MEETINGS 2022 - 2023
Killer Notes: A Discussion with Jessica Lichtner
October 29, 11am-1pm EST @ Sunlight Studios
One of the most time-consuming requirements of our job is taking notes. Our Facing Page notes are the all important source for the Editor’s Log, Lined Pages, the Daily Report, and are read by many people. Are yours conveying what all those people need to know?
With Jessica, we’ll look at how to take useful Facing Page notes. We’ll discuss how to give the Editor what s/he wants, and how to communicate the Director’s preferences. We’ll cover taking effective notes for action sequences and musical numbers, and how to slate and keep notes for VFX shots and second units.
NYSSN members: check your email for the invitiation
2022 // Coffee And...
September 17, 11am-1pm EST @ Le Pain Quotidien, E44th St (Madison/Fifth Ave)
The network kicks off the new season with our casual fall coffee meetup. It's been a hot labor summer but also a barren year for production employment and a tough time for freelancers to weather. How have you been holding up during the strikes? Have you been able to transfer skills or pivot into side hustles? What do you feel about the future of the industry?
Whether you want to unload, unpack or just listen, join us for community and support. New members are particularly encouraged to attend. Your first caffeine treat is on us!
Bryant Park Social
July 9, 11am-1pm EST @ Reading Room Area
Join us for our park hang in our final meeting of the season! There will be an informal discussion about the WGA strike and the labor actions that have impacted the industry this year.
Please RSVP.
Directing on your home show
Sunday March 19th, 11am-1pm @ Sunlight Studios
Please join us for a panel discussion with L161 Script Supervisors turned episodic DGA directors... "Directing on your Home Show."
Yap Fong Yee, Melissa Kalbfus-Paliocha, Olenka Denysenko, Claire Cowperthwaite, and Joy Lane in conversation with Ariel Rosner will discuss how their foundations in script supervising prepared them to direct, making the pitch, studio politics... and more!
NYSSN members: check your email for the invitation
2023 // Beer & Burgers
Sunday Feb 19th, 4-7pm @The Winslow, 243 E14th St
Our next meeting brings us back to networking and socializing IRL! We hope to alleviate Zoom fatigue with more opportunities to engage again in person.
Are you experiencing an industry slowdown? Has the streaming bubble burst? Do you have thoughts about the possibility of a writer's strike this year? Come commiserate with your fellow filmmakers (bonus points if you have stories from the last WGA strike to share). First round is on us for this late winter hang; come for happy hour, stay for a bite.
Starting Out In The Industry
Dec 18th, 1-3pm EST @ Zoom
Even if you’ve read Pat Miller, studied Mary Cybulski, PA-ed on set, or graduated college with a film degree, getting your break as a Script Supervisor can still be challenging. What happens when you do land that first job though? No one experience is quite the same, but being a department of one can leave beginner Script Supervisors in the dark.
Fernanda DeSouza, non-union Script Supervisor of 2 years will lead a discussion on what you should expect from job interviews, your day-to-day on set, how to prepare for the project, how much you will (and should) get paid, and lessons learnt along the way from the perspective of someone entering the field.
Majors Contract Negotiation Forum
Nov 6th, 11am-12:30pm EST @ Zoom
It's election/voting fever and there's a lot happening this week! This last-minute November meeting will be a forum for NYSSN union members to ask questions about the recent Majors Contract negotiations. Voting for contract ratification has just commenced for the MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) and will conclude Friday, November 11th.
This meeting is for our network and aimed at people who were not able to attend the union Town Hall or General Membership meeting this week, or who are newer to the union, the contract and the negotiation process.
Check your inboxes for the MOA and supporting documents that will be discussed; they were sent out to L161 members via email today in the electronic vote and also on 11/1/22 and 11/4/22.
* Unfortunately only Local 161 members will be admitted *
Coffee And...
Oct 2nd, 12pm-2pm EST @ Le Pain Quotidien, 7th Ave & W29th St
This casual & popular gathering is back to live and in person! Catch up with friends you haven’t seen in a while and meet new members. Join us for coffee, tea, pastry, or lunch. Your first cuppa is on us!
To start off the season, let's all bring in samples of our script notes and breakdowns for a show and tell. Whether digital or traditional, let's share our notes, explore our individual styles of working and compare our similarities and differences of note taking on various projects: features, episodic or commercials. Feel free to bring in notes from a movie or tv show that's already hit the screens, or to black out any info to respect your show's NDA (non disclosure agreement).
Please RSVP.
Bryant Park Social: Joining The Union
July 10, 11am-1pm EST @Reading Room Area
Wondering what it takes to join the union? Do you have the right experience? How will you know when would be the right time? Will it actually be worth it, really?
IATSE Local 161 has recently implemented a more formal membership application process that makes the whole thing clearer and more defined. Diane Hounsell and Jessica Lichtner, co-chairs of the Membership Committee, will be here to outline the new process and requirements and answer all your questions.
This meeting is obviously geared towards our non-union members, but union script supervisors are also welcome!
Please RSVP.
Interviewing For A Job
April 30, 11am-1pm EST @ Zoom
In our Spring meeting we will discuss our experiences in the interview process which can vary greatly. On features, you would typically interview with the Director, however in television it could be with the Producer or Showrunner instead. Is the interview a lost art? With Covid, they are now conducted virtually. In a busy hub like NYC, maybe the interview will be skipped altogether when availability is the deciding factor. What defines a good interview to you? What are red flags you look out for? And how would you follow up after a good meeting?
2022 // Coffee And...
January 30, 11am-1pm EST @ Zoom
With Covid, we still can't meet up IRL for our usual Burgers & Beer meeting, so we're taking it online for a Sunday morning Zoom coffee social. Brew up your favorite cuppa or Cup of Joe, or pour yourself a mimosa, and let's meet new NYSSN members who have joined recently, catch up about what you've been up to, and brainstorm about meetings you'd like to see happen in the future.