The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, has been voluntarily recognized as the bargaining representative of 129 artists and production workers at Powerhouse Animation in Austin, Texas. The guild called it an “historic voluntary agreement.”
According to the guild, “This marks a significant moment for the animation industry, as Texas becomes the first right-to-work state and second state outside of California to have union-represented animation workers.” Last month, guild members ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with Titmouse Studio in New York.
The guild and the company will next engage in collective bargaining for a first-time contract. According to the company, “We have worked in almost every style of traditional animation, from gritty anime to feature animation to web-based cartoon animation. Powerhouse has been trusted with some of the world’s most important brands: Castlevania, Masters of the Universe, Mickey Mouse, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics characters.”
“Representing the Powerhouse artistic and production...
According to the guild, “This marks a significant moment for the animation industry, as Texas becomes the first right-to-work state and second state outside of California to have union-represented animation workers.” Last month, guild members ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with Titmouse Studio in New York.
The guild and the company will next engage in collective bargaining for a first-time contract. According to the company, “We have worked in almost every style of traditional animation, from gritty anime to feature animation to web-based cartoon animation. Powerhouse has been trusted with some of the world’s most important brands: Castlevania, Masters of the Universe, Mickey Mouse, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics characters.”
“Representing the Powerhouse artistic and production...
- 7/7/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The Animation Guild has succeeded in its bid to establish a union in Texas.
Austin-headquartered Powerhouse Animation Studios (Castlevania, Sonic Frontiers: Divergence) has voluntarily recognized a bargaining unit of 129 artists and production workers that sought to join the IATSE Local, the union announced Thursday. Tag first started unionizing animation studios outside of L.A. County in 2022 with its push at Harriet the Spy studio Titmouse New York, but its new union at Powerhouse Animation marks its first in a so-called right-to-work state.
The union and Powerhouse Animation management will now work on agreeing to their first contract covering a wide swath of workers, from background designers to production assistants to animators.
“Representing the Powerhouse artistic and production staff further solidifies The Animation Guild as the union setting the standard for workplace conditions in the animation industry,” Tag business representative Steve Kaplan said in a statement. Of the Powerhouse Animation leadership,...
Austin-headquartered Powerhouse Animation Studios (Castlevania, Sonic Frontiers: Divergence) has voluntarily recognized a bargaining unit of 129 artists and production workers that sought to join the IATSE Local, the union announced Thursday. Tag first started unionizing animation studios outside of L.A. County in 2022 with its push at Harriet the Spy studio Titmouse New York, but its new union at Powerhouse Animation marks its first in a so-called right-to-work state.
The union and Powerhouse Animation management will now work on agreeing to their first contract covering a wide swath of workers, from background designers to production assistants to animators.
“Representing the Powerhouse artistic and production staff further solidifies The Animation Guild as the union setting the standard for workplace conditions in the animation industry,” Tag business representative Steve Kaplan said in a statement. Of the Powerhouse Animation leadership,...
- 7/7/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
In a sign of support for the union’s latest contract and growth, Jeanette Moreno King has been re-elected president of The Animation Guild, the IATSE Local announced on Monday.
Steve Kaplan was also re-elected business representative and Paula Spence was reappointed recording secretary in Tag’s latest Guild Officers and Executive Board election. Teri Hendrich Cusumano was elected vice president and Danny Ducker was selected as sergeant-at-arms. After voting opened on Oct. 24 for Tag members, ballots were counted and certified on Saturday, with the process supervised by the Aaa.
“We accomplished much during the last three years — organizing production staff, expanding to a national union, big gains in our last contract negotiations, and all during a pandemic and social and political unrest,” Moreno King said in a statement on Monday. “The fact that I get to keep representing this amazing community for...
In a sign of support for the union’s latest contract and growth, Jeanette Moreno King has been re-elected president of The Animation Guild, the IATSE Local announced on Monday.
Steve Kaplan was also re-elected business representative and Paula Spence was reappointed recording secretary in Tag’s latest Guild Officers and Executive Board election. Teri Hendrich Cusumano was elected vice president and Danny Ducker was selected as sergeant-at-arms. After voting opened on Oct. 24 for Tag members, ballots were counted and certified on Saturday, with the process supervised by the Aaa.
“We accomplished much during the last three years — organizing production staff, expanding to a national union, big gains in our last contract negotiations, and all during a pandemic and social and political unrest,” Moreno King said in a statement on Monday. “The fact that I get to keep representing this amazing community for...
- 11/14/2022
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
The Animation Guild has organized another set of animation production workers, this time at Bento Box Entertainment.
A group of unionizing production workers at the Bob’s Burgers and Central Park studio was voluntarily recognized after a third-party arbitrator completed a card check on Sept. 30, a Guild representative told The Hollywood Reporter. The bargaining unit of 100 workers includes those in audio coordinator, development and design supervisor, digital supervisor, writers assistant and production coordinator roles, among others.
The Animation Guild first announced the news on Monday in a tweet. “Production workers @BentoBoxEnt are now officially represented by the #AnimationGuild. Let’s show them a big welcome to the #Union! Congrats!,” the tweet read.
A representative for Bento Box Entertainment said the company had no comment.
The news arrives just months after 15 editorial employees in pre- and postproduction at Bento Box Entertainment unionized with The Editors Guild,...
The Animation Guild has organized another set of animation production workers, this time at Bento Box Entertainment.
A group of unionizing production workers at the Bob’s Burgers and Central Park studio was voluntarily recognized after a third-party arbitrator completed a card check on Sept. 30, a Guild representative told The Hollywood Reporter. The bargaining unit of 100 workers includes those in audio coordinator, development and design supervisor, digital supervisor, writers assistant and production coordinator roles, among others.
The Animation Guild first announced the news on Monday in a tweet. “Production workers @BentoBoxEnt are now officially represented by the #AnimationGuild. Let’s show them a big welcome to the #Union! Congrats!,” the tweet read.
A representative for Bento Box Entertainment said the company had no comment.
The news arrives just months after 15 editorial employees in pre- and postproduction at Bento Box Entertainment unionized with The Editors Guild,...
- 10/4/2022
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
In January, The Animation Guild announced a twofold breakthrough: By unionizing Harriet the Spy studio Titmouse New York, the IATSE local had not only initiated an expansion outside of Los Angeles County, it had also organized production staff for the first time in recent history. Since then, Tag has unveiled new organizing campaigns of production workers at a rate of practically one a month — at the shows Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites, at studios Titmouse L.A. and ShadowMachine and, on June 2, at The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad! (Before organizing production staff, Tag represented a number of animation workers at these latter employers.)
This campaign — targeting production managers, production supervisors, production coordinators, production assistants and writers assistants, among others, all of whom help move artwork and scenes and facilitate communications between departments — has so far paid off for the union.
In January, The Animation Guild announced a twofold breakthrough: By unionizing Harriet the Spy studio Titmouse New York, the IATSE local had not only initiated an expansion outside of Los Angeles County, it had also organized production staff for the first time in recent history. Since then, Tag has unveiled new organizing campaigns of production workers at a rate of practically one a month — at the shows Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites, at studios Titmouse L.A. and ShadowMachine and, on June 2, at The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad! (Before organizing production staff, Tag represented a number of animation workers at these latter employers.)
This campaign — targeting production managers, production supervisors, production coordinators, production assistants and writers assistants, among others, all of whom help move artwork and scenes and facilitate communications between departments — has so far paid off for the union.
- 6/16/2022
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have drawn up a tentative agreement on a new film and television contract. The deal comes after a month’s worth of total negotiation days since November.
The guild’s current contract had originally been set to expire last July 29 but was extended to October 30 and then extended again to allow IATSE to work out a film and TV deal with the AMPTP that narrowly averted the first industry-wide strike in the union’s history.
“I am incredibly proud of The Animation Guild members who volunteered their time and energy to the Negotiations Committee,” the guild’s business rep Steve Kaplan said today. :The proposals we brought to the employers focused on making the work lives of our members better, and we have made significant progress towards achieving those goals.”
Going into those negotiations, leaders of...
The guild’s current contract had originally been set to expire last July 29 but was extended to October 30 and then extended again to allow IATSE to work out a film and TV deal with the AMPTP that narrowly averted the first industry-wide strike in the union’s history.
“I am incredibly proud of The Animation Guild members who volunteered their time and energy to the Negotiations Committee,” the guild’s business rep Steve Kaplan said today. :The proposals we brought to the employers focused on making the work lives of our members better, and we have made significant progress towards achieving those goals.”
Going into those negotiations, leaders of...
- 5/27/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Animation Guild (Tag), IATSE Local 839, has reached a new tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the guild announced on Friday.
The new pact includes retroactive wage increases as well as better terms for writers and new media projects. While details on the new pay structure were not immediately disclosed by the Animation Guild, bridging the pay gap for writers between animation and live-action was a key demand by the union, which for decades has worked under a lower pay scale than the one negotiated by the Writers Guild of America.
Additionally, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will be a covered holiday, and a Labor-Management Cooperative Committee was created “to address studio specific issues and paving a path forward for Union-covered remote work.” Animators who spoke to TheWrap said that many animation projects in recent years have required animators to take on work in...
The new pact includes retroactive wage increases as well as better terms for writers and new media projects. While details on the new pay structure were not immediately disclosed by the Animation Guild, bridging the pay gap for writers between animation and live-action was a key demand by the union, which for decades has worked under a lower pay scale than the one negotiated by the Writers Guild of America.
Additionally, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will be a covered holiday, and a Labor-Management Cooperative Committee was created “to address studio specific issues and paving a path forward for Union-covered remote work.” Animators who spoke to TheWrap said that many animation projects in recent years have required animators to take on work in...
- 5/27/2022
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Up until March, writer-director Jorge Gutiérrez was “someone who basically used to live at the office.” Since shifting to a work-from-home setup amid the pandemic, he has been able to have lunch with his wife and 10-year-old son every day, all the while continuing to work on his animated Netflix project “Maya and the Three,” a Mesoamerican epic that he likes to call “‘Lord of the Rings’ with brown people.”
“It’s weird — it’s almost like we’ve been training for this for years, and our time has finally come,” says Gutierrez. “We’re so used to working with studios all over the world, and a lot of times we work with artists all over the world. It’s a remote business and there are no sets — everybody’s drawing, and it all comes together on the computer. So we’re kind of set up for this.”
The animation...
“It’s weird — it’s almost like we’ve been training for this for years, and our time has finally come,” says Gutierrez. “We’re so used to working with studios all over the world, and a lot of times we work with artists all over the world. It’s a remote business and there are no sets — everybody’s drawing, and it all comes together on the computer. So we’re kind of set up for this.”
The animation...
- 5/27/2020
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
The Covid-19 pandemic has completely frozen live-action filming in Hollywood. But thanks to technological advances, the animation industry has been a completely different story. Animation studios — including Pixar, Warner Animation Group and Illumination — have been able to continue their work remotely. This means that production on upcoming films like “Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” and “Tom & Jerry” has been able to move forward with minimal delays. And perhaps even more importantly, this means that animators have largely been spared from the wave of furloughs and layoffs that have beset many industries both in Hollywood and around the world. “Animation work can be seasonal and layoffs do happen during the natural course of production. But we are not seeing substantial layoffs due to the coronavirus,” Steve Kaplan, Business Representative of The Animation Guild, Iatse Local 839, told TheWrap. “In fact, we continue to sign up new members...
- 5/21/2020
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
The Animation Guild, Iatse Local 839, has new leadership, including 10 new members of its executive board. Steve Kaplan, running unopposed, recently was elected business rep, and Jeanette Moreno King, the local’s former veep, was elected president. Jason MacLeod, the local’s former business rep, did not seek reelection.
A total of 912 ballots were cast, representing 24% of the guild’s eligible membership. Founded in 1952, the Animation Guild represents more than 5,000 artists, writers and technicians in the animation industry.
Kaplan, the new business rep, served as guild’s in-house organizer from 2010-15 until accepting a position with Iatse, where he was charged with organizing visual effects and non-traditional motion picture and television production work, including animation. During that time, he continued to serve on the guild’s Executive Board and as a trustee before returning to guild as a field representative in early 2019.
President Moreno King is a 25-year veteran of the animation industry.
A total of 912 ballots were cast, representing 24% of the guild’s eligible membership. Founded in 1952, the Animation Guild represents more than 5,000 artists, writers and technicians in the animation industry.
Kaplan, the new business rep, served as guild’s in-house organizer from 2010-15 until accepting a position with Iatse, where he was charged with organizing visual effects and non-traditional motion picture and television production work, including animation. During that time, he continued to serve on the guild’s Executive Board and as a trustee before returning to guild as a field representative in early 2019.
President Moreno King is a 25-year veteran of the animation industry.
- 12/18/2019
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The Heckler, an Australian comedy from first-time feature director Ben Plazzer and writer Steve Mitchell, has won the best ensemble award at the La Comedy Festival.
The privately-funded film stars Simon Mallory as Steve, a fame-hungry, self-absorbed stand-up comedian who is on the brink of cracking the big league when he accidentally kills Mike (Cj Fortuna), a heckler and jealous wannabe comic.
Mike.s spirit jumps into Steve.s body and sets out to ruin his reputation by performing disastrous, unfunny stand-up routines. Steve must try to repossess his body before Mike destroys his relationships, his finances and his one shot at fame, the Ultimate Funniest Comedian contest.
Mallory and Fortuna were on hand to accept the award on behalf of the cast, which includes Kate Jenkinson, Emily Taheny, Tony Martin, Jeff Green, Dave Lawson and Scott Harrison.
Hollywood comedy guru Steve Kaplan, author of The Hidden Tools of Comedy,...
The privately-funded film stars Simon Mallory as Steve, a fame-hungry, self-absorbed stand-up comedian who is on the brink of cracking the big league when he accidentally kills Mike (Cj Fortuna), a heckler and jealous wannabe comic.
Mike.s spirit jumps into Steve.s body and sets out to ruin his reputation by performing disastrous, unfunny stand-up routines. Steve must try to repossess his body before Mike destroys his relationships, his finances and his one shot at fame, the Ultimate Funniest Comedian contest.
Mallory and Fortuna were on hand to accept the award on behalf of the cast, which includes Kate Jenkinson, Emily Taheny, Tony Martin, Jeff Green, Dave Lawson and Scott Harrison.
Hollywood comedy guru Steve Kaplan, author of The Hidden Tools of Comedy,...
- 12/15/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Animation work in Southern California is booming, hitting an all-time high last year and showing no signs of slowing down. Jobs data collected by the Animation Guild shows that more than 3,350 people were working in its jurisdiction last year, more than ever before. “We’re in an upward jobs spiral,” said Steve Hulett, business rep of Iatse Animation Guild Local 839. “As more animation product is created that makes money and profits, more producers want to get into the act, and producers already in are increasing the amount of work they’re doing, so you have more work created and more employment.” Steve Kaplan, the guild’s organizer, said about half the work was on animated features, which saw their biggest box office ever in 2013, with four of them – Frozen, Despicable Me 2, Monsters University and The Croods — combined to pull in about $3.5 billion worldwide. Jobs in TV animation are also on the rise.
- 5/13/2014
- by ERIK PEDERSEN
- Deadline TV
Reuters ‘Once’ with Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti.
In a diverse theater season with no clear frontrunner, the Tony Award nominations announced Tuesday morning swept across the board, with nods to major star vehicles like “Death of a Salesman,” offbeat newcomers including the new musical “Once,” work by Broadway veterans such as “Nice Work If You Can Get It” and classic revivals with “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.”
As expected, “Death of a Salesman” scored big. The play with a...
In a diverse theater season with no clear frontrunner, the Tony Award nominations announced Tuesday morning swept across the board, with nods to major star vehicles like “Death of a Salesman,” offbeat newcomers including the new musical “Once,” work by Broadway veterans such as “Nice Work If You Can Get It” and classic revivals with “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.”
As expected, “Death of a Salesman” scored big. The play with a...
- 5/1/2012
- by Ellen Gamerman
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Seventeen feature films have received support for development by Screen Australia, with a spend totalling $500,000.
The productions include projects involving Emile Sherman, Johnathan Teplitzky, Helen Pankhurst and Jan Sardi.
Martha Coleman, Screen Australia’s head of development, said: “I’m proud of our association with this compelling group of feature projects by such talented filmmaking teams. The quality and range of projects we are seeing is hugely inspiring and our development team care passionately about assisting the filmmakers we are working with to achieve the best possible version of their story. This is a very exciting time.”
Projects include:
Tim Winton’s best selling surfing story, Breath will get an adaptation by Simon Baker producing with Jamie Hilton and Mark Johnson and written by Peter Duncan. Four comedies have received funding including Ali’s Wedding, written by Osamah Sami and Andrew Knight will be developed by producers Helen Panckhurst, Michael McMahon...
The productions include projects involving Emile Sherman, Johnathan Teplitzky, Helen Pankhurst and Jan Sardi.
Martha Coleman, Screen Australia’s head of development, said: “I’m proud of our association with this compelling group of feature projects by such talented filmmaking teams. The quality and range of projects we are seeing is hugely inspiring and our development team care passionately about assisting the filmmakers we are working with to achieve the best possible version of their story. This is a very exciting time.”
Projects include:
Tim Winton’s best selling surfing story, Breath will get an adaptation by Simon Baker producing with Jamie Hilton and Mark Johnson and written by Peter Duncan. Four comedies have received funding including Ali’s Wedding, written by Osamah Sami and Andrew Knight will be developed by producers Helen Panckhurst, Michael McMahon...
- 10/14/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
A two day Comedy Workshop will be run by the Galway Film Centre and FÁS Screen Training Ireland on the 1st and 2nd of July and will include training from Us based script doctor and comedy expert Steve Kaplan, whose previous clients include Dreamworks, Disney, HBO, Paramount and Touchstone. The course will be hosted by the Galway Film Centre and aims to analyse the nuts and bolts of comedy and will comprise of both lectures and practical sessions on how to apply taught skills to practical comedic writing.
- 6/1/2011
- IFTN
Screen Australia has annouced development investment for 13 features, two animated shorts, two games and the completion of two shorts.
Projects include B Model, to be directed and produced by Rachel Griffiths, as well as new projects from the Spierig Brothers (Jungle), Bruce Beresford (The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney, co-production with China), Emile Sherman (Tracks) and Gregor Jordan (Five Spice)
Hannah Hilliard (Franswa Sharl) and Callum Cooper (Little Brother) were announced as the first recipients of the new Director’s Acclaim Fund, which recognises the importance of directors maintaining momentum following critical acclaim of their short film.
The projects are:
Features
B Model
Producers Rachel Griffiths, Louise Smith
Writer Samantha Strauss
Director Rachel Griffiths
Synopsis A young Australian girl gets swept up into the chaotic, exciting world of high fashion modelling. Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York. An innocent in a sex-soaked business, she is seeking love and validation, but isn...
Projects include B Model, to be directed and produced by Rachel Griffiths, as well as new projects from the Spierig Brothers (Jungle), Bruce Beresford (The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney, co-production with China), Emile Sherman (Tracks) and Gregor Jordan (Five Spice)
Hannah Hilliard (Franswa Sharl) and Callum Cooper (Little Brother) were announced as the first recipients of the new Director’s Acclaim Fund, which recognises the importance of directors maintaining momentum following critical acclaim of their short film.
The projects are:
Features
B Model
Producers Rachel Griffiths, Louise Smith
Writer Samantha Strauss
Director Rachel Griffiths
Synopsis A young Australian girl gets swept up into the chaotic, exciting world of high fashion modelling. Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York. An innocent in a sex-soaked business, she is seeking love and validation, but isn...
- 4/19/2011
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
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