Craft Meeting #5 -- Animation Directors, Animation Checkers

Last night the fifth and final craft meeting took place in TAG's meeting hall. There was a good turnout of animation directors and checkers, and the first order of business was a veteran animation director's concerns about today's L.A. cartoon industry:

... Being referred to as "sheet timers" has had, from producers, an ill effect on us: 1) knowledge and respect for the work that we actually do. 2) The salary/ wages that we are paid reflective of that lack of knowledge.

Our job title should have always been "Animation Director," since that is what we actually do. We do not and have never TIMED X-SHEETS! What we DO is DIRECT the animation by Slugging (which is actually the portion of our work that should be called "timing.") We then Direct the animation action ( characters, effects, camera moves ) by scribing them onto X-Sheets; this is Animation Direction NOT Sheet Timing.

I don't know what other studios are doing this but, Warners, Hasbro and Marvel have taken the slugging portion away from us.
We are now given an animatic that we did not slug, with X-Sheets already "read" based on that animatic. We are then required to "make- it-work. That means as we are filling out the sheets, Directing the animation, we are, at the same time, slugging.

Unless we are fortunate enough to be "on staff" at a Union Contract Studio, earning a reasonable wage, we are, instead, picking up freelance work. That freelance work, as I believe you know, in reference to the amount of footage one is given/handed, varies. This is understood. The problem is that we are still being paid the same $3.00 per foot average for the past, what?... 25-30 YEARS!!!

On another serious note: For the first time in my career ( since 1977 ) I was ineligible for continued MPHW coverage due to the increase from 300 hours to 400 hours in a given qualifying period. With my banked hours applied, I fell short by 52 hours. Had this new 400 hour increase not be instituted, I would still have my wonderful MPHW coverage. ...

I explained that

* Seven years ago during IA-AMPTP negotiations, the Animation Guild's position was that the 300 hour contribution requirement should be maintained, but the IA decided to go to 400 hours instead of adding premium payments. (Note: Premiums for MPIPHP Health coverage were introduced in the last contract negotiation.)

* The title "Sheet Timer" was negotiated in the 1970s. And I detest the classification title.

* Footage rates can be eliminated through a disavowal in the next contract negotiation, since they're not in the guild contract but something that the studios conjured out of thin air. ...

There was a lengthy discussion about footage rates, and whether they helped or hurt animation directors. I said that eliminating footage rates would probably raise freelance wages by a small amount and increase the number of contribution hours into the Motion Picture Industry Health and Pension Plan. There were advocates for retaining footage rates, but more attendees appeared to be in favor of eliminating them and being paid the daily or weekly rate.

There were complaints about schedules, particularly freelance employees receiving 400 or 500 feet of work on Friday and being told "it needed to be in" by Monday.

There was a spirited back-and-forth about the use of animatics. And how animatics cut into timing directors' work. And how (in some cases) animatics eliminate timing directors' work altogether (and how studios often don't like the end-result of no timing, and then set about repairing the work by hiring ... animation directors). But whether or not animatics are useful and needed in the production process, it was generally conceded that studios like animatics, and they won't be going away.

SUMMARY OF SURVEYS

Median Timing Director Wage: $2198

Comments:

Schedules are most often too short -- pre-production pieces (board, design, etc.) are generally incomplete/inadequate -- mising info. -- little to no notes -- lack of informed people to answer questions!

Biggest issues working under TAG/IA contract: we wnat more money, more resonable schedules, and more job security.

Biggest issue under contract: Producers' wide discretion in firing.

Biggest issue: Raise footage rate and lower hourly rate used to convert footage to hours.

We need a footage minimum rate in the contract, subject to 2% increases.

Footage rates suck.

Freelance timing rate is unattractive to anyone talented enough to hire. Overtime is sometimes needed but never authorized.

Biggest issue: Footage rate should be $5 per foot with a 2% increase each year.

The time scheduled isn't really adequate but I make it work ...

The meeting lasted about an hour and a half, then continued another twenty minutes as people broke into small groups and continued talking.

Find a summary of all other craft meetings here.

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Craft Meeting #4 -- CG Artists, Tech Directors

The latest TAG craft meeting happened Tuesday night, with a lower turnout than has been usual. The topics discussed:

* The disappearance of VFX jobs; one CG artist noted that he used to move back and forth between union animation work and non-union visual effects work. He said the non-union work has decreased drastically.

* Speculation about Canadian how long the expansion of CG work in Canada and London would last. The business rep thought as long as the big tax subsidies are in place, CG work would continue to thrive north of the border, and that there are two ways the subsidies could end: 1) If Canadian voters tire of the tax rebates, deciding that the cost-benefit ratios are not there and so vote to end them. 2) If counter-failing U.S. tariffs are put in place and end the usefulness of the subsidies.

It was pointed out that countervailing tariffs against foreign subsidies would not prevent otter states in the U.S.A. from instituting tax subsidies of their own. ...

Comments from survey forms:

Overtime is needed and authorized. I rarely to never work unpaid overtime. If schedules are inadequate, I'm usually vocal about it.

The biggest issue with the Guild contract is is skewed heavily toward traditional issues; there's apathy among too many tiers per category.

One 3D category is insufficient to describe or reflect various titles. ... A layout or texture painter shouldn't be rate compared to a character animator with current multiple tiers. It is possible for "leads" in departments to not be the highest union ranking. Essentially you can have a higher-paid journey person being lead by a lower tier.

The union needs to promote itself to its 3-D members. It's crazy there are [so few] people at this meeting.

I work unpaid overtime twice a week. There aren't enough studios under TAG jurisdiction.

Find a summary of all other craft meetings here.

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Craft Meeting #3 -- Pre-Viz, Design, Background, Layout

TAG held its third craft meeting on Thursday night, with designers, layout and background artists, and pre-visualization artists in attendance. There were also some art directors and production designers in the room.

The Guild related that it disavowed the long-time practice of paying for piece work during the last contract negotiations. It also gave a short history of the most recent negotiations, and how current contract talks with the WGA, and recent contract talks with the DGA will impact IA and Animation Guild negotiaions next year. Attendees were asked to think about contract proposals they would like considered for next year's negotiattions. ...

There was a lively question-and-answer session. Some studios continue the practice of piece work; TAG has registered complaints with the AMPTP, and the Alliance put out a bulletin reminding studios of the guild's disavowal. Other issues discussed:

* High quotas and tight schedules.

* Uncompensated overtime.

* Cutbacks in design and layout jobs.

* Shifting/evolving technology. (Cintiqs in wide use.)

Highlights from the craft surveys:

SUMMARY OF SURVEY FORMS

Median Wage (Character/Prop Design, BG, Layout): $1942

Biggest issue for my peers seems to be working [unpaid] overtime or not being paid at the rate they feel they deserve. Unfortunately I have friends who will work all night to finish their background and not clock the hours.

Biggest issues are unpaid o.t. and no protection from outsourcing. (What about a flat piece-rate for tests? Getting paid something is better than nothing, regardless of actual test size/time spent.)

Time scheduled for the job is now adequate. I worked with my show's producer and the show's creator to make the job doable. A big issue is getting studios to be more proactive about working around holidays. My studio is good about extending schedules or paying extra to meeting original due dates. I am most concerned with studio manipulating inexperienced arits (and experienced ones) into doing extra work and double duty while eliminating jobs. Specifically, one studio has not been hiring cleanup artists and expecting character and prop designers to clean up their own work without extra pay or extra time. ... Show creators now approve the artwork and the studio should hire art directors to do the art direction.

Big issues for me are jobs going overseas and long hiatuses. Some new shows at Nickelodeon are trying to go with skeleton crews (nothing new there) which stresses out the people on the show. They scramble to get things done. Management hopes they won't say anything and do extra work (again, nothing new.)

Disney TVA puts burden on storyboard artists to create background layouts to to unrealistic schedules and lack of hiring efficient staff numbers. ...

Disney Toon Studio is changing its vendor and business model. This mean they are revising thing, not sure how it will work out.

Character tests are impossible. It takes a week to do a test and it's unpaid. Also concerned about how we have to do our own cleanup on some shows.

Crews keep getting smaller.

I was laid off from DreamWorks Animation last year. As a final layout artist, we also had to take on stereo adjustments for the 3-D versions of the movie. Layout was broken down into rough and final layout. Rough did more of the pre-viz, from boards to rough CG. Final layout did animation prep, set dressing, final camera moves and stereo adjust. Also a lot of push and pull with animation, FX and matte painters. The job would also include working or fixing the rough layout so it didn't have to be sent back to the rough layout artists. Also, I had to wait for the modeling department to model props and environments. So there is no limit to what I'm supposed to do for my job. It seemed like it was constantly expanding. ...

As at other meetings, it was stressed that a central issue is being paid for the actual time spent doing the job. If an artist is doing prop design, character design, pre-viz and layouts, the issue is not "doing multiple jobs" but getting compensated for every hour worked.

Find a summary of all other craft meetings here.
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Craft Meeting #2 - Writers

TAG Vice-President Jack Thomas shared this report about the Writers Craft Meeting held in the evening of the 25th:

The Writers Craft meeting was an interesting cross section of newer and more experienced writers.

These are some of the highlights of the discussion:

I was surprised how much talk there was about benefits. The more experienced writers were in favor of trying to find a way to cross apply hours with the WGA and/or self pay for pension and health on non- union jobs and the younger writers were wondering why it took so long for the union to find out about their hiring (and get their benefits.)

There seemed to be a general consensus that rates were too low and should be brought in line with what WGA writers receive, including the receipt of script fees along with weekly pay. There were also suggestions that we need to set minimums for bibles, treatments and other development materials.

People also seemed to agree that we needed to force timely payment of fees, especially to freelancers by establishing some sort of penalty system.

There was also a suggestion that board artists who work from outlines and write their own dialogue should be compensated at a higher rate. And the need for a rate for web content under four minutes was also identified. Also, the need for a specific “Story Editor” rate was disccussed

There was discussion of whether we should have a rule against accepting non-union work. No consensus was reached but it did seem that the majority abhorred the idea of split productions – productions that are part union and non-union.

Finally, there was a significant discussion of whether the union should become a national to better protect members outside LA County. Again this was not everything we discussed. If you have any questions or other topics you want to discuss feel free to email me at notjct-tag@yahoo.com

Find a summary of all other craft meetings here.

Jack Thomas
Vice President

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Craft Meeting #1 -- Board Artists

Six days ago, the Animation Guild held its first craft meeting, attended (mostly) by storyboard artists and revisionists. The discussion was energetic, and covered a wide range of work issues, among them:

1) Cramped work schedules.

2) The general corporate/department rule (with exceptions) that: "There's NO money in the budget for overtime, so DON'T ASK."

3) The issue of multi-tasking. Board artists today often have to A) Design, B) Be layout artists, C) Work as animatics editors, D) Pose out animation. ...

There was a filled union meeting hall last Tuesday, and almost everyone in it filled out a survey form which asked for salaries and specific complaints about different studios' work environments. In case you're wondering there were attendees from just about every union studio, including Cartoon Network, Bento Box, Nickelodeon, Disney and even a couple of non-guild studios.

For the salaries of board artists at the meeting, the median wage (excluding revisionists) was:

$2,116.65/ week

(By comparison, the 2013 wage survey listed a median salary of $1,962/week for television board artists and $2,200/week for feature storyboard artists. So there might have been an overall shift upward -- there are a lot more television board artists than feature artists -- in the past eight months, but nothing major.)

Here are highlights from comments from the surveys:

Studios should keep a consistent production schedule. Recently on our show they've made people do double length boards with only one extra week then taking away a week from the next board because "they took an extra week" on the prvious board. Also, my partner and I were offered only two weeks of hiatus if we completed our board in one less week than usual. Every other board team got two weeks without condition. ..."

Wish my show would accept rougher work. Not paid o.t. I work 48 hours per week, and work unpaid o.t. about every 3 weeks.

It would be good to have audio, designs and b.g.'s BEFORE we start a board. Need to have more allotted time for "non-storyboard work (animatics, designing, etc.)

I work 40 hours per week except for special circumstances." Our production schedule (prime time show) is realistic.

Hired as revisionist but did full-time storyboard work. Paid at scale. Actionws require more time: 5-6 weeks. No authorized overtime, work unpaid o.t.

I work on a premise show. First season 4 weeks to complete boards, expanded to 5 weeks second season. Before schedule was challenging.

Somebody who's never done the work has created the schedule. S.B. artists never have input on the time that's realistic. Writers should use a stop watch shen writing their scripts. They write (overlong) 16 page scripts for 11 minute segment.

With all the extra (non-storyboard) work, time not adequate. Two rounds ochanges only. I went through three times as many rounds of changes per episode.

Four weeks is simply not enough time to allow for late designs or other scheduling hiccups, not to mention script problems. Unless studio wants super rough drawing, it's very difficult without overtime.

If they want a show with mistakes and weaker stories, then the scheduling is realistic. If they want a good quality show, there needs to be more time.

We are not allowed to work rough. We are responsible for anitaatic. Show runner/writers plus executive give multiple and contradictory rounds of revisions, which artists much accommodate without any leeway in schedule. ... Shows getting more complicated. Many board artists have voluntarily stepped down toe revisionist due to stress of the jobs, and a starting to have to breakdown poses for timers.

We used to pitch 4 times per cycle. It's down to 2-3, which helps. Time is better spent boarding instead of preparing for intermediate pitches.

I'm able to take shortcuts; studio knows what is possible in alloted time, but they aren't flexible when we have holiday, delays and a complex script.

Schedules need to be adjusted for holidays. I don't understand how one is supposed to take a "holiday" with a board and still turn it in on time.

Storyboarders working off of scripts are not the same as boarders working off of premises. Most of us are premise based and therefore write jokes and dialogue for our episodes. We should be given credit as writers ...

Scripts are too long.

There's not enough time, especially for an action show. We need more time for action pages that call for more poses/drawing (which in turn are expected to be clean. Just more time: 8 week schedule.

I'm a revisionist on a prime-time show who regularly work overtime and isn't paid for it.

We need at least 2 revisionists per story team. Right now we are starting to hire a few. We have been asked multiple times if we can work weekends with overtime payments because execs give tons of notes on animatics, and the team never has time to do the work during the week!

There needs to be REMEDIAL TRAINING (myself included) on How-To-Be-A-Member of this union. Perhaps there is video tutoring available that demonstrates “what if” scenarios that production artists commonly face. The members I am in contact with are Re-active, and not PRO-active in problem-solving. ...

Find a summary of all other craft meetings here.
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