Caucus for Feature Editors

Strategies for Survival

Guild members met in caucuses from June 17-20, 1996 to listen to a panel of speakers and discuss strategies for survival in the "new" Hollywood. To focus the talks, the evenings were arranged by classification. The first evening was for feature editors.

Members Share & Compare
Strategies for Survival

by Bruce Green

You mean it doesn't get better higher up the ladder?

At the feature film editors' caucus a Guild member who described herself as being the editor of "very low budget features" expressed shock at what she was hearing. The panel of editors had been describing horrible working conditions. Michael Tronick, Mark Goldblatt, Tina Hirsch, and Scott Conrad told of 14-hour day, seven day a week jobs. Tina dreamed of schedules that could be limited to 12 hour days and panelist Steve Cohen matter of factly said he rarely takes a full hour for lunch. Only panel member Bob Leighton didn't have a horror story. It seems his long-time director, Rob Reiner, and he are given enough time to finish their films on a reasonable schedule. The low budget editor was shocked because she had always assumed that conditions improve with an increase in budget.

Michael spoke of ridiculously short post-production schedules due to the demands of marketing departments, and Mark told of a studio executive's advice, "It doesn't have to be done that well, just good enough to get it out". As one panelist put it, to great applause, "We're losing our lives for shitty movies".

Moderator Mia Goldman had introduced the evening by talking of the need for editors to empower themselves. A nuts and bolts discussion of deal memos, agents, and the Guild followed. Specific suggestions were offered to deal with members who lose money as a result of accelerated schedules and Ron Kutak offered to review deal memos to ensure that hard-won union gains are not being inadvertently given away. Guild Vice President Carol Littleton said, "Ours is an attitude problem, not a union problem" and audience member John Orland said, "We have to educate the producers as to what we do."

There seemed to be a consensus that the building of solidarity through these caucuses is the first step in bringing about the changes everyone needs.

As one panelist said, "We just have to learn to say no."

At the time this article was written,
Bruce Green was editing 'Volcano',
with Michael Tronick and Don Brochu.

Audiotapes of the caucuses
are available from the Guild office.

Reprinted from
The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter
Vol. 17, No. 4 - Sept/Oct 1996.

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Copyright © 1996, All Rights Reserved by The Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 776


	*Strategies for Survival* Guild members met in caucuses from June 17-20, 1996 to listen to a panel of speakers and discuss strategies for survival in the "new" Hollywood. To focus the talks, the evenings were arranged by classification. The first evening was for feature editors. Members Share & Compare Strategies for Survival by Bruce Green
	You mean it doesn't get better higher up the ladder?	At the feature film editors' caucus a Guild member who described herself as being the editor of "very low budget features" expressed shock at what she was hearing. The panel of editors had been describing horrible working conditions. Michael Tronick, Mark Goldblatt, Tina Hirsch, and Scott Conrad told of 14-hour day, seven day a week jobs. Tina dreamed of schedules that could be limited to 12 hour days and panelist Steve Cohen matter of factly said he rarely takes a full hour for lunch. Only panel member Bob Leighton didn't have a horror story. It seems his long-time director, Rob Reiner, and he are given enough time to finish their films on a reasonable schedule. The low budget editor was shocked because she had always assumed that conditions improve with an increase in budget. Michael spoke of ridiculously short post-production schedules due to the demands of marketing departments, and Mark told of a studio executive's advice, "It doesn't have to be done that well, just good enough to get it out". As one panelist put it, to great applause, "We're losing our lives for shitty movies". Moderator Mia Goldman had introduced the evening by talking of the need for editors to empower themselves. A nuts and bolts discussion of deal memos, agents, and the Guild followed. Specific suggestions were offered to deal with members who lose money as a result of accelerated schedules and Ron Kutak offered to review deal memos to ensure that hard-won union gains are not being inadvertently given away. Guild Vice President Carol Littleton said, "Ours is an attitude problem, not a union problem" and audience member John Orland said, "We have to educate the producers as to what we do." There seemed to be a consensus that the building of solidarity through these caucuses is the first step in bringing about the changes everyone needs. As one panelist said, "We just have to learn to say no."
	At the time this article was written, Bruce Green was editing 'Volcano', with Michael Tronick and Don Brochu. Audiotapes of the caucuses are available from the Guild office. Reprinted from The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter Vol. 17, No. 4 - Sept/Oct 1996. Guild Home \| Newsletter Home \| Top of Page Copyright © 1996, All Rights Reserved by The Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 776