This is my reality

I am a professional actor in Montreal, Canada. People glamorize the film & television industry but it isn't glamorous at all. The "poor starving artist" stereotype isn't a stereotype, it is the reality and most actors barely scrape by, even with odd jobs. We don't do this for the money, we do this for the love of our art. Our union is on strike ... why? Because of things like ...


January 19, 2007 - ACTRA Strike Update #2

Support builds for ACTRA's internet position

Support for ACTRA's position on the internet is growing in the media including on the editorial pages of Playback, Canada's film and television industry newspaper, and the Montreal Gazette.
Playback editor Mark Dillon writes, "ACTRA's idea to put the new media agreement on hold for another year is reasonable: another year of experimentation could only help everyone have a clearer idea of what's at play before both sides come to terms. In fact, before making a commitment that could look unfair in the near future, why not put it off until the Americans are willing to show their cards? Both countries will endlessly measure their respective agreements against the others, anyhow. In the meanwhile, negotiations could continue on a project-by-project basis." The editorial was circulated to Playback subscribers yesterday, and will appear in the print edition dated January 22, 2007.

An editorial in the January 12 edition of the Montreal Gazette states, "Canadian producers want to be able to use any movies and TV shows that have already been shot any way they like on the Web, without paying performers a dime. For new Internet productions, they want to be able to pay ACTRA members a discounted daily rate and use the stuff on the Internet for a year without any additional fee. The only way the actors would be well-paid would be if the production became a television show.

The editorial continues: "It was an offer ACTRA found easy to refuse. The union did, however, offer an alternative: Resolve all the other issues, and refer new-media issues to a study committee. That sounds like a cop-out, but it makes sense, too. It certainly makes more sense than jeopardizing a lucrative and glamorous industry for the sake of one that is still in its infancy."

On January 10, Globe and Mail TV Columnist John Doyle wrote: "Few actors or performers in Canada are well paid, let alone rich. They're asking for fair compensation, at a time when the TV, film and other entertainment industries are drooling at the prospect of making a ton of money from new technology.

"Too many Canadians have crackpot ideas about access to entertainment and media. They expect to get it for free. Unless, of course, it emanates from Hollywood. Then, many Canadians are prepared to pay, in order to ensure that Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts continues to get $25-million (U.S.) per movie.

"The vast majority of Canadian actors and performers are freelancers, endlessly looking for work. And being freelancers doesn't mean they have to work for free. No Canadian does, so actors and performers shouldn't be expected to do it."- John Doyle, Globe & Mail TV Columnist, January 10, 2007

More letters and indications of support are posted at: http://www.actra.ca/actra/control/feature21