On April 19, nearly 80 new DGA members of all categories attended an informal cocktail reception in the Los Angeles headquarters atrium where they received vital information about the inner workings of the Guild.
The orientation began with a screening of Director Michael Stevens’ DGA 75th Anniversary film DGA Moments in Time, Part 2: Doubling Down, which describes a crucial incident in early Guild history in a story narrated by Director Martin Scorsese. Then DGA President Paris Barclay welcomed the attendees.
“When I joined this Guild some 25 years ago, I was thrilled but I had no idea what the Guild was actually all about and what it meant to be a Guild member,” said Barclay. “I had no idea what the Guild does for members and I certainly didn't think I was expected to do anything for the Guild. That’s why we’re here tonight – to get the answers to all the questions I had. We’ll introduce you to the Guild, the greatest partner you’ll ever have as you embark upon your journey as a professional filmmaker.”
Barclay then gave a basic primer on the history and structure of the Guild and spoke about its primary mission of protecting the economic, legal and artistic rights of the membership as well as insuring their creative freedom. He then turned things over to DGA Western Executive Director Daniel Bush who covered the subjects of the DGA contracts and the governance of the Guild.
Bush detailed some of the benefits of being a DGA member, gave an overview of how the contracts work to protect the membership and spoke about key membership responsibilities. Bush also touched on some of the services available through Guild membership such as the DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plans and spoke about the importance of supporting the DGA PAC in its ongoing battle for the rights of DGA members through thoughtful legislation at all levels of government. He also introduced the attending DGA Field Reps and explained how they work with the Contracts Department to ensure that members are being protected by adherence to the collective bargaining agreements.
The evening then transformed into a cocktail reception where the attending new members could mingle with their peers, meet Guild staff and other Guild representatives and have their questions addressed in the informal setting.