Go Paperless with the Film Fund!

If you are an FMSMF Participant –
Two Months to GO PAPERLESS!
 

You already have Private Access and Direct Deposit–
sign up by June 1st to Go Paperless for the
FMSMF’s July 2015 distribution. 

CLICK HERE to GO PAPERLESS
and enjoy the benefits:

 
  • GET YOUR MONEY INSTANTLY ON JULY 1st!                                           
  • PERSONAL, 24/7 ACCESS TO YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION ONLINE!                                                                                                     
  • ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY!                                                               
  • MINIMUM PAYMENT THRESHOLD REDUCED TO $10!*                            
  • HELP US OPERATE PAPER-FREE AND REDUCE EXPENSES TO BETTER SERVE YOU!                                                                                                 
  • NO LOST OR STOLEN STATEMENTS!

Go Paperless 

today and…


CHECK OUR WEBSITE (AND YOUR BANK ACCOUNT) ON JULY 1STINSTEAD OF YOUR  MAILBOX!
Have questions? Need assistance?
Call the FMSMF Participant Services Department toll-free: 1-888-443-6763.
*Did you know…

As of 7/1/2013, the minimum amount of any payout issued was raised from $10 to $50,
UNLESS YOU GO PAPERLESS. Once enrolled, you will receive any payment above the current $10 minimum and all statements electronically.

FILM MUSICIANS SECONDARY MARKETS FUND

a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization

Keeping the Score

LAANE, the LA Alliance for a New Economy, has produced a groundbreaking, comprehensive study, authored by Jon Zerolnick, titled “Keeping the Score: the impact of recapturing North American film and television sound recording work”. While the report focuses on Southern California, it presents a powerful model for approaching employment of musicians in the entertainment industry throughout North America.

This report concludes that by increasingly offshoring recording work, Hollywood studios and production companies are saving relatively small amounts of money. These savings, however, have disproportionate costs for musicians, taxpayers, and the broader economy. Hollywood can easily afford to meet the top employment standards for musicians, thereby not only providing ample quality employment, but strengthening domestic economies.

Read the Full Report.

Read the Executive Summary.

 

Who gets left out of all those tax incentives? Musicians

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-who-gets-left-20141215-column.htmlWho gets left out of all those Hollywood tax incentives? Musicians
Michael Hiltzik
LOS ANGELES TIMES michael.hiltzik​@latimes.com

Important U.S. Pension Legislation Alert

Dear Colleagues,
As you may be aware, last week Congress passed a spending bill to prevent a federal government shutdown. Attached to the legislation were 162 pages of changes to the government’s multi employer pension rules. Many of these were technical modifications to the existing law. However, a significant new provision would allow certain financially troubled Funds to lower benefits already earned by participants, including those receiving pensions. The provisions would apply only to those Funds facing imminent insolvency (within 10 to 20 years). Each eligible Fund’s trustees could decide whether or not to use the provisions and, should they decide to apply them, there is a provision for a participant vote to reject the reductions, although it is at present unclear how that would work. No benefit could be lowered to less than 110% of the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation’s guarantees, right now just under $13,000 a year. Those provisions would not apply to the AFM-EPF at present since it is currently projected to be solvent through at least 2047, which is the longest period for which the actuaries have made projections.
Bill Moriarty, Laura Ross, Brian Rood, Phil Yao

AFM-EPF Trustees

This expresses our individual views; if the Board of Trustees subsequently issues an official statement, we will provide it to you right away.

SAG-AFTRA Film/TV Agreement with AMPTP

RMA congratulates SAG-AFTRA on reaching tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for a successor contract covering film, television and new media. The 3 year Agreement includes wage raises, increased residuals for some areas of tv and video on demand, as well as other improvements. Please read the SAG-AFTRA news release at www.sagaftra.org/message-ken-howard-and-david-white.

The Hollywood Reporter article about the Agreement may be read here: www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-sag-aftra-deal-builds-716803.

The L.A. Times reports here: www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-sag-aftra-contract-20140701-story.html

SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcasters journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. With national offices in Los Angeles and New York, and local offices nationwide, SAG-AFTRA members work together to secure the strongest protections for media artists into the 21st century and beyond.