Keeping True Blue

Techos’ Guild vice president Sioux Macdonald is reviewing The Blue Book with fellow executive board members Nick Treacy and Murray Milne. She encourages all members to get in touch with comments and questions.

As many of you will no doubt know, a document affectionately known as The Blue Book was printed in the 1980s with reprints in the 90s and in 2004. The time has come (with the development of new roles, technology, and different ways in which crew work) for a review and update. The Guild needs members’ feedback and help with this. Send in questions based on the current book or questions that it does not currently answer regarding travel time/distances/overtime/working weeks, etc.

This information will be collated, then the Guild will consult with SPADA over the next few months to find a middle ground that everyone is happy with. A reprint of this document will then be organised. The Guild is particularly interested in your feedback around the following:

• If you do long hours in prep without overtime, prior to commencement of shooting.
• Turnaround between days – are companies allowing enough turnaround between the end of a day and the start of the next?
• Truck drivers, are you ever asked to drive your truck after being on duty for 14 hours or more? If so, are you turning down offers for ‘swing drivers’ or are you not even offered them?
• Lunch/Meal Breaks – other than the odd exception, are you offered a break/meal within five hours of the general crew call?
• Travel time – do production companies pay for travel outside of the 20km radius from the Auckland Central Police Station? Or is it common practice that this becomes a debatable issue?
• Negotiation – is it common for negotiation to happen during or after the job has been shot? What do you find is the normal time delay in receipt of payment after a job has been invoiced for? Do you state terms of payment on your invoice?
• Insurance – does production clearly state whose insurance will cover technicians whilst working on their production, in the event of an accident or claim involving their property, or the property of others?

Provide thorough examples, keeping in mind it isn’t about chasing these productions up; it’s to improve and update The Blue Book. This book is not a legal document but rather a mutual agreement between production companies, producers, and technicians (whichever field you are in) to help provide a clear understanding, an equal platform, and a safe environment for which we all can adhere to.

There has been a considerable shift in production in the last 10 years where companies have internal staff booking crew. These staff may have never heard of The Blue Book or totally disregard its contents purely because they are unaware of the expectations we have as freelance technicians.

So... take action! Have your say! Email info@nztecho.com n