Association of Cine & TV Equipment Suppliers joins FWICE strike even as producers stand together

MUMBAI: Indian TV producers were a harried lot by the end of 16 August, the day of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) promoted strike call. Most managed to complete their shoot shifts for the day, though not without any incidents. Some met with resistance from the music composers who provide background music; some had issues with edit studios where owners were forced to down their shutters early by FWICE members. If the studio owners continue to make their editing facilities inaccessible to their production house clients tomorrow onwards, it would mean, TV producers who do not have their own edit suites may be stranded and be challenged to deliver their final daily episode masters to channels. Unless they can make alternative arrangements with TV producers or broadcasters who have their own edit suites. Or source out other outlets. By the end of the day, more bad news was in store. The Association of Cine & TV Equipment Suppliers sent out a letter saying that it and its members are supporting the FWICE initiative. “We will not be in a position to provide services to producers till the strike is on,” it said in the notice. The services include rental of cameras, dollies, lights and what have you, which will not be available for filming, unless the production house owns them or once again can make alternative arrangements for light and light men and cameras and camera equipment. At the time of writing no further information was available about which other association was going to walk the FWICE striking trail, but producers were hoping that broadcasters would stand by them and go eyeball to eyeball with the unions. They were all getting ready to begin shooting on 17 August. The faceoff could be a long one, if FWICE treasurer Ashish Rego is to be believed. “We will not step down from our stand now,” he told Tellychakkar.com earlier today. “This is going to be the mother of all battles, bigger than the earlier strike. Producers and broadcasters have to listen to our demands. They have gone too far. Other member associations will join our ranks by tomorrow when we take out a big dharna.” Let’s wait and watch how much further the two sides will go. Keep reading Tellychakkar.com for updates.