joining the union

[Daniel Madsen]

This question is an extension of sorts of "A Hypothetical Union Question", a post a few weeks back.

 

 

From reading the post I gathered you need a certain amount of paid documented hours to join the union as either a AC or DP. As a film student can I get a jump on these hours by being paid a dollar for each student film I work on? This is a hypothetical question as well. Even if it was possible, I should probably get more experience before joining.

[David Mullen ASC]

This question is an extension of sorts of "A Hypothetical Union Question", a post a few weeks back.

From reading the post I gathered you need a certain amount of paid documented hours to join the union as either a AC or DP. As a film student can I get a jump on these hours by being paid a dollar for each student film I work on? This is a hypothetical question as well. Even if it was possible, I should probably get more experience before joining.

 

Yes, you probably should. Remember that it costs $10,000 to join as a DP, plus over $1000 a year in dues, so you would join at a point in your career where you are getting paid enough, and have the potential to be offered union jobs, to be worth it financially. No point is joining right out of film school. Personally, I shot over 20 features before I joined, a decade after film school, although maybe that's a bit unusual.

 

I think Contract Services would find a dollar-a-day paycheck a bit suspicious. It's easier to prove when it's work that was paid through a payroll agency, rather than a personal check or hard cash. But save all the legitimate documentation you can. You may want to have an excess over the 100 days minimum if you think some of the days are questionable or debatable.