Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 19:31:53 -0500
From: Andrew Young <beartown-AT-bear-town.com>
To: puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Puppeteers and Turner Broadcasting


The flip side of this of course is that many aspiring puppeteers are 
constantly frustrated because they can't get in to a union for anyone of 
a variety of reasons and are effectively shut out of the business, or at 
least the more lucrative parts of it.

As one I once heard one veteran TV pupeteer say "it's a bit like the 
chicken and the egg...you can't get a good gig without a union card and 
you can't get a union card without a good gig." While I imagine there is 
a decent amount of work to go around most of the time in LA, in some of 
the smaller markets puppeteers who work in film and television will 
admit (albeit somewhat reluctantly) that they have a vested interest in 
not allowing too many younger puppeteers in to the union because they 
feel threatened by a larger talent pool.

Virtually every serious ununionized puppeteer I've met under 30 who does 
TV/film would love to be unionized, but actually getting in to the union 
is another matter entirely.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not knocking unions - they're great if you're in 
one. It's just that getting in is often the tricky part.


Jim Boulden wrote:

> $580 for 8 hrs.
>
> You are correct about different markets.  Georgian performers are 
> being treated just like performers in third world countries.  No 
> wonder Ted's one of the richest men in the world.
>
> Sad, really.
>
> -Jim
>
>
> ------
> Animal Makers Inc.
> Artificial Animals, Birds, Reptiles, Fish & Insects
> Created & Performed for the Filmed & Location-based
> Entertainment Industries since 1979
> Creative Director, Jim Boulden
> ------
> Phone 805-527-6200 | 805-527-6210 [fax]
> Located 25 minutes drive from Hollywood, California
> <http://www.animalmakers.com/index.html>
> ------
> - 25 Years of providing the finest animal replicas available.
> - Highly trained and experienced artisans and technicians
> - Our works entertain audiences worldwide!
> On Nov 24, 2004, at 7:15 PM, Evy Wright wrote:
>
>> Yes, I've worked union jobs as well, and the residuals checks are 
>> quite nice. California is a very different animal than Georgia. If I 
>> lived out there, I'm sure I'd be a proud card-carrying member of SAG. 
>> Here, TV and film puppetry jobs are few and far between. The cost of 
>> living here is also, to put it mildly, a bit more manageable. There 
>> are pros and cons to everything, I suppose.
>>
>> But just for future reference, what is the going day rate for a SAG 
>> puppeteer?
>>
>> -Evy
>>
>>        
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