Bay area Guild members assembled at the Delancey Street Restaurant on Saturday, March 28, when the DGA's San Francisco Coordinating Committee (SFCC) hosted the 2015 edition of their Annual General Membership Meeting and Reception. The event gave DGA members from all categories the opportunity to network and socialize and receive information about Guild activities both nationwide and locally.
SFCC Chair John Morse welcomed the attendees and introduced the event’s special guest, DGA Associate National Executive Director/Western Executive Director G. Bryan Unger who was there to deliver a briefing on the state of the Guild.
Unger spoke about a number of subjects including: the gains made in the recent BA and FLTTA negotiations such as increased wages and residuals bases and new minimum terms and conditions for the rapidly growing new media platforms; and the success of the new Commercial Agreement negotiations that included the establishment the first ever Diversity program with the AICP and new provisions designed to impact the employment opportunities for members living outside Los Angeles and New York. He also looked to the future and explained how the DGA is focusing on what is needed to grow its influence and enforce its contracts by increasing the number of Field Reps and the size of the Contracts Department, and urged members to be more proactive about questions regarding creative rights, or the need for additional staffing on a production, or by reaching out to the Guild. Unger also pointed out how Bay Area DGA members were instrumental in the recent fight to secure the California Film & Television Production Incentive bill AB 1839 which the Governor recently signed into law, and detailed how the new incentive works and what will happen in the future. He ended his report with a list of productions slated to shoot in the Bay area and thanked Chair, John Morse and the SFCC officers for their hard work on behalf of DGA members.
Other reports included the Secretary’s Report and the Treasurer’s Report delivered by SFCC Chair John Morse; a list detailing the productions occurring in the Bay Area read by Production Info and News Sub-Committee Chair Frank Simone; a look at plans for future educational events given by Education/Mentoring Sub-Committee Chair Jani Vournas, and a report on upcoming screenings from Screening Sub-Committee Chair Frank Zamacona. DGA Field Representative Maria Timpani was also on hand to answer questions and meet with the local members.
The official business concluded with the nomination of candidates for the SFCC Executive Committee, and the announcement that the new slate of SFCC officers will be elected at the upcoming meeting on April 15.
About the Committee:
The San Francisco Coordinating Committee was formed in 1978 to coordinate Guild activities in the Bay Area. The Committee hosts a number of educational presentations and networking events during the year, in order to fulfill its objectives of facilitating the exchange of ideas, maintaining contacts with other guilds and unions, and furthering professional opportunities for all Northern California DGA members. The current SFCC Officers are: John Morse, Chair; Kathleen Courtney, Vice Chair; Michael Jones, Secretary; and Zach Keyworth, Treasurer.