9 Hour Turnaround for Assistants

Yesterday I was speaking to a fellow assistant about his highest concerns in the union. He said 9 hour turnaround for assistants which I agreed was one of my biggest beefs as well. He also said no one makes it an issue, it lies swept under the bed which I have to agree and I’ve made comments before to administration and they say nothing. The more I think about it making a change in assistants turnaround will help with controlling ridiculous and deadly work hours. First just look at it, are you kidding a single digit number as your turnaround? One that doesn’t take into account your drive time, doesn’t include your half hour out of the day lunch, doesn’t include getting to set 1/2 hour early so you can eat before 6 hours elapse or 8 or 10 because mps are such a joke now.
I was told once by someone in admin in defense of the turnaround that dps have 11 so that protects the assistant. What? Have these people ever seriously worked on a set? If you protect the assistant the dp will end up with 2 or 3 hours more turnaround. Granted they might be going to dailies but, they will sit, they will be driven, they will be warm or cool and their agents make deals that are far better than what we recieve. A dp and operator pick up their coats when wrap is called and if on location are typically driven to a nearby hotel so their commute is most likely more realistic than a local assistants.
Imagine, out of 9 hours take at minimum 1 hour to and from set, 1/2 hour to get ready in the morning, 1/2 hour early to eat and that’s from camera wrap not when you actually leave. In the best possible circumstance you have 6 hours at home and by experience 4 hours sleep is average. God forbid you actually have duties at home or do an overnight and sit in traffic to and from set turning your commute into well more than 1 hour each way.
In my mind if we have any respect for ourselves we should make a change in turnaround a priority, for the assistant, for once do something for the assistant. A minimum turnaround, a realistic turnaround should be 12 hours. Animals are better protected. If they can’t get their picture done, add days. If they say it costs to much tell them to talk to Eastwood, he seems able to make efficient, profitable movies working 12 hours a day max.
I want to see this changed do you? We can ban together and force this issue, no one else will stand up for you but you. It’s a single digit number, does it not infuriate you?

Long Hours Long Drive Short Turnaround

Share your thoughts, I have plenty especially dealing with the central zone being that our studio zones are so big. I worked on a picture up here in New York, we shot in Yonkers and we had a 3pm. Yonkers without bad traffic is 45 to 60 minutes drive. So I leave around 1:30 pm so I can eat since I know I won’t eat after 8 hours. People were requesting a hotel, the producer said they had already spent the budget for that. We had a representative come out and we asked him to do something about it but he can’t because the producer isn’t required to put us up. He makes a big deal about a short scene involving a cigar in which they used a smoke machine for about 15 minutes in a
VERY limited amount, so this he put up a fit about. I was still pulling focus at 8am. I actually nodded off at the camera. Then I get to drive home at 8:30 or so and of course get in the middle of rush hour traffic into NYC. In Atlanta I have even worse stories where I actually was driving TWO hours both ways and WAS STILL IN THE STUDIO ZONE. Four hours a day on the road added to an easy day was 13 or 14 hours and 15,16, 17 happened as well. This was a big picture.
If you want to vent and don’t want to leave your name I understand. I am really interested in what it’s like in Texas, seems like there it could be horrible.

Medical Benefits

A friend of mine in Atlanta asked me this question I don’t know the answer to but I will try and fine someone who does. He wondered why we couldn’t buy our own hours? I will give you an example of something that happened to me. I was working on a high dollar documentary with a camera crew all of whom belonged to Local 600. I needed 15 hours to regain my insurance and if I didn’t do it I would not only not be insured but would also loose my bank. I called and asked the union to talk to the production company but they seemed uninterested, so I spoke to the productions company and they seemed uninterested. The crew was one that worked a lot of non-union so the were uninterested. I worked 50 hours in the seven days ( not to stressful) but I lost my chance at insurance and lost all that bank, when I actually worked the hours. His question ( I won’t say his name as I didn’t ask if I could) but his question was mine at the time. Can’t I just pay you on my own. It’s 15 hours! The answer was no and I don’t remember the reasoning, I probably wasn’t caring at that point, the battle was lost. My friend has kids and can not loose insurance. It’s a rollercoaster ride especially for those of us in the central region. You do a movie, your on, movie goes away, your off. What happens if your given a horrible diagnosis right before you loose it? You can pay Cobra for a year but then try getting insurance with a condition after you are no longer allowed to pay cobra. I will make a few phone calls and ask Doug or Tom if they might write in and give us an answer. chow for now.