Why Join?

International Cinematographers Guild Members Receive:

  • The best medical coverage in the entertainment industry
  • Two employer-funded retirement programs
  • Premium pay for overtime
  • Travel, housing and per diem for location shoots
  • Contract safety and health protections
  • Union and legal representation

Negotiating Contracts

The primary job of the IATSE is to negotiate the contracts under which we all work and to protect members’ safety and well being from producer exploitation. It also provides a means of receiving pensions and continuous healthcare, despite working for a variety of employers. This is a rarity in a freelance industry, and we are fortunate to have well-funded pension and health plans, which are among the best benefit packages to be found anywhere in the country. The Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans remain strong because of residuals from IATSE-made films, which are licensed into secondary markets.

Other Benefits of Being a Member of Local 600

The International Cinematographers Guild offers many other benefits for membership including:

  • Our Publications
  • ICG Magazine highlights members’ achievements and skills and is Local 600’s face to the outside world.
  • Weekly eNewsletter is the members’ regular weekly update with information about contracts, guild news and important information all members need to know.
  • The Available List, a service that allows members, producers, or production managers to search for other members needing work.
  • The Health Preserver List, a service that allows members to add themselves or search for members who are a few hours short of qualifying for their benefits.
  • Training and Technical Seminars: Local 600 provides a series of technical seminars to keep the members on the cutting edge of new technologies as they emerge.
  • Networking Events
  • AFL-CIO Union Plus Benefits
  • Movie Screenings
  • Scholarships
  • The Emerging Cinematographer Awards
  • Annual Publicists Awards Luncheon
  • Political Action