Yap, Jani Vournas, SFCC Chair Debbie Brubaker, SFCC members Joseph Longo, Field Representative (212) 258-0813 Alex Soranno, Ned Kopp, Frank Zamacona, and Gino Caputi. Layer guides Erica Koenig, Field Representative (212) 258-0809 the members through the new contract changes. SFCC members learn about the new contracts. Committee Chair Brubaker asks a question. Matthew Summersgill, Field Representative (212)-258-0808 SFCC members Soranno and Zamacona look over the materials. Chicago See more photos from this event at www.dga.org Midwestern Executive Director Dan Moore (312) 644-5050
MAY 2012 I 19 MEMBERSHIP REPORT
EAST COAST ADDITIONS Jason Ashberg, 2AD William Hardwick, 2AD Andrea Nix, DIR Jonathan Barber, DIR Ernest Hoffman, DIR Amy Poehler, DIR IN MEMORIAM Jonathan Bensimon, DIR Nathaniel Kahn, DIR Robert Rapley, DIR Ulu Grosbard, DR Jan G. Blom, 2AD David Kaplan, DIR Redelia D. Shaw, 2AD Claire Cowperthwaite, DIR Alison M. Kunzman, 1AD Bradley Sheldon, DIR Henry Sandbank, DR Ildefonso DeJesus, Jr., DIR Jared Kurt, 2AD Kevin R. Shields, 2AD Billy R. Smith, UPM James DeMonaco, DIR Matt Lombardo, 2AD Jesse Sweet, DIR George Van Noy, DR Lilibet Foster, DIR Jeffrey Low, DIR Steve Turnberger, DIR Ed Gass-Donnelly, DIR Anthony Mastanduno, DIR Pascal Varschooris, DIR Karen Genereux, DIR Luke McCoubrey, DIR Ben White, 2AD Andy Grieve, DIR Stuart Nicolai, 2AD
WEST COAST ADDITIONS Jennifer E. Barrons, 2AD Christian A. Lohf, AD Joel R. Sadilek, UPM Correction Toby Burge, 2AD Lynnette M. Myers, 1AD Christian Sampson, 2AD In the April 2012 issue of DGA Jason S. Edwards, AD Francesca D. Pagnotta, 2AD Andrew F. Stahl, 2AD Monthly, the title of Director Nicholas Lee, 1AD Daniel J. Portnoy, 2AD Kasia Trojak, 2AD Neema Barnette’s Woman Teresa J. Lee, 2AD Christopher D. Ray, UPM Lucy Yalenian, PA Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Julia H. Lennon, 2AD Michael Rubman, 2AD Day was misspelled.
MIDWEST ADDITIONS Mark D. Anderson, DIR Stefan V. Nikolov, 2AD Lee T. Hope, DIR
PRIMARY CATEGORY CHANGES Dean S. Lyras to 1AD Michael E. Sagol to 1AD Courtenay D. Miles to 1AD John J. Scherer to UPM
Visual History Additions
The DGA’s Visual History Program website contains hundreds of hours of videotaped interviews with directors and director’s team members discussing their careers and reflections on all aspects of the creative process in film, television and other media. These interviews are indexed for quick retrieval of segments pertaining to specific topics of interest within a particular interview or across the entire collection. Recent and upcoming interview postings include:
To visit the DGA Visual History Collection, click the link on the homepage of www.dga.org
Robert Giraldi Robert Markowitz interviewed by Peter Repplier interviewed by John Kent Harrison
20 I DGA MONTHLY Going Mobile!
Want to keep up with the DGA Quarterly on the set? It’s now available on Kindle, iPads, and iPhones.
DGA members and DGA Quarterly subscribers can now get the DGA Quarterly for free on their Apple devices after purchasing our new app for $1.99. Or issues can be accessed for a nominal monthly fee on Kindle. For more information, email [email protected] or call (310) 289-5333.
Non-members can purchase individual issues for $2.99 each on their Apple devices after buying the app.
All Quarterly stories going back to 2005 are archived on the new DGA Website at www.dga.org/craft/DGAQ.
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