Tag Archives: #BandTogether

Musicians Reach Tentative Deal With Film and TV Studios

Despite major improvements won, the fight for streaming residuals will continue

After more than two years of tough negotiations, musicians have reached a tentative agreement with major film and television studios that includes many substantive improvements and no significant concessions — yet still does not include residuals for work on made-for-streaming films and episodic TV shows.

Members of the American Federation of Musicians have been negotiating a new contract with major studios including Disney, CBS, MGM, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Sony and Warner Brothers, and the newly proposed contract features several major improvements for musicians. For the first time in history, musicians will receive screen credits when they perform on theatrical and streamed film scores. Also for the first time, the proposed deal establishes fair wages and conditions for high-budget shows made for streaming platforms. Continue reading →

Musicians Rally at Disney Studios on Disney+ Launch Day to Demand Streaming Residuals

BURBANK, CA (Nov. 12, 2019) — On Tuesday, film and television musicians marked the launch of Disney’s new streaming service Disney+ with a large rally outside the company’s Burbank studios to demand a fair contract for streaming that includes residuals, set wages, and screen credits. Continue reading →

Rally for Residuals on Nov. 12

On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Disney will launch Disney+. The launch of this streaming service marks a shift toward a new business model for film and television, along with an unnecessary and unwarranted effort by major studios to decimate musicians’ livelihoods in the process.

Musicians in Los Angeles are fighting back.

Join us as for a large rally outside the Walt Disney Picture company lot to demand a fair contract for streaming that includes residuals, set wages, and screen credits for musicians. We will be greeting a large double-decker bus of musicians who will be holding mini-rallies throughout the morning at other major studios, culminating in our large demonstration outside Disney.

Join us! RSVP @ afm47.org/newmedia

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Musicians Hold Live Street Performance Calling on Disney’s Dana Walden to Provide Fair Pay

Contract fight continues as film/TV studios refuse to pay musicians streaming residuals

LOS ANGELES, CA (Oct. 11, 2019) — Today musicians who score for television and films performed live music outside the Variety 2019 Power of Women luncheon calling on honoree Dana Walden, chairman of Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment, to pay musicians fairly for their work on streaming movies and TV shows. Continue reading →

Musicians #BandTogether at Kickoff Rallies in LA, NY in Contract Fight for New Media Residuals

Negotiations resume this month with film/TV producers

OCTOBER 7, 2019 — Today members of the American Federation of Musicians rallied from coast to coast as part of the musicians’ national grassroots #BandTogether campaign calling on film and TV producers to offer a fair contract that includes streaming residuals.

In Sherman Oaks, a large crowd gathered in the morning outside the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers headquarters, where bargaining resumed today, to perform live music and rally with leaders from entertainment unions including SAG-AFTRA and WGA West. In New York, a concurrent rally took place outside NBCUniversal headquarters at Rockefeller Center with Congressman Jerrold Nadler and AFM members. The rallies follow several public actions held in recent weeks in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. Continue reading →

#BandTogether Bargaining Kickoff Rally – Monday, Oct. 7, 2019

RSVP HERE

Continue reading →

Musicians #BandTogether at Alex Theatre to Demand Fair Contract From Disney CEO Bob Iger

GLENDALE, CA (Oct. 2, 2019) — On Tuesday night more than 50 musicians held a flash-mob musical street performance outside of Disney CEO Bob Iger’s book signing event at the Alex Theatre as part of the grassroots #BandTogether campaign to demand that Disney and other major film and television studios improve standards for musicians’ work in new media. Continue reading →

October 2019 Overture Online: #BandTogether

Inside This Issue:

#BandTogether
Musicians mobilize for a fair contract
Sweetwater: 50 Years After Woodstock
The first band to play at Woodstock recalls the historic festival that defined a generation
Career Pathways Mentorship Program
Musicians changing lives one student at a time

and more!

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Overture Online is optimized for reading via smartphone or tablet. For those without access to a smart device, issues may be viewed on a web browser here. Local 47 members may download archived pdf versions from the members section at afm47.org.

LA Times: How the rise of streaming might turn Hollywood musicians into an endangered species

By MICHAEL HILTZIK
BUSINESS COLUMNIST

SEP. 26, 2019 | 5 AM

Hollywood musicians, those foot soldiers who bring the work of celebrated composers such as John Williams (“Star Wars”), James Horner (“Titanic”) and Hans Zimmer (“Dunkirk”) to life, have faced a mound of professional challenges in recent years.

Producers record their film scores in London or other overseas locations to avoid paying union scale, digital recordings have eaten away at opportunities for live players, and studios penny-pinch on music in countless ways even though their recording budgets are typically a tiny piece of a project’s budget — a $100-million project might spend less than $400,000 on musicians’ pay.

But now the musicians are facing a threat that some call potentially an “extinction-level event.” It’s the takeover of the entertainment industry by streaming video services.

> continue reading @ latimes.com

Musicians, actors & more come together at Labor Day celebration

More than 80 AFM Local 47 musicians marched in solidarity alongside friends from SAG-AFTRA, Actors’ Equity and many other local unions at the 40th annual Labor Day Parade at Banning Park on Monday.

Musicians proudly spent a day of solidarity with 3,000 members of the Southern California labor movement including actors, broadcasters, teachers, longshoremen, firefighters, teamsters, carpenters and more. Attendees of this year’s event, hosted by the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Labor Coalition, also included Congressmembers Nanette Barragan and Gil Cisneros, and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, who now serves as an L.A. County Supervisor.

We are all stronger together, and musicians appreciate the overwhelming solidarity and support shown by our union sisters and brothers for our #BandTogether campaign. Together, we win!

View the photo gallery at bandtogetherafm.org