On December 9, Eastern Assistant Directors and Unit Production Managers got a basic primer on the workings of their Guild when the AD/UPM Council East held a Navigating the DGA orientation in the seventh floor boardroom of the Guild’s New York offices. The event also provided a forum for these members to discuss a variety of issues that affect ADs and UPMs with veteran members and have their questions answered by DGA staff.
The session began with an introduction and welcome from AD/UPM Council East Member Education Committee Chair Michael Reichman. DGA Associate Eastern Executive Director Neil Dudich presented an overview of the operations and procedures of the Guild and explained how the collective bargaining agreements and DGA Field Reps protect the members. DGA Second Vice President Gary Donatelli spoke about the governance of the Guild and explained the importance of supporting the DGA PAC in its ongoing battle for the rights of DGA members. Council 1st Vice Chair Alison Rosa and Council Alternate Les McDonough spoke about the responsibilities and privileges of DGA membership and outlined the benefits that come with the Guild. DGA Administrative Assistant Yara Gharib led members on a brief tutorial of the services available via the DGA website. Council member and 2AD/Location Manager Michael Kriaris spoke about the importance of maintaining good community relations on the job. The orientation ended with a Q&A session moderated by Reichman where new members could ask questions of the Council members and DGA staff.
All attendees were invited to stay for the Eastern AD/UPM Council meeting which immediately followed.
About the Council
The Eastern AD/UPM Council is the elected body that represents the nearly 1,700 Assistant Director and Unit Production Manager members of the Guild who reside and/or work in film, television, commercials and new media the East and Midwest regions. For more information about the Council, click here to visit their page.