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- Damn...more grey hair...
My blog
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Blog: Sunday, May 4
Sunday, May 4, 2008 6:38PM / Standard Entry
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Blog: Saturday, May 3
Saturday, May 3, 2008 5:37PM / Standard Entry
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Blog: Friday, May 2
Saturday, May 3, 2008 3:10AM / Standard Entry
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Blog: Monday, Apr 28
Monday, Apr 28, 2008 11:52PM / Standard Entry
really sad how people don't handle their finances or think to the future. mentality of the 80's and 90's of playing the debt game has come back to bite people in the ass now.
Although Hartjen is accustomed to earning $100,000 a year, she is now $10,000 in debt and her home is threatened with foreclosure. She has turned to her church and the Salvation Army for help with groceries.
This stood out particularly strong to me... if you've been working for the past 10 or 20 years and have been earning on average $100,000 per year and can't make ends meet after just 7 months of unemployment, then you really are mismanaging your money. learn the lesson people. live within your means and save for that rainy day.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-workers28apr28,0,6688112.story
The writers strike ended two months ago. But many in Hollywood remain on the brink.
Some are at risk of losing their homes. Some can't afford groceries. Others have filed for bankruptcy. Still others struggle to work enough hours to hold on to their health insurance.
Across Los Angeles, many crew members who work behind the scenes and on the sets of television shows and movies are still quaking from the temblor of the 100-day writers strike that shut down scrīpted TV production.
Blame the aftershocks. Networks have sharply curtailed the number of TV pilots this year, continuing a trend toward ordering fewer shows for the new season.
The shows that did return are filming 20% to 40% fewer episodes. And in Los Angeles County, location permits for sitcoms and dramas since the strike ended have plunged 51% and 35% from last year, respectively, according to FilmL.A., which handles film permits.
Although hard figures are not available, union officials say that thousands of crew members who normally would be busy at this time of year are still idled because of the sharp contraction in television production. Some union locals report a quarter of their members are sitting at home.
Karen Hartjen is one. She can't bring herself to open the utility bills lying on her kitchen table in Simi Valley.
The 53-year-old assistant prop master has been out of work since early November, when a string of jobs on TV shows such as "CSI: New York" and "Medium" came to a halt after the writers walked out.
Although Hartjen is accustomed to earning $100,000 a year, she is now $10,000 in debt and her home is threatened with foreclosure. She has turned to her church and the Salvation Army for help with groceries.
"I've been in this business for two decades, and I've never experienced anything like this," Hartjen said. "I'm just fighting for my life."
It will take several more months before TV production -- and the jobs that go along with it -- return to normal levels, said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. And that's assuming there is no actors strike. "It's going to be a nerve-racking year for 'below-the-line' workers," he said.
Anxieties build
The downturn comes at a tough time for Hollywood's blue-collar employees, who are grappling with what many economists view as a nationwide recession, as well as a steady drain of film jobs to New Mexico, Louisiana and other states offering production incentives not available in California. Michigan upped the stakes recently by offering film producers 40 cents back for every dollar they spend shooting in the state.
Adding to the anxiety among so-called below-the-line workers -- such as technicians, carpenters and makeup artists -- are fears that they could suffer a double whammy if actors and studios fail to reach a new contract by June 30. Studios, which have spent months preparing for a walkout by actors, began negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild two weeks ago.
The parties a few days ago agreed to extend the talks an additional week. Nonetheless, each side remains far apart on a number of issues, including how much money actors should earn when shows are distributed online.
"Any possibility of an actors strike weighs heavily on the minds of our people," said Ed Brown, business agent for Local 44 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. The local represents set decorators, special-effects workers and prop makers who are among the more than 30,000 Hollywood workers represented by the union.
Brown estimates that about 25% of the local's 5,000 West Coast members are still looking for jobs -- double the normal level for this time of year.
Without any income, they've sought help from charitable groups such as the Writers Guild Foundation, which has raised money for crew members, and the Actors Fund, which provides financial help to economically distressed workers in the entertainment industry. The latter, with help from the Writers Guild Foundation, has provided more than $1 million in assistance to nearly 700 people since November. Recipients receive payments of $500 to $2,000 to help with car payments, mortgage payments or utility bills.
The Actors Fund has been getting about 20 calls a day for emergency help, double the usual volume.
"A lot of people are trying to dig themselves out of a hole," said Keith McNutt, western region director for the Actors Fund. "They're desperate."
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the collision theory
Monday, Apr 21, 2008 6:52AM / Standard Entry
Stats
- I'm a very easy going chemistry teacher from los angeles. note, that i didn't say i was a good chemistry teacher...just a nice one...
- Age: 35
- Gender: Male
- Total visits: 31,103
