Tonight's Craft Meeting

The Animation Guild's second craft meeting took place tonight, this edition covering animation writers. TAG Vice-President Jack Thomas chaired the meeting; among the topics discussed:

* Storyboard artists-writers who work on premise shows. Should writer/artists be earning script fees? (Yes.)

* Residuals and foreign levies. The Business Representative gave a short history of contract residuals, how above-the-line guilds get them in their mailboxes, and the IATSE (Editors, Cinematographers, and TAG members among others) get residuals flowing in the health and pension plan. Regarding foreign levies, it was suggested that writers go to the WGA website and check shows and credits to see where they're listed. Also, to keep the WGA updated on shows written during the year.

* Story editors having supervisor status in the contract.

* Sharing pension/health benefits between guilds.

* Ulcer-inducing contract negotiations.

* TAG becoming a national union. TAG organizing studios in northern California and on the east coast.

* The benefits offered by the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan. How those benefits accrue to participants. ...

A lot of topics were covered in the two-hour session, and Vice-President Thomas kept the discussion moving.