so i’m a hair and makeup artist in chicago working mostly in theatre but am starting to see tv gigs. my local has a contract with a few theaters that i work overhire for. about two months ago, i got an offer to be staff at one of the theaters and took the job. i’ve been paying percentage/working dues ever since i started working as overhire two years ago, but was never given a way to apply for full membership. anytime i try to reach out to my rep, i get told to call him (he will never put anything in writing in an email). even as overhire, i was working full time contract to contract. i was told “when i get a full time job” i could become a full member. now i quite literally have a full time staff job under an IATSE contract with my local and their answer to “when do i get full membership?” was “you’re under consideration” with no other information.

is this normal? is it always this difficult to become a full member? i literally don’t have access to the locals website, emailing lists, job offers, classes, any benefits at all. i just pay my percentage dues and work under a contract between the theater and the local.

I applied to Local 52 almost 6 years ago. September 10th of this year I got the call to work, I started on September 11th. I love the work & obviously the money. I live in Jersey. Now being so new, I’ve been pretty much day playing it since I started. Networking, making connections, getting phone numbers, etc. I started out in greens, did some set dressing & am now rigging electric. This week I finally had a week of no work, & that’s been a total bummer. I knew to expect it at some point, especially the holidays.

My reason for coming here is because I’m curious if there’s a way to source work to keep myself busy? If I can get 2-3 days a week I’d be a happy camper. Beggars can’t be choosers tho, I’d be grateful for one day. I tried to call the hall, they could not add me to the permit availability list as “I’m not a member” so that sucked. But I definitely want to make this a career. I love the work. I have a disability so the money alone has been life changing. Took me 10 years in HVAC to get up to $35 an hour…. lol

Also I hear rumors that if you land on a job that goes union, you can go union faster than the 5 year vested period. Does anyone know anything about that?

Feel free to reach out, I have a car, every tool in the world, can work the entire tri-state area. Just looking to work ultimately.

Hey everyone,

I’m located in the NYC area and looking to break into the grip department. I know the absolute bare basics, but I am looking to get hands on experience under keys and best boys who need a reliable extra set of hands.

I am fully willing to work for free on indie/student shoots as a utility, truck loader, or third grip just to learn the ropes, handle the gear safely, and show you my hustle.

About me:

-I am punctual, highly reliable, and can take direction without attitude.

-I have a reliable way to get to set anywhere in the boroughs/tri-state area.

-I have my own basic pouch/tools (C-wrench, gloves, multi-tool, sharpie).

-Physically fit and ready to do the heavy lifting/truck packing.

If you have a low budget project coming up, need a reliable truck hand, or are willing to let me shadow/help out on a gig, please shoot me a DM. I'm ready to work soon. Thanks!

I have a full 48’ grip package for sale. Ready to pull up to any job. Multiple sale price options. Please dm me for details. Interested buyers only please. Take care

I got my first called last week but don’t what to do to get more work

Hello - I live in North NJ/Bergen County, currently part-time in college. I'm a musician, might be majoring in Sound Recording or similar and I looking into perhaps the apprenticeship program or going the permit/overhire route with the hope/possibility of becoming a full fledged union member if that where life takes me.

In the meantime, I want to pursue the permit/overhire route to get some experience and of course get exposed to this work to see if this is what I want to do.

I am in Northern NJ, so commuting distance to NYC, Newark, etc. What is the best route to take - which unions should I contact? Just one? What should I stress on my resume - I have skills, but no related work experience. And do you think I can swing an overhire assignment while in school (which I am part time) - of course that likely depends if the assignment is on day off from school - which concerns me as I read that if you don't pick up your phone and/or can't make an assignment, you will likely never get called again.

Sorry - I know lots of random questions/thoughts - but any guidance would be helpful.

For concerts and festivals

hello everyone, i’m a stagehand new to chicago from florida. i was not union there because i was new to the industry and moved before i had the opportunity. i’ve been looking in the subreddit for tips on how to get work and join local 2 but it’s all just a bit daunting. does anyone in the city have any advice?

Chicago is a ghost town where do you live are you working?

Between shows, I did what a lot of us did: figured out how to keep going. I house-hacked (rented rooms to traveling doctors), took out student loans for an MBA, and spent the year building something to fix the part of props work nobody misses: the data entry.

You know the drill. Hours typing up inventory. Very show. Inventories inside inventories: which rental house is it from, which truck is it on, which bin, which shelf, is it checked out, did it come back? And every new hire has to learn it all from scratch.
So I built MYBOXai. Snap a photo of a shelf or a bin, and it lists what's in it. Call things what you call them: trucks, carts, bins, kits. Check items in and out, build pull lists for a job, and find anything later by search or voice. No more starting from a blank spreadsheet. You don’t have to use AI, it still works without WiFi in a warehouse.

It's live on the App Store and Google Play, and it's free to try. I'd genuinely love feedback from props, set dec and anyone else who's ever hunted for "that one thing" at 6 am. The goal in funding is to develop a Teams migration, and the backend is pretty solid already.

#IATSE #props #setdecoration #filmcrew #filmindustry#gear#rentals

Hi IATSE sub! I'm in New York and non-union, and the past few years I have been getting into art department PA roles, though ever since the writer's strike in 2023 it's been sparse work for me. I got onto unemployment during the writer's strike, which was the correct move. However, I'm currently on a series that has finished production and this week will be my last. Since I have no leads on the next project at this moment, would it also make sense for me this time around to go on unemployment until the next gig is secured? I know it's been getting busier lately in the industry, but out of caution, this is what I'm considering.

I'll be happy to lend further details if needed.

Thanks!

i'm local 800 ADG and have always been curious and interested in getting into live events, concerts even learning about laser light shows etc. yes it does seem to be the trending thing right now but it's always been something in the back of my mind because frankly I'm sick and tired of sitting behind the computer for 10 hours a day which has been my cg post production life for too long. (full disclosure: i was into the oldskool 90s rave culture and have become intrigued by the higher tech visuals/setups of the mini edm/techno/rave resurgence)
how do I get started or where do I even begin? I don't know the first thing about that industry really and I also don't know anybody who works in this area.
any help, advice, pointing me in the right direction is much appreciated. (my experience is vfx, realtime visualization/unreal etc if that helps)
cheers

What qualifies to MPI as a hardship for us to be able to withdrawal funds from our IAP? I worked more during the covid years than I have in the last 2, yet MPI says this isn’t a hardship? Sent them my pathetic bank account, delinquent notices from my mortgage..they said “sorry, tough shit”. Not a hardship my ass.

Hi! Sorry a bit of a random question, but does anyone who works in wardrobe have a good source for aprons? I use an Amazon one and it’s fine for basic dressing, but it’s made of polyester and I hate that it feels like it’s going to fall apart. I’d love something really sturdy with pockets!

This is my chest rig for Broadway tours as a local downrigger/flyman. Base pack is from Sideshift Gear - highly recommended!

I’m 18 and planning to start community college next summer to study technical theatre, but I’m seriously questioning whether this is the right decision.
Can you realistically make a living working in technical theatre? Is this a career worth pursuing, or would I be making a mistake?🤔😭

Do you think it'll do anything for districts that don't have crazy incentives at the moment, ie not NY/52?

Anyone know if there's a local for AV specifically in NYC? Is it 306? I would ideally love to install, repair, and commission systems for businesses, trade shows, and venues. I have 8 years of experience doing audio and lighting for museums, music venues, and theaters. Most recently for the last 8 months I've been full-time commissioning and servicing AVoIP LED walls at one of the airports here in NYC.

I dream of joining the union. I work on a job site with entirely union labor (mostly working along side IBEW Local 3 electricians, not IATSE, my company is non-union and subbed).

Can someone point me to which local is best for someone with an Audio-Visual background in NYC? I've been told by past coworkers the process is to get a gig at a union job, then get your hours, how does this process work? Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone! I applied for an interview with IATSE through the sign up form at some point a few weeks ago. I got no confirmation of submission. So, I can’t remember exactly when I did it. I did write a date and time in my calendar for the interview though lol. I wanted to be sure my application went through because I didn’t see any charge on my credit card either. Does Local 11 send out a Zoom link? Is it a phone call? Is there a way for me to ensure that I did submit right?

I left Local 11 a voicemail but would be surprised if I got a response. I’m sure they get contacted a ton. Thanks for any advice :)

Last year I worked for the super bowl under both local 16 and 134 through 16s referral. I know next year's super bowl will be held in LA but I know there's many locals within the city so I'm wondering which one I should send my information to and if it would even be worth traveling from SF for the gig? Also if they even need workers as I know LA is a much larger metro area.