Many Animation Guild members are finding it difficult to balance work and family life during the pandemic. Here are a few resources to help navigate these challenges: 1) Coronavirus Course For Expecting, New & All Working Parents COVID-19 is causing rapidly changing the lives of expecting and working parents. This mini course addresses concerns for…

The staff and volunteers of MPTF are embarking on a unique effort to keep our entertainment industry community creatively engaged during this uncertain time of COVID-19. Channel 22, our on-campus TV station, is broadcasting live from the Susan and Gary Martin Screening room in the Louis B. Mayer Theater, with game shows, exercise classes, trivia, meditations and…

Coronavirus: Updates from the Animation Guild The safety and wellbeing of the animation community is a top priority. We have been actively reviewing California state, federal and global recommendations as we navigate this unprecedented situation. We recognize that many members may have questions and concerns and we’d like to address some of the most pressing…

When did you start getting involved in the Guild and in what capacity? I began my involvement with the Guild in 2016, a couple years into my membership. At a General Membership Meeting, a member encouraged me to attend a Young Workers Committee meeting—that introduced me to other engaged members. From there, I found new…

We had a diverse group of over two dozen IATSE members join us for the sign making party co-hosted by the Color Designers committee. Members in attendance came from Locals 33, 44, 729, 800, 871, 839 and 892. Several of these Locals also chipped in by helping to supply materials, including Local 700, who generously…

Nominations for Animation Guild President, Vice President, Business Representative, Recording Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms and 11 Executive Board seats took place at the General Membership Meeting on Sept. 24. The meeting was attended by more than 200 Animation Guild members. Members can meet the candidates and ask questions at a Candidate Forum on Oct. 22, 2019, 7…

As of August 4, 2019, wage minimums have increased by 3 percent as per the 2018-2021 Local 839 Master Agreement. Here’s what you need to know! Does this apply to all studios? Some studios, such as Warner Animation Group, The Secret Lab and Sony Animation, have separate agreements with Local 839 and will see wages…

For the first time in recent history, The Animation Guild delegates will be proposing not one but two resolutions at the upcoming IATSE District 2 convention in Hawai’i (June 7-9). “By doing so, we’re becoming more vocal members of the IATSE community and we’re representing our members’ concerns in an actionable way,” says Kristin Donner,…

With almost 4,700 artists, writers and technicians under Local 839’s jurisdiction, the Executive Board determined that our growing membership needs more staff to serve them in the field. Our recent search for a Field Representative yielded several incredibly qualified and great candidates, including Leslie Simmons, who will now work alongside Steve Kaplan to ensure our…

What is a PAC? A Political Action Committee is a federally-regulated account created for the purposes of raising and spending money to help elect or defeat candidates or oppose legislation seeking to undermine labor rights and interests. In 1943 Congress passed the Smith Connally Act as an effort to deny a union’s ability to financially…

David Block has spent over 43 years as an Animator, Producer/Director, Character Designer, Overseas Supervisor, and Overseas Consultant working for Chuck Jones, Richard Williams and Abe Levitow. In 1977, David began a 33 year career at Walt Disney Studios where he animated on eight feature films. In 1985, David was a key member in creating Walt…

On Apr. 9th, the Family and Personal Leave Subcommittee hosted a panel discussion on what you need to know if you are considering starting a family. The subcommittee’s co-chair Kristin Donner (who successfully advocated for TAG’s first-ever Parental Leave Policy), storyboard artist and father of three Neil Graf, mother and background artist Teri Hendrich Cusumano,…