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NBC’s reality series Fashion Star is scheduled to tape today at Hollywood Center Studios. But I’ve learned the shoot has been suspended after the crew of the show went on strike this morning seeking union representation. The action was organized by IATSE, which estimates that there are more than 50 crew members currently on the sidewalk protesting. (UPDATE: Eyewitnesses report of only a handful of picketers.) A taping with audience, slated for 1:30 PM, has been scrapped. 
Fashion Star is produced by Ben Silverman’s Electus, 5X5 Media and Magical Elves Prods. It features Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos as judges and Louise Roe as new host, replacing creator/executive producer Elle Macpherson. IATSE has been active organizing reality series through strike actions, including similar recent protests against Spike TV’s 1000 Ways To Die and Face Off and TNT’s The Great Escape. One of the highest-profile IATSE-organzied strikes was against another NBC reality series, The Biggest Loser, in 2010.
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Happened to drive by… Saw three picketers.
Last year Magical Elves had a halloween costume contest and the prize went to a someone dressed as a union striker. Treating other people’s time like its valuable, respecting the people who do the hard work, making conditions fair, and paying real rates-it that funny? You thought it was funny last October when you picked the costume winner at your halloween party. Is it still funny Jane?
Hey Karma – the costume winner was Black Swan & it was “magical.” And if you’re a real protestor, quit trolling and go out there on the lines.
Not true easy cowboy the striker costume won a big screen tv. Don’t make me publish his name and company wide email announcing him as the winner of the tv or the photos circulated, k?
I was on the lot today and saw a pretty huge group protesting.
600, 800, 728, 80, 33, 44, and teamsters. Hope the editors guild gets in there to flip the post.
Its long overdue. They run it like a sweatshop.
And hey editors guild- get to it!
Way to go Electus ….
What’s wrong with these reality/alt shows production companies … first 3ball now Electus and Magical Elves, it’s kind of disgraceful these small companies are treating its employees so poorly.
I don’t know why you assume they were treated poorly before the show went union… I worked on a show this year that went union in the middle and you know what the net effect was? Nearly nothing. Rate was the same, hours the same. I put more hours towards the union health care so that was nice, but the benefit of unionization was marginal at best.
For AEs the benefit is HUGE. They get way more money for all the OT they work. Even editors get a shot at OT. And also you get holiday and vacation pay. And as you mentioned HEALTHCARE, and one of the best plans in the industry. Union benes are hardly marginal. They are great.
OT for AEs, Editors and every other hourly crew member is State law. You don’t need a union for that.
Get your facts straight before you call someone out like that.
I really wish these production companies would grow a pair and fire these employees (w/no unemployment benefits b/c they chose to walk off the job). The employees chose to accept a non-union job. Now they are demanding that their employer go union. It’s ridiculous. The companies should also sue the unions for interfering with their business. Everyone is an adult and made the adult decision to work under conditions established by their employer. If they don’t like those conditions, they should find another job.
No clearly you don’t get it. Before you post nonsense, please do some homework. Let’s introduce you to the NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT of 1935 which gives workers the right to form unions and strike for better conditions and benefits like Healthcare. It’s the law, and it’s American traditions, and it’s how the middle class gets ahead. UNIONS!
Well said. I also wonder how many union employees are on this blog as part of their job. I know one girl who was a camera operator who went full time union rep (probably because she was no good) Now all she does all day is try to convert everyone. Its such bull. everyone should go do a job they are proud of. Unions had their place in history….time has passed by most all of them.
Most of you are ignorant to what goes on. First, I agree that everyone deserves to be treated properly, and in most cases the company can absolutely afford to have a show go union. However, in many cases, the show is a fringe show and can’t afford to pay union rates and benefits. Furthermore, on most shows, I would never go Teamster. Why am I going to pay for an “expert” at driving a van – the same thing that a 16 year old can do once they get their license…
And, if you don’t like the working conditions, then quit. No one is forcing you to take a job. But, once you take the job, stop bitching and moaning and just do the job. And don’t complain that there are no jobs in LA. YOU ARE CAUSING THE SHOWS TO LEAVE BECAUSE YOU ARE TRYING TO FORCE PEOPLE TO SPEND MORE MONEY THAN THE SHOW CAN AFFORD.
Also, if you think you as a forklift operator or you as a electrician or you as a camera operator are responsible for MAKING the show, you are half right. I don’t see any of you in the office at 2am trying to figure the creative out, and I don’t see you offering to help out another department for a few minutes. All you do is bitch and moan and say “I can’t help move that table that will take 2 seconds, it’s not my department.” You would rather watch someone do something and critique how they did it wrong versus getting off you butt and helping. Another thing, a 5 minute bathroom break is 5 minutes, not 20 minutes. You bitch that you are not receiving fair pay, but you are the first one at the craft service table eating a bagel AND A donut, the first in the catered lunch line and the first one BACK AT THE CRAFT SERVICE TABLE 30 MINUTES AFTER LUNCH!!! Go work at GM and see if they feed you you all day long.
I’ve been working around all of you for many, many years. Overall, you are treated very well. Again, if you are not, then quit. No one if forcing you to do it. Go out into the real world. Don’t forget to bring your own snacks. And you better be on time. The real world isn’t as forgiving when you are 10-15 minutes late. Make sure you also actually do some work versus spending all day bitching about the show on Facebook.
Idiotic post. Get a clue. Unions help everyone.
Tell that to the US auto makers. Unions are great when they are needed. Terrible when left unchecked.
I wanna put you in a 15-pass driven by a 16 year old (even though that would never happen)… who’s just come to the end of a 16-hour day and then put you on a little windy road in Malibu Canyon at 2AM. Then you’ll wish you had a Teamster driving it.
Been there. Done that.
Teamsters have no more skill at driving than any normal person. Usually less since their senses are dulled from a day of doing absolutely nothing. Last movie I produced, the best driver was a PA, not a teamster. Teamsters are ridiculously overpaid for their “skill” set.
Local 700 was there.
could not agree more, idon’tgetit…and they wonder why LA loses so many productions. if the people feel thy are being treated unfairly, or unhappy on the show, don’t book the gig. i am sure the union has a ton of jobs for you!
No, the union does not have “tons of jobs” for us but rather WE MAKE UNION JOBS from non-union ones by STRIKING. It’s a Hollywood tradition…! See my response to I Don’t Get It above.
idon’tgetit, you’re goddamn right you don’t get it. True, People accept their deal, however productions companies push employees past their agreed work day and refuse to pay overtime. Have you ever worked 16 hours because you had a cut to get out, or deadline to be met but you stopped getting paid after 10 hours due to a flat weekly rate? Free pizza at 11am doesn’t make it okay. Theres nothing wrong with asking for better work conditions, which was what the unions provide.
Don’t like the job. Don’t like the working conditions. Don’t like the pay. Don’t work there. The end.
P.S. Production companies make so much money – blah, blah, blah. Here’s a thought, start your own production company.
no, it’s not the end. employees have every right to strike.
Yes…they have a right to strike and then I guess they also have the right to harass everyone involved with a production. That seems fair. Everyone is replaceable…..remember that.
Well said about the Free Pizza. Magical Elves keeps providing pizza and beer as a way to hypnotize their post staff from realizing that they are getting only a day rate, and NO OVERTIME, NO HEALTHCARE BENEFITS, nothing…. The Pizza must be really good because I wonder why the editors at Elves don’t just walk for a contract instead of putting up with the BS.
then don’t work for them. deliver the pizzas they are providing to their employees instead. entitled much?
Obviously you dont get it. Most of these reality shows spemd more money and bring in more ad revenue than most of the scripted shows, so why shouldnt the crew, who most probably already are union, not be able to collect benefits. All of these shows should be union from day one. This is fallout from runaway production.
I’ve seen the budgets (including this show). There’s no money for union. Know what you’re talking about before making general statements like that.
Yeah. Poor Ben Silverman’s turning his couch upside down to find enough spare change to take Fashion Star through post.
He didn’t say there was extra money in the budget. He said the budget should be bigger, because the show is probably quite profitable. If you’re only looking at the production budget you won’t see that. After the (too-low) production budget is spent, and they sell the show, there’s extra money called profit. That money should go into a bigger budget to pay for union. Then everybody wins: Union = fair wages + higher quality shows. Go union.
You clearly don’t know how TV works. Fair wages does not equal higher quality shows. You fucking idiot. Also, Ben Silverman doesn’t finance the shows. No producer in his/her right mind would ever put up money. Does anyone here actually know the business? Or do they just troll all day because they can’t get their foot in the door?
While reality accounts for a large percentage of the television landscape, almost if not overtaking scripted. Why should those people who work for these alternative shows not be warranted the same benefits, pension and welfare that scripted workers receive? I’m certain if a scripted crew member was working a 16 hour day after the agreed “flat rate” and didn’t get OT OR his/her bene’s a show stoppage wouldn’t be surprising. Abuse is rampant in the “reality landscape” and I applaud the efforts of those seeking to have their industry treat them fairly. Take a poll of scripted and reality people! Ask them about their retirement plan, their health plan etc. I’m certain there is a gross difference between the two. If you’re in the reality world, unless you are Burnett, Fleiss, Salsano, Beers, Piligian, Cutforth, Lipsitz etc. and you’re facing retirement in the current landscape you might want to learn the phrase “do you want fries with that?” It’s time to start taking care of the talent pool that makes this programming possible.
Oh please, if you didn’t have union representation, the production crews would be filled with more interns and film students and other inexperienced people who couldn’t handle the daily grind of physical production.TV makes a LOT of money for the networks. So much they are willing to blow millions of dollars on a pilot or half season of episodes because know that they’ll recoup those losses and much more with even a moderately successful series. If Warners wasn’t making billions on Two and a Half men, they wouldn’t of made a 100 million dollar deal with Sheen.
They are notorious for working producers 7 days a week and very long days. 20hr days are not unusual. Their rep is terrible with producers about rate and hours. I talked to crew who said the show has been a train wreck this season and run horribly by people who don’t know what they are doing so they got fed up. The crew will get benefits and in many cases make a much higher wage and then they can move on to other shows with a lesson learned. I feel bad for fellow producers who won’t get anything out of a flip though. Maybe with the strike some will leave. I don’t think elves will ever change how they treat producers. Lets be real that financial penalties are the only thing that makes companies pretend to care so the crew and editorial will make out great and the producers and production will be the same old sweatshop. Use your down days to look for other shows. Life is too short.
This show sucks and why this even got renewed is also something to ponder…a network which was once ruined by this turd Silverman during his reign of terror over there and NBC continues to do business with him? I mean…really???!!
Its easy to take that position, however things aren’t that black and white. These reality shows are made on the cheap for big money. In the real world, as you like to say, most people turning out a product that generated that much income get healthcare. They get OT.
Unfortunately one side affect is that you may not be able to get a truck driver to move a crafty table, but you k ow what? Why don’t you do it? It’s probably not your job, but neither is it the truck driver’s. If the production doesn’t have the capacity to move a table by properly staffing to account for the MANY MANY tasks and save a few bucks by doing so, why should they assume someone else will pick up the slack while they sit pretty on their under budget spreadsheet? Who’s not doing their job in this case? Stop passing the buck. No one works for free. Staff appropriately.
I agree, it’s a bit unfair how reality producers are treated in this situation. They gain little by these shows going union. Unfortunately that is the nature of the beast if they want to break that ceiling to become real EPs or showrunners. Currently they are under-appreciated and underpaid. They do have a nice “producer” title though and people outside the business have no idea the huge difference in pay and stature between scripted TV, film and reality “producers”.
Its not in the budget because it wasn’t allocated for union wages and benefits in the first place. Do you think all productions have a couPle hundred K just sitting around and not allocated for SOMETHING related to the project? A production company comes up with a projected budget to the Network or whoever is backing the project based on what they plan to spend. If they plan not to be union the budget is lower than if they planned to be union or they plan to spend that money on something else. Your argument ignores all aspects of how budgets are made and spent.
not one crew member carried a sign. The only picketers were the IATSE board who gave us our lecture and left after most of us did.
This is good stuff. Solidarity with the striking workers should be a priority.
All the comments about union wages and contributions being so high are incorrect. Union scale is LOWER than the rates currently being paid on many of these shows. Take a union scripted show and you will take roughly a 20% pay cut against MANY non-union reality shows.
Most people I know would take a cut in their rate to offset employer contributions to health/pension plans on a union show.
The real issue is that once there is a union contract the employer cannot lean on people to work hours they are not paid for, which happens a lot.
This has everything to do with the network NOT the prodco. The prodco couldn’t care less about unionizing if the production budgets can afford it. It’s up to the networks to pony up more money. Go picket them. Why would you cut the tail of the snake and not the head?
As far as the reputations for unions are concerned, perception is reality. I’ve seen one too many card games in my day interrupted by work. They are what the are. Necessary? Maybe not.
And last I offer everyone the union challenge: come up with a basic union related question and call the respective union for an answer. See how long it takes and how many people you need to speak with before you get an answer. As far as organized labor goes, they are very unorganized.
Finally – SOMEONE who speaks the truth! Thanks ItsNotUs!
Most of you supporting the union have no idea what you are talking about. The ones defending the union have no clue what goes into planning out a show and budgeting a show. Pat Sullivan, you gave the typical non-educated response. You have worked on a lot for years, but never had to negotiate with a network about a budget, nor have you been the EP and had to sacrifice time with your family to work on your idea. Last I checked, you punched a time clock and when you left the job at the studio each day, you didn’t stress about it like others over the weekend and at night.
Let’s cut to the point: the skill set to be a union member is not that advanced over non-union workers. Did you go to college for 8 years to learn how to do your job, Mr. Teamster or Mr. IATSE?
Also, seriously, create your own show and take the huge risk on it. You complain about how much money Ben or Magical Elves make, but they had to work their butts off to get there. Mr. Union member, what did you do on set today? Did you offer ways to make the sure better? No, you probably said to yourself “I’m not an EP, why should I try to make things better?” – typical union member response. Ben and the Magical Elves people spend their weekends and nights coming up with show ideas and implementing show ideas.
I’m all for unions, but let’s not give too much credit to the worth and value of certain people on a show. The EP’s, Producers and Production staff are working a lot more hours than any of the union people and they don’t get the benefits. Sad, they are the ones who deserve it more than anyone and contribute more to a show than a van driver or an electrician or a sound guy.
“”. Did you go to college for 8 years to learn how to do your job, Mr. Teamster or Mr. IATSE?”" 8 years –your crapping me if you/they went to college for 8 your a DR.!!!!! then not a EP or you got drunk and stupid and high for 7.5 years!!!!
ohh and by the way yes some of us do have and education in the BIZ!!!
3 years high school –that had a real theater/video class –not actors class real TECH class
2 years college for video telcom -aka I can build you a sound stage for your evening news show
then add in my case 20 more years doing this biz that had many many classes on other specialty skills that are not taught by the “safety class” crud from the CSATTF
i don’t know what is so “unfair” about working max 12 hours (with OT) twice a week on a stage with fully catered meals and a payrate 25% more than union rate. just let us go to work, this is what we signed up for and what we want to do
then the iatse reps don’t make their pension and multiple $130k plus cushy job salaries…i think the west coast head baee salary is $250k plus…check their financials and yet it is posed as a protection of our rights.