Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1313527
L E T T E R As I look back on this crazy year with the pandemic, social unrest, climate change, and a test on our political system, I am amazed at the resilience of the human spirit. The determination to push through obstacles and find hope in every nook and cranny then nurture it like a flame in the darkness. This time last year, I had been newly elected as President of The Animation Guild and my calendar was packed with meetings, work deadlines, and family obligations. News began to trickle in about a SARS-like virus spreading through China and parts of Europe but it all seemed so far away. In mid-February, I attended Officer Institute in Phoenix, a week-long leadership seminar offered by IATSE to all its union officers. My mind was filled with plans and I was energized with a long list of goals, some loftier than others. I was eager to get started on this agenda with the help of our newly elected Executive Board. Less than a month later, on March 13, L.A. County was placed on a Stay-at-Home order. Everything on my agenda came to an abrupt halt. Most of our members were able to continue to work from home, so the level of service the Guild provided would need to be maintained. Our Business Representative, Steve Kaplan, navigated through these rough seas beautifully. The animation industry was able to pivot quickly to work-from-home crews and most productions continued with little disruption. It is a completely different story for our union kin on the live action and live event side of the industry. Mid-March was when over 80% of IATSE members became unemployed with no end in sight. As it stands now, live entertainment won't be coming back until a vaccine is widely available. Live action TV and film production has slowly started to return but at great risk to the limited crews allowed to work. It makes me sad that almost everyone in my leadership training class in Phoenix has been out of work for months. I hope soon they all can return to some kind of normal. At the Guild, we slowly adjusted to a new way of business—conducting meetings, studio visits, and social events through Zoom. Personally, I feel that WFH has made it possible to juggle all my responsibilities a little easier. Although, I really do miss idle chit chat in the studio and getting to see my coworkers body language when we speak. Despite all these difficulties, we still managed to have some real successes. We created new committees and groups that reflect the diversity of our industry with the People of Color Committee, Experienced Worker Committee, and Workplace Equality Committee plus a Black Artists Group and a Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodiverse Voices Group. We've had remote portfolio reviews for members and people hoping to break into our industry. We've had remote visits to universities, high schools, and grade schools presenting a variety of people who have been successful in the animation industry to show those growing up in underserved communities that they have a path into a viable career. We have hosted a variety of well attended panels covering a wide range of topics like Getting Started in Animation, Animation at Every Age, Inside the Negotiations Room, and LatinX Heritage Panel. We had the largest delegation for our annual IATSE District 2 Convention, which was held remotely, and got four resolutions passed that will now move on to the national level. It's been a roller coaster of a year and I, for one, look forward to our bright future. In Solidarity, Jeanette Moreno King | President The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839 A MOST UNUSUAL YEAR ON THE COVER Cover photo of Joel Crawford by Tim Sullens. monitor, clockwise from top left: Jakob Jensen, Guy, Heidi Jo Gilbert, Eep, Januel Mercado, and Dawn.