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Those guilds are incredibly hard to break into. They're also why Georgia has been able to mop up all of the non union work. For better or for worse, they do the

Those guilds are incredibly hard to break into. They're also why Georgia has been able to mop up all of the non union work. For better or for worse, they do their job but out of state scabs are a huge problem keeping industry work in LA.

thebradbain 4y ago
Oh I agree! I think the guilds are great to its membership in general, but breaking in is itself a battle. Tech doesn’t need to copy Hollywood exactly (nor should it), but there’s a lot that can be learned from it.
- Aunche 4y ago
  Unions aren't a hack that let you subvert supply and demand. The "bad" parts of unions are what give it power. Without excluding an out-group, you're left with a useless bureaucracy. For Hollywood, I think this is a necessary "evil" because the market rate for creative jobs is likely close to working making $0 for 80 hour work weeks. However, this isn't the same for tech.
  - thebradbain 4y ago
    Well, an important distinction in Hollywood versus my understanding of most other unions is that being a part of a guild does not guarantee you a job (though it is a prerequisite for many of them): You still need to be hired by a production, who chooses to work with you and sets your rate. The guild just provides a guarantee of pay floor, hours, conditions, healthcare, etc across and transcending individual companies. So the guilds could theoretically let in as many people as they wanted without diluting supply and demand, because membership does not mean actively working. The Guild system is unique because its as much as a credentialing system as a union, which is why I think it works.
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  - Apocryphon 4y ago
    > Unions aren't a hack that let you subvert supply and demand. The "bad" parts of unions are what give it power. Without excluding an out-group, you're left with a useless bureaucracy. So much of tech in the past few decades have been about hacking regulation. Why is it when it comes to labor power, it's suddenly an impossibility? > However, this isn't the same for tech. Video games are notoriously underpaid and overworked, due to it being a body pit for the passionate. But that's a specific tech niche, sure.
ghaff 4y ago
The guilds are also good for helping to prevent too much of a race to the bottom for those who can break in and get work. They're less good for preventing people from having to wait tables between running out for auditions while waiting for their "big break."
Finnucane 4y ago
One wonders if this has something to do with managerial hate for remote work. If the boss wants to move his production from a high-age area to a lower-wage area, the workers can't do much about it if their mobility is limited. For film and tv, you need people on set, but if your job is a desk job that can be done from anywhere, and you can get work from anywhere, you get some of that control back.
- deleted 4y ago
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gamblor956 4y ago
The Hollywood Guild contracts are between the guilds and the studios, so the filming location doesn't matter. Even international shoots are subject to the guild agreements. Georgia didn't mop up any non-union filming work. The state decided to hand out a lot of tax credits for filming in Georgia, and that's the only reason studios film there.

thebradbain 4y ago

Oh I agree! I think the guilds are great to its membership in general, but breaking in is itself a battle. Tech doesn’t need to copy Hollywood exactly (nor should it), but there’s a lot that can be learned from it.

Aunche 4y ago
Unions aren't a hack that let you subvert supply and demand. The "bad" parts of unions are what give it power. Without excluding an out-group, you're left with a useless bureaucracy. For Hollywood, I think this is a necessary "evil" because the market rate for creative jobs is likely close to working making $0 for 80 hour work weeks. However, this isn't the same for tech.
- thebradbain 4y ago
  Well, an important distinction in Hollywood versus my understanding of most other unions is that being a part of a guild does not guarantee you a job (though it is a prerequisite for many of them): You still need to be hired by a production, who chooses to work with you and sets your rate. The guild just provides a guarantee of pay floor, hours, conditions, healthcare, etc across and transcending individual companies. So the guilds could theoretically let in as many people as they wanted without diluting supply and demand, because membership does not mean actively working. The Guild system is unique because its as much as a credentialing system as a union, which is why I think it works.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- Apocryphon 4y ago
  > Unions aren't a hack that let you subvert supply and demand. The "bad" parts of unions are what give it power. Without excluding an out-group, you're left with a useless bureaucracy. So much of tech in the past few decades have been about hacking regulation. Why is it when it comes to labor power, it's suddenly an impossibility? > However, this isn't the same for tech. Video games are notoriously underpaid and overworked, due to it being a body pit for the passionate. But that's a specific tech niche, sure.

ghaff 4y ago

The guilds are also good for helping to prevent too much of a race to the bottom for those who can break in and get work. They're less good for preventing people from having to wait tables between running out for auditions while waiting for their "big break."

Finnucane 4y ago

One wonders if this has something to do with managerial hate for remote work. If the boss wants to move his production from a high-age area to a lower-wage area, the workers can't do much about it if their mobility is limited. For film and tv, you need people on set, but if your job is a desk job that can be done from anywhere, and you can get work from anywhere, you get some of that control back.

deleted 4y ago
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gamblor956 4y ago

The Hollywood Guild contracts are between the guilds and the studios, so the filming location doesn't matter. Even international shoots are subject to the guild agreements. Georgia didn't mop up any non-union filming work. The state decided to hand out a lot of tax credits for filming in Georgia, and that's the only reason studios film there.