The Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) has named production designer Dawn Snyder as its director of education & special projects, succeeding Casey Bernay. The two are currently working together, creating a smooth transition as Snyder takes over officially today (9/1).
Bernay will stay on in a support role and continues to be involved with the Guild as a member of the board of directors and secretary of the Illustrators and Matte Artists Council.
National executive director Chuck Parker noted, “I am thrilled that Dawn Snyder has agreed to take the reins of the ADG Education Program with her thorough art department background combined with her teaching experience. Casey Bernay blazed the trail for harnessing the power of contract services to provide more than just safety training, to the ultimate benefit of not only just Local 800 members, but members of other West Coast locals as well. As Casey moves towards retirement, a seamless transition with Dawn is in the works and the winners will be the members of Local 800 for years to come.”
Snyder said, “After 38 years doing my dream job (as set designer, art director and production designer), I find myself fortunate enough to be able to help craft a program that will educate, strengthen skills, and encourage both current and future members of the Art Directors Guild to succeed in their dream jobs.”
She paid tribute to Bernay for her successful years in the position. The Art Directors Guild has developed, through Bernay, a robust education program which enables members to receive training and develop additional skills related to their work.
Snyder is best known as a TV production designer on shows such as Arrested Development, for which she won an Art Directors Guild Award. Other shows include Rush Hour, Imaginary Mary and the Netflix series Best Worst Weekend Ever. Her set design credits include Geostorm, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Van Helsing, Armageddon, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Caddyshack II and Field of Dreams.
Snyder was recently professor of production design at the Savannah College of Art & Design in Savannah, Georgia, and is currently a member of the adjunct faculty at AFI.
Maryland Court Voids Digital Ad Tax, Orders Refunds To Apple, Google and Peacock TV
A Maryland state tax court has struck down the state's first-in-the-nation tax on digital advertising and ordered state officials to repay the tax money already collected from big tech firms. The Maryland Tax Court said the tax violates the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act as well as the First Amendment and the commerce and due process clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The legal fight has been watched by other states that are considering taxes for online ads. Maryland estimated the tax, approved in 2021, could raise about $250 million a year to help pay for a sweeping K-12 education measure. In Friday's decision, the tax court ordered the state to repay the tax money already collected by Apple, Google and Peacock TV. The law taxed revenue that large companies make on digital advertisements shown in Maryland. Companies making more than $100 million in global annual gross revenues were taxed at a 2.5% rate. The rate increased for companies with larger revenues, topping out at a 10% rate for companies making $15 billion or more in global gross annual revenues. Supporters of the law contended that Maryland needed to overhaul its tax methods in response to significant changes in how businesses advertise. But attorneys representing Big Tech companies including Meta and Amazon challenged the law in multiple legal venues, arguing in part that they were unfairly targeted. Last year, 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled part of the law violated the Constitution because it blocked Big Tech companies from telling customers about the tax. That, Judge Julius Richardson said, violated the right to free speech. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Joseline Pena-Melnyk, both Democrats, issued a statement saying they "respectfully disagree"... Read More