Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1446450
ANNIVERSARY ISSUE 33 to improve our industry. Working with colleges and high schools in underserved communities like the Inglewood School District, we are inspiring a more inclusive workforce for the future. We understand that if we want to see change in the industry and create more equitable opportunities for studios to hire a more diverse workforce, then we need to be a part of creating that hiring pipeline. C E L E B R AT I O N A N D S O L ID A R I T Y Every new effort is a way of strengthening the Guild and showing those outside Local 839 that we are a force to be reckoned with. While more mixers may not seem like a serious contribution on the surface, they are a way for members working at different studios to get to know one another. We network, yes. But we also strengthen our sense of community—not to mention celebrating who we are. Because celebrating is a crucial component of lifting our members up, Keyframe magazine was conceived to tell the story of the union, our crafts, and our members—both on and off the job. We want the "outside world" to know the significant value of our members not only within the animation industry, but across the entire entertainment industry. With celebration we bring our efforts full circle back to the core principle of any strong union: solidarity. The events, the workshops, the committees, the shout-outs—all of it has led to a greater desire to participate in organizing, as the last six months have shown. When it seemed that the Hollywood locals would go on strike, TAG mobilized in support. Our first-ever Tactical Action Group (TAG TAG) was born and instantly attracted hundreds of passionate, proud members with an eye to the future—for the benefit of Local 839 here in Los Angeles County and to ensure that the entire industry of artists across the United States have the same benefits and protections that we have worked so hard to achieve. opposite page, top: The crew at Bento Box shows their TAG Tuesday spirit, as do artists at Disney TV (bottom). this page, clockwise: Animation luminaries at TAG's "Championing Diversity" panel; Storyboard Artist Chris Paluszek; and TAG Tuesday for the Jurassic World crew at DreamWorks TV.