PA’s are included in IATSE 839 unions 😀 Animated production departments started unionizing about 4 years ago and to my knowledge, all of them include PA positions in their contracts (though other assistant positions may not be included- it varies by studio/production and what positions opted to unionize/were on the production when organizing.)
True, but I was talking about live-action. Animation is a whole other thing. The history and current production practices are very different, and you wouldn't expect unionization to go the same way. Just ask writers.
I had similar thoughts on Video Game QA for the “unskilled labor” and “its entry level so people want to outgrow it”, but there are QA Unions popping up (to varied success). I suppose QA is a much larger group and more crucial to the process, so not quite the same but would be an interesting analog to watch the progress on
This is a slightly different situation than PA’s, because game testing is more of a long-term employment situation. PA’s are freelance, and work from show to show, rather than for the studio directly.
That being said, of QA testers did it, there’s at least a possibility PA’s can.
"You have to consider the benefits to the employer. A big-name star brings an extra $30 million at the box office; a PA brings coffee."
Great line -- I damned near spit coffee (which was not brought to me by a PA) all over my laptop reading this...
PA’s are included in IATSE 839 unions 😀 Animated production departments started unionizing about 4 years ago and to my knowledge, all of them include PA positions in their contracts (though other assistant positions may not be included- it varies by studio/production and what positions opted to unionize/were on the production when organizing.)
True, but I was talking about live-action. Animation is a whole other thing. The history and current production practices are very different, and you wouldn't expect unionization to go the same way. Just ask writers.
I had similar thoughts on Video Game QA for the “unskilled labor” and “its entry level so people want to outgrow it”, but there are QA Unions popping up (to varied success). I suppose QA is a much larger group and more crucial to the process, so not quite the same but would be an interesting analog to watch the progress on
This is a slightly different situation than PA’s, because game testing is more of a long-term employment situation. PA’s are freelance, and work from show to show, rather than for the studio directly.
That being said, of QA testers did it, there’s at least a possibility PA’s can.