Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/33797
ON LOCATION REGIONAL BRANCH DIVISION In My Opinion: David Hartley-Margolin 3rd National Vice President The recent actions by the SAG and AFTRA National Boards to mount a collaborative effort to create an institution dedicated to protecting the interests of all media workers bring us closer to realizing the vision many members have tenaciously embraced for decades. Stay tuned as a structure is developed over the coming months and more details become available. We are finally, finally, seeing the light at the end of a very long tunnel. T Congratulations to our 2011 Howard Keel Award recipients, Dan Fitzgerald from the Florida Branch and Will Lyman from the Boston Branch. Dan and Will have provided hours and energy shepherding the interests of the members of the Regional Branch Division. Dan and Will have served on the National Board of SAG and in their respective branches. Thanks Dan Fitzgerald and Will Lyman for stepping up as shining examples of the contributions members from outside Hollywood and New York make to our Guild. The Howard Keel Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Regional Branch Division, is presented each spring at the Regional Branch Conference. This year’s conference was held in Orlando. A tip of the hat to the Florida Branch for making this year’s Regional Branch Conference vibrant and memorable. Meanwhile, an ominous threat is abroad in the land. The anti-union, anti-middle class politics afoot in places like Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Oklahoma are part of an attack not only on unionized public employees, but on the right of all citizens to freely choose the path to empowerment and a better life by way of the collective bargaining process — the heart of unionism. The influence of unions and unionism affects all workers, whether members or not. Do non-union employees realize their wages and benefits are quite possibly a direct result of unions and unionism? Do they comprehend the irony of decent wages and working conditions being provided them because employers are scared to death their employees will organize? Union-busting is not a new phenomenon. The question is, what can we do about it? Yes, we can organize. Yes, we can support labor by rallying at capitol buildings. Yes, we can write letters to the editor, blog and sound off on talk radio. But if we do not become involved in the rudimentary process of voicing our opinions by voting, all else will be for naught. Onward. Together. DHM he process of unifying SAG and AFTRA into a new successor union continues to significantly move forward. San Francisco a Popular Filming Locale more recent hits, such as Milk. This year alone, the City by the Bay has had several productions S in town: Contagion, a sci-fi/action/thriller starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet and Gwyneth Paltrow, filmed for a week in San Francisco at various locations, including the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and Candlestick Park; J.J. Abrams shot various scenes for his television pilot Alcatraz here; and the HBO TV- movie Hemingway & Gellhorn, directed by San Francisco resident Philip Kaufman, began a nine-week shoot at the end of February and was filmed entirely in and around San Francisco. According to San Francisco Film Commissioner Susannah Greason Robbins, by the end of January, local film, television and commercial production was up 54 percent compared with the same time period last year. “It’s a great way to start out this new year,” she said. “But I think it’s only a small part of what we can expect to see for the rest of 2011.” Branch Conservatory open to middle school and high school students who are serious about learning the fundamentals of a professional acting career. The program, launched January 20, aims to help participants build a solid foundation of technique, hard work and industry awareness — all essential for a performer in the world of show business. It is also the intention that all workshops will involve New CADETs Are Off the Ground C ADET — Cultivating Actors with Direction, Experience and Training — is a pilot program of the Detroit professional SAG members who serve as mentors to the students. A nominal fee is collected in order to cover the cost of the programming, and a conservatory membership card is given to each CADET member, although it does not constitute membership in Screen Actors Guild. Nearly 40 students now hold a CADET card. “It’s not just about the programming,” states Marcia Fishman, Detroit Branch executive. “It’s also about the practice of paying ‘dues’ and receiving a card. And it is about carrying that card with pride. We need to start such practices at a young age so that the choice to join the union — when eligible — is a more automatic positive choice than it might have been without the experience.” Council member Ele Bardha and Russell Flatt, first student to sign up as a CADET, get ready to cut the celebratory cake. 40 SCREEN ACTOR - Spring 2011 SAG.org an Francisco has been home to many film productions throughout the years, from classics like The Maltese Falcon to