Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/798465
DGA QUARTERLY 5 Dear Member: What is a season? Ask Hollywood, and they won't say weather—we barely have it here. Perhaps because we're so often shooting a Christmas episode in August or a summer picnic in February, we have our own version of seasonal affective disorder. And then there's the recently concluded awards season, which still leaves my heart beam- ing with pride. As Chairman of the DGA Awards, I may be just a bit biased about how smoothly our show went this year, but more importantly, I remain struck by how many of the winners took the time from the usual litany of thank-yous to their agents and managers to express how much their Guild means to them. This is no accident. It is the daily work of the Guild defend- ing and protecting their rights that means so much to all our members—Directors, ADs, UPMs, Associate Directors and Stage Managers. And that work isn't bound by borders in our increasingly global community. Our Guild has long recognized that issues facing directors in one part of the world affect all directors. Recently, I was fortunate to visit Sydney, Australia, as the guest of the Australian Directors Guild. The trip marked our support of their new Respect, Rights and Remuneration campaign seeking more recognition for Australian directors. The increasing international demand for high-quality television production has meant the role of the director is crucial in ensuring the success of new shows—and it is imperative that the pay and working conditions for all directors reflects that importance. In my tenure as president, I have met with many of our more than 1,000 members who live and work internationally, and I can attest to the fact that the concerns we have as directors (and members of the director's team) are shared worldwide. The need for solidarity to protect our creative and economic rights has been the touchstone of the Guild since its founding. That need for mutual support is a feeling perhaps best illuminated by our cover subject, the extraor- dinary British director Sam Mendes, who expressed in this issue's DGA Interview that the Guild is "magnificently direct, and it makes you feel like you are supported and protected in a way that is so specific and intuitive towards what a director's job is." And speaking of being specific and intuitive towards what a director's job is, let me close with a mention of another season—casting season, which pops up year-round. I am proud of the focus in this issue on director concerns about online casting in television. Most of us agree that "it's better in the room"—more respectful to actors, and better for directors to pick up the cues actors freely give between the lines. The piece on this subject wonderfully reflects the struggle to keep the director central to the choices that often determine his or her fate. And did I mention negotiation season? As you know, the DGA has finished our work on your behalf, now it is time to enjoy the fruits of your fellow members' labors. Best regards, Paris Barclay PHOTO: JEFFREY MOSIER P R E S I D E N T ' S L ETT E R