[Fmpro] Unions

[Mark Northam]

Hi Michael -

As you are clearly a strong AFM (American Federation of Musicians)
supporter, I'd be interested in your thoughts on the following:

-----

1. Do you think it's right that the AFM, through it's Canadian division,
offers a low-budget buyout agreement for low-budget indie films in Canada
but refuses to offer a similar agreement in America? According to the
Canadian union folks, this agreement virtually wiped out 90% of the
"recording work leaving town" problem for low budget films and allowed them
to be recorded under Union contracts in Canada.

2. Do you think it's right that the AFM is threatening its member composers,
musicians, and other AFM members for having anything to do with scores
recorded in Seattle (yes, they're threatening AFM member composers as well!)
with $50,000 fines beginning today, but has excluded from its threats those
members working on films in London, Eastern Europe and elsewhere?

For more on this, see:
http://filmmusicworld.com/mag/index.php?todo=showstory&storyid=181
 
3. The massive amount of recording work leaving Los Angeles for Seattle and
other locations is directly attributable to the fact that filmmakers want a
buyout on their scores and these other recording locales have chosen to make
that option available. According to some players I've spoken with in LA,
while the top 100 or so LA session players appear to have benefited
handsomely from the AFM's choice not to be more competitive with other union
recording locales including London and Seattle (both have unions) and
elsewhere in terms of offering a buyout option, the results of these
policies have cost LA musicians a lot of work as jobs leave town for more
competitive work environments that offer the filmmakers what they're looking
for - buyouts. Do you agree with this policy that seemingly protects the
benefits of a relatively small number of players but causes a large amount
of work to be done outside LA?

-----

Since you've offered your opinion on the list, I'll include mine - I believe
that musicians are far better off WITH a union than without, However, some
of the current AFM policies seem intent on preserving the benefits of a few
high-paid musicians at the expense of many, many other AFM musicians, which
I believe ultimately is hurting the AFM more than it is helping it.

The "hardline" approach that the AFM is taking towards low budget film
buyouts (amazing when you see the AFM's own Canadian division offering them
to Canadian low budget filmmakers) is driving away a lot of small and medium
budget films to Seattle and elsewhere, creating skilled film score recording
orchestras elsewhere - the biggest threat to the AFM. If enough AFM
non-A-list musicians lose enough work because of this, I'll bet we'll see
the formation of a "Financial Core Status" Orchestra in Los Angeles - union
members who have elected this special status which allows them to work union
and non-union jobs without fear of union retaliation.

The availability of a local non-union orchestra of talented musicians would
likely recapture a great deal of work going to Seattle and elsewhere -
especially on low and medium budget films - but could spell the end of the
effectiveness of the AFM as the studios could start designating that only
Core Status musicians may be used, just as the studios are saying now in
some composer package agreements that "No AFM Musicians may be used".  I
have to wonder how much lost work the AFM will tolerate to preserve the
benefits of those musicians in town fortunate enough to be working on the
big studio films. With every lost job, other orchestras become more talented
and proficient at recording film scores, and as those other orchestras
become more experienced at film scores, they represent a growing competitive
threat to LA musicians. This simple, basic fact seems to be lost on some in
the AFM as far a I can tell...


Best,

Mark Northam


On 10/1/06 10:05 AM, "Michael John Mollo" <mollovg at gmail.com> wrote:

> The
> unions protect the players and all the other people who make their living
> "freelancing."  And as a composer in Los Angeles, I am very thankful that an
> organization such as this exists. I always know that when I gounion, I am
> getting the best quality performance.

---------------------------------
Mark Northam - Publisher
Film Music Magazine
The Professional Voice of Music for Film & TV
http://www.filmmusicmag.com
1-800-774-3700 x702 / (310) 645-9000 x702