DGA Monthly

J U N E 2 0 2 4 I 3 5 On April 27, the DGA's San Francisco Coordinating Committee (SFCC) welcomed members from all categories to the 2024 edition of their Annual General Membership Meeting and Reception. Bay Area Guild members assembled at San Francisco's McCormick & Kuletos, where SFCC Chair Jason Halley welcomed the attendees. After Halley's welcome, DGA Director of Commercial Contracts Winona Wacker, the staff liaison for the Committee, reported on the membership and production in the Bay Area as well as a review of the gains of the most recent round of commercial negotiations. Wacker then turned proceedings over to the day's special guest speaker, DGA Associate National Executive Director/Western Executive Director Rebecca Rhine, who delivered a report on the state of the Guild, including the continuing rollout of the new contract provisions and the DGA Outreach Team's efforts to educate the membership about the new terms. Rhine also discussed some of the DGA's legislative efforts including the Guild's support of the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act recently introduced by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), and gave an update on the IA and Teamsters negotiations. After Rhine's briefi ng, the offi cial business concluded with the nomination and election of candidates for the SFCC Executive Committee. Director Ted Leonard, UPM Gerald Olson and 2nd ADs John Morse and Cindy Taylor were elected to serve until 2026. Continuing to serve on the SFCC Executive Committee until 2025 are Director Amyn Kaderali, 1st ADs Rachel Caproni and Bryan Gildner and 2nd ADs Jason Halley and Jerremy Stewart. This was followed by the elections for Offi cers, Jason Halley will continue as Chair, Rachel Caproni will continue as Vice-Chair, and newly-elected Cindy Taylor will take on the Secretary position for the year 2024-2025. photo: Bay Area members and DGA Staff pose for a group photo during the 2024 San Francisco Coordinating Committee General Membership Meeting. photo by Lawrence Gerald See more detailed descriptions, additional photos and video, where available, online at www.dga.org. DGA Events Roundup The NCAA Division I basketball championship tournaments — also known as "March Madness" — is one of the most popular live sporting events on live television. On April 17, DGA members tuned in online to learn from the experts who work tirelessly to bring these games to the airwaves during the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee event, Capturing March Madness. In a conversation illustrated by clips from the tournament and moderated by Associate Director/Eastern Region Special Projects Committee member Alanna Campbell, CBS Sports Directors Mark Grant, Robert Matina and Suzanne Smith, Associate Directors Judith Colonna and Sarah Rinaldi, and 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award in Direction Television Award recipient Robert Fishman shared a play-by-play of how they take the competition from the courts to the screen. Fishman recalled the challenges when he directed the fi rst NCAA tournament games to air on CBS in 1982. "It was the dark ages of the tournament for sure in terms of the equipment we had. Thinking back, it was pretty simple. We probably had no more than seven cameras." Grant explained how he balances the technology now available versus telling the story the way it needs to be told. "When you get to the Final Four, it is like College Basketball on steroids. You have all these cameras; sky cams; drones, rail cams, cameras in the tunnel. But the worst thing I can do is be on a camera shot and miss an inbound steal or a turnover or free throw to showcase some equipment." Smith highlighted the importance of maintaining high level coverage. "I always try to remember, for these kids and these schools and the parents at home, this is the biggest day of their lives, so you need to treat every game that way. It's a responsibility to make sure you show the game and not overdo things." Matina expounded on what makes the tournament a national spectacle. "People who are not basketball fans become fans during the tournament. People who are not even sports fans fi ll out their brackets and become fans during the tournament. That's part of what makes it this national experience." Colonna described her AD work on the Friday shows that cover the open practice sessions during Final Four weekend. "It's a great opportunity for people who are and are not there to experience the teams like they haven't before. It's another way for the people at home to feel really connected." Rinaldi shared she sees her task is to support all the people on the screen. "I'm always seeing my job as getting people a little more enthusiastic and invested in the live games that are unfolding." Image: L-R Top Row: Directors Robert Fishman, Mark Grant, Robert Matina and Suzanne Smith. Bottom Row: Associate Directors Judith Colonna, Sarah Rinaldi and Alanna Campbell (moderator). Capturing March Madness An Eastern Region Special Projects Committee Virtual Event 2024 Annual General Membership Meeting A San Francisco Coordinating Committee Event

• Cover