On October 26, AD/SM/PA category DGA members were invited on a deep dive into the terms and conditions under the Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement (FLTTA) when the Western AD/SM/PA Council hosted the event, The More You Know: A FLTTA Contracts Master Class. Presented both in-person and online, the evening was led by experienced members with the participation of DGA staff, with the goal of providing expert advice on becoming a stronger Associate Director or Stage Manager and advancing their careers.
Following a welcome from Western AD/SM/PA Council Chair/Associate Director Gary R. Natoli, the attendees got valuable information on the basic terms for Network TV, Pay Cable and Syndication, including where those terms are negotiable for Streaming and Basic Cable productions. Adding their expertise to the conversation along with Natoli were Stage Managers Sean Callahan, Valdez Flagg, and Ron Paul; Associate Director Julie Gelfand; DGA Associate Western Executive Director Lisa Layer, the Guild executive in who oversees the Council and DGA Senior Contracts Administrator Barbara Berman.
Topics of discussion included: FLTTA basics; the duties of AD/SM/PA members as defined in the contract; rates, contributions and other payments including special abilities payment; prep time; criteria of employment; safety training; and how the contract applies to the arenas of Basic Cable and New Media. They also dispensed information about the DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plans, a brief orientation on the structure of the Guild and revealed who to contact regarding various issues. The attendees were also provided with a copy of the recently revised Council handout, The Associate Director & Stage Manager Guidebook, a quick reference guide for most topics relating to DGA AD/SM/ PA staffing, contracts, terms and benefits.
At the end of the event was a Q&A session where all the attendees, both in-person and online, could have their questions addressed by the experts.
See video highlights from this event in the gallery below.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:
 Associate Director Gary Natoli
Some of Natoli’s recent Associate Director credits include The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, 2022 Billboard Music Awards, The Oscars, The 27th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards, 57th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards; and episodes of Big Brother. A DGA member since 1987, Natoli currently serves as the Western AD/SM/PA Council Chair and previously served terms as Council First Vice Chair, Second Vice Chair and Council Secretary-Treasurer. |
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 Stage Manager Sean Callahan
Some of Callahan’s recent Stage Manager credits include Jo Koy: Live from the Los Angeles Forum, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Instant Dream Home, The 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards and The Cube. A DGA member since 2012, Callahan currently serves as an Alternate on the Western AD/SM/PA Council and previously served as Council Secretary-Treasurer from 2020-2022. |
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 Stage Manager Valdez Flagg
Some of Flagg’s recent Stage Manager credits include the BET Hip Hop Awards, 2022 ESPY Awards, 2022 Billboard Music Awards, 64th Annual Grammy Awards, 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards and The Oscars. A DGA member since 1987, Flagg currently serves as an Associate member of the DGA National Board, and as a member of the Western AD/SM/PA Council. He previously served as Council Chair from 2008-2014 and again from 2017-2019. |
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 Associate Director Julie Gelfand
Some of Gelfand’s recent Associate Director credits include The 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards, 53rd NAACP Image Awards, 23rd Annual A Home for the Holidays at the Grove, Celebrity Big Brother and more than 300 episodes of Big Brother. A DGA member since 1992, Gelfand currently serves as a member of the DGA National Board and on the Western AD/SM/PA Council. She previously served as Council Chair from 2013-2015, and in 2015 was honored for with the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award, which is given to an Associate Director or Stage Manager in recognition of service to the industry and to the DGA. |
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 Stage Manager Ron Paul
Some of Paul’s recent Stage Manager credits include 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter, 2022 ESPY Awards, Ukraine: Answering the Call, 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards, 2022 Billboard Music Awards; and episodes of The Voice and Big Brother. A DGA member since 1985, Paul currently serves as a member of the Western AD/SM/PA Council and previously served as a Council Alternate. |
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 DGA Associate Western Executive Director Lisa Layer
Layer is the DGA executive who oversees the Western AD/SM/PA Council as well as other Guild duties including the Guild’s Documentary Committee, Reality Television Committee and Sustainable Future Committee. |
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 DGA Senior Contracts Administrator Barbara Berman
Berman's expertise covers all the DGA contracts including the Basic Agreement, Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement, other contracts regarding Commercials, Documentaries, Experimental Projects, Low Budget Films, Reality Television, and the DGA rate cards. |
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About the Council:
The Western AD/SM/PA Council is the elected body that represents the Guild members who reside in the Western region and work in television as Associate Directors, Stage Managers or Production Associates.