So, last Thurs and Fri, I shot a commercial near the O2.
It's open ground and very windy up that way. Added to this, it was an evening shoot, and they were using a rain machine.
Needless to say, after the first rehearsal, my colleagues and I were drenched.
Six takes later and we were starting to develop gills.
The crew set up for the next shot,
It was bitterly cold and some of the actors were beginning to get , well.....bitter.
Luckily I found a friend in an actor called Richard, and although we were not too thrilled to be out there, we cracked jokes,( none printable here) and kept our spirits up.
Some actors, called their agents , and others said they would not return on the second day of shooting.
To my surprise, even, Richard said he would not return.
The contract stated if you were on screen in final edit, you would get the big payout, instead of just a shooting fee.
One actor, I shall call Bob, was adamant to get in front of the camera. Purely, he informed me , for the money.
I must admit I was taken back a bit. You can never guarantee, being seen in the final commercial, unless you have a main part (we did not) because you are at the mercy of the editor. And if you're only in this for the money, you are definitely in the wrong business.
I also believe that if you enter into a contract, knowingly, then it is your duty to fulfil that contract. With that in mind, I returned the next day, and got on the hospitality bus. What did I see?
All the actors who had moaned the night before, including my friend, Richard.
"I thought you weren't coming back ?" I said.
With a wry smile he replied "Well, you have to be professional, don't you?"
Bob was the only one not to return.
Hi Jo,
ReplyDeleteMost of us work to live, so no choice there. But what we bring to work, there we do have a choice. I guess it is up to an individual person and where they in any particular moment as to their attitude towards what they are asked to do. It just so happens acting is tough and fickle.
So how does an actor act ethically, when presented with unfairness and fickleness of the field? You might just as easily ask how does a teacher act ethically when faced with a pile of marking to do in the evening.
I don’t have any easy answers. There are lazy teachers, cheating actors, crooked lawyers, abusive priests … and they all too often get away with it. It is perhaps to our inner morals that we need to reflect upon to guide us?
On a different tack, I wanted to say I think your posts have been really worthwhile and stimulating, and in the instance of your video, really entertaining. I’m definitely following your Blog! Keep it up Jo.
I think this shows how sometimes people can get the wrong perspective. I bet some of the actors that were moaning were just purely doing it because they thought they were too important to be doing such an horrendous task! However, they agreed to the contract and are getting paid.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you say about the money. This profession isn't for you if you want guaranteed financial security!