‘Saturday Night Live’ VFX Staffers Organize With IATSE

Sixteen visual effects artists who work on pre-recorded digital shorts for “Saturday Night Live” have unionized with IATSE and won official recognition from series producer Broadway Video and NBCUniversal.

IATSE confirmed the development on Monday. The organizing drive by IATSE follows the union’s successful bid to organize “SNL” editors in October 2022. Those members ratified their first contract in May 2023. NBCUniversal recognized IATSE as the bargaining agent “after ‘SNL’ VFX workers presented signed authorization cards demonstrating 100% support for unionization,” IATSE said.

“SNL” staffers said union protections have become more important to them as the vfx work on the NBC late-night mainstay has expanded dramatically in recent years. IATSE is in the midst of a major push to organize top VFX firms and shows such as “SNL” where the job classification fell through the cracks for many years.

“Over the six seasons I’ve worked at SNL, I’ve seen the VFX department evolve from a small group to a tightly integrated, highly organized operation capable of delivering hundreds of demanding shots over a 24-hour period. It’s an intense, collaborative, and extremely fun environment that constantly tests the limits of our skills, our versatility, and, after long days staring at a screen, our ability to form coherent sentences,” said VFX artist Richard Lampasone in a statement provided by IATSE. “Our work, like that of everyone else above and below the line, is critical to the show’s success. We look forward to celebrating Season 50 by joining in ‘SNL’s’ decades-long tradition of supporting union labor, and to helping negotiate a contract that reflects the substantial value we add and makes ours a more accessible and sustainable career for years to come.”

Hannah S. Kim, who is a VFX lead with four years under her belt at “SNL,” said the job is rewarding but challenging.

“The creative challenges posed to the team are made fun and possible by the wonderful individuals that work within ‘SNL’s’ impossible time frame every show week,” Kim said in a statement shared by IATSE. “It is a great honor to work side by side with all my VFX teammates, and this is why I firmly believe we must unionize to build a more sustainable work environment for the humans behind the art. I want our expertise and roles to be recognized as an integral part of the ‘SNL’ production, and not ignored.”