THE FUND HAS BEEN CANCELLED
December 12- Everyone, I'm so so SO sorry to report that the Fund has to be cancelled. This is the email I just received from Kent:
It is with heartfelt grief that we must close down our efforts to add a little holiday cheer in the stockings of our staff & crew- we will not be able to distribute these funds for all sorts of legal reasons. We truly appreciate all of our avid fans and their overwhelming desire to help, but unfortunately for legal and logistical concerns we cannot at this time partner with anyone in their efforts to show this support. As much as I’m personally saddened that we cannot proceed, please know that I’m going to tell everyone of our staff and crew how special our fans are and how our fans have thought of each and everyone of them. This will make the crew feel that much more proud of our production and validate how our show impacts humanity. This is a very difficult time for all of us and this gesture alone helps to buoy us. And it’s not the money - it’s the mere fact that all of you out there are concerned for us and were willing to reach into your pockets for us!!! This just shows us – all of us – that our fans ROCK and are THE BEST FANS in the world.
If you can, please provide me with contact information for each individual that has donated to both the fund as well as who has been bidding on the charity auction. When we are back in production I will be sending each and everyone of these contributors something ‘extremely’ special for their beautifully generous thoughts to my staff and crew of THE OFFICE.
Again- our MOST SINCERE AND HEARTFELT APPRECIATION for your thoughts and outpouring of love- and have no fear – we will all get through this! And we will be back – hopefully soon – producing what we all feel is the best television show on the Network.
With the most sincere and deepest appreciation EVER-
Kent
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY DONATED:
1. Everyone is still going to get something from Kent
2. I'm sure I can send you back the money using PayPal. Please note that PayPal takes a service charge when the money comes in, so it will be a little bit less than your donation.
3. I can send your donation to The Actor's Fund (http://www.actorsfund.org/) which is a "nonprofit, national human services organization that helps entertainment and performing arts professionals in theater, film, music, opera, television and dance through a broad spectrum of social, health, employment, and housing programs that address their essential and critical needs."
4. I can send it to another cause that you specify.
5. I WILL BE CONTACTING EVERYONE WHO HAS DONATED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. If you have something super important to say, please contact me at alyssaluckhurst@hotmail.com. Otherwise, please let me contact you first so I can organize myself with this overwhelming task.
I'm really really bummed out about it, everyone, and I'm so sorry that this didn't work out. But know that your dedication has been felt and deeply appreciated.
The goal: $10,200 by Friday, December 21, 2007
That's $100/crew member
Collected: $6,805.88 CAD
What the OFCF is all about:
On Saturday, November 10, the 102 members of the "Office" production crew were laid-off WITHOUT SEVERANCE. That's 102 hard-working people who have lost their jobs as the WGA (rightfully) fights for a fair deal.
Crew members are arguably the most under-paid and under-appreciated people in the film and television business. They were not protected because their union is not on strike. As Kent Zbornak, co-executive producer, told me, "I had one crew member tell me that he needed to tell his children this weekend that Christmas was going to be tough and they may not get any presents this year."
As "Office" fans, I say we help them out! The crew have given us amazing Christmas episodes, so it's our turn to brighten their holidays.
I've teamed up with Mr. Zbornak, who has agreed to distrubute all the funds that the OFCF collects. You can donate as much or as little as you want. Either way, you can help by spreading the word about the OFCF, or pick one of the other many ways to help out (watch the blogs).
Support the crew! Whether you're for or against the strike,
you should be understanding of the situation the production crew are in.
Please email us at officefanschristmasfund@gmail.com for questions, comments or if you want to volunteer to help the OFCF!
Also, donators should send us an email containing a message you'd like to give to the crew for the Christmas card and your shipping address so Kent can send you a little something when production begins again.
Join the Facebook group and invite your friends!
Who lost their job?
2 cameramen
2 camera assistants
4 hair stylists
4 makeup artists
7 wardrobe people
4 grips
4 electricians
2 craft service
4 props people
6 construction
1 medic
3 art department
5 set dressers
3 sound men
3 stand-ins
2 set PAs
4 assistant directors
1 DGA trainee
1 unit manager
6 production office personnel
3 casting people
4 writers assistants
1 script supervisor
2 editors
2 editors assistants
3 post production personnel
1 facilities manager
8 drivers
2 location managers
3 accountants
4 caterers
and a producer who's not a writer
What Dale Alexander, a key grip on the show, has to say:
"The lowest paid writer in television makes roughly twice the salary than the below the line crewmember makes."
"We all know that the strike will be resolved. Eventually both sides will return to the bargaining table and make a deal. The only uncertainty is how many of our houses, livelihoods, college educations and retirement funds will pay for it."
A scary thought: “If this strike lasts longer than three months, an entire season of television will end this December. No dramas. No comedies. No Daily Show. The strike will also prevent any pilots from being shot in the spring, so even if the strike is settled by then, you won’t see any new shows until the following January. As in 2009. Both the guild and the studios we are negotiating with do agree on one thing: this situation would be brutal.”
-Damon Lindeloff, "Lost"
