GARY MASON

443.624.3014

gary@gary-mason.com

Acting

What to do when things are slow (like now)

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  I don’t know if it is just me, but MAN it sure seems pretty slow around here these days.  I mean, I’m still working, but not nearly as much as I’d like to, and future jobs are slim pickings.  This week let’s talk about what you should do to keep busy during slow times.

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week, but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

Slow times

It happens in everyone’s acting careers.  The nature of this business is that there are going to be times when work is slow. Maybe there are just fewer productions in the works. Maybe there are just not a lot of roles you are fit for.  This year, for example, all of the major unions are up for renegotiating their Minimum Basic Agreement contracts with the major producers . Also, this year there is some major contention with the Writers Guild, and they are threatening to strike.

Potential writers’ strike

I wrote a bit about this previously, but the threat of a writer’s strike has increased risk for big union productions, so there is a pretty significant reduction in new productions starting.  It’s understandable, because negotiations with one union group (WGA) can, and often does, affect negotiations with the other unions.  The natural result is that productions are holding off going into production (and casting actors for them) until things are settled.  Consequently, there are fewer jobs for actors at the moment.

So, what do you do?

It’s bad when work slows down, but there are still some things you can do to keep busy during slow times, and maybe even earn a little money as well.  What follows is an exploration of things an actor can do to keep busy and maybe earn some cash during slow times. The first thing you need to note about the following is that doing these things requires a lot of self-motivation, especially for the things that don’t earn you money while you’re doing them.  If you are not self-motivated, well, maybe you are in the wrong field!

A note

Listen, we all experience slow times for varied reasons. Even seasoned and famous actors have periods, sometimes long periods, where they are not working.  I’ve read several books about actors whose career was SO slow just before a big break they were considering getting out of the business.  Consistency, persistence, and motivation are what you need to get through slow times. These slow periods are NOT an indictment of your talent (usually) so do what you can to weather them and get through it.

Side jobs

Unless you are an A-List actor (or maybe even a B-List actor) with a ton of reserve cash, which the vast majority of us are not, then you probably have (or need) a side hustle to get through lean times.  It’s sad, but since we are all pretty accustomed to eating and having a place to sleep, during slow times you should try to ramp up your side gig.  Take more hours, hustle more or do whatever you need to do to allow you to survive.  I know this goes without saying, but a slowdown in acting work leaves you some extra free time to concentrate on your side gigs.  Thus, when things slow down the first thing to do is to increase your non-acting work.  I mean, you do have more time for that, right?

Training

Even a busy actor should continue training and coaching, but during slow periods in your acting career you have an opportunity to commit to something a little longer term.  Is there a class you’d like to take but were too busy for the commitment before?  Now is your chance to take that class.  True, you never know when things will pick up again, and there is a bit of risk involved in committing to a long term class. It’s a personal decision, to be sure, however if things pick up again before you finish you just have a scheduling issue, not something insurmountable.

Explore other acting venues.

Are you primarily a screen actor? Voice artist? Theater actor?  Branch out!  Try community theater, audition for VO roles.  If you don’t pigeonhole yourself your opportunities to act will increase.  Try looking for low-paying or unpaid independent gigs just to keep working those acting muscles.  Find a local theater or film school and volunteer to perform in their productions. Many of these opportunities are completely unaffected by things like union negotiations and strikes, and student productions are always looking for actors…some are even paid opportunities.

Meet with your agent or manager.

Slow times are a good time to meet with other members of your team.  Approach your agent or manager with an open mind, mention you are not getting as many auditions/bookings and ask what you might do to improve your odds.  Maybe it is time to learn a new aspect of the craft (such as stage/screen fighting or stunts), maybe it is the right time to concentrate on updating your marketing materials like head shots, or maybe your resume needs some work.  Slow periods are good time to take care of those things.

Network

Slow periods are a great time to nurture industry relationships. Reach out to your network and set up that lunch meeting that you’ve not had time for.  Attend industry events like Film Festivals and premiere screenings.  These are great places to meet people in the industry and get to know them.  Remember, though, that networking is a way for you to get to know people and them you.  They are not auditions or interviews.  And when networking remember that your goal is to find ways to help them not to get them to help you.  Networking is not an opportunity to pitch yourself or your ideas.  Networking leads to new friends, which may lead to opportunities to pitch yourself or your ideas, but that is not the point of networking.

Research

Study productions that fit your “essence” to see what makes them good.  Seeing (or hearing) other successful actors in roles you would be auditioning for will help you know how to prepare for these types of projects when things pick back up.  It definitely will give you a leg up on other actors auditioning for the same roles who did not do any research.  Also, research what productions are waiting in the wings to see what might be coming up.  A subscription to Casting About will give you a good idea of what to be preparing for and also an idea what producers/directors are getting ready to start casting so your agent or manager can pitch you directly.

Get in shape.

Is the crafty table just a little too tempting when you’re on set so you’ve put on a few pounds?  Slow times are a good time to concentrate on you and your health.  Do you need to take off a few pounds?  This is a good time to think about exercising or maybe starting that diet you’ve been thinking about. You should always be concerned about your health, after all, it is tough to work if you are incapacitated or dead, but slow times give you more time to concentrate on that.  And you even get to control what gets put on YOUR crafty table.

Create

If it is slow for you, it is likely slow for your circle of friends and acquaintances.  Slow times are a good time to create your own content.  Get together with other industry folks you know and produce some fun short content, then post it on your YouTube channel.  It’s fun, doesn’t cost a ton of money and it gives everyone involved a chance to keep practicing the craft they love. These projects should be fun and don’t have to be “highly polished” productions. You never know where something like this may lead.

At the end of the day

There are always going to be slow times as an actor.  It’s inevitable.  The key is to keep working, keep moving, don’t stagnate.  If you allow yourself to slow down at the same pace as the industry, overcoming the inertia to get moving again will be difficult.  You may not actually earn any money from some of these, and some may even cost some money, but they will pay off in the long run when the industry picks back up.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

Pet Peeves

Acting, Voice Over

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  Since I’ve been doing this work, I’ve developed several “Pet Peeves”, so this week I thought I’d share them with you.  Do any of these resonate with you?  If you have some others, I’d love to hear them!

REMEMBER:

Look!  It’s BACK! Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week, but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

Pet Peeves

We all have them, even if we won’t admit it. In case you don’t know, a pet peeve is something that you find particularly annoying.  Typically, they are things that happen frequently and serve to get under your skin very quickly.  I have a BUNCH of them like not signaling before changing lanes (which I am also guilty of sometimes) and weaving in and out of traffic…but I will confine myself below only to those things related to acting or VO. So, without further ado – my list of acting pet peeves!

Tardiness

I’ll include this one first, because it is probably my BIGGEST pet peeve of all.  It drives me bonkers when people have only a passing acquaintance with being on time.  I spent 20 years in the Navy and our motto was 15 minutes early is on time and on time is late.  In my mind, people who are late are disrespectful of other people’s time and as we all know: time is money.  I get it, sometimes doo-doo occurs, and you wind up late.  It happens.  It’s when people are routinely late and there is no apparent reason for it and/or they are not contrite about it.

Not memorizing lines

Obviously, this one does not really apply to VO since you typically have your copy in front of you when you record.  I’ve worked with several actors who wait till they show up on set to begin memorizing their lines.  This one is nearly as bad as being late all the time because it fails to consider the time of the other people involved.  Needless to say, if an actor does not have his lines committed to memory the shoot day is going to be a LOOOOOOONG one (and they are almost always long anyway).

Complainers

OK, so it may seem a little hypocritical to call out complainers in a blog post that is almost entirely complaining about things…I get it.  Still, I am talking about people who complain incessantly.  We’ve all met these people.  Nothing is ever right for them. Even when they get exactly what they asked for there will be something not quite to their liking.  Their wardrobe doesn’t fit just right, it’s too hot/cold, lunch is late, there are too many takes (maybe if they memorized their lines?).  It just makes me crazy when someone spends all day complaining.

People who expect you to work for nothing.

Or even next to nothing.  The worst offenders are the people who post a role without stating what the rate is for the role.  While I stay away from these, it is still annoying particularly when the role looks interesting.  There seems to be no understanding of what it takes to prepare for a role, or even an audition.  HINT: It takes a good bit of time.  I fully understand low/no budget indie projects and am even willing to work for free sometimes.  But let me decide BEFORE taking the time to audition.

Failure to provide a reel.

This is particularly egregious when you DO agree to work for no pay.  If you have an actor who is willing to put time and effort into a character for your project for no pay, the least you can do is provide a reel of the scenes for that actor.  Or send the whole thing and let them cut their scenes out.  If you are not going to pay the talent, don’t make them chase you down and hound you for their scenes.  They are working to gain experience and clips for their reel…THAT is the pay.

Un-proofed audition scripts.

I actually see this a lot more often in VO auditions than on-screen auditions although it happens in both.  There is nothing more aggravating then having to try and decipher horrible spelling and grammar before you can even start to prepare to read for an audition.  I am an actor, not an editor.  If you can’t afford to hire a real editor, at least ask someone to proofread the script for you.  The BIGGEST offenders of this one are independent/self-published authors trying to get their book into audio form.  Which leads to –

The length of some audiobook audition scripts

It’s hard to believe that I have actually received entire manuscripts of a book and told to “pick a section” to read for the audition.  While that’s rare, there are plenty of audition scripts that represent 20-30 minutes of audio.  You simply do not need that much of an audition since it is likely you are going to decide whether you like or dislike the narrator in less than 3 minutes.  A 3-to-5-minute script length is optimal.

Actors who give you “notes”.

We all have our way of reading a script, and we each interpret characters differently. I’ve heard it time and time again: There is no “right” or “wrong” way to portray a character. Just because you saw this character as someone else when you auditioned doesn’t mean I saw them the same way.  If I booked the role the director liked my take and me being someone you didn’t expect should actually HELP you react to that character more realistically.  I take my notes from the director, not the scene partner, thank you. And that leads to –

Actors who argue with the director about notes.

Look, I get it.  You spent a lot of time figuring out who your character is, and you have a whole backstory developed for why they behave the way they do.  That’s awesome and just how it is supposed to be.  Unfortunately, the director is the one who ultimately decides how a character should behave in any scene.  If the director’s vision does not match yours, guess what?  His vision wins. Sure, explain your choice if need be, but then do what the director wants without arguing.

Ultra-fast turnaround times

It’s been said that in business (and this IS a business, don’t forget) you have three choices: Good, Fast and Cheap.  But you can only ever have two at the same time.  Of course, an audition is always cheap (they’re free to production after all) so you either get Good or Fast…never both.  In preparing for an audition, you need to do a truncated version of the same prep you do for a booked role.  If you only give the talent an hour or two to respond, they do not have time to do the prep they need, and their audition is not going to be as good. This makes them less competitive.  Give actors a couple days to submit their auditions!

Full-Body Slates

I get it, casting has a particular body type in mind, and they want to see if you fit it.  But sometimes it is SO DARN DIFFICULT to get a full body shot without turning the camera to vertical.  Even worse is a full body pan, when for self-tapes we are so often working alone.  How do you get the camera to pan when you are supposed to be in front of it?  I understand the need, but how about a normal slate and audition and include a fully body snapshot along with it instead?

Disclaimers

Lastly, what is up with those super-fast disclaimers at the end of some of these auditions?  You have to fit 90 seconds of audio into a 15 second disclaimer.  Who speaks that fast without tripping over their words?  And compressing the time in the audio file only goes so far before the audio is completely perturbed.  I understand them and I hate them at the same time!

And there you have it

These are just some of my biggest pet peeves.  Hopefully some of these resonated with you.  If you have some of your own I’d love to hear about them.  Just pop them into the comment box below!

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

Film Festivals

Acting

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  This past weekend there were two film festivals going on in my local area, AND a film I acted in was screened in one of them, so I thought it might be fun to write about film festivals this week!

Look, ma – no warning paragraph (again)!

I know, last week I said I’d put it back this week for those of you who actually look forward to it.  Apparently, I lied.  Since I am talking about film festivals this week, and that focuses mostly on screen acting (although there is a fair amount of VO work done for films as well) I’m going to leave it out again this week.  Hey, it’s my blog I can do with it what I want!

Everyone has heard of them…

There is likely not a person on the planet who hasn’t heard of a film festival.  Cannes, Berlin, Sundance…we’ve heard of them, and probably recognize they are important, but there are also probably some things you DIDN’T know about them as well.

Why are they important?

Most importantly festivals give film makers, and actors, an opportunity to be seen by professionals within the industry.  For independent film makers this becomes a networking event where you have a chance to meet some people that might be able to help move your career forward.  If nothing else, it is a good way to meet people within that festival’s local area. As I’ve said many times, this industry has a foundation of relationships, and being screened at and attending a film festival is a great way to build relationships.

There are a LOT of them…

I’ve read there are over 5000 film festivals in the United States alone and 3-4 times that many across the globe.  Obviously, you likely have never heard of most of them, and since there are so many it’s likely there is at LEAST on in your local area.

How does a film festival work?

Generally, a festival will be screening films in multiple “theaters”. I use quotes around the word theater because some films are screened in a non-traditional theater.  For example, some of the films are screened in an auditorium or makeshift theater such as a classroom with one of those pull-down screens.  Basically, it is screened in the same way a professor might project his PowerPoint lesson. If you’re lucky, your film will be screened in one of the main theaters.

Awards

Generally, films can win awards for things like best picture, best actor, best…whatever category the festival decides.  Not all festivals present awards, but most do.  If you’ve ever heard the term “Award winning actor” or “Award winning film”, these awards were likely given at a film festival.  There are festivals that just provide a place for film makers to screen their films without competition, but they are rare compared to those that provide award categories.

Tiers

I’m sure you can imagine that since there are so MANY festivals that not all of them carry the same weight.  It’s true there are several “tiers” of festivals.  What people consider the “Top 5” festivals are: Venice, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance.  If a film is screened at one of these five festival’s it is a big deal! These festivals are where the top names in the film industry go to find new talent and films to invest in.

These top tier, or A list festivals, are tough to get into

Submissions for these top tier festivals number in the 10’s of thousands.  They are very competitive and in the end they only screen 30-40 films.  And they have some of the highest entry fees of any festival…and still attract a LOT of entries.  If you have a good film, it could be worth it though!

Niche?

Some festivals cater to a specific niche or genre of film.  If you can define a niche, there is likely a festival dedicated to it.  Horror films seem to be a popular niche, as well as documentary films.

So how do you get INTO a festival?

Getting into a festival is simple, but not easy. First thing you need is a film (of course) that you own the rights to.  The next BIG step is to research what festivals there are, in your niche if you are aiming for that, and what their submission requirements are.  Since films are pre-screened to decide whether or not to include them in the festival there are hard and fast deadlines to submission.  Then, you follow the submission instruction to send your film to the festival organizers, pay the submission fee and…wait.  And wait.  And wait.

Mostly, they’ll let you know.

Almost all festivals will tell you one way or the other whether or not your film has been selected for inclusion in their festival and whether or not it is eligible for an award.  Of course, like everything else, festivals are run by people and some people are not awesome at following up.  Generally, you’ll hear back, but if the notification deadline has passed and you haven’t heard anything, you can either assume you are not included, or (preferably) reach out to festival organizers to ask.

And then what?

Well, if you are not included in a festival then all you can do is say “Bummer” and move on. If you are though then the work begins.  What you probably don’t know, and the festivals won’t tell you, is that it is then YOUR responsibility to market your film at the festival.  In order for the festival to be most beneficial you will need people in the theater when your film is screened…and that means trying to get people to buy tickets and attend at your theater during the time your film will be screened.

Our film…

If you’d like to watch the trailer for our film, you can do that here.  The film I was in, “Regaining Innocence” was screened this weekend at the Maryland International Film Festival (MIFF).  Also exciting, we we are an official selection at the Florence International Film Festival!  While the film is an “Official Selection” there is no guarantee it will be screened, but if it is I’m buying a plane ticket!

It was fun to be a part of the festival!

I definitely drove up to Hagerstown for the MIFF.  It was my first time being an actor in a film accepted at a festival, so I had no idea what to expect.  I definitely learned a lot about festivals in a very short time! We managed to get VIP passes and had the chance to view a number of films, including one feature length film…and ours of course.

 I wish…

I wish I had known more about the need to promote the film ahead of the festival.  Our screening was in a classroom of the University of Maryland Hagerstown campus and there were…NINE people in the theater when it screened.  Six of them were our party so for all those people who have difficulty with maths, that means three people in the audience.  It did get some very favorable comments from the 3 audience members and the person running the screening in that room after it screened, but it would have been nice to have more people in the room.  I’m not sure what other festivals we are submitted for, other than Florence, but will definitely promote any others better.  Lesson learned.

If you support the arts…

If you are a supporter of the arts, I encourage you to find out if there are any film festivals in your area and if there are…attend them.  They are fun, and it gives you an opportunity to see some great films from up-and-coming film makers. Also a chance to meet some of them and start building relationships.  As an actor or VO artist, those connections could help propel your career forward!

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

My Origin Story

Acting, Voice Over

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  So those of you who pay attention will note that I did not post a blog last week.  Sorry.  Anyway, as I was beating myself up about that this week and wondering what I might write about, I thought it might be fun to talk a bit about how I got started as a VO artist and actor (and now podcast producer).  So, here we are: My origin story!

Look, ma – no warning paragraph!

Yep, I deleted it this week since I’m talking specifically about me and not “in general”.  For some of you, that may be the best part of what I post, so I’ll put it back next week.

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

Yep, I am a Star War fan, but I am also a Star Trek fan…so shoot me.  We won’t go back TOO far though.  I could tell you all about where and how I grew up but it’s not that interesting (well, it kind of IS interesting) and this is about the origins of my VO/Acting career, not the origins of…me.  For this blog, we only need to go back to about 2015 or so.

Car rides and Audio Books…

This whole thing started because I enjoyed car trips and listening to Audio Books.  And the two went together very well.  Nothing like getting engrossed in a great story narrated by someone to take your mind off the boring strip of highway and make the trip seem shorter.  I was also an avid reader and thought to myself “I could do that; how hard can it be?”. Famous last words.

It took about a year…

Not to become a narrator, that took longer, just to find out how to go about becoming a narrator!  I Googled and searched and couldn’t seem to come up with anything until my then sister in law showed up one day with her Audio Book Narrator study book and pointed me in the right direction!  I was sure that soon I would be narrating to my heart’s content and raking in all the big bucks. HA!

I signed up for training…

I won’t mention where I started my studies, but I did enroll in a remote voice over class, studied equipment and software along the way, bought my first setup, hung moving blankets from the ceiling and started auditioning for titles on ACX.  Much to my surprise, I actually booked several titles and began producing audio books!  I had arrived!

Here’s the thing…

First, I won’t point you at any of those audio books, because they were not very well done.  My setup was not awesome, and I didn’t really understand audio engineering very well.  On top of that I discovered: This is not as easy as I thought.  Narrating audio books is time consuming, tedious, hard work. It takes (for a new narrator) between 4 and 8 hours of work to complete each finished hour of audio.  And even after all that time I still was not very good at the audio engineering part of the job. So, since I was also still working full time and traveling for work, I decided I just didn’t have the time to devote to narrating and I quit and sold all my stuff.

And then…tragedy.

A couple years later I was in a minor motorcycle accident that resulted in the death of my wife.  Suddenly I was alone with a lot of time on my hands and didn’t really want to be around people.  SO – I started getting set up again but quickly realized, once again, that my full-time job interfered.  But I didn’t quit this time.  Instead, I used what time I had to do some training (mostly on the engineering side) to prepare for my eventual retirement from my full-time job.

And then…worldwide tragedy!

Yep – COVID.  Early in 2020 my full-time job with travel became a full-time work from home job with NO travel.  2020 was my last year of full-time work before retirement. While I still had to work, I found that without a commute (saving at least an hour a day in the car) I had the time I needed to start working as a narrator again.  I bought a professional audio booth, started equipping it and once again began auditioning for, and booking, work.  This time, I didn’t limit my auditions to audio books and instead started looking at short form narration for commercials etc.  I like the short form much better, BTW.

Then one day…

As I was perusing online casting sites, I came across a listing for background actors in my local(ish) area.  I thought: “Well, wouldn’t THAT be a hoot!” and submitted myself…with no real expectation of booking it. Six weeks later I in fact DID hear back from the casting company and they wanted to book me!  I eagerly (and anxiously) accepted, and my on-screen acting career was born!

Dopesick

That’s me in the lower left corner of the screen.  I managed to get bumped up to “featured background” because apparently, I look like an attorney – or I just happened to be standing in the right place at the right time when they needed to fill up the table.  Anyway, it’s my one “in focus” scene in that show.  For those of you who don’t know, a background actor is one of the people moving around in the, well, background of a scene to fill out the scene and make it look realistic. Mostly they are out of focus so you can’t really identify them.

I fell in LOVE!

I was exceptionally fortunate to have my first time on a professional set be on a well-funded production (Dopesick was a Hulu/Disney production) with A-list actors.  If you watched Dopesick (and if not, you should) there are some big names – but no I didn’t get to meet Michael Keaton.  Anyway, I was completely smitten with being involved behind the scenes with a major production and decided on the spot that I needed to become a principal (as opposed to background) actor. I was 60 years old, had a 40+ year career behind me and FINALLY found my passion!

Back to training…

Yeah, acting is hard work too…and definitely requires a skillset I didn’t quite have yet.  Not suggesting I “have” it now, but I am a lot closer today than I was in January 2021 on the set of Dopesick. So, I enrolled in acting classes (and am still enrolled – it’s not really something you graduate from) and after doing a couple more background gigs (We Own this City, Rustin) started auditioning for speaking roles. I’ve had the good fortune to audition for some pretty big roles but didn’t book any of them. Believe it or not, I auditioned for a Scorsese film (MAN, was that anxiety inducing!) and roles on Tulsa King with Sylvester Stallone.  I mention these roles I DIDN’T get because for me it is a win just to get the audition.

I DO book work though!

I’ve managed to work as an actor more than I thought I would.  As you can see by the pictures I’ve worked on some pretty fun productions.  That one in the salmon colored (I refuse to call it pink!) outfit with the wig was just last weekend.  If you are interested, you can see some of the stuff I’ve done (the stuff I am able to share anyway) here. I’m also very excited to report that a short narrative film I was co-lead in will be featured next weekend in the Maryland International Film Festival…my first trip to a festival!

And next on the agenda…

Anyone who has been around this industry for any length of time knows that, because of the on-again/off-again nature of this work, if you want to stay busy you diversify.  And I am no exception. My latest endeavor is as a producer for a true crime podcast that I can’t talk about much except to say I have become well versed in reading court and police documents, locating and contacting people who were involved in one way or another (some of whom didn’t want to be found), corresponding with the perpetrator who is on death row and even speaking to his accomplice who has since been released.  Our hope is to take the podcast forward and eventually produce a documentary film, and perhaps even a narrative film about the event.  Very exciting stuff, I’ll give you details when I can.

And I am still auditioning!

I’ve managed to sign with two theatrical/commercial agents and one strictly VO agent, I still peruse the online casting sites and submit for as many jobs as I can.  I average between 3-10 acting auditions and 10-20 VO auditions a week. I’m up very early (between 4-5 most days) and of course start my day with Wordle (got it in 3 today!), reviewing/responding to emails, looking for roles to submit for and of course everything that goes along with producing a true crime podcast.  I am in an acting class for three hours every Tuesday and even still find time to golf on occasion.  Truth is, I say I am retired, but I suppose I really am not.

So –

That’s my story and I hope you enjoyed reading about how I got started and what I am up to now.  I’d love to hear your story so either shoot me an email or pop it into the comments below!

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

What does a potential WGA strike mean for “me”? (And when I say “me” I mean you…)

Acting, Politics, Voice Over

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  On the heels of last week’s discussion of SAG-AFTRA, this week let’s talk a bit about the looming threat of a Writer’s Guild (WGA) strike.

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week, but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”. What follows applies relatively equally to everyone…but it applies most strongly to union members or those seeking to work on union projects to gain eligibility to join.

What?  A strike?

If you follow entertainment news, you’ll know that all of the major unions are up for negotiation in 2023.  In and of itself, this is not really a big deal because these renegotiations happen routinely every three years.  The renegotiation is normal.  What is rare is when one or more of the collective bargaining units (Unions) have major issues that look like they are unlikely to be resolved during negotiations.  2023 is one of those years, and the WGA in particular has already approved a strike if no agreement can be reached (96% approval to give context).

Who is negotiating?

In the overall scheme of things, there are four main players in this year’s drama.  The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) – the employers, The Writers Guild of America (WGA), Directors Guild of America (DGA, and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) – the employees. Each of the three employee organizations negotiates independently with the employer organization.

The landscape

Just to set the stage the WGA contract, or Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) is set to expire on May 1st.  The MBA’s for the DGA and SAG-AFTRA are set to expire on June 30th.  Not reaching an agreement by the expiration date does not automatically mean a strike – most often the expiring agreement is simply extended to allow for continued negotiations.  If, however, the collective bargaining unit feels there is no way to reach an agreement in a reasonable amount of time, then the members may (and this year HAVE) vote to strike.

Historically

Generally, whichever one of the unions starts negotiations first sets the tone for the other unions negotiations.  In recent years, at least the last three bargaining years, the DGA sat down first, many months before the expiration, to hammer out an agreement.  Not so this year. I can’t find anything definitive about who will be the first to negotiate this year, but I will note that the last time the WGA started negotiations (2007) there was a 100-day writer’s strike.  It seems the WGA has most of the “demands” this year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they kick off negotiations.

What are the issues?

Like any contract negotiation there are many complex issues, but the major one this year, and the one that seems to be setting up the WGA to strike, is residuals.  In particular, defining how residuals are paid for “new media” or streaming services.  Without going into agonizing detail and turning this into a novella, what has happened during and post pandemic is that residuals for writers (and actors, and directors as well) has decreased significantly because residual amounts were mostly negotiated when shows were on networks.

Changing the landscape

A couple things have occurred during and post pandemic that have changed residuals, not ALL related to streaming.  This is not an exhaustive list but seem to be the major points.  Seasons have gotten shorter (~10 episodes vs 17-20 episodes) and streaming services are dropping entire seasons at one time.  Writing staffs have become smaller, show production timelines have become shorter but contracts committing a writer to a show exclusively have not changed. Basically, fewer writers work for shorter periods but are excluded from working on a second show to make up for it.

Residuals

On top of that, how residuals are paid for streaming services are not well defined…if defined at all.  Do you pay residuals when a show is dropped on a streaming service, or when it’s viewed?   What percentage for either of those?  It’s not in writing, so essentially the writers are not getting paid.  Honestly, neither are the directors or actors…which could lead to strikes by those organizations as well – although there is not presently any talk of that.  I think they are waiting to see how the WGA fares – hence why the DGA and SAG-AFTRA are not jumping up to start negotiations early this year.

Add to all of this…

During the pandemic, streaming services were screaming hot.  It comes as no surprise that while we weren’t allowed to actually go out in public, many people turned to streaming services to pass the time.  I know we did.  Also, during the pandemic, sales at theaters declined dramatically.

But the world is back!

Now that the world has opened up again, streaming has declined (not surprisingly) and theater ticket sales have increased but not enough to offset the loss in streaming revenue.  The net result is reduced revenue overall and share prices for studios declining – all at a time when artists are asking for more residual shares.

To combat reduced revenues

You may have noticed services like Netflix are changing their stance on password sharing and are also reducing the number of titles available on their services.  These are cost cutting measures designed to shore up declining revenue.  These measures are detrimental to artists since fewer views and fewer available titles means less residual income.  It’s like a perfect storm.

All of that to say…

If agreement cannot be reached by midnight May 1st, it is likely the WGA will strike. “So what, I’m an actor!” you say?  Not so fast.  A writer’s strike will have an effect on every part of the industry.  Some parts immediately, and some not…but an effect, nonetheless.

What is the result of a strike?

In short, if the WGA strikes that means that for the pendency of the strike there will be ZERO union writers working.  Which means any projects in production are stuck with their scripts and will not be able to adjust for plot holes or changing character arcs.  This is most disruptive for TV series that typically have a staff of writers continuously updating or writing episodes. It affects feature films as well for the same reason, just not as dramatically.

And no writers mean…

In the long run, a writer’s strike will stop or slow productions.  I think we are already seeing this in some small ways as new productions are delaying start till they find out what the WGA will do.  Without writers there are no (or at least fewer) scripts for directors and actors to work on and the ones that are available will not be updated during production.  Either projects will not be made, show runners will have to make adjustments without the benefit of professional writers, or the projects that are completed will suffer in quality.

How does this affect me?

And by “me” I mean you.  And the answer is: It depends.  It depends on a number of factors which we’ll try to explore here, but I caution that each person’s circumstance will be different so take what I say here and apply it to your circumstance.

Non-Union VO artists and actors

Honestly, the idea of a WGA strike affects you the least, unless you are non-union trying to qualify for union membership by working on union jobs. You will still be able to work on non-union independent films during the strike. If you ARE trying to get union work to qualify for membership, expect that to slow to a crawl.  It’s going to take a lot longer for a non-union person to book a union gig.

Union members…

If you are a union VO artist or actor, a slowdown in the number of productions means there are a lot more actors vying for far fewer roles.  Even though the AMPTP is feverishly stockpiling scripts, so work doesn’t stop altogether, new-start productions are going to present a higher-than-normal risk and are less likely to be green-lit. And of course Global Rule 1 prevents you from working the available non-union gigs…unless you decide to go FICORE, which is another discussion altogether.

And it could get worse…

If a WGA strike leads to a DGA or SAG-AFTRA strike as well?  Well, 2023 will be a very bad year for us. I’m not suggesting that is likely, but since the first to negotiate sets the tone, and if the WGA goes first and can’t come to resolution before June 30th…it’s anybody’s guess what could be the result.

I am not Chicken Little…

I’m not running around shouting “The Sky is Falling!”, just discussing what could happen and the potential impacts.  I sincerely hope the WGA and AMPTP can come to an agreement before the deadline and avert a strike, but know how that may impact you if they can’t.

At the end of the day…

Any one of the collective bargaining units deciding to strike will have impacts across the industry and not just for the artists.  Consider everyone who works on a production from the artists to the crew (DP, Gaffer etc) as well as catering, craft services, wardrobe, hair & Makeup, and on and on.  Not to mention consumers who will have no new material to consume! A strike by any of them will be bad for all of them…and all of us.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

To SAG or not to SAG

Acting, General, Resources, Voice Over

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  This week let’s talk about the union (SAG-AFTRA).

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week, but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”.  For this week, however, what follows applies relatively equally to VO artists and screen actors, but stage has its own union Actor’s Equity.  It’s similar, but eligibility in particular will be different.  One note is that membership in one or the the for the course of a year means automatic eligibility in the other.

SAG-AFTRA

If you’ve been involved in the acting or VO industry for any amount of time, you’ll know that 2023 is the year that all of the unions renegotiate their contracts.  And if you are paying attention to that, you’ll also note that this is one of the renegotiation years where there is a bit of angst. What the angst means is that the unions are not presently pre-negotiating, which means there is some risk of the present agreement expiring without a new agreement, which could lead to a strike.  It’s not very likely, since they typically just extend the old agreement until the new agreement is signed, but because of that some large productions seem to be holding off until a new agreement is in place.  That means there are fewer productions ongoing, and fewer opportunities.  Basically, if you’ve noticed a slow-down in available roles, that’s why.  Let’s talk about what the union is and what it does for artists.

What is the union?

SAG-AFTRA, or The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of television & Radio Artists, is the union that represents actors and VO artists as well as broadcast journalists and radio DJ’s.  It, like other unions, is the collective bargaining group that negotiates with producers to establish salaries, working conditions, safety on set and many other aspects of employment.  SAG was established in 1933 to prevent the exploitation of actors and AFTRA was established in 1937.  The two merged recently, in 2012 to form SAG-AFTRA.  Fran Drescher of “The Nanny” fame, is the current President of SAG-AFTRA.

What is the benefit of the union?

There are definitely many benefits to joining the union, which to many is a significant rite of passage, but there are ALSO some drawbacks.  First, the benefits.  In addition to negotiating contracts membership includes things like a health and pension fund, the SAG-AFTRA conservatory offering training workshops, casting workshops with big name CD’s, deals and discounts for things like hotels and car rental, discount movie tickets, voting for SAG awards (which includes free viewing of the films being voted on), and many others.

The drawbacks

SAG definitely provides some benefits to performers, particularly since performers tend to be self-employed freelance artists who wouldn’t otherwise have access to a pension or health insurance (at least not affordable health insurance). But, Global Rule Number 1, depending on what market you live/work in may keep you from working much.  “Global Rule 1 states: No member shall render any services or make an agreement to perform services for any employer who has not executed a basic minimum agreement with the union, which is in full force and effect, in any jurisdiction in which there is a SAG-AFTRA national collective bargaining agreement in place. This provision applies worldwide” (SAG-AFTRA.org)

Why is that potentially bad?

In short, when you join, you are agreeing to never work on a non-union project again.  If you are not in LA or NYC the number of union productions are going to be low.  And unless you have already established a name for yourself within the industry, read you are a recognizable actor with a good resume showcasing your talent, productions aren’t likely to want to pay for travel and will hire someone local instead.  This is slightly different for voice artists with a professional home setup since they work almost exclusively remotely.  Note that Global Rule 1 for SAG does not apply to work on stage projects and vice versa for Equity membership not applying to work in non-union screen projects.

In short…

If you join too soon, you wind up with a pile of awesome benefits you can’t use because you have restricted access to lucrative union gigs.  It’s something to consider depending on what market you live in or if you are unwilling to re-locate to a bigger market.  Otherwise, you can agree to “work as local” which means they hire you as though you live in their market and all of your travel expenses are your responsibility.  That can sometimes mean it costs more to get hired than you are getting paid.

Well, then, when should I join?

Assuming you have qualified for eligibility to join, which we’ll talk about next, the best time to join is really a personal decision. You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons for your individual situation.  The general consensus amongst everyone I have spoken with is this: Join when you have to. Eligibility to join, once achieved, never expires. Some people become eligible quickly, then remain eligible for decades before joining. How will you know you have to join?  Simple, you’ll get hired for a union gig and because of the contract with the production company they will be forbidden from hiring you unless you join.

How to become eligible

In short, working as a principal artist on a single union contract or as a background artist on three union contracts makes you eligible to join.  How can you work a union contract without being a member in the first place?  The Taft-Hartley act.  This act in part prevents unions from coercing people to join and forbids “closed shops”.  Without going into exceptionally boring legal detail, this means that because of Taft-Hartley a union project can hire a non-union employee for 30 days without the need to join the union. You’ll hear people say they got “Taft-Hartley’d” and that’s what it means.

Must-Join

You’ll also hear the term “must join” bandied about and what that means is the union has granted the 30-day Taft-Hartley exemption to a non-union artist and they have reached or exceeded the 30-day limit.  If you ask the union rep what must-join is, he or she will tell you there is no such thing since you can never, by law, be compelled to join.  They call it must-pay – which amounts to the same thing.  At the end of the day if you have been Taft-Hartley’d into eligibility and have exhausted the 30-day work exemption limit you will not be eligible for a union employment contract unless and until you pay your initiation fee and are up to date on dues – a member in good standing.

What is the cost to join?

Well, first, there are a couple different ways to join.  If you join nationally, which includes coverage in major markets like LA and NYC, the initiation fee is $3000 and annual dues are $227.42 plus 1.575 percent of covered earnings up to $750,000.00.  Pretty pricey.  You can however join as a regional member to reduce initiation fees and regional membership is calculated based on the region so you’ll have to check.  You can find out your regional office (based on your mailing address) by going here and scrolling down to the map titled “Locals”, calling the head office in LA (855-724-2387) or sending an email and asking.

Regional membership

Joining regionally is a lot less for initiation (half or less) and covers you for the entire US EXCEPT major markets like LA, NYC, Chicago, and Atlanta.  Major markets may shift from time to time, so you’ll have to ask what markets are excluded when you join as a regional member.  Doing this won’t stop you from working in the major market, but when you are hired in a major market, you’ll then automatically be billed for the difference in initiation fees.

The dreaded FICORE

You may have heard of FICORE.  FICORE stands for “Financial Core”.  Most people think that becoming a member of FICORE allows you to work both union AND non-union gigs, and in a way that’s true.  In essence, deciding to go FICORE means that you are or were a member in good standing but for whatever reason are resigning from the union.  Of course, you’ll still need to pay annual dues including a percentage of your salary for covered gigs, you will not get a refund on initiation fees, but you will not maintain the same level of protection or be able to use the benefits of being a SAG member.

Why is FICORE “dreaded”?

The sad truth is many productions “look down on” FICORE actors and while they would be allowed to hire you, they may choose otherwise in favor of another member in good standing.  Again, this is a very personal decision, and if you want to go this route, I urge you to speak with a SAG rep and an entertainment attorney to fully understand the implications.

At the end of the day

The decision to join or not join the union is a strictly personal one.  The union can provide actors many benefits and not just established pay minimums and good working conditions…but it may also reduce the number of jobs you can book depending on where you live.  The only really solid, steadfast advice on whether or not join is this: Don’t join until you have to so that you can continue to work the largest number of gigs to build your resume. That time is different for everyone, but you’ll know when it’s right for you.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!