New Mexico Insurance

The writer strike ended two months ago. But many in Hollywood remains on the periphery.

Some are at risk of losing their homes. Some can not afford food. Others bankrupt. Still others work enough hours for the fight, their health insurance.

Everywhere, in Los Angeles, many members of the crew, working behind the scenes and sets of television shows and movies are still quaking from the temblor 100-day strike that writers geskriptete stopped production TV.

Blame the sequence of aftershocks. The networks have severely limited the number of television pilots this year to continue a trend toward fewer system displays for the new season.

This shows that the return of the filming takes place are 20% to 40% less episodes. And in the county of Los Angeles, site authorizations sitcoms and dramas, as the strike ended, collapsed by 51% and 35% last year, respectively FilmL.A. La Griffe film.

Although hard figures are not available, union officials say that thousands of crew members, which would normally be busy this time of year are still closed because of the sharp decline in television production. Some local unions report fourth of its members sit at home.

Karen is a Hartjen. They can not bring themselves, utility bills are on their kitchen table in Simi Valley.

The 53-year-old prop has been collaborating champion working since early November, while a number of jobs in television shows like “CSI: New York” and “medium”, ceased after the writer has disappeared.

Although Hartjen is used to earn $ 100000 per year, it is now $ 10000 of debts and their homeland is threatened with segregation. It has to his Church and the Army of Hi for help with food.

“I’ve lived in these cases over the past two decades, and I’ve never experienced something similar,” said Hartjen. “I’m just fighting for my life.

It takes several months before the television production - and jobs with them - back to normal, “said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. And that acceptance, it is not to strike players. “It is a year for nervenaufreibende” below-the-line “workers,” he said.

Fear of building

The decline is in a difficult period for Hollywood-blue-collar employees, the confrontation with what many economists view as a national recession, and a leak incessant jobs film in New Mexico, Louisiana and in other states offer incentives production in California. Michigan on Thursday lifted recently by offering producers of films back-40-hundred dollars for each film, they go to the state.

Addition of fear of what is called below-the-line workers - such as technicians, carpenters and Make-Up Artist - are fears that could undergo a Double Whammy, if the actors and studios did not reach a new contract until June 30 Studios, who for months in preparation for a strike by actors, began negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild, two weeks ago.

The parties have agreed a few days ago, discussions of an additional week. Yet, each page will remain very divergent on a number of issues, including, as many players should earn money, said distributed online.

“Any possibility of a player strike weighs heavy in the minds of our citizens,” said Ed Brown, business agent for Local 44 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage collaborators. The local representative Set decorators, special effects prop workers and policy makers, among the more than 30000 Hollywood workers represented by the union.

Brown estimated that nearly 25% of local West Coast’s 5000 members are still looking for jobs - twice the normal level for this time of year.

Without income, she would have tried to charitable groups such as the Writers Guild Foundation, which has money for crew members and actors of funds, financial assistance to economically questionable in the entertainment industry. The latter, with the help of the Writers Guild Foundation, has more than $ 1 million aid to nearly 700 people since November. Recipients receive payments of $ 500 to $ 2000 for help, car, mortgage payments reimbursement rates or utility bills.

The actors of funds has more than 20 calls a day for emergency help double the usual volume.

“Many people are trying to dig a hole,” said Keith McNutt, West directed the actors de-Fonds. “They are desperate.”