Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1188730
26 C I N E M O N T A G E 1 will be your first day of employment. You should get paid for any 6th or 7th day worked in a 7-day period. Additionally, it is possible for your Day 1 to shift based on dates employed. Even as a non-regularly scheduled daily employee, you may end up in the situations described above. Ok, that's enough math for now. Put your fingers down! ■ must be paid as a 7th day. That's because … you guessed it: Monday is Your Day 1. Let's say the producer doesn't under- stand the above and thinks that they can pay you straight time for Saturday and Sunday. Did you make an agreement to be on a Friday through Tuesday work week? They're fine to employ you that way, but then they have to give you Wednesday and Thursday off (or pay your 6th and 7th days). T h e r e i s a l s o s h i f t e d w o r k w e e k language in many of the contracts. If an employer wants to shift your week from a Monday through Friday to a Tuesday through Saturday, they can. But they have to play by the rules. Because your Day 1 is set, an employer can't change it on a whim, just to avoid paying you for a 6th or 7th day. For those of you that are non-regular- ly scheduled daily employees, your Day Q. I'M AN ON-CALL EDITOR WORKING ON AN EPISODIC SERIES. THE POST PRODUCER KEEPS PRESSURING ME TO WORK FASTER BUT AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THE SCHEDULE DOESN'T DICTATE A NEED FOR ALL THIS PRESSURE. AND IT'S NOT HELPING ME WORK ANY FASTER, OR BETTER. DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW I CAN HANDLE THE SITUATION (AND THE POST PRODUCER)? F irst, I think it's always helpful to understand where the post producer is coming from. Try asking them to sit down and chat with you about why they are pressuring you to work faster. Is there something scheduled that you are unaware of? Are they running like mad to get something done so the rest of the schedule can be bearable? Next, try explaining how the rush is impacting your ability to turn over the best material possible to the director or producer. Is it their opinion that getting a lesser quality cut out quicker is worth the extra time that will be needed in the director's and producer's cuts? Finally, if you still have less time, make sure you let the powers that be know the time frame you were given to edit the cut, and that there may be more work needed than usual later in post. Keep it matter-of- fact: There is no reason to look like a Big Complainer … until you actively decide the time has come to be a Big Complainer. As difficult as it may be, try not to i n te r n a l i ze t h e s t re ss a n d p re ss u re someone may put on you. Do the best you can in the time you have, and let the producer worry about the implications that breakneck scheduling will have on an episode. It is also extremely import- ant to take your breaks, put in for meal penalties, and put all overtime worked on your timecards. If you hide these things from a studio, the schedule will never be corrected. ■ Got a burning question? Reach out to publications@editorsguild.com Remember, answers are general and cannot possibly cover all situations. Always call a Field Rep to discuss your specifics when needed. A S K T H E F I E L D R E P