VES to Host Union Panel Saturday

Visual Effects remains one of the few segments of the North American entertainment industry that is not unionized. There has been a lot of discussion on this across the industry on both sides of the issue. The Visual Effects Society is providing an opportunity to find out first-hand what is real and what is false about the idea of what a union and collective bargaining agreement can and cannot do.

Titled “Understanding Unions: The Good, The Bad & Unknown Of Forming A Visual Effects Collective Bargaining Organization,” the panel discussion will be held on Saturday, December 1, 2012, 9:30AM to 12:00PM at the L.A. Film School.

In order to provide a balanced perspective to attendees, the panel will be comprised of industry leaders with varying opinions on the subject.

Topics under consideration include:

• Would the formation of a union better the lot of the VFX worker and the status and health of VFX companies in North America?
• Is the union an unwieldy structure that would create additional burdens on North American companies and workers in the face of increasing global competition?
• How would the formation of a union affect run-away production?
• Can a union supply better and more cost effective health and pension coverage than a VFX company?
• Will the producers accept the union as the VFX collective bargaining unit?
• Will a union regulate work hours better?
• What does a union really do?

Panelists include Scott Dougherty, Executive Producer/Co-Owner, Furious FX, Inc., Steven J Kaplan, Organizer for The Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE, John Parentau, General Manager, Pixomondo L.A., Ellen Shadur, Attorney at Baker Hostetler, and Bill Taylor, ASC, VES. The panel is to be moderated by Marty Shindler of The Shindler Perspective.

For more information, and to RSVP, visit the VES website [1].

Source: Visual Effects Society