Sony Corporation will be making several donations to leading organizations in the production industry. The fund is designed to help mitigate disruption of the creative community as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funding for this worldwide program will be provided by the "Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19" that was established in April 2020 to help those affected by the pandemic. Funds will be contributed globally to various organizations in North America, Europe, and Japan and will also be used at a regional level to support Sony’s Imaging PRO Support program.
The donations will be used by recipient organizations to help ease the financial hardships affecting industry creators, including cinematographers, camera operators, camera assistants, digital imaging technicians, and many others who create media for sports, movies, and episodic content. The communities that will be receiving financial support in North America include:
- The Sports Video Group, founded in 2006, is an international association for sports-television professionals with the mission to advance the creation, production and distribution of sports content. As producer of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame and 12 other industry events, as well as numerous media properties and industry initiatives, the organization represents a membership of more than 4,000 active participants in the creation of sports content for TV, the Internet, mobile devices and in-venue distribution.
- International Cinematographers Guild—I.A.T.S.E. (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) Local 600 represents approximately 9,000 members who work in film, television, and commercials as directors of photography, camera operators, digital imaging technicians, visual effects supervisors, still photographers, camera assistants, film loaders, all members of camera crews, and publicists. The first cinematographers’ union was established in New York in 1926, followed by unions in Los Angeles and Chicago, but it wasn’t until 1996 that Local 600 was born as a national guild.
- International Cinematographers Guild—I.A.T.S.E. Local 667, Local 669 and Local 671 in Canada represent camera professionals and unit publicists who work in all phases of motion picture productions filmed or electronically recorded for theatrical feature films, films for television, television series, commercials, documentaries, Internet productions, and corporate video productions, as well as working at live events.
- The American Society of Cinematographers was founded in Hollywood in 1919 with the purpose of advancing the art and science of cinematography and bringing cinematographers together to exchange ideas, discuss techniques, and promote the motion picture as an art form.
- The Canadian Society of Cinematographers is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1957. Its purpose is to foster the art and craft of cinematography and imaging professionals at all levels. CSC members are involved in the production of feature films, documentaries, television series, specials, and commercials. The Society is administered by volunteers and strives to reflect the diverse character of its membership. Its mandate supports a full agenda of training, education, mentorship, and the dissemination of the latest in technical and product information.
Globally, Sony will also invest in financial assistance for Sports Video Group Europe, IMAGO, and Japan Society of Cinematographers in Japan.
“In these challenging times, we are eternally grateful to healthcare workers, essential workers, and others on the frontline of combating this pandemic and supporting the essential needs of our society,” said Mike Fasulo, president and chief operating officer, Sony Electronics. “Content creators are the critical backbone of the entertainment ecosystem, and Sony’s business’ success is tied very closely to their well-being and success. We are gratified to lend Sony’s support to organizations enabling creators to continue their artistic expression, and we look forward to seeing the results of our shared collaboration.”
Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, Sony remains committed to furthering its support of creators and their activities. Existing Sony Imaging PRO Support members in North America can continue to take advantage of the recent complimentary six-month extension of benefits, which helps to reduce creators’ ongoing operational costs.
For more information about the Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19, visit sony.net/SonyInfo/csr/community/covid19_fund
