Virtual Lockout and last Monday . . .

Meanwhile BACK at holding . . .


Seems the lack of negotiations is REALLY slowing things down. The studios are green lighting new projects at a snails pace and virtually not at all. This has locked out SAG members from our normal summer work schedule. So work is getting hard to find even for the Non Union guys!

You know it's only going to get worse.

But last Monday I did another day on the previous show. The one about the guy who can bring back dead people for one minute and then he solves their death. Had a really good time!

My first Union meeting . . .

Happened over this last weekend. With the contract negotiations an ongoing struggle the fact that the annual SAG meeting fell on this date was a blessing. A few hundred of us gathered to hear our union leaders talk about the talks and our Unions goals.

The current talks are continuing no matter WHAT the media says. Seems the producers believe that SAG has no choice but to accept the contract agreed by our sister union AFTRA. Well what the producers don't seem to get is that AFTRA is the SMALLER union, bringing in only 1% of their income from acting compared to SAG.

In this latest offer the Producers want us to give up ALL residuals for ANY new media project. They also want the right to decide whether the project will be completely covered by the union. These two points if accepted will set a precedent that will tear down every thing SAG has worked so hard to accomplish in the last 75 years. What's funny is that the producers think SAG doesn't have enough votes to authorize a strike, well whenever an uninformed actor reads these two points of the contract the first thing out of there mouths is; "NEVER, I'd rather strike first".

So the negotiations will continue and the longer it goes and the more informed the SAG membership becomes about the Producers offer the closer we get to a strike authorization. And then that's when it starts to get FUN.

Why? . . . I'm WORKING again !

This last Monday I worked on a new show for me. It's on ABC and is about a guy who brings people back to life in order for him to solve there death. So I'm a clients friend at a party for this guys business, we are supposed to play introverted people who are uncomfortable at this party. Me, I'm the guy with the big fro in the background, look REAL hard.




All in all it was a good day of work, we finished at 9:30 pm.

Starting a new in oh-eight!

Yesterday I signed up with a new call in service. A boutique service called Kalifornia Kasting, located in Pasadena. The sign up was pretty easy, fill out the forms, make sure your registered with Central Casting, take a couple pictures and pay.
Found out the owner is very picky about who she signs up, mostly she has what we call the character look so I pretty much fit right in. Talking to her I got a good vibe, she's very friendly and knowledgeable about the biz.
So what is a boutique call in service? Simple, they keep their roster down to a specific number thus enabling them to provide better service - getting their clients to work more. Which is what I want and need! Monday is tomorrow and I have to go down to Central Casting and update my contact info, which now won't be too bad. I think I got a good service . . . will let you know more as time goes on.

A ray of hope . . .

Well let's not get our hopes up.

Seems for the past week the Writers and Producers have held informal talks. Some of the demands have been taken off the table and some of the points recently approved by the Directors guild do NOT look promising.

So are we closer to ending this strike, yes and no. Only the negotiators know for sure. As for me, I'm under the assumption they can do better.

And on the flip side . . . I am doing all I can to be ready for when we do go back to work. As long as it doesn't cost me anything.

Good and bad New developments in the WGA strike.

The Directors Guild announced today it would hold off negotiating with the producers until after the first of 08. This is good news bad news, in that the Writers get an extra two weeks to heat up the current strike against the producers. But after the first the Directors guild will probably start their negotiations. Historically the Directors Guild has always had an easier time with their negotiations and the first contract signed has set a template for the other unions to follow.

On the other side the Writers Guild has filed a federal complaint against the Producers stating that they have not and are not negotiating in good faith. This is really a publicity stunt being that the current administration is COMPLETELY anti-union, such a complaint will more than likely fall on death ears.

If I were the Producers I would be more concerned about what the Directors Guild might do. If the negotiation goes smoothly and they sign a contract before the Writers do it will spell trouble for the Writers Guild and the Screen Actors Guild. But if the Directors want what the Writers want then it's a whole new ballgame. The producers DO NOT want to have TWO stalled contract negotiations going on at the same time.

It's a fun time in Hollywood.
:(

Strike, more strike and still more strike

How dreadful can it get? Try 6 freaken weeks of a writers strike. Anything new? Nope, the producers don't want to negotiate on anything worth while and the writers stand there ground.
And I am on the hunt for stable work that doesn't have me waiting tables.

Haven't given up on this crazy dream, don't know what it is but something keeps telling me to stick with it. It's probably the burrito I had for lunch today, but it's something.

So while the strike goes on so does my search and the possibility one day soon I'll be able to work on the script some more. With gas at $3.45 a gallon makes a 154 mile journey to see my writing partner OUT of the question.

I have left my call in service, the lack of work coupled with a monthly fee only left me one choice. So when I decide to come back to acting it's all up to my passion.

Life goes on.

A series finale

I remember my first day working background, it was a small call on a show called the Shield. Most of the BG were the standard regular cop BG, me and a few others got to be visitors that day. Well three years later and the Shield is finishing up their run this month. I guess all thing do come back into your life at some point or the other, this day there was quite a large call. Thankfully it was broken up into three groups, I got the early call of 11am. One thing about working on the Shield, everybody has a good time. Today was no exception, we were participants in a rally somewhere in south Los Angeles. The guest star of the episode was Andre 3000, he plays a young eager politician stirring up the locals. When out of nowhere the police drop by and shut him down. So we all had a fun time yelling and screaming at the fake cops. By 2:30 we were off to the next scene a nearby church were group 2 was waiting. Fortunately there was nothing left for group 1 to do so we waited around till 5:20 when they cut us loose.

And on the flip side the Writers Guild continues to walk the line and fight the good fight. What's it all about; you ask? The bottom line, money. The producers see this as a chance to break the union and keep control of the profits. The writers want to be treated fairly and paid the proper amount for their creative work.

It all hedges on the internet and this sudden belief by the producers to think that a new media means no sharing of ANY profits. With the advent of Broadband the media conglomerates have been making a tidy sum serving up their properties over the internet. The money comes mostly indirectly through ad rates since no one in this country sees any logic in paying to download T.V. shows. So should the writers, the people who are responsible for creating the characters and stories be able to share in the fortunes made from the internet? Doesn't the Media Companies have the MORAL RESPONSIBILITY to ensure that EVERYBODY involved in creating these properties SHARE equally from these properties?

The Writers guild is asking to negotiate a percentage for all the material downloaded from the internet.

The Producers don't want to even negotiate.

This is my first strike, come June 08 the Screen Actors Guild contract comes up for negotiation.