AMPTP & IATSE Resume Contract Talks, Cinematographers Send Letter

For some time, concerns about long set hours for crew and the potential dangers that come with exhaustion have been top of mind for filmmakers and union members. Feeling at risk of endangering their careers, many crew members have remained silent on their concerns.

But since the resumption of negotiations between the AMPTP, representing many major studios and production companies, and IATSE, representing a mighty sum of on-set labor, Deadline reports that a letter was sent from 14 members of International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600 to the AMPTP.

In the letter, signed by guild president John Lindley, the silence on the dangers of long production hours and short breaks is broken. Drowsy driving and a number of crew car accidents over the years make the the argument that 14 hour workdays are a challenge for some crew members' physical and mental health.

John Toll, Roger Deakins, and Emmanuel Lubezki are among the 14 signatories urging the AMPTP to take meaningful action, to mitigate "the hazards of unsafe working hours," and to implement longer daily rest periods and weekend rest periods for production crews.

Read the whole Deadline piece here.