The Guild: A Collective Effort
Hi everyone
It’s almost the darkest time of the year again, so the lights are struck up for much longer on location days at the moment, and the old puffer jackets have once again become staple uniform on set.
New Zealand, and in particular the Auckland region has benefited from a boom in business over the last 12 months, with the majority of crew working full time on one of the many feature films, dramas and long-series shooting around town, often leaving the commercial producers scrambling for crew to make ends meet on a daily basis! What a great position for us all to be in.
It is unfortunate that when everyone is working, there is often the need more than ever, for the Guild (executive officer in particular) to go in to bat for technicians when problems arise (with things such as working conditions, travel discrepancies, pay rates, overtime issues, midnight loading conflicts etc). Behind the EO is a very small bunch of us (and I say this with an emphasis on ‘small’) that actually do ALL the work behind the scenes on behalf of the entire membership.
These people spend hours of unpaid time having meetings with organisations such as the Ministry of Trade Unions, political party representatives, City Councils, Regional Film Offices, the New Zealand Film Commission, producers, and crew without any thanks or support from the membership, yet it is common for technicians to be overheard complaining that the Guild ‘does nothing’ for them. This is an interesting statement in my opinion.
When you send your invoices into production companies, do you, even for a moment, consider that it is the tireless work of someone on the executive committee who has spent years negotiating your conditions with Producers (national and international) and in some cases fighting for the rights of a kiwi like yourself to work on a job over the intention of bringing in an overseas contractor to do it instead of you? Do you wonder how things like charging overtime or midnight loading ever came into effect? Do you ask yourself how the ‘Safety Code of Practice’ and more recently the new ScreenSafe organisation have been created for the benefit of everyone working in the New Zealand film and television industry? More often than not, it is because of the tireless work of two or three people who put their necks and reputations on the line for the greater good of the entire freelance community in New Zealand.
Over the last two years, I have been rewriting the new Blue Book on behalf of technicians and the Guild. What started out with a committee of 5 or 6 people helping, very quickly became a committee of two, and most recently I have been left holding the baby all on my own, along with running a full-time demanding business. Yet, I await the barrage of complaints when crew may or may not like what they read within the new document that is going to be launched later this year. Many will still enjoy all the benefits of the support that the Blue Book will give them when they work long hours (in relation to charging for their time) or when they travel great distances for their craft, but these same people will be the first to whine when they feel that the book doesn’t cover absolutely every possible eventuality in the world of freelancing. I ask myself, where are these crew and technicians when it comes to contributing (more than a financial donation) their opinions direct to the Guild? Why don’t you consider putting your hand up from time to time and offer a little of your knowledge or skills to one of the many behind-the-scenes groups that the Guild has working on different projects in an attempt to better this incredibly vibrant industry we enjoy? More often than not, it may just mean you are on an email group where your opinion or advice may be sought on occasion. This is not too demanding, is it?
When the Guild sends notices out for Branch meetings, how about showing your face for once and come along and get involved?
You have to remember that when you say the Guild ‘does nothing for you’, that YOU are the Guild. We are the Guild. As a group we are strong. By separating yourself from the few of us that do most of the work, you are being counterproductive.
Just remember, without The Guild, there would be no Blue Book or terms and conditions at all.
Sioux Macdonald, Guild vice president and executive committee member
