Dear Fellow Artists- It has been an eventful year since the first Pay vs. No Pay meeting on March 21, 2005. As with any heartfelt attempt to unite and inform others, it has been a very rewarding education for me! In addition to the exhilarating process of organizing the meeting, I have had inspiring conversations and email correspondence with many actors, tv & film directors, producers and advertisers after the fact.
Most encouraging were 2 in depth conversations with the local (Ohio) advertisers who's audition notices seeking actors who will work for no pay, inspired the Pay vs. No Pay debate; Real Living Inc. and WOIO Channels 19/43.
On March 21, after a few emails between Real Living, Inc. personnel and myself, I heard from the Marketing Director of Real Living Inc. just as I was about to leave for the Pay vs. No Pay meeting. The conversation was very respectful and focused. The woman I spoke with apologized for any offense that their posting may have posed to the acting community and after I explained the aim of the GOT PAY? Campaign, she was more than willing to look into the union and non-union cost of hiring actors. After our conversation, I have every reason to believe that they are a company with integrity and will make every effort to pay the actors that they cast from now on. I will follow up with the Marketing Director at Real Living, Inc. next week.
On April 1 I called the current Promotions Director at WOIO to discuss the "rumor" emailed to me that they were indeed going to pay actors as a result of the Pay vs. No Pay debate and meeting. Once again, the conversation was very respectful and focused. We came to an agreement that each non union actor would be paid a minimum of $100 per commercial appearance produced by WOIO! WONDERFUL NEWS! From 0 to 100 in 30 minutes!
He also said that the next audition notice was going out very soon and that he would have his producer post that announcement through me. That conversation was 3 weeks ago. I have followed up with 2 emails; 1 that he requested I send immediately as a confirmation and one I sent as a follow up, on April 11. Nothing has come through yet, but I am confident that he will honor that agreement.
At any rate (no pun intended) I wanted you to know ASAP that there has been significant progress in seeing that actors get paid for their work in commercials and that I am committed to facilitating much more progress in the future.
I am also in the process of creating the gotpay.org website, a daunting task that I am trying to teach myself. (good teacher, slow student) It will be updated regularly and continue to contain rates, sample contracts and résumés, testimonials and advice from local professionals in every capacity possible.
I hope that this is just the beginning of a lifelong and fruitful GOT PAY? Campaign and that I will have your continued support and input.
Remember: If Money Is Made, The Talent Gets Paid!
Your Devoted Advocate & Founder of The GOT PAY? Organization-
Jean Zarzour
Member AFTRA/SAG/AEA
