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How Much is the Ham? by Mike Kraft - Freelance, Union Actor The Question of Gravy There is a tendency, particularly among producers, clients and the general public to think of actors as overpaid; especially those damn UNION actors who get big fat royalties and residuals and sit around eating bon-bons while waiting for the mailman to bring their next batch of checks. I have personally been on shoots where the producer was upset at me the moment I walked on the set because I was making more than him, and it galled him to the point of making a scene in front of the client. It wasn’t pretty. As far as the general public goes, the first thing they want to know when they find our you’re in a commercial is, “Do you get paid every time that runs?” or, “How much do you get for that?” The impression is that there are fortunes to be made doing local spots. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 I will admit that some of my happiest moments are when I do receive a residual check for a commercial or a web video that was shot one or two years ago. It’s like manna from heaven, only you can pay bills with it. But do I deserve it? I mean, I may have only been in the studio for a few hours, and here I am, lo these many moons later, getting gravy on top of my mashed potatoes – because of a job for which I have already been paid. Here’s the short answer: You bet I do. 888888888888888888888888988888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Acting Math Aside from the fact that local commercials really don’t pay much at all, the real question posed is, “Why should you get paid again? You’ve already been paid! And it only took you 45 minutes to do it in the first place! Sheesh!!” Or words to that effect.This attitude is understandable; after all, most people work at a job and do X and receive Y for it. If your X is worth $20 an hour, at the end of X40, you get 800 Y’s or something. Sorry, I’ve forgotten most of my algebra. But when it comes to acting, some people expect the equation to be the same – act for 2 hours, get paid for two hours. After all, it’s not like you’re digging ditches or curing cancer! All you’re doing is talking! And in some cases, you’re not even doing that! 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Well, It’s a simple equation, and I’m sure most actors already know it; Value Received = Value Given. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 The Ham Isn’t Free Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Quite simple; let’s say you’re the butcher in a cute little shop on the corner of a Norman-Rockwell-American town. In walks Mrs. McGillicuddy and buys a beautiful cured ham. She gives you $35 for the fine piece of maple cured- goodness and out she goes, everybody happy. Well, a month goes by and in walks Mrs. M. and says, I’d like another one of those hams, please! You graciously wrap up a ham just like the first one and hand it to her. “Oh, thank you!” Says Mrs. M., and out she walks. “Hey! Wait a minute!” you say, “Aren’t you going to pay for that?”. To which she responds, “I paid you last month! You don’t expect me to pay AGAIN, do you?” 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Being a good shopkeeper who doesn’t want to go out of business, you snatch the ham from her grasp and indicate in no uncertain terms that if she wants your ham, she’s going to have to pay for it again. And that is what we call residuals. 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Intellectual Property Not many moons ago, the economy in this country came out of the ground; it was an agriculturally-based economy, with fortunes being made in the growth and sale of commodities like cotton, wheat, sorghum, porkbellies etc. The next economic wave was industrial; steel, machines, cars, durable goods. The tide then shifted rapidly to a service economy; accounting, consulting, IT, programming and other jobs where no one gets dirty. America moved with great rapidity through these economic phases, in each case leaving the old economy workers in the proverbial dust.Well, the economic tide has turned once again; our economy has moved to an information-based economy, or “Intellectual Property.” According to Ernst & Young, Intellectual Property will be the primary segment of the GNP before the decade is out. It has already surpassed all manufacturing segments, and is growing more than twice as fast as all other economic segments. 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 What does that have to do with us? Everything. What we do (acting) is not a product, nor is it a service - it is intellectual property. Once your image and likeness or your voice is recorded on tape, film, or straight to ones and zeroes on a hard drive, it is no longer your time in the studio, nor your presence in the sound booth that is providing the value; it is the intellectual property itself. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Value Received for Value Given Many times I have performed in a commercial only to find it reused in this market or I discover it being used in another market altogether. I also have found spots recut for a completely different advertiser. In one case, I was selling paint for a hardware store in Quebec, and I was speaking French! Sacre Bleu! If not for the courage of the fearless Union, I would not have received anything for these continued uses of my image, likeness and voice. 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 The point, my dear readers, is that you should never feel you are being unreasonable to expect to be paid for the value you provide, regardless of when or how you provide it. Trust me, the products being sold aren’t being given away for free, the ad agency isn’t working gratis, and the TV station doesn’t give up air time for nothing. 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 The moral of this story? Just because you’re a ham doesn’t mean you should be free.
GOT UNIONS? Labor Organizations, Associations, & Publications Whether or not you are a member of a union, guild or association, the following links are
great resources to professional rates, standards & practices that you can apply to your future opportunities. Have a Union, Guild, Association or Publication we should know about?
Email info@gotpay.org
Labor Organizations AFTRA - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is a national labor union representing nearly 80,000 performers, journalists and other artists working in the entertainment and news media,
AFTRA Midwest Talent An online talent guide of AFTRA members in the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana Region.
AFL-CIO - American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. Stated mission is to bring social and economic justice to our nation by enabling working people to have a voice on the job, in government, in a changing global economy and in their communities.
ACTRA - Alliance of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio Artists - A Canadian performing arts union working in all recording media.
AEA - Actors' Equity Association - a performing arts union representing American actors and stage managers working in the professional theatre.
AFM - American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada - A performing arts union representing the professional interests of musicians.
AGMA - American Guild of Musical Artists - a performing arts union that represents opera and concert singers, production personnel and dancers at principal opera, concert and dance companies throughout the United States.
AGVA - American Guild of Variety Artists - a performing artis union - no link available. Phone is (212) 675-1003.
4A's - Associated Actors and Artistes of America - No link available. The umbrella organization directly affiliated with the AFL-CIO, through which AFTRA holds its AFL-CIO membership. Founded in 1919 as an umbrella organization composed of nine autonomous performing arts unions, the main purpose of the Four A's since has been to represent the affiliates' common interests, and to resolve jurisdictional problems.
Behind the Label - An initiative of UNITEHERE to share stories of workers around the world who make clothes, to educate the public about international campaigns where workers are struggling to correct injustices in their workplace, and to engage consumers and activists to take part in solidarity actions with garment workers.
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO - The California Labor Federation is the state AFL-CIO, with more than 1,300 affiliated local unions, representing 2.1 million union members in diverse communities and sectors of the state's economy. Manufacturing, service, retail, construction, public sector and private industry unions join together in the Federation to protect and advance the rights and interests of all California workers.
CWA - Communications Workers of America - America's largest communications and media union represents over 700,000 men and women employed in telecommunications, broadcasting, cable TV, journalism, publishing, electronics and general manufacturing, as well as airline customer service, government service, health care, education and other fields.
DGA - Directors Guild of America - The DGA seeks to protect directorial teams' legal and artistic rights, contend for their creative freedom, and strengthen their ability to develop meaningful and credible careers.
DOL - Department of Labor - The published mission statement: "The Department of Labor fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements."
DPE - Department for Professional Employees - The DPE is a coalition of 25 national unions representing over four million highly skilled, white-collar employees. DPE unions include professionals in over three hundred separate and distinct occupations in many sectors including: health care and education; science, engineering and technology; journalism, entertainment and the arts; public administration and law enforcement. The DPE is the largest association of professional, technical and administrative support workers in the U.S.
FIA - Federación Internacional de Actores (International Federation of Actors) - An international body which represents the trade unions and associations of actors, dancers, singers and other performers throughout the world.
GIAA - Guild of Italian American Actors - A performing arts union dedicated to promoting, facilitating, preserving, encouraging and fostering positive images, career opporunities, awareness, and pride in th Italian culture and heritage.
IATSE - International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees - A labor union representing technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion picture and television production, and trade shows.
IBEW - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers - A labor union representing members who work in a wide variety of fields, including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads and government.
IBT - International Brotherhood of Teamsters - One of the largest labor unions in the world, representing everyone from A to Z - from airline pilots to zookeepers; dedicated to the ultimate tenet of the trade union movement—the commitment to enhance the lives of its members across North America and to win justice for working families.
LaborNet - LABORNET was founded in 1991 to build a democratic communication network for the labor movement - . in the belief that new communication technology must be put to use to revitalize and rebuild the labor movement.
NABET CWA - National Association of Broadcast And Television Employees - A labor union representing workers who are employed in the broadcasting, distributing, telecasting, recording, cable, video, sound recording and related industries in North America.
NLRB - National Labor Relations Board - is an independent Federal agency created in 1935 by Congress to administer the National Labor Relations Act, the basic law governing relations between labor unions and the employers whose operations affect interstate commerce.
PGA - Producers Guild of America - The PGA represents, protects, and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team.
Screen Actors Guild - A performing arts union representing actors. The Guild exists to enhance actors’ working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists’ rights.
SEIU - Service Employees International Union - A labor union representing workers in the following areas: health care, public employees, building services, industrial and allied.
The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC) is a national, independent labor union representing members throughout the United States and abroad with jurisdiction over the employment of Directors and Choreographers
Union Label - The Union Label and Service Trades Department, AFL-CIO. Promotes the products and services produced in America by union members -- especially those products and services identified by a union label, shop card, store card and service button.
Unite Here - Formerly the Union of Needletrades, Textiles and Industrial Employees (UNITE) and Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE). A labor union representing workers mainly in the following industries: apparel and textile manufacturing, industrial laundries, hotels, casinos, food service, airport concessions and restaurants.
WGAe - Writers Guild of America, east - A labor union protecting and defending the rights of the men and women who write, illustrate and produce the news and information programming for TV, radio and all other electronic media.
WGAw - Writers Guild of America, west - To promote and protect the professional and artistic interests of all writers of literary material in the fields of radio, free television, pay television, basic cable television, informational programming, video discs/video cassettes, and theatrical motion pictures and other related industries
You Are Worth More Industry Organizations AAAA - American Association of Advertising Agencies - AAAA is the national trade organization representing the advertising agency business. It is a management-oriented organization, offering its members information regarding the operation of advertising agencies, including management, media, print and broadcast production, secondary research on advertising and marketing, and international advertising.
AAJA - Asian American Journalists Association - A non-profit organization with approximately seventeen chapters nationwide and in Asia.
ACF: American Composers Forum - One of the largest composer-service organizations in the United States.
AFI - American Film Institute - The only national arts organization devoted to film, television and video, the American Film Institute serves as a point of national focus and coordination for the many individuals and institutions concerned with the moving image as art.
AFIM: Association for Independent Music - Organization that helps the independent music community through shared information and education.
AIAS - Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences - This not-for-profit organization will serve as a forum to: Promote and advance common interests in the worldwide interactive community, Recognize outstanding achievement in interactive content and the interactive community, Conduct an annual awards show and enhance the image and awareness of the interactive arts and sciences.
AICP - Association of Independent Commercial Producers- Members comprise companies that specialize in producing commercials, regardless of length, on various media -- film, video, computer -- for advertisers and agencies.
AMC: The American Music Center - National service organization devoted exclusively to the greater field of contemporary American music.
AMG: All Music Guide - Database of recorded music
AMPAS - Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences - Several kinds of information are available about the Academy, the Academy Awards, and the other programs and activities of the Academy and its affiliated organization, the Academy Foundation.
AMPTP - Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers - The trade association representing production companies and studios with respect to labor issues in the theatrical and television motion picture industry.
ASCAP - American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers - Allows creators and publishers to receive payment for the use of their musical property and provides users of that music with easy and inexpensive legal access to the world's largest and most varied catalog of copyrighted music.
ATA - The Association of Talent Agents - is a nonprofit trade association composed of approximately 100 agency companies engaged in the talent agency business. The membership includes agencies of all sizes representing clients in the motion picture industry, stage, television, radio (including commercials) and literary work.
ATAS - Academy of Television Arts & Sciences - A non-profit corporation devoted both to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry. Is also responsible for the annual Emmy Awards.
AWRT - American Women in Radio and Television - A national, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women in the electronic media and related fields. Established in 1951, AWRT has local chapters throughout the United States that promote AWRT's mission: to advance the impact of women in the electronic media and allied fields, by educating, advocating and acting as a resource to our members and the industry.
BMI: Broadcast Music, Inc. - Source for the song titles, writers and publishers of the world's most popular music -- the BMI repertoire -- in a searchable database of millions of items, updated weekly, together with the Web's most complete fund of information for and about songwriting and music licensing.
CMA: Country Music Association - Trade organization for Country Music.
CSUSA: Copyright Society of the USA - Organization that focuses on the gathering, dissemination and interchange of information concerning intellectual property rights.
EIC- Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. - To lead the entertainment industry in bringing it's power and influence to bear on health and social issues.
EIF - Entertainment Industry Foundation - The Entertainment Industry Foundation is still the heart and soul of the industry. It has maintained its historical commitment to coordinate the philanthropy of the entertainment industry to achieve maximum social impact in the community thanks to the generosity of the people who work in the industry.
Freemuse- An independent international organization advocating freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide.
Future of Music Coalition - Organization that addresses pressing music-technology issues and serves as a voice for musicians in Washington, D.C., where critical decisions are being made regarding musicians' intellectual property rights without a word from the artists themselves.
GMA: Gospel Music Association - Organization that supports, encourages and promotes the development of all forms of gospel music.
HFA: Harry Fox Agency - Organization that provides an information source, clearinghouse and monitoring service for licensing musical copyrights.
HRTS - Hollywood Radio and Television Society - An organization of West Coast executives from the networks, stations, studios, producers, advertisers, ad agencies, cable companies, media companies, legal firms, publicity agencies, talent and management agencies, performers, services, suppliers and allied fields.
MCA-I - Media Communications Association-International - Serves the needs of accomplished visual communicators who work in corporate, organizational, and independent settings. It has 8000 members in over 100 chapters throughout the U.S.
Museum of Television and Radio - A unique institution with locations in both New York City and Los Angeles, its goal is to collect and make available to the public the finest collection of programs, and promote a greater appreciation of their artistic value, social impact, and historic importance.
NAB - National Association of Broadcasters - Represents the radio and television industries in Washington -- before Congress, the FCC and federal agencies, the courts, and on the expanding international front. NAB provides leadership and its vast resources to our supporting members, to broadcasters at-large, and through ongoing public service campaigns to the American people.
NABJ - National Association of Black Journalists: mission is to strengthen ties among African-American journalists, promote diversity in newsrooms, honor excellence and outstanding achievement in the media industry, expand job opportunities and recruiting activities for established African-American journalists and students interested in the journalism field, and expand and balance the media's coverage of the African-American community and experience.
NAHJ - The National Association of Hispanic Journalists: is dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry.
NARAS - National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences - Dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its makers. An organization of more than 11,000 musicians, producers and other recording professionals, The Recording Academy is internationally known for the GRAMMY® Awards.
NATPE - National Association of Television Program Executives - Is the world's leading non-profit television programming and software association dedicated to the continued growth and success of the global television marketplace.
NCAC - National Coalition Against Censorship- an alliance of over 40 national non-profit organizations, including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups. United by a conviction that freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression must be defended, we work to educate our own members and the public at large about the dangers of censorship and how to oppose it. NCAC strives to create a climate of opinion hospitable to First Amendment freedoms in the broader community.
NLGJA - National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association - works from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of lesbian and gay issues and opposes newsroom bias against lesbians and gays and all other minorities.
RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America - The trade group promoting the vitality of U.S. recording companies.
RTNDA - Radio-Television News Directors Association: represents local and network news executives in broadcasting, cable and other electronic media in more than 30 countries. Through RTNDA's programs, publications, products and services, the association's members stay on top of trends in the electronic news industry, keep informed about technological innovations, expand their professional networks, stay in touch with issues affecting the industry and enhance their journalistic and news management skills. Industry publications/news/information
Backstage.com - A source for aspiring performers to find jobs, learn about their craft, and get the weekly news affecting their trade.
Billboard - A music industry news resource, covering all aspects of the music industry. A source for sales figures, concert grosses and many other industry indices. Information includes weekly listings of various Billboard charts; audio samples of chart hits; weekly previews of major music releases; bonus chart facts.
Billboard On-Line - A music industry news resource, covering all aspects of the music industry. A source for sales figures, concert grosses and many other industry indices. Information includes weekly listings of various Billboard charts; audio samples of chart hits; weekly previews of major music releases; bonus chart facts.
Billboard Radio Monitor On-Line - News, data and resources for the radio industry.
Broadcasting & Cable Online - A weekly magazine read by executives of television and radio stations, networks, cable operations and allied fields.
Cinema Space - (University of California/Berkeley) Devoted to all aspects of cinema and new media and is the primary link for resources from the UC Berkeley Film Studies Program.
Cinemedia - Internet's largest film and media directory.
CJR - Columbia Journalism Review.
The Episode Guides Page - This site contains Episode Lists for over 1,000 TV shows. Each list contains titles and air dates.
Hollywood Books - We feature a huge, well-organized selection of Film/TV and Performing Arts books.
Hollywood Creative Directory - The site to turn to for the most accurate information on producers, agents, managers, distrubtors and new media executives in Hollywood.
Hollywood Reporter - Magazine's film and TV production charts are now online! Also, archives and full versions of our daily news stories.
IndustryCentral - The Motion Picture and Television Industry Professional's First Stop! Comprehensive list of MP/TV Links. Industry news and information, Crew-List.net (Your Resume Online), ScreenWriters' Exchange, Travel Center, WeatherCasts, WebMail, Discussion Boards, Auctions & Classifieds, Chat, and much more! Media Mall - The gathering place in cyberspace for media enthusiasts of all kinds. We sincerely invite you to become part of our virtual community by contributing your feedback, articles or simply your good wishes.
New York Film & Video Guide - Most comprehensive on-line film & video production guide! Here you will find wages, benefits and work conditions for all the Local Unions, links to film commissions in the area, and an extensive array of production companies, supplies and information to help produce film or video in and around New York.
PR Newswire - The leading source of immediate news from corporations worldwide for media, business, the financial community, and the individual investor.
Shoptalk - News about the broadcasting business.
Showbiz Network - Source for cast-and-crew requirements! All types of positions from the Movie, Television and Music Industries will be listed here, so you can find anyone from the Leading Lady to a Best. Boy. No matter what size your production is, we can help you fill in the blanks!
Studio Briefing - it's your executive briefing on the entertainment industry.
Theatre Bay Area/Callboard Magazine - Theatre Bay Area serves over 260 member theater companies and more than 3,100 individual members in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.
Variety - For the showbiz buff and industry professional.
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