I'm just wondering...
If the industry keeps going the way it's going,
employing celebrities as opposed to actors
and the wages keep going down and the actors 'Us' continue to work for expenses or worse... nothing.
(I mean seriously I can't be the only one not capable of living off the money I earn from acting)
What happens if we strike?
If no actor works untill their paid full wages.
If having an equity contract actually means something again.
If hot food is provided on set. (did i go to far)
i dont know! its an interesting theory. but i wouldnt want to go on strike! id be a scab and get sly work on the side! lol
i enjoy it too much to give it up, even if i dont get much money from it yet
Hey Noones talking about giving up acting. Just about getting fair pay for your talent. I'm suprised you would ignore a strike and 'Do work on the side' though. To be honest- not to be rude- thats kind of why we're all in this situation in the first place.
Because everyones prepared to stitch each other up.
Im glad you said it. This is teh thing- acto9rs just do unpaid work and allow themselves to be walked all over and thats why we are treated like dirt.
Its actually illegal to be not paid.
There is a well established theatre in south east london with a very very good reputation and for all the years they have been going- they dont pay their actors anything except expenses. This is disgraceful.
The industry does have to change and maybe equity should be encouraged to get their butts in gear- all us actors in the Uk need to be solid together or theres no point!!!!
I think that is the point, there will always be someone willing to work.
Its a shame but I don;t think this will ever really be a feaseable way of making a difference.
Of course we would all like to be paid a decent wage for the work that we do, I just think that Actors find it hard enough to find work in the first place that many would rather do something for nothing than nothing at all.
Its an age old debate that unfortunately I don't think there is an answer for. Infuruating I know.
God that depressing Rebecca. But there is a huge difference between people working for nothing and talented actors demanding payment for their skills (which cost them 30k and 3 years of their life to train for???)
The point is- If everyone refused to work- they couldn't make anything. Right????? Those seen to be working when a strike is on get a bad rep with their collegues!!!!
"there is a huge difference between people working for nothing and talented actors demanding payment for their skills";
I don't think it is just untalented actors who work for nothing and like I say,of course everyone would like to be paid. but there will always be people who are willing to work for free or low pay whether you or I would like to think there would be some solidarity or not.
"The point is- If everyone refused to work- they couldn't make anything. Right????? Those seen to be working when a strike is on get a bad rep with their collegues.. "
totally agree .. but there will always be some who do.
Perhaps a petition is the way forward.
I don't think many actors give two figs about getting a bad rep with their colleagues, if they did then they would behave a lot differently than some that I have worked with along the way!
We are in a different situation than the USA, if you decide to take the leap and go 'union' there, then you can longer take any non-union work. If you are non-union then you can't take union work. So it is possible for all union actors to strike and therefore leave companies stranded.
"I don't think many actors give two figs about getting a bad rep with their colleagues, if they did then they would behave a lot differently than some that I have worked with along the way!"
I got this message from Claude and I thought it would be good to throw into the debate- I hope you don't mind claude!!! It's very eloquently put.
Actors did strike, about 5-6 years ago concerning commercials. The Equity advice is still in place, dont do UK commercials unless they are on a Equity 1991 IPA agreement .
Problem was (and still is) youngsters, like ****** simply don't believe it will do any good and cant see past their own noses. The unity within the profession has been lost, until that is regained and websites such as this one start accepting responsibility for propagating so much unpaid work and not educating employers that there is such a thing as the National Minimum wage in this country, then the notion that "its the norm" not to pay actors will continue.
Casting sites have their own agendas, if you want to survive long time and gain your income from actors shouldn't you start thinking about the long term viability of unpaid work? Isn't there an ethical stance that needs to be taken by all concerned?
Could I make a suggestion here. If you want to do something to change your lot for ther better, then why not make a New Year's resolution to attend an Equity general branch meeting. This is the very sort of thing that is discussed. Equity is run by its members for the members and the more people who get involved with it the more it can do.
Sadly many people join Equity and never get involved. You don't have to be an activist but at the very least it would be helpful if people attended meetings when their free and were better informed about the work Equity is always doing.
Ordinary jobbing actors like myself are continually giving up their time for free to negotiate the very contracts that many actors work on. Equity isn't some distant magical thing it's ordinary people who work collectively to improve their lot.
And don't tell me it's not as powerful as it once was, especially when most of you on this thread were still swimming around in your father's balls when Equity was a close shop. Just remember a group of actors started Equity in the 1930s and improved pay and conditions of actors greatly.
I hope Claude doesn't mind that message going public.
It is indeed very eloquently put and I wholeheartedly agree.
I also think that it is unlikely that we will find a strong solidarity. This is a cut throat industry with everyone searching for opportunities. If opportunities become available due to a strike then people will jump in without a second thought. The old closed-shop of Equity suddenly doesn't seem such a bad thing in this respect.
you are right, well written and highlights the problems that we face.
I just think that in reality to get EVERYONE to pull together will be a challenge and half.. if that's not being able to see past my own nose then so be it.
Hopefully one day we will find a way to solve this problem.
now really should get on with some work :)
unfortunately this seems to be symptomatic of today's society as a whole - everyone is out for making their own life better, and no-one pulls together for a communal cause any more.
(even the war hasn't seemed to make a difference - world war III anyone?)
Facetiousness aside however, I am as keen as anybody else to see something done - how does the US system work of Union and non-Union being mutually exclusive? Would that be a legal option over here?
i think my post has (again) been taken too seriously!
i didnt mean that if there was a nation-wide strike with all actors that i would break the union rules and betray everyone!
i just meant that i act because i enjoy it, i dont do it for the money. although a lot of money would be great= im not going to get paid for every job that i do! nobody will, a lot of productions simply dont get the budget.
I wholeheartidly agree that all acting jobs should pay the minimum wage, but there are so many that don't! and when its your passion and not just a "job", you do it anyway; because you love it! i know i do anyway.
im really sorry if i was implying that i was alienating my self from everyone! i really really didnt mean it to seem that way.
sorry
but... back on topic... is there something "less dramatic" that can be approached?
strikes are very unpleasant and in an industry like acting, i think it would only clog up the gears of a machine that we ourselves are a part of!
is there no policy that stops an actor being chosen for a certain role over other actors without a fair audition/application? there is with employees in a business advertising for staff, does it work the same for actors?
lets use Doctor Who as the example, it was mentioned somewhere above...
did RTD break the law by giving Kylie a job without pubicly advertising the role and giving everyone a fair chance? I know this happens a lot in Film and TV. in some cases roles are even written especially for certain actors without even vetting anyone else.
i'm sorry if it sounds dumb of me. im not 100% om eployment laws
ps nothing against Kylie one bit! i love her to pieces, just using her as an example in my sentence.
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