Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1277477
16 C I N E M O N T A G E A S K T H E F I E L D R E P who receive 1099s or work through a loanout company might not be eligible for unemployment because they are considered freelancers. If you think that's your situation, talk to your tax adviser. Keep in mind also that under the federal Pandemic Unemployment As- sistance program, some freelancers and independent contractors qualify for that type of assistance. Again, talk to a finan- cial adviser.) Now, if you're a W2 employee, that doesn't necessarily mean you are home free. You must meet the state eligibility requirements. That includes a minimum income threshold. You must be unem- ployed through no fault of your own (i.e., you weren't fired for cause) and you must be actively looking for new work. T h e u n e m p l o y m e n t o f f i c e ( i n California, it's EDD or Employment De- velopment Department in Sacramento at edd.ca.gov; in New York, go to https://dol. ny.gov/unemployment-insurance-con- tact) will determine whether you meet the qualifications by processing your claim. To start that process, go to the unemployment website and create an account if you don't already have one. Get ready to answer a bunch of ques- tions. Like, seriously – don't plan to catch up on your Netflix queue the afternoon you decide to fill this out. They are going to want to know details of every job you've had over the past year, including the company name and how much money you made. You're going to need pay stubs. Once you submit the claim online, you wait for an approval, and if that's granted and there are no hitches, it can take up to two weeks for the claim to be processed. The payout will be determined using your previous year's earnings, and the maximum you can get in California is $450 per week. In the olden times, you would get an Q: HOW DO I MAINTAIN MY PROFESSIONAL NETWORK OF CONTACTS IN A TIME OF PANDEMIC AND THE PRODUCTION SHUTDOWN? K e e p i n g u p y o u r n e t w o r k c a n be tough even in good times. It might be even harder in an envi- ronment when no one even knows when routine production will start again. But that doesn't mean you have to wait it out until the pandemic is over. Steps you take now can pay dividends later. Post-production is a relationship business. Like it or not, people often get hired on crews because of their past rela- tionship with this or that person. So, you have to stay in the game. Sitting at home doom-scrolling through coronavirus news stories on your smart- phone isn't going to help you do that. S o f i r s t , ge t o rga n i z e d . C re a te a spreadsheet of all your contacts, with details on how you met them, your last contact, and phone numbers and emails. Send out a "just checking in" email to between two and five people on the list every week. Don't overdo it and send so many emails that people feel like you're spamming them. Keep the messages brief, friendly, and professional. Mention that you were thinking of them and wondering what they're working on. Offer a detail or two about your most recent project. Try to avoid emails that have a "I'm out of work, hire me" vibe. While they may very well convey an accurate and pressing need, they also smack of des- peration, and they aren't exactly going to stand out in an environment where a lot of folks are unemployed. Again, patience pays. Remember unemployment check, but now you are typically paid through an EDD Bank of America account which you can access online and use to transfer funds to your b a n k a cco u n t . Th ey a l s o s e n d yo u a debit card you can use for withdrawls at an ATM. Two weeks from the date you file, you will receive a notice to file for another certification, which you can do until you find another job or until your benefits run out (which due to the pandemic is 39 weeks). Here's another reality to keep in mind: The enormous needs of the pandemic have left government offices scrambling to catch up. Many filers at EDD have com- plained of inordinately long phone waits, dropped calls, never-received benefits and the like. Long story short: Bring your patience and your optimism. You will need both. that growing professional relationships takes years. So don't be afraid to drop that director or producer a friendly line every few months. You might soon find yourself in your next great collaboration. ■ Got a question about your career? Reach out to Publications@editorsguild.com. To speak to a Guild Field Rep, dial (323) 876-4770.