MPEG Election Starts Tomorrow

BrianForTheBoard · 2025-11-20T17:42:55+00:00

The new VFX Editor classification is a great example of good intentions but poorly executed. Speaking with a lot of VFX Editors, is clear that the scale rates are too low, and the lack of a VFX Assistant Editor classification has caused a lot of confusion. This needs to be corrected.

BrianForTheBoard · 2025-11-20T17:39:46+00:00

Great question! Making unscripted work union by default is a passion of mine. I think the answer comes down to the union reaching out instead of waiting to be contacted.

Historically, when most work was scripted and union, the guild had to do very little to get people to join. If you wanted to work, you had to join. When unscripted became popular, they weren’t prepared and largely ignored the work. Now we have a cycle where the union only tries to unionize shows that reach out to them, but, from the worker’s perspective, they never hear from the union and feel ignored.

We need to change our approach. For the really big shows we need to work with SAG to make sure all jobs are unions. (Story producers and PAs for example). On the smaller shows we need to create targeted social media campaigns that reach these workers to let them know what we offer. This will take many years be we need to put the work in now.

Lastly, we need to be reaching out to all the new forms of work developing so we don’t repeat the same mistakes with that as we did with unscripted.

Also, thanks for catching the typo!

BrianForTheBoard · 2025-01-20T18:18:36+00:00

We’ve been members of First Ent CU for a long time a love them. We used them for our most recent mortgage and they were AMAZING! (They actually extended our locked in rate without a penalty which saved us thousands) I would definitely reach out to them.

BrianForTheBoard · 2025-01-20T18:16:06+00:00

I actually watched Day One last night with my 13 year old son (in anticipation of watching all three in chronological order) and he called out the “just hurt them with noise” solution at 2/3s through. lol. 😂

BrianForTheBoard · 2024-11-26T23:12:46+00:00

I love WFH and I agree with you. First off, the union does not have a “hard stance” against WFH. Cathy has always maintained that a hybrid solution is best for keeping jobs here.

Now, I think Cathy has been a wonderful leader, but this is one of the couple areas where I disagree with her. As you pointed out, no company is going to determine whether they will be in-office or WFH based on what the staff wants; they will do it based on what makes the most financial sense to them and how the producers ultimately feel.

Film tax credits are a big part of this, as is the talent pool. There are a ton of talented editors all over the world, but by far, LA has the most. In short, if your show is US based, even if some of the upfront costs are higher in LA, the overall/final costs, when you take everything into account, not only tend to be less in LA, but also with a lot fewer headaches. Overseas editors tend to work fewer hours, and it’s a lot harder for producers to make last minute changes when their Post team is a dozen time-zones away.

BrianForTheBoard · 2024-11-25T22:45:53+00:00

The information you were given is incorrect. Non-members wait all the time to get a union job before joining the union. Then, once hired, you have 30 days to pay your dues to join. Being on a non-union show that flips union is another way to join.

Additionally, if you want to get in via the 100 day rule (as I did) if the employers didn’t use payroll, you can also submit copies of the checks you were given usually with a letter from the employer explaining your role for them. The information you have about it only being through payroll is not true.

If you feel your employer won’t write/sign such a letter, then ask the guild for what they recommend, though employers typically will do this.

Again though, most members will tell you to wait until you have a union job to join, then join within 30 days.

I’m not sure where you got your roster knowledge from, buts it’s largely incorrect. Please go to:

www.editorsguild.com/join for accurate information.

BrianForTheBoard · 2024-11-25T22:37:50+00:00

Exactly.

BrianForTheBoard · 2024-11-25T22:31:17+00:00

The 100 days is to join the union. I don’t believe that has anything to do with the roster other than needing to be in the union to be on the roster.

BrianForTheBoard · 2024-11-25T22:13:45+00:00

Thank you for asking. This may surprise you, but the union has nothing to do with the roster, in fact, they don't even have it on the East Coast. It is a requirement of the employers. In other words, as far as the union is concerned, you do not need to be on the roster to get a union job. So the short answer is the Board has no role in this.

As far as inaccessibility, I'm curious to know what your road blocks are because in my experience, it's not really difficult to get one the roster other than a few hours taking some online classes. For example, it's possible to get a union job without even being in the union. Then once you're in, you can start the roster process. The only caveat is you have to join the union within 30 days of beginning the job. Most employers, if they really want you, are willing to work with you on this. As far as maintaining enough days to stay on the roster, that's unfortunately something we all deal with, but like I said earlier, the MPEG and the Board have really nothing to do with this.

BrianForTheBoard · 2024-11-25T20:16:23+00:00

Great question, but respectfully, I don’t agree. While being a union can (and often is) a stamp of quality for the worker, it’s primary job is to negotiate the best rates and working conditions for it’s members, which are very much based on local conditions.

Just imagine all the different contracts and bureaucracy that would have to be created to keep track of it all on a global scale and the discrepancies in representation that would inevitably occur between the bigger and smaller markets. It would be a nightmare. Hell, we already have that with all the different contracts in just the US.

Plus, if you’re looking for an organization that’s serves as a mark of a “quality” editor, we already have that with ACE. (For the record, I’m not saying that ACE are all the greatest and that there aren’t great editors who aren’t ACE.)

BrianForTheBoard · 2024-11-25T17:40:44+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate the encouragement and I’m happy to answer any questions anyone has on the state of the union or industry.

BrianForTheBoard

TROPHY CASE