Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1114369
sagaftra.org | Spring 2019 | SAG-AFTRA 33 Leading Change S AG-AFTRA isn't just looking out for members as the industry shifts, it's helping to lead that change. The union is constantly looking for ways to deploy technology to increase efficiency and better serve members. SAG-AFTRA has launched its Center for Business Innovation to identify and accelerate improvements for existing systems and processes within the union and industrywide. Led by Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Daniel Inukai, the Center aims to be a leader in adopting technology and is working internally and with external partners to identify ways to better serve members and work with signatories. The Center is expanding paperless and self-service processes to make interacting with SAG-AFTRA on-demand and 24/7 for many functions. It is also exploring ways to use machine learning to better understand and predict employment and compliance under the union's contracts. SAG-AFTRA recently completed the national rollout of its direct deposit program (see page 16), an initiative that involved multiple industry partners and required significant changes to the way performers are paid residuals. That followed a complete revamp of the union's website and a mobile app that gives members access to contract information and the latest news wherever they are, as well as providing an easy way to contact SAG-AFTRA in emergencies. To facilitate check-in at union-hosted events, a QR code has been printed on all membership cards; the analytics will also help the union better tailor future events to member needs. of the "record button." As the organization's national executive director, the responsibility for spotting upcoming trends and strategizing falls to White. His staff tracks not only the potential impact of new tech like that on display at CES, but also the seismic effect Silicon Valley giants such as Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google have had on the way members' work and how that work is distributed. "In the modern economy, knowledge truly is power. It's the reason SAG-AFTRA has focused its efforts in recent years on data collection and analysis. It gives us the tools to spot emerging trends and react before a potential problem can reach crisis levels. By acting early, it also lets us turn potential challenges into opportunities," said White. One way the union accomplishes this is through its contracts. For example, the collective bargaining agreements contain provisions preventing producers from using an actor's image without their consent in a production other than the one for which they were hired. Producers also can't use digital doubles of a performer except under certain limited circumstances. On the broadcast side, the union often places limitations on employers over the use of "voice tracking," or prerecording radio shows. Employers frequently use voice tracking to keep staff to a minimum. Another avenue is through strengthening right-of- publicity laws. SAG-AFTRA's leaders are working with legislators to expand protections for actors when it comes to the use of their images. "For many SAG-AFTRA members, our images and our voices are our livelihoods, and we should have the right to control them," said Damon. Damon, who is also the New York Local President, has been leading efforts to reform right-of-publicity laws in the Empire State and was also appointed by Carteris to lead internal member-focused technology and advancements. "We spend a lifetime building our brand, and it is profoundly unfair for others to profit off that without our permission." SAG-AFTRA leadership is working with lawmakers in California to pass legislation prohibiting the digital creation of nude or sexually explicit material without consent. In New York, the union is advocating for a law that would tackle digital image rights broadly, including barring digital performances without permission. As the industry changes, no one can predict the future, but by staying abreast of the latest innovations, working with the young visionaries who utilize this technology and carefully observing trends, SAG-AFTRA leadership is working to prepare the union for the world of tomorrow.