As part of TheWrap’s annual two-day business conference, TheGrill, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland joined leading Hollywood executives during the producers roundtable on Sept. 29. Other guest speakers included BRON Media Corp. co-founder and President Brenda Gilbert, Laugh Out Loud Productions Chief Executive Director Jeff Clanagan, Wonderland Sound & Vision President of Production Mary Viola, and AGBO co-founder and Vice Chairman Mike Larocca. Serving as co-moderators were Gunpowder & Sky CEO Van Toffler and Shiny Penny Productions Founder and producer Stacey Sher. During the panel, Crabtree-Ireland discussed the challenges labor unions faced following the industry’s shutdown in the pandemic’s first year, and how the Return to Work Agreement has played a role in its continued recovery.
“From the start of the shutdown, our first priority was to find a way for our members and everybody in the industry to get back to work in a safe manner,” said Crabtree-Ireland. “There were a numr of people who really fought hard to make sure that we could present a single, clear set of [guidelines] to the industry ... [and] I think everyone approached it with a focus on keeping people safe.”
Other topics covered during the panel included creativity and innovation, the influence of streaming services on the film industry’s current business model and industrywide efforts to further diversity, equity and inclusion.
A replay of the roundtable discussion is available on TheWrap’s YouTube channel.
This iteam originally featured in the SAG-AFTRA magazine fall/winter 2021 issue.