Cast & Crew, which provides payroll and human resources, accounting and financial, and workflow and productivity software and services to the entertainment industry, is implementing a three-part program to bring its operations into alignment with the entertainment industry’s reduced production activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Cast & Crew and companies across all industries have been focused on the well-being of their employees and their families, as well as the ongoing financial condition of the company,” said Cast & Crew CEO Eric Belcher. “After evaluating our options given the temporary entertainment industry slowdown caused by COVID-19, we are taking several actions to align our costs to the economic situation in the industry we serve.”
Specifically, effective immediately, the company is implementing the following actions:
- Salary reductions of 50 percent for Executive Management Team members and 25 percent for VPs and other senior employees.
- Decreased hours for a portion of the staff.
- Furloughs for a significant percentage of team members. The furlough approach–as opposed to layoffs–enables those affected to retain an employment relationship with the company during the furlough period. It also enables Cast & Crew to bring those individuals back to the company quickly and seamlessly when conditions improve.
Furloughed employees will be provided with the following:
- They will receive immediate payment for accrued vacation.
- Their health care benefits will continue, in force, and Cast & Crew will pay the total cost of employee and company premiums for health, dental and vision coverage.
- U.S. employees will be eligible, once furloughed, to apply for any federal compensation through the recent government actions, as well as to apply for state unemployment insurance.
“Our goal is to successfully navigate through this period and minimize the negative impact,” Belcher said. “We then can resume full operations and bring our team back together when the situation turns around. We remain very optimistic regarding the future of the entertainment production industry, and our company’s place in it, once this unfortunate health crisis recedes. With the increasing demand for and consumption of streaming and other types of video content, we expect production to come roaring back as soon as travel restrictions and social distancing requirements are lifted.”
Belcher added that Cast & Crew will continue to have sufficient core staff in place to fully serve customers and handle the amount of production work taking place, and that critical systems and processes that customers rely upon will remain intact, operational and secure during this period.
“Scandal” cast will reunite for online script reading for hurricane relief in western North Carolina
The cast of ABC's hit political drama "Scandal" may need to brush up on their snappy, speedy delivery known as "Scandal-pace," because they're reuniting for a good cause. Its stars including Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and Bellamy Young will take part in a live virtual script reading on Nov. 17 to raise money for hurricane relief in western North Carolina.
Beginning Friday, fans can go online and donate to reserve a spot for the online reading. Proceeds will benefit United Way of North Carolina. Everyone who donates will be able to take part in a virtual pre-event with the cast and Shonda Rhimes will give an introduction.
Additional guest stars will also be announced. The online fundraising platform Prizeo is also holding a contest where one person who donates online via their site will be selected to read a role from the script with the actors. The winner should not worry about the "Scandal"-pace, assured Young over Zoom.
"Whomever the lucky reader is can read at whatever pace they want," she said.
Young, who played Mellie Young, the first lady and later Republican presidential nominee on "Scandal," was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. She came up with the idea for the effort with a friend and took it to her fellow "Scandal" actors, who all jumped on board. Young said this is the first script reading the cast has all done together since the show ended after seven seasons in 2018.
Which episode they will be reading has not been announced yet.
Young said it's "been devastating" to see so many parts of her hometown badly damaged by Hurricane Helene, which ravaged western North Carolina one month ago.
To research the best use for donations, Young spoke with numerous political leaders, including North... Read More