Long Work Day
Leads to Tragic Death

Assistant Cameraman Loses Control of Car
After 19-hour Work Day

by Jeff Burman

The death of assistant camera operator Brent Herschman has convinced many in the industry that the time has come to do something about our ever-lengthening daily schedules.

In the wee hours of March 6th, Brent Herschman began to wrap his camera equipment. The show, as many know by now, was a modestly budgeted comedy called 'Pleasantville.' It had been a long day. Never mind the commute time; he had been on the set since 6:30 the previous morning. Offers were made to put up crew members at a hotel, but Herschman was determined to get home. His 8-year-old daughter, Ariel, had been ill and he wanted to be with her when she woke up. He left the Long Beach set at 2 a.m. and headed for his West Hills home. According to the Highway Patrol, Herschman fell asleep at the wheel, drove off the Century Freeway, hit a telephone pole and was killed.

Brent Lon Herschman, 35, leaves a wife, Deborah, and daughters Ariel and Hannah. Services were held on March 10th at Hillside Memorial Park.

"Pleasantville" Far From Excessive

Many who worked on 'Pleasantville' reject any condemnation of the show's schedules. The length of working days for production and post-production had been well within the norm, however problematic that norm may be. Herschman's death, they say, was a tragic exception. Steven Soderbergh, 'Pleasantville' co-producer was stunned. "It's amazing that it didn't happen on other projects where these specific kinds of abuses are rampant."

Members of the crew petitioned New Line Cinema, the studio producing 'Pleasantville.' New Line has been receptive. They are contributing to a trust fund set up for Herschman's family. The producers of 'Pleasantville' have limited each workday to fourteen hours since the accident.

A Barometer of Discontent

A petition poignantly called "Brent's Rule" is circulating across craft lines. By mid-April 10,000 had signed. The petition seeks to limit workdays to a maximum of fourteen hours from first call to wrap.

But even with a groundswell of momentum, even with voluntary concessions, the end results would be illusory and unenforceable. The danger lurking here, in what is essentially a protest movement, is that there is no concrete strategy to make any changes stick. The best way to turn a tragedy like this into a catalyst for change is to carefully document the actual risks, and apply them to our next negotiating opportunity.

What's Your Experience?

Have you been injured because of long shifts? Do you know someone who has suffered as a result of excessive overtime? Send a concise statement with relevant particulars to me, Jeff Burman, in care of the Guild. We can't move forward until the scope of the problem can be documented.

A Slippery Slope

This state of affairs has been festering for far too long. The real difficulty is not isolated long days, but the effect of several long days in succession. It has several causes: above-the-line inflation, the daily cost of investors' funds, concessions to keep productions in town and under union contract, and an all-too-understandable reluctance by individuals to speak out and risk replacement.

Haskel Wexler, first vice president of the International Photographers' Guild (local 600), looks at the larger issue of institutionalized speed-up. "You cannot put an overtime price on brutal hours. Employers have no right to run a speed-up system that assaults basic human conditions of health, safety [and) family." In an open letter in Variety he pointed out that, while on-screen animals are "under strict supervision with utmost concern for their welfare," there is "utmost unconcern" for the welfare of the crew.

Where Will This Issue Go?

On March 14th, business agents and union activists presented their concerns to Harry Floyd, west coast assistant to IA President Tom Short. Floyd proposed an extensive presentation on the hazards of long work days at the May 20th quarterly meeting with producers.

On March 19th, the issue of excessive schedules was presented to the industry-wide Safety Committee and at its subsequent meeting, a sub-committee was appointed to address the issue.

Trust Funds

Two trust funds have been established to help the Herschman family. One, the Brent Lon Herschman Memorial Fund, is for his daughters' education. The second, the Deborah Herschman Trust Fund, is for the family. If you'd care to make a contribution, specify the name of the fund and use this mailing address:

(Fund Name)
c/o Western Bank
1888 Century Park East
Los Angeles, California 90067

Attention: Lori Coplen