DGA members living in the United Kingdom and Ireland received updates about the Guild’s activities when the London Coordinating Committee (LCC) hosted its ninth annual general membership meeting. Held on October 12 in the David Lean Room at BAFTA in London, the evening provided details about the Guild’s efforts to improve the economic and creative rights for members who reside and work outside the United States in a report delivered by DGA Secretary-Treasurer/Past President Michael Apted.
After a cocktail reception where the attending members had the opportunity to meet and greet, LCC Co-Chair Jim Gillespie welcomed everyone, introduced the other members of the Committee, and gave a brief overview of the LCC’s mission and accomplishments.
Gillespie then turned the floor over to Apted, who was standing in for DGA President Paris Barclay. Apted thanked the members of the LCC and the DGA staff for their hard work in organizing the evening, then spoke about the health of the Guild and the industry.
“The big picture is that the entertainment industry is flourishing, production is happening across the globe and your Guild is doing very well,” said Apted. “Earnings are at an all-time high, residuals for members are nearing $400 million and our pension and Health Plans have more than $3 billion in assets, the best in the industry. We’re charting a trail for ourselves and others into the rugged territory of New Media and so far so good. But believe me, none of this has come without a great struggle, effort and a good deal of courage.”
Utilizing the visual elements that proved popular at the last UK meeting, Apted spoke on a variety of subjects including an overview of residuals and UK member earnings, a review of the status of films shot in the UK and Ireland under DGA agreements and projects directed by UK/Irish directors worldwide.
Apted also addressed the importance of protecting the economic and creative rights for UK and Irish member-directors. “Our challenge is to secure the same level of protection for directors regardless of where the director resides. We take the position that if the project is intended for international English-speaking audiences, whether you live on one side or the other of the Atlantic Ocean should not make a difference.”
The meeting concluded with a member Q&A where Apted, DGA Associate National Executive Director/Eastern Executive Director Russ Hollander and DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plans CEO Lisa Read fielded questions from the attendees.
About the London Coordinating Committee
The London Coordinating Committee (LCC) was established in 2007 by the DGA National Board, which recognized the need to create a coordinating committee in the same way it already has with similarly sized populations of Guild members in San Francisco and Chicago. Alongside Co-Chairs Michael Caton-Jones and Jim Gillespie, the LCC’s members include Directors SJ Clarkson, Coky Giedroyc, Tom Hooper, Richard Loncraine, Roger H. Michell, Mike Newell, Chris J. Newman, Jim Sheridan, Matthew Vaughn, Richard Whelan, Susanna White, Stephen Woolfenden, and David Yates.