Do you want to work for free? Why not? Because it is work. Actors and others in the arts are expected to want to work for the shear joy of working. Are artists not worthy of compensation? Many people seem to believe this. We work for the love of work. Yes, artists do love their work but don't dentists and truck drivers and flight attendents love their work? They do and they are paid for it. There is a difference with helping out a friend but working for free for a stranger and being treated like an employee is a different story. Actors are constantly being "given" the opportunity to work for nothing, nada, squat. We'll give you credit; my how thoughtful of you! How about a little compensation? Is my time worth nothing to your project? If you don't have actors you just have a set. I recently received a phone call from th Dr Oz show. They wanted me to appear on their chat show but weren't interested in paying. When I declined the woman on the other end of the phone seemed shocked. Didn't I want to be on Dr. Oz? "Is Dr. Oz getting paid?", I asked, "Are you?" "well yes, but that is different." How so? You are a money making business, a TV show is a business. I am a business person too you know! I am not living on thanks I pay bills, buy food, wear clothes just like anyone else. If you can't afford to pay your actors you can't afford to make you film or video. Do you just call a camera company and say "hey can I have a free camera?" When you go to the supermarket do you assume you will get free food? No of course you don't, so why oh why do you expect and actor to just give you a product? Could it be our own fault? Perhaps it is actors who are to blame we don't simply say no enough. Well here is one that just says no. If I don't know you, you can pay me to spend 8 to 12 hours on your set. No one should be expected to work for free. Perhaps I am greedy, perhaps I am deluded but I do think I actors and what we do have worth!
I agree! The Dr. Oz show makes more than enough to pay their actors. That's despicable! We have been forced to work for little or nothing because our society has been taught not value the arts. It has been deemed frivolous. If we were to all stand up and say "Pay up or no entertainment for you!" the general public would just say "Ok" and go to a baseball game. I blame the unions. It is the union's job to ensure that workers are paid a reasonable wage and work in good conditions. It is not their job to say who is good enough to join, like Actor's Equity seems to think is their role. A teacher's union doesn't determine which teachers can join, and it is the teachers prerogative to join or not join a union, yet the teacher's unions still fight for the rights of EVERY teacher, member or no, to get paid and be treated with respect by the administrators. The AFL-CIO doesn't say only their members get a 30 minute lunch break. EVERYONE gets a 30 minute lunch break. Artist are not slaves!
ReplyDeleteRight on!!!!!
Deletewhen I started working in animation back in the '70s the business agent for the animation Local would ask a group of young artists "how many of you would work for Disney for free?" a bunch of hands would go up. then he would ask, "for how long?"
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