Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1474752
by Yohannes Skoda As I write this article, I'm enjoying what could possibly be the best slice of strawberry rhubarb pie I've ever had, in a delightful cafe in Missoula, Montana. I hope you don't take that the wrong way. It's not meant to be a flex at all. For me it is simply another necessary marker along this incredible journey that began four years ago with me trying to join 695. It was the summer of 2018 and I was actively meeting as many mixers as possible while talking up the idea of hiring me as a fourth using the Y-16A trainee designation. Many mixers had never heard of the position and of the few that were familiar, none were terribly excited about asking production to spend more money. My dear friend, Ben Greaves, was working with Julian Howarth on the Avatar sequels at the time and had been talking to the producers about the possibility of bringing on an extra member of the Sound Department. In the fall of 2018, production agreed and I came on board Avatar as a trainee. Credit to Ben for his persistence and Julian for being open to the idea of bringing on a relatively green newcomer. Keep in mind at this point, there was no formal Local 695 Y-16A trainee program or anything like that, just the kernel of an idea. Here is where I'm going to take some space and time to go ahead and give Ben Greaves his flowers. He had a vision to use the Y-16A designation to do more than simply get an individual the requisite thirty union days to join 695. Ben understood that pushing me out into the workforce after thirty days would be doing me a grave disservice as I would not have the skills and the experience