John Blankenship Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 This part of the case could take many years to percolate through the system. Fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be a long, bumpy legal ride. Each stage is gonna rip the scabs off. Hoist one for Sarah Jones and all the safety training, meetings, app's, awareness, lives saved... XOXOX Thanks for the reminder to look at the positive side of this very disturbing situation. My thought was that since he pled guilty in a court of law but now says he was lying, that he should also be convicted of perjury. However, in the light of realistic expectations, Jan's approach seems the much healthier avenue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al mcguire Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 http://deadline.com/2015/09/midnight-rider-sarah-jones-osha-safety-violations-upheld-allman-miller-1201529280/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted October 1, 2015 Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 A followup and update to the article in Al's previous post: http://deadline.com/2015/09/midnight-rider-osha-ruling-sarah-jones-commission-statement-1201555335/ NOTE: "Despite pleading guilty to criminal charges and also found in violation of federal OSHA safety regulations, the Directors Guild of America has yet to take any kind of action against Miller, Sedrish and Schwartz." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al mcguire Posted October 19, 2015 Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 http://deadline.com/2015/10/midnight-rider-jay-sedrish-teaching-college-kids-about-upm-safety-duties-1201577018/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Teaching safety... this is unreal. I really thought the report was from The Onion, I could not imagine this would ever happen. For those who might not rwad the article, here is the first paragraph: "EXCLUSIVE: Jay Sedrish, the executive producer/unit production manager of Midnight Rider who pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing and felony involuntary manslaughter in the death of 27-year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones and the injury of several others, has resurfaced as a teacher at Columbia College of Hollywood. He’s teaching a course on how to be a unit production manager and assistant director, the latter of which is among those responsible for set safety." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 (edited) Teaching safety... this is unreal. I really thought the report was from The Onion, I could not imagine this would ever happen. For those who might not rwad the article, here is the first paragraph: "EXCLUSIVE: Jay Sedrish, the executive producer/unit production manager of Midnight Rider who pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing and felony involuntary manslaughter in the death of 27-year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones and the injury of several others, has resurfaced as a teacher at Columbia College of Hollywood. He’s teaching a course on how to be a unit production manager and assistant director, the latter of which is among those responsible for set safety." It's unbelievable that one of the people proven to be criminally responible for multiple actions and inactions leading to the horrible death of a film crew member is now hired to teach safety to future film makers. The irony and obvious wrongness truly is shocking. Surely the hiring was done by those unaware of the details surrounding the death of Sarah Jones, as it is a serious disservice to the school, students (and their parents), and everyone working in the film/video production industry. As Sedrich showed himself to be self serving and evasive in his defense, it is reasonable to assume his classes will skew or avoid the established film production safety practices that would clearly incriminate himself. Maybe they'll also hire Bernie Madoff to teach a class on the legal and ethical responsibilities of investing other people's money. Edited October 20, 2015 by Glen Trew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 goes to prove that the awareness and sensitivity to absurdum should be one of the first things that should be taught at primary school level... -vin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Gilchrist Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 It's unbelievable that one of the people proven to be criminally responible for multiple actions and inactions leading to the horrible death of a film crew member is now hired to teach safety to future film makers. The irony and obvious wrongness truly is shocking. Surely the hiring was done by those unaware of the details surrounding the death of Sarah Jones, as it is a serious disservice to the school, students (and their parents), and everyone working in the film/video production industry. As Sedrich showed himself to be self serving and evasive in his defense, it is reasonable to assume his classes will skew or avoid the established film production safety practices that would clearly incriminate himself. Maybe they'll also hire Bernie Madoff to teach a class on the legal and ethical responsibilities of investing other people's money. Contact information for the President and the Dean of Columbia College: Richard Kobritz, MA, DGAPresident/CEOrkobritz@columbiacollege.edu Alan L. Gansberg, M.A.Dean of the College(818) 401-1032agansberg@columbiacollege.edu Bet regards, Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McL Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Wrote Gansberg this: Dear Mr. Gansberg, Appalled to learn that Jay Sedrish is teaching young film makers how to be UPM's given his deadly and disrespectful history and reputation in the industry. Daresay there's not a single film professional on the planet who would work on a project with him in any kind of leadership position. You put your institution's reputation and students at risk. Sincerely, Thanks for the President's contact info. Will send basically the same to him. Wonder if Sedrish or any of them could redeem themselves a little by spending X hours of lecture time analyzing what went wrong, what they would do differently now, how to avoid cutting safety corners when the temptations are huge. Wonder if he's capable of such teaching. Don't know the man but for what his actions/inactions caused and what he's gone on record as having said about guerrilla film making and my guess is he may not be able to put something like that together, but that would be something to see, would it not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budster Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 He's gone! Article in DEADLINE http://deadline.com/2015/10/midnight-rider-jay-sedrish-exits-teaching-job-columbia-college-complaints-1201589101/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Fantastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al mcguire Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 There you go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atheisticmystic Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Too soon, obviously. Lots of online comments here and there, stating that the guy is a career-sleazeball, an incorrigible; he might be, but I never worked with the man, so I don't know. An AD once told me that John Landis repeatedly gave the command, "Lower, Lower !" before it crashed and killed several people. Landis was directing films not two years later. Although I'm a secular humanist, I like something that Mother Teresa once said after being criticized for accepting monetary donations from Muammar Gaddafi. I'm paraphrasing, but it was something like"Who am I to decline what may be the one redeeming gesture for another human being?" I like to think that redemption is available to anyone who truly seeks it. Is Sedrish seeking it, has he owned his part in Sarah's death ? I have no idea, I don't know the man. But apparently, it's too soon to be asking. Best, Steven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McL Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Were there redemption for this thing they have done, what would it look like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 I believe in redemption, but I don't believe this is a person qualified to teach safety procedures -- they're two different things. Understanding that perhaps a pedophile can reform you still shouldn't put one in charge of a daycare center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atheisticmystic Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Were there redemption for this thing they have done, what would it look like? Thats a great question, Jan, but I'm not sure anyone out there is interested in that discussion. I believe in redemption, but I don't believe this is a person qualified to teach safety procedures -- they're two different things. Understanding that perhaps a pedophile can reform you still shouldn't put one in charge of a daycare center. Then, was Landis qualified to continue directing films after Twilight Zone ? Best, Steven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigF Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Then, was Landis qualified to continue directing films after Twilight Zone ? would the internet let him today? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atheisticmystic Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 would the internet let him today? Excellent question. How much of today's ire and interpretation is fed by the lightning quick nature of the internet, and how much distortion is introduced by all of our yammering (please note pronoun usage, I'm a part of this equation) ? Really excellent question. best, Steven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McL Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 (edited) I believe in redemption, but I don't believe this is a person qualified to teach safety procedures -- they're two different things. Understanding that perhaps a pedophile can reform you still shouldn't put one in charge of a daycare center. Hope it's clear I'm not suggesting anything of the sort by virtue of my question. The 'R' word is often at the forefront of my thoughts given all the storytelling that goes on around me. Thats a great question, Jan, but I'm not sure anyone out there is interested in that discussion. [snip] Fair point, but earlier this week as I wrote the president of the institution where he was then still teaching, I imagined Sedrish in front of a theater full of industry pros talking about what he did wrong that day and how he might have resisted the high-pressure wave of guerrilla film making low budget "just-do-it-ness" that pervades our industry. Had to stop my musings when in my imagination he was unable to get a word out for all of the vegetables tossed at his head. In another thread there has been some discussion of the use of shaming to shape bad behavior. In this case such a strategy might prove appropriate and cathartic if only for our brokenhearted community. Edited October 21, 2015 by Jan McL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atheisticmystic Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 In another thread there has been some discussion of the use of shaming to shape bad behavior. In this case such a strategy might prove appropriate and cathartic if only for our brokenhearted community. Another wonderful point, although, in the age of the internet, social shaming online can sometimes snowball into something uncontrollable, a digital mob mentality that irrevocably ruins lives. best, Steven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McL Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) ... Edited October 22, 2015 by Jan McL 'Cause I'm an idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whit Norris Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) There is plenty of evidence from the OSHA report and the civil and criminal trials and investigations that Jay Sedrish was one of the parties guilty in Sarah Jones death. The fact that the internet and social media was used to keep this man from maintaining a teaching position is justice. I really don't think this is the thread to discuss Steven's social issues of the internet ruining someone's life or how it is good or bad... or whatever. Carry it somewhere else. This thread was about Sarah Jones death and how the people in charge of Midnight Rider cause her to lose her life and what their outcome is. Open up another thread to discuss your "secular humanist outlook", please. There are many of us in the film community that will never forget what these producers did and to put that crew in jeopardy on the tracks that day and caused Sarah to lose her life. A lot of us will never forgive them or feel that there was enough justice brought to them. I and many others knew and worked with Sarah so it is very close to home. Whit Edited October 22, 2015 by Whit Norris grammar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 Not that his lawyer would let him, but I agree that contrition might start with a mea culpa interview in what he chapter-and-verses what happened that day, and offers apologies in a heartfelt manner. That could be followed by some serious community service work (that does not include teaching at a for-profit college), and perhaps the establishment of a foundation or etc re workplace safety and management responsibility, not just in the movie biz. p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 There are many of us in the film community that will never forget what these producers did and to put that crew in jeopardy on the tracks that day and cause Sarah to loose her life. A lot of us will never forgive them or feel that there was enough justice brought to them. I and many others knew and worked with Sarah so it is very close to home. Whit +111. Being one of the two sole witnesses in a case of a director/producer who were responsible for the death of a girl (PA/AD) on the railway tracks in Bombay many years ago, I too feel the exact same way. One life and not enough to deal with these kind of assholes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted October 23, 2015 Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 Since everything I've read has indicated that the students were not made aware of the man's connection to this incident, it seems unlikely that he served it up as an object lesson of what not to do. It speaks volumes that this school would even consider hiring him in the first place. Ive seen nothing even remotely resembling contrition from any of this lot. One of their attorneys even tried to place blame for Sarah Jones' death on her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.