Newsletters

June 12, 2009

BRANCH PRESIDENT'S REPORT

By Rosalia de Aragon

The Land of Enchantment has experienced much success in its film industry over the last year. New Mexico actors are getting opportunities and high-profile actors are getting involved. A big thank you goes out to Denzel Washington for contributing $50,000 to Roswell’s Boys and Girls Club when he was in town shooting Book of Eli!

SAG New Mexico will continue to remain a vital force here in the state. As a Branch, we have many activities and benefits members can take advantage of, so please tell your fellow actors the good news. In this newsletter, you’ll find information about: our many SAG New Mexico Conservatory workshops coordinated by our Conservatory Committee; our Organizing Committee, which has facilitated many events to benefit members (and more are planned for later the year); the Conversations Committee, which continues to present more SAG Foundation Conversations; the recently re-launched Communications Committee, which will help keep everyone informed about the goings on in the New Mexico market; and the Legislative Committee, which was a solid influence at this year’s legislative session, thanks to chair Karen Cotter.

If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact West Region Executive Tammy Decker at tamara.decker@sag.org. Here's to you New Mexico actors. Stay strong and keep up the energy!

LEGISLATIVE REPORT

A recent article in the New Mexico Federation of Labor Newsletter sported the headline "For NM Film & Media Workers, Activism is the New Black." Congratulations to our New Mexico SAG members, who joined with our colleagues in the industry and saved our film incentives again.

Photo by Don Gray

Film and Media Day
Film and Media Day at the State Capitol on February 25 was a particular success. Sponsored by the Governor’s Council on Film and Media Industries, the entire industry came out to tell the legislature that “Movies make money for New Mexico.”

More than 40 groups participated, including SAG New Mexico members, IATSE, the WGA, DGA and the local Cinematographers Guild, filling the Rotunda and spilling out onto the steps of the Roundhouse. More than 300 people, dressed in black and carrying signs telling how incentives had benefitted them, marched from the Film Office to the Capitol. Legislators and the public were treated to displays of editing technology, a green screen demonstration and could even get time in a hair and make-up chair. The day was capped by an IATSE reception for legislators, with Gov. Bill Richardson and high-profile SAG member Ali McGraw thanking them for their support.

Photo by Faith Strongheart

Less than one week later, H.B. 725 (Repeal Film Production Tax Credit) was unanimously tabled by the New Mexico House Business and Industry committee.

But we need to stay vigilant and ready to pick up our campaign when needed.

With this in mind, your legislative committee and New Mexico executive have all been working to stay on top of developments. Karen Cotter, the chair of the Legislative Committee, works tirelessly to watch the legislation being introduced.

As part of her duties as the local executive, Tamara Decker sits on the Legislative Committee for the local AFL-CIO organization and spent time during the session getting to know the governor, senators and House representatives. Together, this group will keep SAG members informed and involved.

Union Issues
The next few weeks are crucial in our campaign for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. In this time it’s important that we have as much contact with Sen. Jeff Bingaman as possible and let him hear from the people of New Mexico. He’s getting plenty of phone calls from the other side. The clamor he hears during the important discussions going on needs to be from us, not from our opposition.

The Employee Free Choice Act would enable working people to bargain for better benefits, wages and working conditions by restoring workers’ freedom to choose for themselves whether to join a union.

If you are thinking this may not be relevant to you as a professional actor, consider the time frame in which television, motion pictures, commercials and new media productions are made. There is often a very limited production schedule and cast and crew members are employed for days and weeks, not months. The current process to organize workers to form a union involves a lengthy and convoluted process. We believe this is by design, so that employers have a longer period of time to dissuade workers and sometimes even engage in scare tactics.

Your work product can be on movie, television and computer screens long before cast and crewmembers would ever get to exercise their right to achieve a collective bargaining agreement. Meanwhile, non-union actors take your jobs. We feel passage of the Employee Free Choice Act will empower Screen Actors Guild members to organize more work opportunities under your negotiated union contracts. The Employee Free Choice Act guarantees every American worker’s right to form or join a union by casting his or her SECRET BALLOT vote in a timely fashion.

What You Can Do
Senator Bingaman has not yet agreed to co-sponsor the Employee Free Choice Act, so New Mexico has become a "targeted state" for the passage of this important legislation. Last year he was a co-sponsor. Bingaman's office has stated that he is hearing 10 to 1 in opposition to the Employee Free Choice. We must correct that!

Contact Senator Bingaman today and explain that you are a proud member of Screen Actors Guild and that this bill is critical to protect the rights of all workers to choose a union and that you urge him to VOTE YES. Be sure to include your name, address, e-mail address and phone number.

Toll-free in New Mexico: (866) 207-2060
Washington, DC: (202) 224-5521
To send an e-mail, click here.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

By Marie Kohl, Casting Associate
Jo Edna Boldin Casting

When asked by your New Mexico SAG staff how our casting office would feel about posting SAG audition notifications online for the benefit of the local membership, my response was, "NO WAY!"

As a local casting associate, I’d like to share my insight with local actors. As a community of film people we are struggling with the image that New Mexicans are not as professional as (actors in) other film communities. When our actors call us and ask for auditions, advice or project gossip, it just lends to the belief that we aren’t professional. If you have representation, let them represent you! If you don’t have representation, get representation. Don’t call us, we’ll call you. As a growing film community we need to raise our own standards for each other and for ourselves. As a casting office, our obligation is to make best efforts to see local SAG represented talent before we see anyone else.

Let me explain what we do: Jo Edna (Boldin) will receive a script; she will break it down and post her breakdown on Breakdown Services. That breakdown will then be sent to all local talent agencies. Those agents will then submit their talent for each individual role as it has been described. Jo Edna will then look over these submissions and schedule the actors that fit the character description as she knows it. If you are an actor who is not on Actors Access, your agent will have to submit you separately. If you submit yourself via e-mail or hardcopy yourself…chances are your submission will not be seen at all.

We will then hold auditions for our scheduled actors, submit those auditions via DVD or online to our director. The director will give us a list of who he/she would like to see for a call-back. After call-backs there are often many different approvals we have to get before actually booking anyone for any particular role. And so begins the booking process, which generally involves, schedule checks, deal memos, revisions, and lots of communication with your agent.

Be professional, have your representative represent you. Take classes and study up on your craft. If you don’t have an agent, try and take advantage of every opportunity you have to get one. If you want to know what new projects are out and about, look at your local film resources (nmfilm.com) or talk to your agent.

CONSERVATORY COMMITTEE REPORT

Your SAG Conservatory Committee has been very busy so far bringing you terrific workshops at great prices as a benefit of your membership in the Screen Actors Guild. We have brought you a workshop almost every month so far this year.

In January, we had a special conservatory for kids, conducted by Sheri Mann. In February, we brought in Laura Gardner of Howard Fine Acting Studio. In March, we had Frank Zuniga, a director, cinematographer and producer. In April, we had casting director Shari Rhodes, who gave very freely of her time and expertise. For the month of June, we’re planning for Francesca Ursone from Los Angeles. If you have ever been curious how “The Method” works, this is for you.

We’re always on the lookout for free locations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and would love your help. If you also have ideas on topics you would like to have covered or instructors you would like to see, please send an e-mail to Tamara Decker at tamara.decker@sag.org, and she will pass it on to the Conservatory Committee.

Due to the fantastic low cost of bringing these fine instructors to you, these workshops fill up extremely fast, as some of you already know who have had to be waitlisted and weren’t able to get in. We suggest the moment you get a notice that might be of interest to you that you RSVP.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Laurence Chavez, Kevin Ryan, Kate Schroeder, Mark Underwood, Annie Goodwin, Johnny D Long, Art Westgate, Lynn Filusch, Autumn T R Rivers, Barbara Mayfield, Cydne Schulte, Juanita Trad, Carter Graham, Nikki A Kelly, J.J. Raschel, Drea Pressley, Paul Crow Willis, Steven Anthony, Leslie Harrell Dillen, Audra Charity, David Busse, Isabel Archuleta, Dylan Carr, Brandon Carr, Peggy Laurel, R Blaine Currier, Drago Sumonja, Joshua Daven Bolles, Tommy James, Simon Green, Justin Tade, Drew Pollock, Joseph J Dawson, Thaddeus Richardson, Judy Herrera, Billy Lockwood, Shane Lilley, Anthony Blomquist, Annette Salsman, Michael R Long, Greg Serano, Lou Ann Graham, Dick Christie, Carla Folk, Cody Dove, Dean Stockwell, Tenney Walsh, Gary Dontzig, Rodney B Smith, Emelie O'Hara, Kevin Christopher Brown, Suzanne Birrell, Catherine Dickey Wilson, Peter Rex Wilkes, Crista Elise Bergmann, Sharon Skinner, Kiira Arai, Paul Deely

ON THE SET

Our newest member, Liam Ruggles, 6,
on the set of In Plain Sight

STAYING IN TOUCH

ACTion is the official e-newsletter for the New Mexico SAG Branch. It’s designed to keep members informed of current activities and events. Send your comments, questions and suggestions for topics to tamara.decker@sag.org.