1. You will get a callback within one hour, and your job won’t be at risk.
• I pledge that calls to the office or my cell phone 213-446-1315 will be returned within one hour and I will not operate in any job action without your knowledge. Your rights will be vigorously protected but barring gross safety violations, there is no union action so important that your crew should be compromised. Recalcitrant producers will be dealt with as violators of the contract. If they are abusive to you, they are abusing the whole crew, and should be approached by a coalition of local representatives.

2. I pledge to bring professional management to the affairs of our local.
•I have been, like you, very concerned that our business has not been handled properly on a day-to-day basis. I have no wish to be an accountant, a paralegal, or anything other than your business agent. I will actively support the board in setting policy and I will administer our local with direct actions and attention to detail.

• Our current business representative doesn’t negotiate, he lectures, and has managed to alienate virtually everyone in town. I believe I am on good terms with everyone in the local today and expect this not to change if elected. No magic wand, but I can and will develop consensus with a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information.

3. I will work hard to bring together other production locals to strengthen our collective voice.
• Only as a cohesive block at the local level can we effect change at the international. We have a window of opportunity right now to re-establish our credibility and to protect our jobs and futures. Local 695 paid the international $263,802.00 in per capita last year and we should be getting more support for our dollars.

4. The Local 695 crew on a single camera set will be four persons.
• Our production crew will be mixer, boom, 2^nd boom, and video assist. This crew will work as a unit, and when the production extends to more than three cameras (i.e. A+B+ Steadi-), an additional sound utility will be hired. We will provide all audio and video on-set in a coordinated professional manner, per our contract and the Charter of 1930, and this arrangement will become the new “reasonable and customary” standard on all productions..

• Sitcom crews will be able to qualify for the health plan even if they work only one show.

• Our video technicians need real support. When it is “reasonable and customary” to employ a standard 5-person camera crew (6 with the dolly grip), whose responsibilities extend to one camera, why do we still have to fight for our crew when we’re directly responsible for much more delicate and technical work?

• Reality television, EPK and ENG are production situations that we cannot afford to ignore. Our crews will have health and safety issues addressed as well as practical support for rates and the length of the shooting day.

5. Continuing education and training.
• I will personally support and organize renewed educational opportunities that will be available to all members and I will also personally set up an introductory class for new members; to cover the various ground rules, the contract each job utilizes, and basic local knowledge, skills, and information necessary to be successful on any set.

• In 1999, a general membership meeting authorized $50,000.00 to be spent on education, and the member’s wishes were never fulfiled. With recent advances in digital technology, our capabilities have expanded, and production audio tracks and video feeds are more important, useable, and valuable to support the performance, than ever before. For Local 695 this means a need to educate and encourage the production community in making the most of this technology. If we don’t promote its utilization, and the inherent value of our crews, no one else will..

Since 1978, I’ve been a working production mixer enjoying success in feature films and television. It’s fair to say I know the job and understand what it is we do every day. I’ve always been proactive in organizing, and like you, have succeeded in a profession that rewards attention to detail. Almost from the beginning I had real “failure to represent” issues with the west coast office. The international negotiates away our employment terms, for current pension and welfare contributions they are drawing down.

Nine years and two administrations later, we are again at a crossroads. I am really concerned, especially in the political light of safety passport training, about longer hours, reduced turnarounds, and the abuse of our contracts. Outreach and new efforts to build consensus with our brothers and sisters in other production locals is the place to start. I come with a fresh, informed, and objective point of view; will actively support the board in setting policy, and I will do a better job of administration and communication with the membership. If you’ll honor me with your vote, we will get the job started.

Very truly yours,


Thomas Brandau