Casting director Dee Miller and Florida National Board Member
Nancy Duerr at the Legends Awards sponsored by Film Florida.
For info on Film Florida’s legislative actions, go to filmflorida.org.

Where is all the work? What every member needs to know

At a recent SAG workshop, a member asked casting director Ellen Jacoby how to improve the odds of landing more roles. Her response? “Contact your local legislator. Without an increased incentive package, there won’t even be enough jobs to audition for. ”

Ellen’s assessment speaks to a serious problem. Production locations are a numbers game, with more than 30 states offering cash rebates and/or tax incentives to attract Hollywood to their homebase. But for Florida, legislators have yet to pass a single economic stimulus package – for any industry – in the wake of our severe state budget deficit. 

The Florida Branch works in lockstep with key industry coalitions lobbying Tallahassee to increase our state film incentive package. While we were relieved to double our cash rebate incentives this year (and thankfully keep Burn Notice in our backyard), we’re still not competitive enough with other states. That’s why work that could film in Florida has migrated to Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico and off shore.

At recent meetings of Film Florida and the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council, we emphasized that it’s going to take our entire industry to rally our legislators, and not just our spokespersons and lobbyists. Here are just a few things that you can do today to help:

• Sign up for newsletters from the Governor’s Film Office to stay informed about incentive legislation and the industry at large. Click here to start.

• Log on to these websites for industry news, talking points and contact information for your legislators

filminflorida.com
filmflorida.org (check out the “Fast Facts” pdf)
fundfame.org
floridafilmproductioncoalition.com

Any questions: Call SAG at (800) SAG-0767, option 5, extension 7089. Stay tuned for e-blasts about upcoming calls to action.

Branch President's Message

By Steve Gladstone

And so it goes—our two largest contracts have been approved with a ringing endorsement from our membership, and all actors are back to work with sweeter terms for our work on the television, film, and commercial sets. The greatest impact for us here in the Florida Branch continues to be the work we do in commercials. Our principal day rate is now $592, our contributions to pension and health are healthier, and we have, for the first time, firm protections for our image in new media, on both the front and back ends. As well, coverage for background players increased from 40 to 45 covered members per production. Some of you talented folks participated in recent commercial productions for AT&T, Bud Light, DirecTV, Domino’s, Target, Volkswagen, Wal-Mart and Wendys.

While new media programming unfolds over the next couple of years, we finally can begin to see just what sort of impact it will have. There was a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing regarding our terms for new media recently and now we will begin to see the real face of the thing. New media remains a developing arena for our product and hopefully will begin to blossom for us all. We must now keep our eye on productions that are taking place in our own backyards and make sure we are getting our shot at the auditions.

The summer months make for a good time to work on your personal website, enhance your iActor offerings, get that new headshot and build your reels by working on student films. You also will be well served tuning into the webinars hosted by the SAG Foundation. Every Tuesday evening in July there were terrific live workshops available from Los Angeles to members only, courtesy of your own living room and computer. LifeRaft explored myriad “business of acting” topics such as “The Real Deal on Actor Reels,” “An Evening with Agents and Casting Directors,” “Marketing Yourself” and “Knowing your Types.” You could submit your questions to panelists and moderators in real time during the live stream via e-mail.

Just log on here to view the webinars. And there will be more of these live cyber sessions coming in the near future. This is some good stuff coming out of the birthplace of our industry, and for the first time, we can participate!

Coming Soon: SAG Florida Actors Corner
Acting Studio Exclusive for Florida SAG Members

Need a studio to videotape an out-of-town audition, or access to editing software to update your demo reel?  What about a private tuturial on iActor, or a rehearsal space to run lines? SAG Florida members won’t have to look further than the Actors Corner, coming soon to our Miami office.

Conceived by your Florida Branch Council, the Actors Corner is modeled after the SAG Foundation Actors Center. For members and run by members, it will offer:

• Digital video recording equipment
• Computer lab including editing software, DVD and CD burner, scanner, and printer
• iActor tutorials
• Complete library of SAG Foundation “Conversations” DVDs (high profile members speaking to SAG members about their craft)  and “LifeRaft” DVDs (series addressing the business side of acting)
• Lounge for rehearsing and running lines

Look for announcements on our Open House coming soon. Volunteers are needed. We can’t run our center without you. Here’s how you can help:

• Resources: Donate books or DVDs on the industry
• Expertise: We’re seeking skilled members to assist with camera recording and editing, as well as actors available to run lines for recording auditions with fellow members
 
Please contact our office if you are available to help. Watch your inbox for upcoming news.

Speaking Out

By Catherine Glynn
Member

The following article about the experience of taking financial core status comes by way of Chicago member Catherine Glynn from their newsletter, Playback:

Just yesterday afternoon my agent called me with an audition, and as always, I was very happy to be called in for a casting. I love knowing when I go out for auditions that if I get it, not only does it mean a nice paycheck for my day of work, it also means I’ll be getting residuals when it airs.

Not 10 minutes later did I get a call back saying the producers didn’t have the money for SAG actors, hence my audition was canceled. I couldn’t help but think of all the actors who would go on that audition and simply take what they could get. Believe me, with the economy as it is these days, I empathize with the urge to simply take what I can get.

But if we, as individual actors, continually take what we can get without taking a stand for what we are worth, casting agents and producers will come to expect that of us as a whole.

I struggled with the issue of financial core vs. full membership—and after doing a Sears Christmas commercial, I decided it was time to figure it out. And I have to tell you that all of my agents, hands down, said go fi-core. With that resounding advice, I figured why not? Well, I can tell you why not....

I did three non-union commercials and one industrial during my stint as fi-core. It’s been close to two years now, and one of those commercials still is playing both on television and on the website—with no hint of residual pay. And the industrial experience I had was a nightmare. I spent more than 10 hours on the set with only two breaks. And if that wasn’t bad enough, several of the other actors were talking about how much they were making for coming in for only an hour. It was the same amount I was being paid for all 10 of my hours.
 
I continued to justify it with the fact that at least I was working. But the fact I was fi-core was like an itch that just wouldn’t go away. It was something I never truly was comfortable with. Finally, when I made the decision to simplify my life and go exclusively with one agency, I got it straight. My agency made it clear that being a full member of SAG was the only way to go. Since signing with them, I haven’t been on any non-union auditions. Do I miss it? No. I did a lot of running around for a long time, with small paychecks and endless runs without residuals. I also booked a national commercial that made a significant difference in my income for close to two years. In fact, it was triple the amount of money I made on all three commercials and the industrial I did during my tenure as fi-core.

As a full member of SAG, I am incredibly grateful to be part of a community that takes a stand for actors as a whole. We are worth so much more than we give ourselves credit for. Think about it—all the years of auditions, running around back and forth across town, the classes we have taken to hone our craft, those who have spent time earning a BFA and MFA—all that time and hard work should be accounted for, and that is definitely the case when you are a full member of SAG.

Health Insurance Alternatives for SAG Members

Haven’t qualified for Pension and Health Coverage? Explore alternatives

By Renata Marinaro,
Manager Health Services Education
The Actors Fund

There has been a lot of news coverage of possible changes to our health care system in recent months. Until those changes occur, here’s a brief overview of your health care options in Florida:

1) Work-related coverage: coverage through employment is usually cheaper than buying insurance on your own. However, if you’re losing your coverage, consider COBRA, a law that lets you continue your insurance for 18 months. If you meet eligibility requirements, the federal government will subsidize your COBRA premiums at 65 percent. For more information, visit the Department of Labor’s website. If you are a sole proprietor, consider enrolling in an insurance plan in August. Why? During August, sole proprietors have the right to buy insurance regardless of their health status. Pre-existing conditions can be excluded for a period of time.
 
2) Public programs: Florida has several health care programs: eligibility guidelines vary. Medicaid covers those with very low incomes who are blind, disabled, pregnant or parents of persons under 21. Florida KidCare covers persons up to age 19 who live in low-income families. Cover Florida is for adults who’ve been uninsured for six months or more. And Miami Dade Blue is a new collaboration between Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Miami Dade counties to offer lower-cost coverage to the uninsured in that area. The state of Florida operates an excellent website that provides information on all of these programs as well as on hospitals, health plans, prescription drugs and a “symptom navigator.” Just click here.

3) Direct-purchase insurance: buying insurance on your own might be an option if you’re young and healthy. However, insurers in Florida can deny you coverage, and pre-existing conditions may be excluded for a period of time. Be wary of discount plans that pretend to be insurance. This website is a reliable way to comparison shop.

4) Non-insurance options: if you can’t afford insurance and don’t qualify for other coverage, take advantage of sliding-scale clinics. For a list of clinics near you, visit The Bureau of Primary Health Care’s website. You also may call the Florida Association of Community Health Centers at
(850) 942-1822.

For more information, visit the Health Insurance Resource Center’s website. HIRC is a program of The Actors Fund.

The Health Insurance Resource Center, a program of The Actors Fund, was created in 1998 with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts to help people in entertainment and the arts find affordable health care and reduce the number of uninsured artists. HIRC includes in-person counseling in New York and Los Angeles, national telephone support, an Internet resource database and more than 100 Getting and Keeping Health Insurance workshops held at arts, cultural and human services organizations nationwide. For more information, call (212) 221-7300 or click here.

The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that helps everyone – performers and those behind the scenes – in performing arts and entertainment. Serving professionals in film, theatre, television, music, opera, radio and dance, The Fund’s essential programs include social services and emergency assistance, health care and insurance, housing, and employment and training services. With offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Actors Fund has – for more than 125 years – been a safety net for those in need, crisis or transition. Learn more at actorsfund.org.

In Memoriam:  Connie Zimet

Earlier this year, our local unions lost a legendary voice-over performer and union leader.  SAG Member and long-time AFTRA Branch President Connie Zimet passed away after complications due to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). She was 67.

Not only was she a pioneer in our voice-over industry, but she was a prominent teacher, prolific artist, and passionate union activist. Dave Corey, current SAG and longtime AFTRA national board member recalled, “Connie took me under her wing around 1980. Apparently she saw/heard potential in me of which I was yet unaware.  She was a tough taskmaster when it came to critiquing my voice-over work (which she did until her untimely passing). Connie held my feet to the fire in the early ‘80s – literally pushing me up against my car in the parking lot of Criteria Studio – when I balked at her encouragement to serve as a union leader, saying ‘no’ wasn’t an option! Again, she took me on as a project and groomed me to the point that I was able to fill her shoes on the AFTRA National Board . . . at least, try to fill them! Connie is an integral part of my ‘roots’ as a voice-over performer, actor and union activist.” 

Union actors revered Connie. “I affectionately consider her my Yoda,” said Corey.  “Mine was just one of hundreds, thousands of lives to be deeply affected by this remarkable woman. I think of her daily; every time I open my mouth.”

We hope you will take a moment to click here to read Connie’s obituary, which includes remembrances from industry insiders, as well as a close look at her extensive career as a national product-pitcher, nightclub singer, Broadway album recording artist, and stage actress – to name just a few of her leading roles.

Set Checks

By David Fazekas
South Region Executive

The Guild conducts set checks on productions for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is to check the performance by the signatory company. What performance means in a nutshell is whether or not the signatory is acting in accordance with the applicable provisions of the collective bargaining agreements. For example, has the employment contract been presented? Are there production time reports? Is there a temperature controlled area? Are tables and chairs available? Are proper meals being provided? These are just a few examples of what the Guild looks for when conducting a set check. 

Conducting set checks also helps the Guild maintain and foster good relations with the signatory and production company personnel. We do this by being available to answer all contractual questions, dropping off production documentation (i.e. contract books, digests, production materials, etc.) and by providing any other assistance that production requires. I just recently conducted a set check on an Ultra Low Budget film where I spent over an hour assisting the producer and unit production manager on how to properly complete the production documents, including the pension and health reporting form, while answering several contractual questions. From my experience, this visit will more often than not result in fewer problems and make production run smoother.

Conducting set checks is also a great opportunity for Guild staff to meet with members, especially those that we haven’t met before. It’s always nice to be able to put a name with a face, and I personally enjoy seeing members working at their craft and doing it so well.

But a lot of times the Central Florida office is not aware of commercials that are shooting in our jurisdiction until after they have come and gone. This primarily has to do with the reporting, or lack thereof, by the casting directors. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the Commercials Contract that requires the signatory company or their employee (i.e., casting director) to report to the Guild prior to the start date.

So help me help you. The next time you are booked on a commercial in Central Florida, please contact me at (407) 788-3020, or (800) SAG-0767, option 7, or via e-mail at david.fazekas@sag.org and provide me with the name, time, date and address of the commercial. I may not be able to conduct a set check on every commercial, but by having the information prior to the start date I will be able to increase the Guild’s presence on
commercial sets.