It wasn't so long ago that a producer with a low-budget production,
after hearing stories of union picket lines and confrontations, would
ask, "How can I avoid the unions?" New production landscapes,
revised lower budget contracts, and an eagerness on the part of the
unions to negotiate a deal have changed the question to "How
can I appease the unions and my bottom line?" "The prudent
line producer wouldn't take a job unless that question is answered,"
says producer and former New York City film commissioner Richard Brick.
As the number of independent films in production swells, so does
the pressure for the unions to adjust and accommodate. The creation
of a Low-Budget Contract and the rebirth of the East Coast Council
has been the first major step in not only accommodating low-budget
productions, but in demystifying the process of producing a film
with union labor. States Chris Goode, who has co-produced numerous
indies with Kerry Orent, including Flirting with Disaster, "I
think there are strong reasons to go union. Not because they're
going to beat the shit out of you or make your employees walk off
the show. Generally they have better crews. And as you do bigger
pictures, you want a good relationship with them."
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