CURRENT
 

NEWS YOU CAN USE

To all Director Members:

When working in film, did you know that you must be paid on Thursday for work performed in the preceding week? When working in videotape, did you know that you must be paid at least 90% of your fee within ten days of completion of your services and that the remaining 10% must be paid no later than four weeks after completion of the recording of your show?

Too often, studios take advantage of Directors or their agents who for one reason or another are willing to accept late payments. There is no need for you to let the studios have the use of your money for months at a time. 

The late payment provisions in our agreement are triggered by written notice from the DGA to the Employer. If your agency has to send the Employer a second notice, they should also send a copy to Barbara Berman or Louis Zogaib at the DGA. The Guild will then send the Employer a notice demanding prompt payment. If the payment is still not paid promptly, substantial interest payments will be due.

In this way, you (and your agent) are taken out of the collections process.

The substantial interest provisions do not apply if the Employer has not received an executed contract, or if there is a bona fide dispute as to the amount due. But if the contract is not delivered because of a dispute as to its terms and the Employer shall be held to be wrong, or if the dispute as to the amount due is resolved in favor of the Director, the Employer will be liable for the interest payments.

Benefit Change for Theatrical Directors

Section 12-202 of the DGA’s Basic Agreement of 1999 provides that beginning July 1, 1999, a Director of a theatrical film earning in excess of $200,000 for work on a single project spanning two calendar years may be entitled to additional pension credits. The Pension Plan must be advised that a Director qualifies on a particular project in order to provide the Director with the additional credits. The theatrical deal memo has been revised to include this information on a going-forward basis. Recently the DGA’s Signatories/ Reports Compliance Department, working closely with the DGA’s MIS Department, sent out a letter to companies to identify those individual Directors who are entitled to these new benefits on projects produced since July 1, 1999. The letter has thus far helped identify more than 20 directors who qualify. If you believe you might qualify, you should contact the Signatories/Reports Compliance Department.

LEMI to Host Sixth Annual Latin Heat Conference

The Latino Entertainment Media Institute (LEMI) is presently gearing up to host its Sixth Annual Latin Heat Entertainment Industry Conference, October 12-14 at the historic Roosevelt Hotel nestled in the heart of Hollywood. This year’s celebrity chair is actor John Leguizamo.

Under the theme of "The Future Is Now: Diversity in Entertainment," this year’s conference will feature panels with top industry professionals, the "Mini Fest 2000" trailer competition, a screenwriting competition, a gala awards dinner and multitudes of networking opportunities that seek to further LEMI’s mission of keeping Latino film professionals at the top of their game.

Over the years these highly successful conferences have also featured DGA-sponsored directing seminars with director members Felix Enriquez Alcala, Taylor Hackford, Warrington Hudlin, Leon Ichaso, Sylvia Morales, Gregory Nava and Miguel Arteta. In addition, last year’s conference featured a production seminar with UPMs Laura J. Medina, Bob Manning, David Valdes and director member Ralph Singleton. 

For more information about the Sixth Annual Latin Heat Conference, contact LEMI at (818) 464-3470.

 

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