Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Union-Busting 101 for First-Time Filmmakers
Reuters: A learned colleague once said that the three biggest obstacles to getting a movie made are unions, agents and producers. Generally speaking, that’s true, but it ultimately depends on which side of the table you’re on at any given moment.
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2 comments:
These are all interesting points to consider when working on a union movie. Having both sides of the table enter not wanting to compromise may end as a problem, so having a more positive attitude is great advice, when you expect something bad, it's more likely to happen. Another important point is that movies cost money and are going to cost what they cost, there is no way around that. Understand the budget you are allocated and work around it. Many times a smaller budget can create a more interesting show.
Having both worked as a member of IATSE on a couple of movies, and read both the regular IATSE contract and several of the special ones that they have for low-budget and other unusual circumstances it's safe to say that the author of the article has nailed it - the unions know that if they ask too much then they won't get anything, so they have to adjust what they ask to match what the funding company can afford. You can't get them to work for nothing, but you can get them to accept less than they'll demand from Warner Brothers if you'd on a $500k total budget..
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