A group of IATSE specialized projectionists known as film revisors have begun informational picketing outside the Toronto International Film Festival‘s Bell Lightbox headquarters over the outsourcing of digital cinema file revisions for the September 6-16 event. Pickets are also set up at Deluxe Entertainment Services Group in Toronto, which has been contracted to handle revisions of digital movie files for the festival. If the labor action continues — it’s not a strike — festival
attendees may have to cross picket lines to attend screenings or red-carpet galas. With most festivals shifting from film to digital prints, work formerly performed on film — inspecting, repairing and splicing segments into complete, seamless programs — now involves editing computer files. “This is not work that can be performed in-house,” festival VP of communications and content management Jennifer Bell told the Toronto Globe & Mail via e-mail. IATSE Local 58, which represents the seven film revisors affected by the outsourcing, responded that TIFF is contractually obligated to use its workers. “They somehow seem to think that the fact that it can’t be performed in-house somehow takes away our jurisdiction. It does not,” said union president Jim Brett. The revisors continue to work even as they conduct the pickets. The festival’s revisors and projectionists have been working without a contract since the old one expired in January 2011. Festive official Bell said the festival and the union have agreed to handle disagreements like this through arbitration, although a hearing is not expected until November.
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I’d love to hear the picketing information. Maybe it’ll change my initial reaction.
But it sounds like they’re just sad that film projection is disappearing along with their jobs and digital editing and delivery seem to be taking over. Has the Union offered a solution to have their guys do what Deluxe was hired to do. Because if not, it seems like new tech is just replacing the old. It sucks for them, but it shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s been a long time in the making.
And unions wonder why people hate them
I am one of those 7 TIFF revisors and have been doing the digital revision the past 2 festivals. This year will be the third year with digital formats being screened. All 7 of us are fully competent in digital revision and would love to know the real reason why our work has been contracted out.
To add to my other comment, I have been reading all the articles that have been published about this issue and find that they all like to mention us revising film and disregarding the fact that we also revise videotape and digital cinema packages. Its a far more interesting angle to omit those facts and go for a digital revolution/out with the old angle, but it undermines the real issue of our information picket, which is we are able to do the work and have had it unjustly taken away. I encourage anyone who reads this and takes interest to find out more. Post any comments at http://www.facebook.com/support.projrev and we’d be happy to talk to you!
Thanks for posting. I wish deadline had been better about reporting the real issue in a better way.
So do you think it was a cost based decision only, because Deluxe isn’t bargain basement post. What exactly is the difference of “revising” and editing you mention? I assume digital cinema package revisions end up being an editing job adding bumpers, and or previews and other content to the beginning or between films, right? So you guys work in avid, FCP or any of the other NLE’s? Or is revising something else?
Revisor here. This issue is not about new technology or the demise of 35mm film. What we provide is comprehensive inspection of ALL professional cinema formats, and have done so for years. Working in a technologically driven industry demands an understanding that although the medium may change, the cinematic experience and a flawless presentation remain paramount. We’ve worked tirelessly for years, at an extremely high level, and we simply expect tiff to share that same demand for professionalism.
Deluxe is a real deal company, right? I doubt they aren’t demanding professionalism with what Deluxe is delivering. I’d love to hear a more detailed conversation from both sides on what they feel the revisors can’t or weren’t delivering, that Deluxe is, or whether it is simply a price thing. I’m not getting a sense of the differences of what the revisors where offering at what price and what Deluxe is offering to do at what price. I think that would make it easier to understand whether TIFF has a legitimate point of view or are just not honoring their long term relationship with IATSE to deliver the same high quality for a competitive price, and are screwing the revisors.
Typical union busting tactics. Producers are trying everything to line there pockets while stealing from below the line workers. It’s about time IATSE had the nerve to fight back. Wish Local 800 had the same resolve. Be strong. Picket!
Isn’t Deluxe a union lab? In the US, I know that they are skirting union and other government labor rules like paying the employer’s portion of social security and medicare by classifying workers who should be full time employees as contractors.
In regards to the comment by SS about people hating the unions, it sounds like you are just parroting the anti-union propaganda without really knowing what you are saying. When workers are set against each other — be it by jealousy, implications that unions are all mob related, or whatever other reason — the monied interests win. Unions have improved working conditions and increased wages for union and non-union workers. Study your history. Look at how despite a rise in productivity, as unions have lost ground, average wages have gone flat while CEO and corporate profits (and hoarding of cash) have soared.