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A very bad day in GA


S Harber

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We are Sarah Jones! View this email in your browser 4fef26b2-fc72-4fa3-9bb9-395f2f514581.pngd30e202d-1a6b-48bb-b69f-a1c32e4ce076.jpg Dear Member,

The information below was forwarded to our office for distribution & we wanted to take a moment to share it with you:

Ok guys, if you haven't heard we're doing a big ol' walkathon this weekend for Sarah here in Atlanta. Here's all the important info:

- We are celebrating Sarah and raising money for the on-set safety initiatives and educational scholarships of the Sarah Jones Film Foundation. Please also visit Safety For Sarah for other ways to help.

- We will be accepting donations on site, and a donation of $20 or more will get you a "Tough Like A Giraffe" T-Shirt. The shirts are inspired by the one Sarah wore every Friday to set. Her exuberance was infectious, and soon the saying "Tough Like a Giraffe" was common. The origin of it came from a childhood friend who reminded her that giraffes live on very little sleep, much like people in production.

-Parking can be found on the street, on Larchwood ST SW; please be courteous of area residents. We encourage carpooling. It's a couple minutes' walk to the starting point, so be sure to give yourself enough time.

For public transportation, MARTA Holmes Station is about 3/4 mile away from the trail. Again, be aware of walking time to the event site.

-We will be live-tweeting and Facebooking this event, and we encourage you (and your friends and followers everywhere) to do the same using#safetyforsarah and @slatesforsarah. If you don't feel comfortable having your picture used via social media, please be sure to make this known to us beforehand.

-A Spotify playlist will be coming soon for the listening pleasure of walkers and supporters everywhere.

-The event will start at 3 PM EST (12 PM PST). Sarah's parents, Elizabeth and Richard, along with her brother Eric, will welcome us with opening remarks before leading us on the walk.

-Light refreshments will be on site, and there'll be a separate celebration after the event. Details to come.

-If you can't make it but would still like to donate, please visit the donation page:

-We're also still looking for a couple more volunteers to help out during the afternoon. If you're available and hanging out with cool people is something you're in to, please sign up here:

Thanks for your support. Hope to see you there! fea8170c-6759-44db-a09b-28c1ee2772a0.jpgCopyright © 2014 IATSE Local 479, All rights reserved. 

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Our mailing address is: 

IATSE Local 479
140 Charles W. Grant Pkwy
AtlantaGA 30354

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Deadline: " A trial date of March 9, 2015 has been set in the manslaughter and criminal trespass case of the four filmmakers indicted in the on-set death of 27-year-old Midnight Rider camera assistant Sarah Jones. Pre-trial motions will be heard for two days prior, on February 12-13, and jury selection will start a month later on March 9. The order was issued early this morning by Judge Anthony Harrison in the Wayne County (GA) Superior Court during a special status conference hearing. All discovery must be entered into the court by December 10, 2014. "

http://deadline.com/2014/09/midnight-rider-trial-date-set-sarah-jones-involuntary-manslaughter-843486/

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The first AD in this case deserves to hang with the other three co-conspirators, because she blatantly neglected her responsibilities toward safety of the crew on both this and the prior film with these same three, and the same DP. 

 

The prior film had numerous complaints from the surrounding city and documented examples on their own and from the film commission of unsafe and incredibly disrespectful or just stupid actions. Throwing a piano down the stairs of a historic home, allowing a toddler to roam in a field full of cattle (and filming both) doing yet another shot on active railroad tracks with a toddler...

This first AD and the rest of the above-the-line team have all participated in these actions before. This first AD had compromised her own judgement by being so friendly with the director/producer and his wife. Considering their ridiculing of the location manager after being notified that the permission had been denied ("Stop being such an old man" Oh, you are just a stick in the mud" ) they had no intention of obeying the location manager or the terms of their agreement (or lack of) with the railroad.

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I got an email from the Chris Ranung the President of Local 477.

Posting it here with Chris's permission.

 

 

Last week on vacation, while visiting the Muir Woods National Monument just north of San Francisco, I chanced upon the truly admirable.

 

We had wandered for hours among the groves of massive redwoods and, as my girlfriend and I were turning away from a lecture on the great trees, I noticed a young man in a blue tee shirt with white letters across the chest spelling “Remember Sarah Jones.” Thinking he was just somebody in our industry, someone who knew of the tragedy, I said the name “Sarah Jones” aloud and caught his attention.  We fist-bumped and he asked my name.

 

“Chris.  I’m with the IA in Florida.”

 

He turned to the three other people he was with and said, “Well, I’d like you to meet my dad, Sarah’s father.  This is Sarah’s mother.  And this is my sister.”

Wow.

 

Most of us have lost a family member; some of us know the distinctive pain caused by unexpected loss.  We all know that time heals but never fully diminishes such pain and, over the passing years, we commemorate these lost ones in ways peculiar to our life stories: on birthdays and anniversaries, with family and friends, on holidays . . . and sometimes at places shared.

 

The Jones family had traveled to Muir Woods, an ancient and transcendent place, a place she had shared with her father some years ago, to observe the first of Sarah’s birthdays since her passing.  They had come together for mutual solace and strength.  They were clear-eyed and calm; we two were fighting back tears.  They greeted us with affinity, speaking openly about the road they now travel, the experience of their loss.

 

We spoke of saying “Sarah’s Pledge” at the opening of every one of our general membership meetings.  We spoke of the industry-wide focus on safety and training.  We spoke of what Local 477 is doing to protect the memory of this tragic accident.

 

The Joneses mentioned their loss only slightly, choosing instead to speak of moving forward. In this vein, Sarah’s mother and father asked me to convey their gratitude to the members of Local 477, for who we are and what we are doing in their daughter’s name.

 

And then, as we parted, the Joneses asked only that we never let down our guard, never stop promoting safety on set . . . and that we keep the fire burning by always remembering Sarah.

 

I cannot fully express the extraordinary impact this chance meeting had on my spirit, that day in the redwoods and continuing now.  But I trust you all get the idea . . .

Chris

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While many would counter that the 1AD is less responsible than above the line management, I would counter the reverse: the 1AD should have refused to take any action toward doing the shot they knew they had been refused permission for, and should have known it is blatantly unsafe;

as for the sleazeball trying to make another, shockingly similar, movie, well, we all know that history has a habit of repeating itself, so this will probably be a POS production, done in a less than professional manner...--Miller's reputation as a reckless, dangerous, unprincipled producer-director precedes him...-- that is, if it ever gets made... The trial starts early next year!

and he'll probably have Greg Allman suing him, too

Edited by studiomprd
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  • 2 weeks later...

So ?? you wanna' be an Executive Producer ??

 

" Singer Gregg Allman, the subject of the “Midnight Rider” project,has filed a new claim against the producers of “Midnight Rider” contending that they agreed to indemnify him from any liability for the Feb. 20 accident on the set that killed camera assistant Sarah Jones and injured eight others.

Allman, in a filing in Chatham County Court in Georgia on Tuesday, also is seeking a dismissal from the Jones’ family civil lawsuit, suggesting that the accident occurred as the filmmakers attempted to “steal a shot” on a live train trestle. Although they had executive producer credits, Allman and his manager, Michael Lehman, say that such a designation was a “courtesy” and they had no influence over the actual production...

In May, Allman sought an injunction in Georgia state court to stop the production, contending that the producers’ option for his life rights had expired. Although there was a hearing in his case, he settled the litigation. The production has not proceeded.

Allman’s latest filing cites testimony from the May hearing, in which Miller said that Allman and Lehman were not informed of plans to shoot on the train trestle.. "

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/gregg-allman-files-new-claim-against-midnight-rider-producers-1201329636/

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You want the fancy title? take the responsibility that goes with it. 

 

They hand out the "Titles" like candy...  He should of done the "FANCY" contractual work before the filming... not jumping off the "Producers" title afterward.

 

I have trouble understanding why those who can afford the Lawyers fail to cover their ass...  

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NEW: " the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) launched their own “ICG Safety” app designed to help members anonymously report unsafe working conditions on film and TV sets across the world. "

http://deadline.com/2014/10/sarah-jones-midnight-rider-safety-app-iatse-local-600-856126/

 

this is in addition to the previously released Set Safety App:

 

A free "Set Safety" app honoring the late Sarah Jones, the camera assistant killed on the “Midnight Rider” set, has been extended to the Apple platform. The app debuted Oct. 3 for Android users ...

 

meanwhile federal investigations drag on: The Federal Railroad Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are still in the throes of investigating the Midnight Rider case, both looking for the “root” and “probable cause” of the fatal accident that took place on railroad tracks in Georgia during the first day of filming for the Gregg Allman biopic in February.

http://deadline.com/...on-ntsb-851313/

 

a "root and probable cause" of this accident..?

is the root cause that people who were denied permission to be on the tracks filming were on the tracks filming ??

or do we go back further, to the ego's, entitlement, arrogance, disregard, lies, disrespect, and etc. of these idiots who were breaking laws and going where they were told not to go, and doing what they were told not to do;  and how much time and money does it take for two more federal bureaucracies to figure this out ??

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" ...lawyers for the film’s distributor Open Road Films revealed they were in talks with Jones’ family for a resolution that could come as soon as Tuesday... “This [suit] is about the production and Open Road is a distributor — we only deal with things once the film is made, there is no reason for us to be here,” Open Road lawyer Marvin Putnam said today following the short hearing...  Putnam said he believes a deal can be reached with the family... "

http://deadline.com/2014/10/midnight-rider-hearing-continued-open-road-sarah-jones-862742/

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deadline (above): " New, surprising details have emerged about the on-set death of 27-year-old camerawoman Sarah Jones during the first day of filming on Midnight Rider. Crew members were not told about an email from railroad owner CSX denying them permission to shoot on the Doctortown train trestle in rural Georgia, as at least 20 members piled onto the tracks 25 to 30 feet above the water under dangerous conditions led by director Randall Miller....What has emerged is a timeline of what led up to the accident and the specifics of the tragedy itself that led to the indictment of director Miller, his wife/producer Jody Savin, unit production manager/exec producer Jay Sedrish and first assistant director Hillary Schwartz on criminal trespass and involuntary manslaughter charges. The trial is set to begin on March 9. "

 

the actual report is available:

https://pmcdeadline2...ection-info.pdf

reading pages 37-43..., (among others!) I'm reminded of the response given after the "incident" to the question of permission to be on the tracks: "that is complicated".

 

" “After reviewing the many thousands of pages of documents, and other information we have obtained through the legal discovery process, it is clear that Mr. Allman and Mr. Lehman had no involvement in any of the decisions that resulted in Sarah’s death,” Harris said. “Our investigation has also shown that, in this case, Open Road Films was not directly involved in the poor decisions that led to this horrific event and the tragic loss of Sarah’s life. As a result, we are dismissing all claims against the three parties.” "

http://variety.com/2014/artisans/news/gregg-allman-open-road-dropped-from-midnight-rider-lawsuit-1201343477/

" The federal probe reveals a systematic indifference to safety and health that led to the tragedy. "

http://deadline.com/2014/10/midnight-rider-lawsuit-gregg-allman-open-road-dismissed-1201268162/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/midnight-rider-gregg-allman-michael-745120?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_breakingnews&utm_campaign=THR%20Breaking%20News_now_2014-10-30%2011%3A03%3A57_ehayden

Edited by studiomprd
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There's a story about this on ABC's 20/20 tonight (here in the US). If anyone watches, let us know what you think and if it's available online after the broadcast. Here's a text tease:

 

'Midnight Rider' Hairstylist Describes When Train Hit Her, Killed Fellow Crew Member

Oct 31, 2014, 4:59 AM ET
By MARC DORIAN, LAUREN PUTRINO and ALEXA VALIENTE via 20/20

 

A hairstylist severely injured by a train that killed 27-year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones during a shoot for the film "Midnight Rider" described the horrific moments when she realized the train was going to strike her.

"I saw the light of that train," Joyce Gilliard told ABC News' "20/20." "It was like the train was right there, so you had seconds to figure out what you were going to do."

 

Rest of the story:

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/midnight-rider-hairstylist-describes-horrific-moments-train-hit/story?id=26523394 

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also from the above story: " There were no railroad officials or medical help present on set, multiple witnesses told "20/20," nor was the film's location manager, Charley Baxter. He hadn't been able to obtain permission from the railroad to film on the trestle bridge. Baxter emailed the railroad's refusal to producers just before 11 a.m. that day. "

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I didn't know the piece was going to be on tonight but caught the teaser right after shark tank. The video from the front of the train showing the crew running from the track really drives home how bad this thing was, and how close everyone really was to the train. I knew it was bad and then you see it and it makes you even more sad. 

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Hmm..they needn't go there to cover themselves..or do they?

The premise for this is that CSX will argue that any reasonable person would be aware of the danger of being on the train tracks. Since CSX is named as a defendant in these lawsuits, they have to apply language to protect themselves. On the surface, it looks like victim blaming, but they are defending themselves from collateral damage from the negligent actions of the producers. There are many reports that say CSX twice denied them permission to be on the tracks and it was in writing. I think CSX will be cleared, and this will fall on the shoulders of the producers, and rightly so.

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