About Sai
It was 14th March’ 1931 the grand day for the film industry, on which India’s first talkie film “ALAM ARA” it self-introduced the audience to the Sound Engineers on the eve of its historical release at majestic cinema in the then Bombay. It was Khan Saheb Ardeshir Irani, who paved the path for movies with sound in the country and thereafter with the increasing number of films every year many Sound Recordists, Assistant Recordists and Boom Operators stood up with their indispensable dignity in the field and there was a need indeed to form an association/union for safeguarding their interests and entrench their hard-earned reputation.
The Western India Motion Picture Sound Engineers’ Association came in to existence in the year 1956. Earlier there was a joint Association of technicians in Bombay film industry named “Senior Technicians of Bombay” (The union of Cameramen & Sound Recordists). In the Silver Jubilee year of Indian talkie film (1956), our Association was formed by two real brothers Ranjikant Pandya (Cameraman) and Chandrakant Pandya (Sound Recordist) in Sree Sound Studio, Dadar (E).
The first Executive-Committee of WIMPSEA was headed by Manna Ladia as Chairman, B. Bhalchandra as General Secretary and K. V. Shah as Treasurer. Manik Kale was the Vice-Chairman. Other members were P. Thakerssey, S. Y. Pathak, J. M. Barot and Chandrakant Pandya. After the advent of television programs in India, word “Television” was affixed with the union WIMPSEA and it became Western India Motion Picture & Television Sound Engineers’ Association (WIMPTSEA) in the year 1991-92. The Association flourished day to day and made a distinguished place of it in the industry. Now, it is well known as “The Sound Association of India.”
Under the umbrella of the union the interest of the members are safe and secured. The Union is registered with Trade Union (Govt. of Maharashtra) having Registration No. 2158 Dt. 30/09/1956 and affiliated to FWICE having Membership No. 4.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of forming the union were:-.
- To provide security and safety to the members against unemployment, sickness, infirnity and old age, death etc.
- To extend all legal help to redress the complaints, inconvenience, exploitation and excesses on the members.
- To secure compensation in case of accidents and ensure insurance, death compensation, medical and educational aid to the members.
- To furnish the day to day activities of the industry to the members for their benefits.
- To keep the members’ aware of the various welfare scheme’s of the government as well as other philanthropic organization to make them educated and skilled professionals.
- To do all that is good and ethical for the members of the Association.
CURRENT STATUS
Our members are addressed by various names viz. Sound Engineer, Sound Recordist, Sound Designer, Audiographer, Recording Engineer, Director of Audiography, Mixing Engineer, Production Mixer, Assistant Recordist (Film & TV), Sound Editor, Boom Operator (Film & TV), Foley Artists, Sound Equipment Attendant etc.
Till date it’s several branches are opened like Automatic Dialogue Replacement Sound Editing, Dialogue Editing, Sync Sound location Recording and Foley Recording etc.
Our Association has 04 main Grades of Membership:-
Recordist: – Including Recording Engineers working in the studio, Mixing Engineers, Foley Recordist, Sound Designer, Location Recordist.
Asst. Recordist: – Assistant cadre Recordist working in films, TV web based and any audio visual program, Sound Editors, Asst. Recording Engineers Recordist (working in the studios).
Boom Operators: – Boom Operators handling booms in films shooting & TV & web based programs and Foley Artists are also covered in this category.
Sound Equipment Attendant: – The people carrying shifting and placing sound equipments on the sets fall in this category.
ALL THOSE, WHO ARE ENGAGED IN AUDIO VISUAL PROGRAMS OF ANY GENRE/ANY ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA, MAY BECOME OUR MEMBERS. AFTER PROCESSING THROUGH THE PRESCRIBED NORMS
