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Welkos and Silverstein were just about right on the money (pun intended) with their article on the unemployment situation in the motion picture industry.

However, regarding the quote from Menahem Golan, chairman of 21st Century Films, anyone in this business knows that Golan is no friend of labor. He said, ‘If I did a $3- or $4-million picture there (Moscow), it would be like a $30- to $40-million picture here (the States). When you pay extras $60 to $100 a day here, you pay only $1 (a day) or even less in Russia.”

The cost of a union (IATSE) crew is a very stable amount. If you are doing a $4-million dollar film the cost of a union crew will be less than 50% of the production cost. When you factor in post-production costs, that same crew comes to less than 25% of the total cost of your $4-million production.

The reason that films cost more here is not because of labor. The higher costs are coming from those people who are “above-the-line”: producers, directors, actors, writers and so fourth, people like Golan.

There is no crime in trying to make a fair profit, but not at the expense of people who are merely trying to earn a living wage. Golan will be making profits on that film for many years, while highly trained craftspeople are standing in the unemployment line.

Of course Golan could release his films in Russia; then the profits would be commensurate with the costs.

BARBARA WHITAKER

President, Local 705, Motion Picture Costumers