North Carolina 2008:05

May 6, 2008

WELCOME TO THE CAROLINA CALLING

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Carolina Calling, the Carolina e-newsletter for Screen Actors Guild. A newsletter for our region has been long overdue, and I am happy to say that we now have our very own. For those of you whom I have not yet been able to meet, my name is Jason Tomlinson, and I am the South Region executive servicing both Louisiana and the Carolinas. My goal is to visit four times this year, and I hope to meet as many of you as I can. I encourage all of you to provide me with feedback as to what types of things you would like to see in the newsletter. We will be posting production updates and membership information, as well as any national Screen Actors Guild stories germane to our area. If any of you would like to contribute any articles or stories concerning the film community in the Carolinas, please let me know. I can be reached at jtomlinson@sag.org or (504) 585-7324.

Sincerely,
Jason Tomlinson
South Region Executive

SAVE JUNE 21 FOR SAG’S 75TH GALA CELEBRATION

North Carolina will join the nationwide celebration of Screen Actors Guild’s 75th anniversary on June 21, 2008. Please keep this date open to join your fellow members and industry professionals to commemorate this special moment in Guild history. More information to follow soon, but be sure to mark your calendar!

FROM YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE

By Jerry Winsett

Greetings! I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. Slate, please.

Hi, I’m Jerry Winsett, council member at large for North and South Carolina, which are with the Florida Branch of Screen Actors Guild.

I have been a working SAG member for 25 years and a lifetime union activist and true supporter of the Guild’s members. I take being your council member very seriously. The responsibility includes serving our union and our region and addressing the practical concerns of my fellow journeyman actors in the Carolinas.

This is an exciting time for us. Production in the Carolinas had slumped after years of hurricanes and economic problems. We saw production leaving our area, but I am happy to say that this problem is turning around. Many people—actors, politicians, agents and casting directors—have been and continue to work to re-establish our area as the Hollywood of the East Coast.

Craig Fincannon of Fincannon Casting spoke with me recently and said that three TV series will be filming locally this fall. Three! And we are already seeing an increase in film production, with Nailed, Blood Done Sign My Name and other films in pre-production and warming up to lens in the Carolinas.

I am optimistic.

I know that, with recent occurrences, optimism might be a bit more difficult for some in the region. According to WHQR Radio, the Wilmington, N.C. City Council has frozen incentives to filmmakers through June. It is possible that the incentives might be cut altogether due to a budget shortfall. But that does not affect state incentives in both Carolinas. Remember that this fund has been used infrequently and the loss of this specific fund would not be terribly missed because of the filing constraints in the application process.

In fact, Regional Film Commissioner Johnny Griffin himself states that it has been more than four years since he has dipped into the fund.

In addition to state incentives, we have much to entice production to the Carolinas. We know that we have a great actor pool here, and iActor will help producers and directors find talent in our region before they even set up production offices. We have one of the East Coast’s greatest assemblages of film craftsmen and technicians. It is one reason we are the new center for independent production, and more and more of these new productions are taking advantage of SAG’s new low budget contracts in order to become signatory. That’s work for union actors!

Yes, but then there’s the dreaded “s” word. Strike.

It is not a word we should fear. In the last decade, we have seen the disappearance of “day rates.” There are no longer many “minimums” above scale that can be negotiated. “Scale plus 10” is no longer a base wage for entry level performers; it is the money being paid to seasoned veterans, the artists who have been making their living in our industry. With residuals being lost to vertical integration, lack of observation, dishonest bookkeeping by some producers and our lack of bite in our contracts, we have to increase scale and protect ourselves in new and emerging markets.

How can we do this? We can do this by going to the bargaining table. By saying, we are the ones in front of the cameras. We are the ones the people see. We are the mortar that holds your productions together. We are your foundation. We want to be treated with the respect we deserve.

But we must remember we are not the only ones in the industry who suffered the effects of the 100-day writers strike. No one wants to strike. Not us, not AFTRA. The producers don’t want to lose more days, and there appears to be a willingness to bargain. Once again, I am optimistic! Very much so.

So are others. And they are committed to making this region the center for production it has been in the past. Here is a quote from Tracy Kilpatrick, casting director: “I am going to work for you! ... In order to be competitive in production, we need support from the city, county and state to entice producers to bring their projects here. Filmmaking is a clean industry that works in many ways to bring dollars directly and indirectly (tourism) to an area. I would hope that we all will work together to bring it back to the level it once was.”

That is the attitude we all need. We need it in Wilmington, in Columbia, in Charlotte, in Charleston—and throughout the Carolinas. We need hope and ambition. We need to work together, stay strong together and be firm in our commitment.

It may not be easy, but friends, the future for production in the Carolinas looks bright! Break out the shades, and let’s hit our marks and find the lights.

RULE ONE KEEPS THE UNION STRONG

By Leslie Krensky
South Region Director

Joining Screen Actors Guild means more than just proudly carrying the card, it means you have the strength of a union with more than 120,000 actors behind you. Every performer who joins the Guild is making a statement that he or she is a professional actor entitled to the wages and working conditions of a professional and refusing to settle for less than a union contract. Every individual who joins the Guild agrees to abide by a code of rules and regulations governing membership. Primary among these is the regulation known as “Rule One.” It is what makes a union strong.

Rule One of the Screen Actors Guild Constitution and By-Laws states the following:

“No member shall work as a performer or make an agreement to work as a performer for any producer who has not executed a basic minimum agreement with the Guild which is in full force and effect.”

This rule means that, when performers join the union, they are agreeing to only render services under a Screen Actors Guild contract when employed for a production which falls within the Guild’s jurisdiction. The Guild’s jurisdiction includes, but is not limited to:
• Television commercials—including commercials made for local, regional, and national broadcast or cable use, and commercials made for use in foreign countries. There are also contracts that cover commercials made for new media.
• Industrial programs—including sales and training programs made for local exhibition and for the Internet.
• Student films.
• Short films.
• Low budget films.
• Feature films—meaning films exhibited in movie theatres and including productions made to attract financing for feature film production.
• Television productions—including pilots, series, and movies for broadcast, cable, and pay television, promos for television programs and networks and productions made to attract financing for television production.
• New media productions—including webisodes, mobisodes, and podcasts.
• Interactive productions—including video games.
• Music video productions.
• Animated productions—whether produced for theatrical release, television exhibition or use in any other medium.

Abiding by Rule One is essential for your own protection, as well as to keep the union strong. Working under a SAG contract is the only way to make sure you receive professional wages and working conditions for each production and to ensure that you are protected against unauthorized use and reuse of your performance.

Rule One enforcement is essential to the Guild’s ability to enforce its contracts and organize new employers. Producers sign contracts with the Guild and obligate themselves to standard rates, working conditions, pension-and-health contributions and residuals because they know they must to get the best performers. If members are willing to work non-union, there is no reason for producers to sign contracts.

Because of the vital importance of Rule One, a violation can subject a member to disciplinary proceedings, which can result in a variety of penalties—ranging from a reprimand to a fine to suspension or expulsion from membership.

Protect yourself and the union by upholding SAG Rule One. If you have any questions about Rule One, please contact Assistant South Region Director Melodie Shaw at (800) SAG.0767, option 5, ext. 236, or via e-mail at mshaw@sag.org.

NEW MEMBERS AND TRANSFERS

The Carolina Region welcomes the following members and transfers:

New Members (January to March)
Andy Belmont, Deanna Brown, John Brown, Dean Lyons and Gregg M. Russell

Transfers In (January to March)
Maggy Norden, Carolyn Romania Smith and Earle Ross Haire

PRODUCTION UPDATE

The South Region Office distributes to members with an e-mail address in the Guild’s database a list of all upcoming theatrical and television production in the 12 States in the South Region, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. As a further service to the Carolina membership, here is a list of potential upcoming theatrical and television production in the Carolina Region. For the full update, please visit our website.

The Guild has been contacted by the following productions about becoming signatory to one of the Screen Actors Guild collective bargaining agreements. Please be advised that these producers may not have completed the signatory process at this time. It is the responsibility of each member to confirm that each producer has signed the applicable contract before making an agreement to render services. Failure to confirm the signatory status before rendering services may lead to disciplinary charges being filed. If you have any questions, please contact the office at (800) SAG-0767, option 5.

North Carolina

Monkey Trials, The—Theatrical
Dean River Productions, Inc.
Location: Charlotte, NC.
Start: May 2, 2008

One Tree Hill (07/08) —Television Series
Warner Bros. Television
Location: North Carolina
Start: July 30, 2007
Casting: Fincannon & Associates

Re-Defining Love—Low Budget Modified
H20 Entertainment, LLC
Location: Wilmington, N.C.
Start: April 21, 2008

Stray—Ultra Low Budget
Amsterdam Artists, Ltd.
Located: Asheville, N.C.
Start: January 14, 2008

South Carolina

New Daughter, The—Theatrical
New Daughter Productions, LLC
Location: South Carolina (non-specific)
Start: February 20, 2008

iActor - WHAT CASTING DIRECTORS WANT

YOU TO KNOW

Casting directors are on iActor daily, digitally sourcing and then clearing talented Screen Actors Guild members for work in SAG-signatory productions. They find particular value in iActor's ability to offer access to regional SAG actors, no matter where you live. We are getting great feedback on iActor's content-rich database. But they have some notes for you.

Many of you aren't listing a contact number on your resumes, so that means they can't reach you for an audition. The number one rule from the casting community is that contact information is a crucial element of your iActor resume. It's just as important as a beautifully presented headshot, up-to-date credits and a full representation of your skills and talents.

Please make sure to list your current contact information, either a service number or your representative's, so you won't miss that important work call.

We've also noticed that many of you aren't marking your resumes "viewable," so as far as the casting community is concerned, you aren't seen. It's extremely important to complete the final step in completing your iActor resume. You have to mark it "viewable."

iActor liaisons are ready to help you at (800) SAG-0767 or webhelp@sag.org.

NEW 75TH ANNIVERSARY GEAR AVAILABLE

Visit thesagshop.com for the latest in must-have, union-made merchandise. Check out the new Screen Actors Guild 75th anniversary items, including T-shirts and polos. Get ready for spring and warm weather with a new camisole or cap and demonstrate your good taste and union pride.

HOW TO CONTACT US

Have a question about contracts, talent agents, your dues status? Need to file a claim? We are ready to assist.

Telephone: (504) 585-7324
E-mail: jtomlinson@sag.org
Fax: (504) 585-7326
Mail: 1100 Poydras Street, Suite 2900
New Orleans, LA 70163