OPEN LETTER TO ALL IATSE MEMBERS AND LOCALS ENGAGED IN MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION.
FROM THOMAS C. SHORT, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
As you are aware, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is currently in negotiations for a successor contract to the current agreement that expires on October 31, 2007. While the IATSE remains hopeful that a new agreement can be reached between the WGA and the Employers, there is a potential for a work stoppage.
The IATSE has over 50,000 members in two countries engaged in motion picture and television production. Any work stoppage may have a profound and long-lasting impact on you and your families.
The IATSE contracts contain provisions that require us to continue to honor our contracts. These “no strike” provisions require the IATSE to notify our members of their obligation to honor these contracts and continue working. Any individual member who chooses to honor any picket line is subject to permanent replacement.
It is important for each IATSE member to be aware of their contractual obligation as well as the potential impact on them personally if they choose to not cross and are replaced. Contact your local union with any questions regarding this potential labor dispute.
My friend Lisa Loeb was the surprise walk on guest at the New Found Glory show in New York yesterday.
I don’t know much (ok nothing) about New Found Glory, but now I know that they do a rocking cover of Lisa’s song ‘Stay’.
I am working on a stage next to where they shoot Family Fued. Seems they are doing a Halloween themed episode and having a bunch of set decoration delivered. Spiders, coffins, goblins and lots of tombstones are all being unloaded from the truck…including this one, which upon further inspection looks like it was stolen from a certain graveyard in Seattle.
I know it’s hard to see in this picture but the birth date and, well, death date are identical. Oh, and one one more thing-why wasn’t I hired to do this fucking gig?
This week I finish shooting with Ike so we can pitch the show in November… …pitch Kara to two very cool networks… …and go to New York City for the first time in a year for work and vacation. More on what the “work” is when it comes together.
Chris and I are working on the return of Gripe. We did this show when we both lived in New York City in the 90’s, even though Chris now lives in Florida (awful) and I am in Los Angeles, the time seems right to do it again. Last year we put up a bunch of clips on You Tube just for fun, and it was surprising to hear so many people suggest that we should pick up where we left off. I recently came up with a way to bring it back in a totally 21st century way but still retain the live feel and the cluster-fuck-ness of it all. Chris is STILL wearing that beat up red hat and our screwed up cast of characters are still around, waiting for their second chance at no glory. Here is a clip from the old show. This is the one where it’s important you remember Heaven’s Gate. Heaven’s Gate? The Hale-Bopp comet came, a bunch of people wore purple, ate poison pudding and joined their alien friends in space. Except for poor Oy, he missed the spaceship.
Here is a webisode from an online series I art directed (with the amazing Bianca, Rock and Lindsey) for Harry Shearer. There is a bunch of great content over at My Damn Channel and soon there will be webisodes created by yours truly. More on that as it comes together, so, in the meantime enjoy “No Cooler For The Scooter” and see what we pulled together for $800 bucks. Somehow we made a real neon sign and photoshopped it on a picture of a bunker, a cabaret set, a fake rubber hand, a half broken heart monitor and me pulling a chair with fishing line look almost as good as Harry’s Dick Cheney makeup!
Tomorrow I have to drive down to San Marcos (fire central to be exact) to finish up filming with Ike. Of course all of Southern California is on fire, but I can’t let that stop me…we have to finish this project. Pitching in November. Looking at the traffic situation online is insane, dead center in this cluster of red is exactly where I will be.
Soooooooo 90s 
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…ahem…