Here is a list of comments, questions and concerns from a group of Art Directors which was presented to Scott Roth on August 7th. (See below.)
Why is this list important? Because if Scott and a small group of Board members presume to “call all the shots” for the rest of us without actively seeking input and guidance from the membership they have been called upon to represent, then they had better have an intimate understanding of the issues that members really care about. And here I mean not just the issues of Production Designers (who sit on the Board) but the issues of Art Directors as well (you know, the other half of the dues paying members).
Please add your thoughts, questions and insight to this list.
[Note: this list was first presented to Scott the morning of August 7th, 2008. 2nd Edition notes and additions in blue. These comments have been added by Art Directors after the original list was presented to Scott.]
Questions for Scott Roth.
(…compiled from notes, comments, meetings with and e-mails from art directors at large...)
General comments and observations from Art Directors:
1. The board of directors have either lost sight of, or indeed never really knew or understood, what art directors do, what we are faced with on a daily basis or how to realistically address our needs and concerns in the workplace.
2. There are individuals who have become well entrenched (not to mention very comfortable) within the operating structure of Local 800.
3. For whatever reason (insecurity, fear of change, arrogance, naivety,) people sitting on the board reject anything that threatens (or appears to threaten) the system of operation, or status quo, even if in the long run, that very status quo weakens the Local with each passing year and measurably harms the membership in the process.
4. The only information the
5. As Art Directors, we face on a daily basis ideas, situations and problems that most rational people would consider impossible to solve. Yet we are trained to think creatively and always find a way. For ten years we have been represented by a business agent whose first and foremost reaction to any new idea or problem is to tell us that it can't be done. I'd say that this is a very poor representation and reflection of our guild and the very unique training required to be an Art Director or Production Designer. We have three unions currently in litigation simply because “new ideas” were brought to Scott and the negotiating committee of Local 800. What's next? Suing Art Directors for asking questions that every member has a right to have answered?
6. Frankly I'm tired of my money going to a group that has no regard at all for the realities of our profession, and will no doubt see this list of questions as inconsequential.
7. The lack of accountability is what concerns me the most. I would like to inform the members about how we are governed and how little say we have in things once the councils are elected.
8. Within the past year I have paid particularly close attention to the conversations at work, especially by disgruntled Art Directors, some not disgruntled, but all whom definitely feel they are not getting their money's worth from their business rep. Not to mention some slightly unethical dealings going on. Most of the members I have spoken with in one way or another have been deliberately shunned by 'the powers that be' at 800.
9. I started in the business working on a lot of non union movies. One that was very successful, had a low budget union sequel. The same producer tried to get the original crew into the union to work on the sequel. I was turned down by local 876. The reason given was that I was not qualified to do a union movie. I had worked with the same non union crew back to back on 3 movies. 876 never met with me to determine my skills. (I heard about the decision from the producer.) The rest of the crew got into their respective locals. I continued to work on non union movies and finally got in when one was organized. By that time, the only qualification I needed to join 876 was not being color blind.
Today the qualification for becoming a member of 800 is having a checkbook to pay the dues. Expensive office furnishings, awards parties, public relation firms and power are more important than skilled and talented members.
10. The basic, underlying problem with the Art Director's Guild is that representation for real working Art Directors, and their issues, does not exist. There exists within the guild an unspoken class system divided between those that have Agents and those that do not. For years the guild has been dominated by those with Agents who's workplace issues and deals are taken care of ahead of time. As well these individuals always have their Agents to rely upon when problems in the workplace occur. Consequently we have a union that does not see or recognize the issues and needs of the other half of our guild. Our Business Agent who claims to represent all, falls very much into the category of those with Agents when it comes to real workplace issues. While there is nothing at all wrong with having an Agent and the extra protection that comes along with it, there must be real recognition of those that do not. In truth their Agent currently is Scott Roth. Is the Guild and Scott providing the same level of service and protection that an individual Agent might provide?
11. (In response/addition to #9 above) - I personally feel that there is no room for "elitism" when shows are organized and new members gain access to the guild. I do however feel that once people have joined the union that they should be trained up to a minimum standard that insures ALL of our members are qualified for the job and are able to live up to the claim that Local 800 loves to make...that we are “the best in the world” at what we do.
I gained entry into 876 with relative ease under the new regime. I personally didn't feel qualified to Art Direct (or even really to Assist) and I spent years seeking out and working with knowledgeable people to train me. Finding this training was difficult but obviously necessary and very beneficial. ALL of our members should be required to go through extensive training and Local 800 should be the ones readily proving that training.
Questions art directors want answers to....:
1. What is the “
2. How do I, as a member, benefit from belonging to this organization (health benefits can't be the only thing)?
3. Are members (or more importantly, why aren't members) of local 800 held to any sort of “professional standard”?
4. What are the “current professional standards” for Local 800 art directors and who determines what that standard is?
5. In what ways does the employer benefit from hiring one of our members over a non-union worker using the same title?
6. Why are there no “standards of basic training” for art director or production designers (not aesthetics... but nuts & bolts training like management, budgeting, staffing, etc.)?
7. What are the specific responsibilities and day to day duties of the Local's Business Agent?
8. Who pays the business agents salary?
9. What is the salary of the business agent (including all “perks,” fringe, auto, expense accounts, etc.)?
10. Is the salary of the business agent tied to performance (are there bonuses or penalties paid based on BA's ability to advance the wages or workplace conditions of the average member...or failure to do so)?
11. How often is the Business Agent’s performance and activities reviewed?
12. When is the last time the BA visited a working
(when, what show & who did he see?...)
13. When is the last time the BA visited a working Feature film art department? (when, what show & who did he see?...)
14. How frequently does the BA make such visits?
15. During periods of strike, work stoppage or work slowdown (when a majority of 800 members are out of work) does the BA take a reduction in pay (or forgo payment altogether)?
16. Does the BA know the process and pitfalls the average Production Designer, Art Director and Assistant Art Director faces when looking for a job multiple times within a calendar year? If so what are they?
17. What are the working conditions in which the business agent conducts business? (Describe office conditions, hours, etc.)
18. How do these conditions and hours compare with those of the average Art Director/Production Designer?
19. To whom does the BA answer regarding budget, hiring/firing of staff, office management, etc.?
20. Are quarterly financial reports made available to the union membership?
21. Who hires the BA?
22. How is the BA's contract generated/renewed (who negotiates it & how often)?
23. What are the terms of the BA's contract?
24. Are the details of the BA’s contract available on the Art Director’s website so that all dues paying members have the opportunity to review?
25. What is the purpose and stated goal in hosting an “Art Directors Award Banquet” each year?
26. Who reviews and approves the costs for the banquet before union funds are committed?
27. How much does the “Banquet” cost (how much of our dues money goes into it)?
28. What kind of measurable return do Art Directors get from hosting the “Banquet”?
29. Why do we (Local 800) employ a Public Relations Firm?
30. How much do we pay the Firm annually?
31. Who directs the efforts and focus of our public relations firm?
32. What kind of measurable return do Art Directors get from having a “Publicity Agent”?
33. The ADG keeps sending members information on training classes in Maya, AutoCAD, Rino, etc. Does the
34. Where are the training classes in Excel, FastTrack, Project Manager or any of the management and accounting programs that Art Directors use on virtually every project?
35. Why are there programs in place to train Art Directors to draw/draft on computers but there are no training programs in place to teach Art Directors about Script Breakdown, Budgeting & Scheduling Labor, Contract Understanding (both our own contract and the contracts of the Unions we oversee directly and those we interact with on a daily basis), Backing Layout and Production, current trends in VFX, Basic Construction, History of Period Styles, Architectural Style, etc.?
Can the BA answer the following questions?:
[Note: the Art Directors who contributed to this list can answer every one of these questions without assistance.]
1. What are the responsibilities of an average Production Designer both in series television and film?
2. What are the responsibilities of an average Art Director in both film and television? (contractually speaking vs. what is expected in the current day workplace)
3. What are the responsibilities of a Supervising Art Director?
4. What are the responsibilities of an average Assistant Art Director? (contractually speaking vs. what they end up actually doing...)
5. Who pays the Art Director/Production Designer's salary?
6. Who negotiates these salaries?
7. How are these salaries generated/negotiated if an AD or PD has an agent or if they are incorporated?
8. How does an Art Director without an agent negotiate their salary?
9. What is the salary range of a Production Designers (including all “perks,” fringe, auto, expense accounts, etc.) in both television and film?
10. What is the salary range of an Art Director (including all “perks,” fringe, auto, expense accounts, etc.) in both television and film?
11. What is the salary range of an assistant art director (including all “perks,” fringe, auto, expense accounts, etc.) in both television and film?
12. Has the BA seen (or is he even aware of) the “
13. How do PD/AD/AAD salaries compare with positions of similar rank/responsibility in the industry (editors, asst. editors, D.o.P., 1st Camera, 1st Ad, 2nd Ad, etc.)?
14. How do these salaries compare with the rates of other art department members (Set Decorators, Illustrators, Set Designers, Model makers, etc.) when broken down to an “hourly” basis?
15. Who chooses and hires the Production Designer (& how is his/her rate determined)?
16. Who chooses and hires the Art Director (& how is his/her rate determined)?
17. Who chooses and hires the Assistant Art Director (& how is his/her rate determined)?
18. Who chooses and hires the Set Designers, Illustrators, and the remaining art department staff?
19. How are the rates of the remaining art department staff determined and negotiated?
20. Who determines the true staffing needs for any given show?
21. Do Studios/Producers commonly consult Art Directors when estimating or “pre-budgeting” the staffing needs of the art department on projects?
22. Does the BA know the correct (current market) wages for each staff position in the
23. How does an Art Director cope with staffing an under budgeted
24. Is the salary of a Production Designer, Art Director or Assistant Art Director tied to his/her performance, the project’s prep time, and work hours?
25. What are the average work hours of a Production Designer (hours/day and days/week)?
26. ...of an Art Director?
27. ...of an Assistant Art Director?
28. How many of those 'over-time' hours are documented and paid into the members health and pension plan?
29. What is the local doing to address the above overtime/pension issue?
30. Has the BA ever negotiated, or been present during the negotiation of, a deal with a Producer or UPM on behalf of a PD, AD, or AAD?
31. What are the current scale rates for:
l Production Designer?
l Art Director?
l Assistant Art Director?
32. What percentage of the membership work for scale in the following positions?
l Production Designer?
l Art Director?
l Assistant Art Director?
33. If a member works at an above scale rate, what enables him/her to negotiate that higher rate? (What's the leverage?)
34. Why might a Producer or UPM be unwilling to pay an above scale rate?
35. How much (and what type) of personal equipment is an Art Director expected to provide for the purpose of doing his/her job?
36. Is there compensation for this equipment? (If so, what is the average compensation and how is this compensation negotiated?)
37. Are there caps or other restrictions on compensation for this equipment?
38. If there are caps, who determines what they are?
39. During a show, who maintains and insures this equipment?
40. At present numbers, there are more “Art Directors” in local 800 then there are Art Director positions available in the workplace. This reality gives an advantage to producers & UPMs both when negotiating deals with Production Designers and Art Directors and when PDs/Supervising ADs are trying to staff shows. -- How is the leadership of local 800 addressing this issue?
41. Describe what a PD/AD might encounter in an average day during pre-production (average hours and responsibilities):
42. ...during and average day of shooting:
43. What are the responsibilities of a PD/AD when starting up a show:
l Regarding art department set-up?
l Regarding script breakdown?
l Regarding scheduling?
l Regarding staffing?
l Regarding budgeting?
44. Who determines when the Construction Department needs to start working?
45. Will the BA describe all that he knows/understands about the following issues common to today’s workplace and describe what Local 800 is doing to address these issues:
l overly long work hours
l lack of day/night turnaround
l staffing (budget vs. reality)
l inadequate prep time
l dangerous or unhealthy working conditions
l legal issues as they pertain to the art director
(clearance issues, contracts with outside vendors, liability & safety issues in work area and design elements, etc.)
l jurisdictional issues as they relate to other departments
(Camera, Locations, Picture Cars, Spfx, VFX, Props, Grip, Construction, etc.)
l jurisdictional issues as they relate to other unions
(sculptors, painters, set designers, illustrators, graphic artists, art department coordinators, etc.)
l verbal, mental or physical abuse by producers, directors and/or others on a production team
l budgeting and scheduling issues
l safety issues
l working in foreign countries (and the problems faced by art directors on a country by country basis)
l technical/digital design issues as they relate to management and work flow
l deal-making with proper compensation for many of the above issues
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1 comment:
I want to know how much of our hard earned dues were spent on the office furnishings of the new building.
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