Fall 2011 - ACTRA Toronto

Fall 2011 Volume 20 • Issue 3
THE MAGAZINE FROM
Chris Owens on the set of
Combat Hospital
Flying by the
seat of our pants:
the precarious lives of
working actors
by Karen Ivany
Vertical Integration:
what it is and
whyyou should care
by Art Hindle
The Queen
Jayne Eastwood
by Deb McGrath
InthisIssue
ofyourunionmagazine
President’s Message
Vertical Integration
by Art Hindle
Page 3
Page 19
Welcome to Kandahar
by Chris Owens
Performers
Member News
The magazine from ACTRA Toronto
Page 26
Volume 20 * Issue 3 * Fall 2011
Welcome New Members
Page 8
Flying
by the Seat of
our Pants!
by Karen Ivany
The Stunt Registry
by Shelley Cook
Page 28
Page 22
Lives Lived
Ask a Steward
by Clare Johnston
Page 23
Page 15
7 Myths About
Working Non-Union
by Janesse Leung
PUBLISHER
David Gale • dgale@council.actratoronto.com
EDITOR
Chris Owens • editor@actratoronto.com
STAFF EDITOR
Karen Woolridge • kwoolridge@actratoronto.com
Page 29
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Heather Allin, Karen Woolridge, David Gale,
Art Hindle, Chris Owens, Brian Topp,
Andrew Moodie, Karl Pruner
Who’s Who
at ACTRA Toronto
DESIGN and LAYOUT
Erick Querci • Creative Process Design
www.creativeprocessdesign.ca
Page 30
ADVERTISING SALES
Karen Cowitz
kcowitz@rocketmail.com 416-461-4627
CONTRIBUTORS
Heather Allin, Shelley Cook, Art Hindle,
Karen Ivany, Clare Johnston, Deb McGrath,
Chris Owens, Karen Woolridge
Page 24
“I'm very loud. I know that. I've always been
an out front brassy kind of dame... I must say,
it's never been hard for me to make a fool
of myself.” — Jayne Eastwood
The Queen of Comedy by Deborah McGrath Page 4
ADDRESS EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE TO:
Performers magazine
c/o ACTRA Toronto
625 Church Street, Suite 200
Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1
Fax: (416) 928-2852
editor@actratoronto.com
JOIN THE TEAM
If you’re an ACTRA Toronto Member and want to
write an article or contribute original artwork or
photos, we’d love to hear from you. Send an email
to editor@actratoronto.com.
Printed in Canada by union labour at Thistle Printing.
THE NEXT COPY DEADLINE IS December 1, 2011
The magazine invites members to submit notices of births,
marriages, obituaries and letters to the editor. Article
submissions must be sent via email to editor@actratoronto.com.
We reserve the right to edit or omit any material for length,
style, content or possible legal ramifications.
Photo: www.mckennaphoto.com
Performers magazine is published three times a year by ACTRA
Toronto. The views expressed in unsolicited and solicited
articles are not necessarily the views of ACTRA Toronto,
its council or this committee.
Publications Mail Agreement number 40069134
ISSN 1911-4974
w w w . a c t ra t o r o n t o . c o m
(COVER PHOTO)
Jayne Eastwood
Photo:
www.mckennaphoto.com
Wardrobe Stylist:
Kirsten Reader, Judy Inc.
Make-up and Hair:
Stacey Martin
CONTRIBUTORS:
Heather Allin
2
Shelley Cook
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
Art Hindle
Karen Ivany
Clare Johnston
Deb McGrath
Chris Owens
Karen Woolridge
Heather Allin
President, ACTRA Toronto
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
National Commercial Agreement Bargaining Update
A recent Price Waterhouse Coopers
Report: Global Entertainment Media
Outlook 2011-2015, forecasts
that Internet and TV advertising
will grow by over 50% by 2015,
with Canada growing faster
than the U.S.
Two key issues remain on the table
As I write, it is early August. Negotiations to
reach a settlement on our next National Commercial
Agreement have met an impasse and we are inside
mediation. ere is another date scheduled for
the end of this month. By the time you get this
magazine, perhaps we will have reached agreement
and we can breathe a sigh of relief. I hope so.
But maybe not.
Allow me to give you a flavour of these negotiations. Back in the winter, we held numerous
focus groups and asked what you would like to
see improved in this contract. You shared your
concerns around issues of dignity and respect,
health and safety, background, minors, stunts,
accessibility, voice, diversity and women. You
also told us in no uncertain terms that the New
Media incentive pilot program was not respectful
of performers’ skills and time and that these
rates needed to match those of TV. In other
words, if the pilot program is working, we want
our fair share, and if it isn’t, paying us our full
rates isn’t the problem.
Among a range of things, engagers told us they
were looking to address large cast issues, extend
the New Media pilot program, and have a number
of exclusions inserted into the contract -which
means hiring people for free. We were even subjected
to pitches by VPs and CEOs who told us our
fees were hurting their bottom lines.
We worked steadily to find agreement on the issues,
finding resolution on many and agreeing to
withdraw to fight again on others. As we stand
now, two key issues remain on the table: the
New Media pilot program and exclusions.
Let’s talk about exclusions. One of the most
troubling issues on the NCA table is a proposal
from engagers to create categories of performers in
commercials who would work for free—for no
pay at all. If the engagers persist in this demand,
we'll be giving you all the details. It is a fundamental
challenge to our work. We continue to assert
that performing is a profession that merits
decent compensation. We work ACTRA precisely to avoid this kind of exploitation of performers.
How is the advertising industry
doing?
A recent Price Waterhouse Coopers Report:
Global Entertainment Media Outlook 20112015 forecasts that Internet and TV advertising
will grow by over 50% by 2015, with Canada
growing faster than the U.S. TV is very much
alive and drawing the eyeballs advertisers seek.
e internet is not pulling eyes away; it is reinforcing
and growing traditional TV consumption, as
folks watch TV with their mobile devices in hand.
How are performers doing?
Hill Strategies Research published a study not
long ago showing that actors are living below
the poverty line, earning an average of just
$18,000 a year.
Despite several positive reports on the health of the
advertising industry and the evidence of our low
incomes, the people we bargain with don’t seem to
care that you struggle just to pay the rent.
Don’t give up. Canada needs you to tell its stories.
Our stories. Including the 30 second kind.
When your work meets such a vital need and
contributes so much to the national economy,
you ought to be able to make a living at it.
Your team will fight as long and as hard as it
takes to reach resolution with an agreement that
gets us what we deserve. And if and when we
ask for your help; answer the call. We can do
anything if we do it together.
Thank you in advance and always for
your solidarity.
Your president,
Heather Allin
August 8, 2011
FALL • 2011
3
4
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
Photo: www.mckennaphoto.com • Dress, Wayne Clark @ The Room @ The Bay • Tiara, Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Bridal Collection @ White • Earrings, The Cat's Meow, www.thecatsmeowcouture.com • Necklaces, top, Nadri @ the Bay • Bottom, Carolee, @ The Bay
The Queen
Deb McGrath talks to Canadian icon Jayne Eastwood
Jayne Eastwood is an actor’s actor. She loves to
act. Every single facet of it. She is happiest when
on a set, any set, from a big American film to a
student project shot in a Scarborough rec-room.
I have always referred to her as a Show Biz Betsy.
She’s got that old-vaudeville-hittin’-the-boardsstudio-contract kind of work ethic. She is alive
when she is acting and as a result, each project
she graces comes alive.
She is also beloved. From producer, to driver, to
grip, to actor; everyone loves Jayne. And why
the hell wouldn’t they? She is (in no particular
order): fun, funny, sweet, kind, thoughtful,
brilliant, down to earth, with talent up the
wazoo. And she is something else. She is a huge
supporter of her peers, her competition. Jayne
does not begrudge one single person any role
they get. Even if she is up for the role, she
always says, “Hell, I don’t care who gets it. We’re
all just actors trying to make a living.” We
should all be grateful to this great country of
ours that Jayne loves it so. Otherwise she would
have gone off and been a huge star. But she
stayed. Because Jayne loves her Canada and she
is rewarded with stardom here. Well...our
version of stardom, anyway.
I have never seen Jayne pull a star trip or be
anything but gracious and professional. She not
only cares about her work but about the business
of acting. She has done so much for ACTRA
and continues to work tirelessly for each and
every cause. From Parliament Hill to Queen’s
Park, she has fought for everything from Status
of the Artist to Canadian content. In Ottawa, in
the fall, I heard she was surrounded by MPs who
wanted an autograph. If I know Jayne, she
stayed there till each one was signed. And then
made them buy the cocktails. Any time with
Jayne is a good time because she loves life and
likes to talk about all aspects of it. She is curious
about everything which helps makes her a great
actor. Jayne doesn’t have to talk about her
accomplishments in the business. ey are clear
every time we see her on TV, stage or in a
movie. Someone told me that they were in a
movie theatre seeing Hairspray and as soon as
Jayne came on screen the audience burst into
applause. ere’s your legacy, Jayne.
Jayne answers my questions:
•
What is your favourite role or showbiz
experience?
You know I must say for television, This is
Wonderland, and now Living In Your Car. Both
are written by George Walker and Dani
Romain, amazing writers for actors. Also, I just
shot a demo for a series that Neil Crone wrote
and if that goes, that will be my next favourite
because it's HILARIOUS. On stage, Women
Fully Clothed. You are a founding member of
that group. The material that you and the
three other gals, Robin Duke, Kathy Greenwood
and Teresa Pavlinek have written for me is so
great, that I want to do it until I can't stand up
any more; or we could just put an oxygen tent
backstage. That should keep me going for
another 10 years. e great thing about WFC is
that we are doing our own material. I've never
had that experience before and making people
laugh and fall out of their seats is the best high
in the world. If you remember, you were the
person who got me back onstage doing sketch
comedy. It was for the Comedy Awards. You
wrote a great scene and we didn't have to
improvise. I hated improvising at Second City. It
almost did me in. It turned me off comedy for a
while. As far as film goes, Goin’ Down e Road.
A great movie and it started my whole career.
We just shot the sequel, Down the Road
Again. at was very hard emotionally though,
because of Cayle Chernin passing away. She
kept her illness a secret so she could shoot
the film. She was so brave.
FALL • 2011
5
“She’s got that old-vaudevillehittin’-the-boards-studio-contract
kind of work ethic.” — Deb McGrath
• Who would you like to work with?
Rick Mercer - genius, and such a lovely
man. Mary Walsh - she really makes me laugh
and I think we could get into a lot of trouble
together. Woody Allen - I actually quote him a
lot. Mike Leigh - I love his movies and that
makes me think of Brenda Blethyn, who I
adore. is could go on forever. ere are thousands of people who I would like to work with.
Unfortunately I can't remember their names.
you have read that you would
•KILLBooks
to do?
“I love this damn
country.”
Do you remember that book e Book of Eve by
Constance Beresford-Howe? It's about a middle class older woman who feels stifled by the
constraints of society. All her children have
moved out and are living so-called successful
lives. Her husband doesn't like her very much,
so she moves out and lives on the street. I think
she shacks up with some crazy Hungarian guy.
I don't want to actually do that. I like my living
room too much. But it would be a very cool part
to play. Also I wouldn't have to worry about
how I look.
• Acting tips for young actors?
Do everything. You learn on the job as well as in
school. Just get up there in front of people and
perform. My heart goes out to all young actors
starting out. I know how frustrating it is. My
own son is starting out and it's hard. It's really
hard. He's working on a screenplay with a really
talented young writer right now. at's certainly
a way to go. Try to create your own work. at's
how Women Fully Clothed came about. We were
tired of waiting for the phone call.
•
You are a brave and bold actor.
How do you get there?
I don't know how brave and bold I am. I'm very
loud. I know that. I've always been an out front
brassy kind of dame. Whether there is any
substance there or not remains to be seen, but
I must say, it's never been hard for me to make
a fool of myself. I need to feel that I'm right for
the part though. It's pretty hard to be brave if
you've been miscast.
• Favourite ACTRA causes?
Photo: www.mckennaphoto.com
Earrings, Jayne's own
Necklace, Nadri @ The Bay
6
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
e major cause that I have jumped on board
with is Canadian programing. ACTRA has
been kind enough to let me tag along when all
our representatives lobby at Queen’s Park and
Ottawa. ese people are working so hard to
improve our industry for all of us. You and
Colin (Mochrie) have been tireless as well.
Back in the ‘70s, the decade I probably peaked
in, things were looking very promising for the
industry in this country. e CBC had a new
Movie of the Week on every week! They
e m ployed new screenwriters, directors
and actors all the time. e place was jumpin’
and it wasn't that new building down on Front
Street, which now only houses the ghosts of
Canadian actors, makeup artists, wig makers,
costumers and amazing crews. Sorry, I'm
ranting. We need more air time on our FRIGGIN
airwaves, and some kind of fair distribution for our
films. We are being sold out, and it's really scary.
Kathleen Roberts, Jayne and Cayle Chernin in Down the Road Again (photo courtesy of Triptych Media)
• How has acting helped your real life?
I get invited to a lot of parties, and people
excuse me for a lot of things because I'm just a
ditzy actress.
• How has real life helped your acting?
I draw on everything, as most actors do. You
have to be an observer of the human condition,
including your own foibles. I think you have to
be very honest about who you are.
•
If you could work in a film with a Canadian
dream team who would they be? And why?
at's a really hard question to answer because
just about everyone I work with in this country,
I'm a fan of and I want to do movies with all of
them. I can always see how great someone
would be in a role that I would create for them.
Mind you, I can't write so that could be a
problem. I do have to say, I would love to do a
movie with all the ladies of Women Fully
Clothed. at really would be a dream and we
have some really funny ideas for a film.
The original Women Fully Clothed in Ottawa: Kathryn Greenwood, Jayne, Deb McGrath,
Teresa Pavlinek and Robin Duke
• If you were a cocktail, which one would you be?
Oh you know me too well. Ok then. A CC
(Canadian Club) and water. at's an old
Waspy drink that my father, one of the great old
Toronto Waspy gentlemen of all time introduced
me to. It brings back good memories of nights
on the verandah in Muskoka. Also, it's a plain
drink with a lot of punch. at's sort of what I'm
like, right? No fruity frills or little umbrellas. I ain’t
no Singapore Sling.
•
If you could live and make a living
anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Right here. I love this damn country.
❒
Jayne Eastwood in a promotional still for the film Going Down the Road.
FALL • 2011
7
Welcome to Kandahar
8
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
Chris Owens goes to war
A few weeks ago, I peddled my bike from
the Annex to Kandahar. At least that's what
it felt like when I stepped into the Cinespace
Film Studios in Etobicoke and onto the set
of Combat Hospital. I'd ridden over for a
wardrobe call, having the good fortune to be
a guest on the show, and aer being escorted
through a maze of corridors, I found myself
standing under what appeared to be the
blazing sun of Afghanistan. You can literally
place yourself in the middle of the outdoor
compound, turn 360 degrees, and not catch
a glimpse of the outside world. From the
sand beneath your feet to the colourful flagadorned 'Welcome to Kandahar Airfield'
sign, everything feels authentic.
FALL • 2011
9
Combat Hospital revolves around a multinational medical unit based in Kandahar, circa
2006. It's a Role 3 unit, which means the team of
doctors and nurses deliver the highest level of
care available in the region. A co-production
between Canada's Sienna Films for Global and
the U.K.'s Artists Studio and Lookout Point, the
show has just put the finishing touches on its
first 13-episode season. Stateside, Combat
Hospital has been picked up by ABC. Here at
home more than 1.5 million Canadians are
tuning in regularly, making it one of the topfive scripted series of the summer.
The first-rate ensemble cast is made up of
Montreal-born Elias Koteas, Michelle Borth,
Luke Mably, Deborah Kara Unger, Terry
Chen, Arnold Pinnock and Gord Rand.
Supporting them are a number of players each
doing their part to save lives and keep their
astonishing patient survival rate intact.
Canada has sent more troops and spent more
money in Afghanistan than anywhere else in
the world. According to security analyst David Perry, a
former deputy director of
Dalhousie University's
Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, the
Afghan War is
going to end up
costing our
Defence Department
more than
Trauma surgeon, Captain Bobby Trang (Terry Chen) serves in the trauma bay
$22 billion dollars — that includes actual
money spent on the mission and future
payments to rebuild equipment and provide
long-term care for the veterans. At present, we
have just over 2,500 Canadian troops still
deployed in the region.
Afghanistan is still very much in the news and
our long term presence there is subject to
debate. As a show, Combat Hospital doesn't follow
a particular political agenda. It doesn't take
sides. What the show does do is follow the lead
of the real hospital it fictionally depicts:
treating all patients in need, be they allied
soldiers, Taliban fighters or civilian casualties.
is isn’t a 'good guys vs. bad guys' set-up;
rather, it makes us aware of the very human cost
on all sides of any deadly conflict.
When I enter the enormous soundstage to
begin work I note how quiet it is. One section is
occupied by a battalion of uniformed background performers waiting to be called
into duty, their faces illuminated by
iPad screens and laptops.
Today I'm working with the incomparable Peter MacNeill,
playing Sgt. Major to his
General. Aer grabbing a
coffee at the cra table, we're
led by an affable A.D. who
negotiates the labyrinth of
hallways with ease until
we find ourselves at
the entrance to the
trauma bay.
Cana-
dian treasure Helen Shaver is directi ng . S h e
gives us each a kiss and a huge smile. On
set she is like a sexy den mother and
everyone adores her.
Genie winner Elias Koteas plays Colonel
Xavier Marks, the military surgeon in charge of
the unit. Elias is a quiet talker with a solid presence.
His humour is infectious and he has an endearing
habit of speaking his thoughts aloud, putting
everyone at ease. (“Uh-oh, it's my close-up, the
pressure's on, what am I going to do?”)
ere is a brief discussion about how the
Colonel should greet the American General.
Do they salute? Do they shake hands? A familiar refrain is heard, “Ask Chris Kaye,” the medical
and military expert relied upon to give advice
on everything from how to hold a surgical
instrument, to how to pronounce a word, to,
“Do we salute or shake hands?” Chris spent
over 30 years in the Canadian military and did
three tours of duty in Afghanistan at the multinational Role 3 hospital in Kandahar. When he
retired from active duty, the producers
contacted him to be part of Combat Hospital.
He'd never been involved in television before
and even he was impressed with how closely the
sets resembled the real thing. Every actor I
spoke with sang his praises and expressed
gratitude for his assistance.
It gets hot standing on set under the lights in
our uniforms. While the crew are setting up,
Arnold Pinnock, who plays Will Royal, Chief
of Nursing, offers us a bottle of water. Very
much like his counterpart on the show, he is
looking out for others. “We want everyone to
feel welcome and supported,” he says.
... continued on page 12
10
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
The main cast of this co-production features Canadians Elias Koteas (far left),
Arnold Pinnock (third from left), Deborah Kara Unger (fourth from left)
and Terry Chen (seated). They are joined by British actor Luke Mably (far right)
and American actor Michelle Borth (kneeling). (All photos courtesy of Global)
FALL • 2011
11
“If you give your energy to the scene, even it if doesn’t get caught on
camera, it can only help your fellow actors give the best performance
that they can. At the end of the day, as actors, what we do is breathe
and listen. What’s great about this entire cast is that everybody gives
100 percent whether they’re on camera or not, so the scenes stay
alive and bubble with energy.” — Lisa Berry
“It's a great cast. ere's no ego on set, unless
it's ego for the show.” Pinnock began his career
doing sketch comedy at Toronto's Second City
Mainstage. e adrenalin rush he felt doing improv is similar to what he feels during the intense scenes of Combat Hospital. “On set there's
a little gym area,” he says. “Sometimes, before a
scene, I like to skip rope to get up to speed. It's
like getting ready to run a race or preparing for
a match.” When you watch his work in the
trauma bay, he is alert and attentive, the calm
in the storm.
If you're anywhere near Colonel Marks, chances
are his right-hand man, Regimental Sergeant
Major, Graham Kelly, is not far away. Kelly is
played by the multi-talented, Gord Rand.
When he's not on set, Rand can oen be found
in his trailer editing a feature documentary he
directed about Festival Arts Azimut, a 15-day
festival in Rwanda commemorating the 15th
anniversary of the end of the genocide.
“A very affecting experience,” he says, “we were
all changed by it.” e Dora Award winner (for
his portrayal of 'Uri', a naked Ukrainian plutonium
dealer in e Innocent Eye Test by Michael
Healey) finds Combat Hospital's take on
Afghanistan refreshing because it raises questions rather than providing answers. “is is a
human drama in a kind of inhuman situation,”
he says. “e show doesn't take a particular pol it ic a l st anc e. It s ays: here are s ome
dif f ic ult situations. And if it's generating debate at a time when nobody really wants to
debate the issue — I think that's a good thing.”
Between takes, I chat briefly with British actor
Luke Mably who plays the maverick neurosurgeon, Dr. Simon Hill. As a civilian in a
military world, Hill rides a fine line between
fulfilling his duties and insubordination. It is
a line that Mably plays with aplomb. When
he's not on set, Mably enjoys exploring the
vast Canadian outdoors. “It's absolutely brilliant,”
he says. What about the challenge of learning
all that technical dialogue for the operating
room? “It's difficult. Sometimes to commit
words to memory I use phonetic rhymes or
paint pictures in my mind to connect the
dots.” He adds good-naturedly that Terry
Chen, who plays trauma surgeon Captain
Bobby Trang, seems to have a real knack for
it. “You should hear him spout this stuff, it's
quite amazing,” he says modestly.
In the operating room, split-second decisions
must be made and procedures followed without
a moment of hesitation. Watching the actors
duplicate the real thing is impressive. The
d i a logue is fast, handling props becomes
second-nature. Over lunch, I talk with Lisa
Berry who plays Captain Pam Everwood, a
trauma bay nurse, about what it's like to be in
the thick of things. “In the operating room
you're always playing life and death stakes and
just to be in a position where you have to have
that energy, that focus, helps keep you
grounded. If you give your energy to the scene,
even if it doesn't get caught on camera, it can
only help your fellow actors give the best
performance that they can. At the end of the
day, as actors, what we do is breathe and listen.
What's great about this entire cast is that
everybody gives 100 percent whether they're
on camera or not, so the scenes stay alive and
bubble with energy.”
As I peddle back to the Annex, I feel like I've spent
time in another part of the world - a part I'm glad
I could visit in the safe fictional universe
of television. Welcome to Kandahar. ❒
A few facts about the actual hospital the show is based on:
•
•
•
•
•
12
NATO assumed control of the U.S. Army Combat Support Hospital at Kandahar Airfield in southern
Afghanistan in February 2006
Canada served as the lead nation, supplying the unit's commander and the largest number of its staff
the base included personnel from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Denmark, Holland and New Zealand
the hospital served 35,000 military personnel and acted as a last resort for a civilian population of 800,000
patients treated at the unit had a better than 97% chance of survival
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
Arnold Pinnock
as Will Royal,
Chief of Nursing
Deborah Kara Unger
as Major Pedersen
Gord Rand
as Regimental Sergeant
Major, Graham Kelly
Elias Koteas as Colonel Xavier Marks
FALL • 2011
13
For most people, the
concept of going weeks,
months or longer without
work is foreign and
frightening. For actors,
it’s a fact of life that requires
incredible strength of spirit,
resolute faith in your talent
and, sometimes, the dexterity of a circus acrobat
to keep it all together.
14
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
!
the precarious lives of
working actors
I remember the time I first said it
out loud. “Purpose of your trip,
Ms. Ivany?” the Customs and
Immigration officer asked. “Work.
I’m an actor.” I felt dizzy with pride,
special. I really was an actor.
We all know that a long trail of training, agenthunting, auditions, postcard writing, photo sessions, good performances and bad, intensely
rehearsed and under-rehearsed, preceded that
moment of validation. And that’s just the beginning of the journey of sacrifice and survival
in the never-ending balancing act of the life of
a working actor.
When folks with real jobs inevitably ask, “How
do you do it!? How do you live your life with
that kind of (financial) insecurity?” I’m just as
baffled. When it comes to getting the bills paid,
I oen feel I am flying by the seat of my pants.
For most people, the concept of going weeks,
months or longer without work is foreign and
frightening. For actors, it’s a fact of life that
requires incredible strength of spirit, resolute
faith in your talent and, sometimes, the dexterity
of a circus acrobat to keep it all together.
by Karen Ivany
Shauna Macdonald, who worked at a
Macedonian restaurant years ago, was given
sage advice from the “Mom” who worked
alongside her: it’s not how much you earn, it’s
how much you SAVE! “She would yell this at
me in her very thick Macedonian accent. I
found it so funny at the time, but it really is
valuable. When you make some money, don’t
blow it…Put it away and you will have it when
you hit a slow period, which will happen.” e
restaurant was one of many unpredictable locales
in Shauna’s own travelling circus, juggling bills
in a creative field that suffers chronic underemployment. Originally intending to be a
journa list working in the USSR aer studying
Russian at McGill, she got waylaid teaching in
Latvia, and had her aspirations turned upside
down on the set of Paul Haggis’ first feature,
Red Hot. Her language skills led to a variety of
jobs on the production. Aer being asked to be
Carla Gugino’s body double for a stunt, and
soaking up a lot of time on set with the Russian
actors, there was no turning back for her. Along
the way, the actress with a long list of gigs on
her résumé and a few series under her belt
maintains a positive attitude. “It’s great when
you have a steady gig, and I’ve been fortunate
to have a few… (but) when a series ends, or
more frequently gets cancelled, or your character
gets killed, be happy for the experience and look
forward to the next one.”
Ted Atherton has also experienced “the
strange, cognitive dissonance” of being an exseries lead/regular. He claims the only difference
aer being on a series is that you have access to
auditions you never had before. “But you still
have to audition. If I had done the work that I’ve
done here in the States, I’d never have to work
again. I’d be rich. Although people on the street
recognize you, (we) can’t seem to be able to
monetize that. You’re in the awkward position
of being famous without being rich. I’m not
complaining…It beats hanging drywall.”
What is a given in most professions, is oen an
elusive goal for actors: to be able to make a
living entirely from your career choice. Ted,
whose robust television career didn’t start until
aer twelve years of stage work, claims, “My
goal was always to be able to make my living
entirely from acting. It was always important to
me to be able to say that I was a working actor
when people asked me what I did.” Aer landing
his first professional stage role at Spotlight
Theatre, he supplemented his income with
catering jobs. Aer nearly five years of steady
stage work, Ted was able to support himself
solely on his acting income. “I didn’t have a car
and I couldn’t afford to live in housing that wasn’t
shared. I had to travel all over Canada to cobble
together a basic living doing theatre. But I could
feed and shelter myself and I felt I had a pretty
good life. My main luxury was being able to
FALL • 2011
15
Karen Ivany
backstage
at the 9th Annual
ACTRA Awards
in Toronto
Photo: Tricia Clarke
“If I had done the work
that I’ve done here, in
the States, I’d never
have to work again.
I’d be rich.”
— Ted Atherton
spend my days doing what I enjoyed…I couldn’t support a family back then, or own a house,
but I felt those were reasonable trade-offs for a
life in the theatre.”
Years later, Ted maintains his acting career with
a slight change in lifestyle: he is now the principal
breadwinner in a household that now includes
a wife, (a part-time teacher), and two children.
is change didn’t occur without a few bumps
in that long trail. “In 1997 I had a very good
year, doing seven plays in regional theatre across
Canada, making $22,000 dollars. September
came around, and I didn’t have a play. Suddenly,
I found myself fed up with not having work
after giving twelve years to the business. I
wondered if I would be happy doing something
else, so I applied to do a teaching degree at U. of
T. I got in for the following September. In the
meantime, I was offered the smallest role of my
career - the waiter in a production of Death of a
Salesman. I almost didn’t take it…But, I needed
the job…We were performing at the Royal Alex
and David Barlow, creator of Nothing Too Good
For A Cowboy, saw me in my tiny part and
thought I might be right to play one of the leads.
I auditioned (one of my only real television
auditions), got the part and we did a pilot
movie. David basically handed me a career in
television. e series got picked up as I graduated.
So, I never did teach… (but) it’s something I
might be able to do and be happy.”
Ted knows he’s fortunate. e choice to form a
family is difficult for performers, especially
actor-couples. e complicated scheduling all
families know is more arduous for actors, who
on a daily basis must plan around events,
appointments, day-care drop-off or soccer
practice pick-up based on who is free from a
shoot, rehearsal, audition, callback, ADR session,
script reading or part-time job obligation.
Pregnancy itself oen puts a female actor’s career on a prolonged, non-voluntary hiatus.
The visible signs during and post-pregnancy
may deter casting directors from auditioning
a pregnant or nursing actress.
16
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
Finding that “day-gig” that can make you (almost) as happy as when you’re performing is
rare, but if you’re an actor with a variety of
interests, you’ll be expanding more than your
bank account. Stephanie Belding holds a
degree in Professional eatre from John Abbott
College, is a National eatre School graduate,
seasoned Shaw actress and a certified trainer.
She sees industry downtime as an opportunity to
“recharge, reflect and stay focused, because when
work comes, it can be immediate and all-consuming.” Having endured multiple surgeries as well as
long periods without work, she admits it can be
“terrifying, frustrating and really stressful…So I do
a thousand different jobs if need be, and volunteer
on a farm sanctuary as oen as I can. I bake and I
cook and get involved in my other passions, knowing it all makes me balanced and feeds my sense of
self and cra.”
Stephanie notes that in today’s economy, the
regular workforce is equally under siege and
that job security is a fading familiarity. To those
who may question her choice to be “in an
industry where women age up and out, and in
a country where we have no star system,” she’s
frank. “It’s who I am, it’s what I do, and I keep
trying to stay current, socially integrated with
new media and genuinely re-affirm my absolute
love and passion for the work and our community.”
responds, “When are you going to stop trading
your most precious currency, the time of your
life, for pathetic middle-class toys? How can
you work at a job you can’t stand and live only
for the weekend?” MacDonald muses, “When a
great part comes along, most actors will say
they would have played it for free. Of course,
they say that AFTER they are paid!” Fact is,
Canada’s cultural industries contribute $85 billion
dollars to our economy, totaling 7.4% percent
of real GDP. Working actors are front and centre, filling every frame, in these productions.
So why is it that we choose to stay here, in
Canada, teetering on the high-wire, looking
down, down, down on our last gig’s residuals as
our only safety net? “You don’t go into this
business to make money. You go into it because
you find yourself unable to do anything else
and be happy,” answers Atherton.
Belding reflects, “Unless I had the financial
wherewithal to allow me to set up shop down
south and hustle for a while, securing work and
getting settled, I don’t see myself heading to
LA/NYC anytime soon. If I had the papers? In
a minute, at least to test the waters.”
“I like it here.” says Macdonald. “There is
immense talent and variety. I have an amazing
infrastructure of support and I am a working
actor. ere’s always a project keeping me from
poverty and insanity…And here’s a thought; if
everyone le, what would happen to our industry?”
Veteran actor, Shawn Lawrence, with forty
years in the business, over fiy stage shows and
120 film and television roles, admits there have
been “some long droughts and tough times”
but, ultimately keeps looking forward. “e
most important and necessary thing for me has
always been to stay positive, and active with
classes and workshops.” Between gigs, Shawn
coaches young actors, teaching audition
preparation. “I always try to instill in them the
importance of staying positive and active, and
remind them to always, always believe in
(themselves)…follow that dream. It can always
be one phone call away.”
Lawrence adds, “For me, staying in Canada is a
choice. I spent my first twelve years in the
business doing theatre coast to coast and some
in the States. I tried LA for three weeks once
and despised everything about it. I only ever
wanted to be a working actor, and this amazing
country has given me that for forty years…I
love my home, my friends, my activities. I
believe we live in the greatest country and city,
and any type of future I’ve ever wanted to
pursue is right here.”
e greatest misconception actors face is that
our work is easy, that we’re just playing around.
Some have the gall to ask us, “When are you
going to get a real job?” Atherton hypothetically
Without doubt, the life of a working actor has
its rewards, but piecing together a living as
an actor remains a tricky high wire balancing
act indeed. ❒
Ted Atherton
“When a
great part
comes along,
most actors
will say they
would have
played it for
free. Of course,
they say that
AFTER they
are paid!”
Stephanie Belding
Photo: Jag Gundu
—Shauna Macdonald
Shauna Macdonald
the life of a working actor has its rewards,
but piecing together a living as an actor remains a
tricky high wire balancing act indeed.
FALL • 2011
17
That’s when BCE owns CTV
who develops and commissions
and broadcasts Canadian shows
like Flashpoint and they also own
Bell Mobility, the cell phone they
now want you to watch it on too.
18
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
Vertical
Integration
Why you should care
by Art Hindle
Performers are a pretty smart
bunch, I find. But a term like
“Vertical Integration”; just what
the heck is that anyway?
Most times us performers, we’re doing all we
can just to get the next job, provide for our
families, find a good workshop, get involved
with a theatre group, read scripts (when we can
get our hands on them!)… Maybe we don’t
spend time reading the trade papers, like
Playback online, or checking ACTRA’s websites.
We have a vague notion that ACTRA is talking
to the CRTC about this but what do they want
exactly? I mean, I hate to be self-interested, but
does it affect my ability to make a living?
Oh, yes!! is business we work in happens to
be a regulated one. And if the business is not in
good shape, our opportunities for paid employment plummet.
I think of it this way: if an actor was vertically
integrated, they’d be one of those beyond triple
threats - they sing, dance, act, play an instrument
and self-produce. You know, the ones we love
to hate.
In the media business world, vertical integration
is when a company is involved in multiple steps
along the production - distribution chain. As a
for instance, that’s when BCE owns CTV who
develops and commissions and broadcasts
Canadian shows like Flashpoint and they also
own Bell Mobility, the cell phone they now want
you to watch it on too.
should help conventional broadcasters deal
with audience fragmentation as well as exploit
digital distribution and get content on more
screens on multiple platforms. (I’d like to think
they’re talking about Canadian content.)
Several of these new vertically integrated
companies now control both the content and
numerous platforms to distribute it, such as
over-the-air, broadband, cable, wireless, satellite and fibre optic.
An upside to all this media consolidation for
us performers is that (thanks, in part, to interventions by ACTRA) when a group of
broadcasters merges, the CRTC makes them
commit serious coin to “public benefits packages.” These benefit packages are spent on
developing new Canadian content television
shows which you and I audition for (and
hopefully get!). Together BCE and Shaw will
have to invest more than $180 million dollars
in new Canadian drama. And that, my
friends, means work for you and me.
ese conglomerates have shaken up Canada’s
media landscape. ere are now four to five
large vertically integrated media companies in
Canada: BCE, Shaw, Rogers and Quebecor.
Corus is like a kind of in-law to Shaw (there are
two Shaws on the Board) but it was treated as a
separate group by the CRTC. See a partial list
of their stable of channels in the sidebar. But
even the history is confusing. Seems to me, Bell
owned CTV and then they didn't and now they
do again. e CRTC makes helpful diagrams,
like the one overleaf, available online for the
public to peruse but I don’t find that really
clarifies matters, do you? (What I do get from
it, though, is that there are an awful lot of subcorporations being formed. Call me paranoid,
but that looks...)
According to the so-called “Big Four”, vertical
integration has benefits. e theory is that it
In 2010, the CRTC wrote a new television policy
to lay out the Cancon requirements for these
new merged groups of broadcasters. at policy
required the group as a whole to commit a
percentage of their overall revenues to producing
new Canadian content. This percentage is
called ‘Canadian Programming Expenditures’
(CPE).
CPEs translate into over half the work that flows
through the Independent Production department at ACTRA Toronto. e Ontario Media
Development Corporation publishes annual
FALL • 2011
19
statistics of the kind of programming produced in Ontario and, leaving aside Industrials
and Commercials, Canadian content surpasses
foreign work by a long shot. Would there be
work for us if there was no obligation for
broadcasters to spend money on Canadian content? I don’t wanna find out.
But producing Canadian scripted drama and
comedy is only one part of the equation.
Providing these programs to Canadians when
and where they are watching is the other part.
Broadcaster groups have the flexibility to air the
programming where they want in their stable
of channels. Meaning, they can dump it on their
specialty channels. We see this happening already when we look at the broadcasters’ 2011
fall schedules – while Shaw is commissioning
some great Canadian shows, its conventional
network, Global, has no Canadian drama in
prime time on its fall schedule.
is is not a good thing. An episode of Cancon
on Global can attract over a million viewers; on
a specialty channel, like Showcase, it’s straining
for more than a couple of hundred thousand.
C onve nt i on a l ove r- t h e - ai r T V i s s t i l l
where programming finds its biggest audience
and I don’t know about you, but I want as many
people to see us as possible. So ACTRA asked
the CRTC to require conventional broadcasters
to air two hours of Canadian scripted drama in
real prime time, Sunday-Friday 8-11 pm.
On July 27, 2011, the CRTC reached a decision
on the CPE requirements for four vertically integrated groups. Shaw, Corus and BCE have a
CPE requirement of 30% of revenues and
Rogers has a 23% requirement. ese requirements
will be in place until 2016 for Shaw, Corus and
BCE and until 2014 for Rogers. e CRTC estimates this decision will spark billions in domestic
programming investment. at is a good thing.
But they did not support the requirement for conventional broadcasters to schedule Canadian
drama and comedy in primetime.
ACTRA’s reaction to the ruling was mixed. “It’s
not enough to just fund Canadian programming,” said Ferne Downey, our National
President. “You also have to put it where the
most eyeballs are, and that’s on the conventional
television networks. We agree that broadcasters
need flexibility, but ghettoizing Canadian
drama on specialty stations would not be the
answer. In a world where Canadian content
creation will rise and fall in proportion to
20
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
broadcasters’ revenues, we're definitely all in
this together."
“We hope that conventional broadcasters are
smart enough to know that in a world where
audiences can watch anything at any time, the
only way to survive is to make themselves
distinct. And the only thing which does that is
Canadian programming,” added Stephen
Waddell, ACTRA National Executive Director.
This story, my friends, is not a closedended procedural; like a long-running serial, you
have to stay tuned. But there’s one thing you can
be certain of: when you hear that ACTRA is at
t he CRTC with stars like Wendy Crewson
and Eric Peterson, it’s our paycheque they’re
fighting for. ❒
Vertical Integration
Definition
(Investopedia)
“(w)hen a company expands its business into
areas that are at different points of the same
production path.”
Who(a very
Owns
What
partial list)
BCE
Shaw
Rogers
CTV
A Channel
Global
CityTV
Omni
BNN
CP24
Comedy Network
Space
E!
MuchMusic
MTV Canada
Fashion TV
Bravo!
Discovery
TSN
Bell Mobility
History
Diva
Reality TV
BBC Canada
TVtropolis
Showcase
Slice
IFCC
MovieTime
National
Geographic
Twist TV
Food Network
HGTV
National Post
Corus
YTV
Movie Central
Teletoon
Treehouse
W
HBO Canada
OLN
Biography
Rogers Wireless
Fido
Macleans
HELLO! Canada
Quebecor
TVA
Star système
SunTV News
Toronto Sun
Vidéotron mobile
Owns
“Art is a
collaboration.
The field, the
script, the set.
The credit union
is the epitome of
that. Having Creative Arts allows us,
as actors, to help each other through
cooperative banking.”
Tabby Johnson
Collaboration.
With you. For you.
Best known for her roles on Big Comfy Couch and
S.W.A.T., Swiss-born Tabby Johnson has been
acting in theatre and TV in the United States and
Canada since she was 12. She has also learned
some hard-knocks banking lessons. “I’m one of
those people–actors–who bankers always believe
should get a ‘real’ job.”
One of the credit union’s Founding Members,
Tabby has investment shares and chequing and
savings accounts at Creative Arts. “I’m planning
on opening a business account, and I’ve been
waiting to switch my mortgage there, too. I would
rather see the interest I pay generate help for other
members than just go into bank profits.”
Creative Arts Savings & Credit Union
Main Floor, 625 Church Street
Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1
416.642.6749
877.643.3660
www.creativeartscu.com
Our Streng th Is in Numbers
FALL • 2011
21
The Height of Professionalism
e ACTRA Toronto Stunt Coordinator Registry
e stunt ‘registry’, ‘list’, the ‘digest’, no matter what you call it: it's a good thing! is past winter,
the stunt committee took on the challenge, once again, of addressing the need for a recommended
standard for ACTRA Toronto Stunt Coordinators. As in the 1980's and again in the mid ‘90's it was
sure to be a challenge! e key to success was the unprecedented dialogue within the community
and the support of the ACTRA Toronto Executive, Council, staff, our gritty union 'Prez' Heather
Allin, the voices of veteran performers like Rick Forsayeth, Bob Hannah, Dwayne McLean and
the steadfast work of your stunt committee. e Stunt web page was launched, in part thanks to
Tania Cardwell and can be found through the ACTRA Toronto website under Members/
Committees. ere were also a number of open discussion forums for the community to voice
their opinions, even a page on Facebook! e Toronto Stunt Committee and staff continue to work
at rolling out the registry. We think of it as a work in progress and will pass the torch along to the
new committee this fall! e registry is only one of many important issues your stunt committee
has been working on including PRS and residuals, AFBS health benefits, and the feasibility of
a retirement plan, to name just a few! The stunt committee is an integral element for stunt
professionals to keep connected with current issues and a tool to help us work through an everchanging industry. I believe we have a talented youthful base of performers who, combined with the experienced veterans, make
ACTRA Toronto stunt performers some of the world’s best!
Congratulations everyone and thank you for sharing your ideas even
when it's tough to voice your opinion. I am a proud member of the
Toronto stunt community and look forward to having an opportunity
to work with each and every one of you! ❒
Respectfully,
Shelley C o o k
Stunt Coordinator
22
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
Ask
a Steward
Block Shooting
Q: I did a few days of Background work on
a series. I noticed that we were doing scenes
from different episodes, but when I asked
about being double vouchered they said they
had a special deal, so they didn't have to
double voucher us.
Clare Johnston is a Steward in the IPA department.
She also stewards the Audio Code.
A: ere is no “special deal.” Productions have
some options in the agreement regarding their
minimum ACTRA Background count. is
refers to the minimum number of full and apprentice ACTRA members which a production
must engage before engaging Background Performers on white vouchers.
Hair, Makeup
and Wardrobe
At the start of production, a series must declare
one of the following, which they are then
obliged to stick to for the duration of the series:
*20 ACTRA members per day. Performers will
be paid for each episode in which they are used.
Overtime is only paid on one daily fee per day.
*30 ACTRA members per day. Performers will
be paid one daily fee, regardless of the number
of episodes shot that day.
e Commercial agreement has a different rule:
if you shoot multiple spots on one day, you are
paid for each spot (but only one session fee attracts overtime). If it is a multiple day shoot,
you are paid for the number of days or the number of spots, whichever is greater.
As always, when in doubt, ask a Steward.
Upgrades
Q: What should I do if I think I ought to
be upgraded?
A: In many cases, the need for an upgrade is obvious to Production as well as to the Performer and
the upgrade is dealt with on the spot. For example,
if you are a Background Performer who is given
dialogue, or an Actor given an additional line making you a Principal, or if you were required to undertake a Risk Performance. However, there may
be times when Production disagrees with your
belief that you should be upgraded, or you feel
dissuaded from even asking.
Q: I had a call time of 8 a.m. and wrapped
at 7 p.m., with a 1 hour lunch. I thought that
was 10 hours of work, but they only paid me
1.75 hours of overtime. Why is that?
agree with the terms of that signed contract, it
makes it more difficult for us to go back to Production and claim the contrary. All you are doing
by disagreeing is leaving yourself the option to
review the matter with your agent or a Steward.
A: It sounds as though you spent time in Hair,
Makeup and Wardrobe. On an IPA production,
if you are required to change, or do hair and
make up, Production can allocate a maximum
of 15 minutes at your straight-time hourly rate,
which pushes the start of overtime. is would
mean your pay was calculated as follows:
08:00 – 08:15 Make-up
08:15 – 17:15 8 hour day
(including lunch break)
17:15 – 19:00 1.75 hours Overtime
Contact your agent or the Steward for that production as soon as possible, ideally in writing.
ere is a 30-day timeframe for us to bring the
matter to Production, from when you knew, or
should have known. e sooner we can act on
the matter, the fresher the incident will be in
everyone's minds.
Many productions mark Make-up/ Wardrobe on
Background Performers’ vouchers as a matter of
course, but you should note that article C407 (c)
of the IPA says, “Where the Performer is wearing
the Performer’s own personal wardrobe and has
not been required to change, there shall be no
time deducted for wardrobe.” ❒
If the matter is not going to be resolved in the
moment, document the details. Note the scene
number, how many takes you did and what it is
that you were required to do (and by whom)
that you think would warrant the upgrade.
If you are working on a Background voucher, it
is important to check “Disagree.” We oen hear
from performers that they don't like to do this,
for fear of being labelled “difficult,” but the
voucher is a contract and if you indicate that you
FALL • 2011
23
7 top myths
about working non-union
by Janesse Leung
24
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
1.
No one
will find out.
Your face, voice and skills stand out, which is
why you get hired. It's a small world. Now that
most projects end up online, chances are that
fellow performers who DO resist temptation
and hold to the contracts we fought for are
going to find out you're not.
2.
I can't say "no"
to a friend.
e friend asking you to work for free has invested in equipment, training, writing and time
and may have hired other people because these
elements have value and are essential to the
project. So is the talent. Your work has value,
and so does your commitment to other performers. By working for free you are risking
your status with your union and the opportunities and protections you have earned.
3.
It will help my
career.
As a performer, you're investing in training,
skill development, and presentation and missing other opportunities so you can pursue your
cra. Unlike many others who want to perform,
you've made it far enough to join a union as a
professional. Will it help your career to set the
value of everything you have invested at zero?
Building a career means convincing people
your work has value. Why undermine your
message?
4.
7.
No one's making No one gets hurt.
any money from
this anyway, so
no harm done.
Performers are coming to their union because
work they did "for free," "on spec," "as a pilot,"
or "just for fun" are ending up being monetized
online, sold, and shown at festivals. Recorded
work takes on a life of its own and ends up in
surprising places. Part of the reason we don't
work without a contract is that our contract
protects the aspects of our work that live on
long aer we've le the set.
5.
No one really
cares if I do one
little non-union
project.
Performers in your union showed they care a lot
by giving up jobs to make sure producers factor
in decent rates for our work, safe working conditions and protection for child performers.
ACTRA is a member-run union that is actively
pursuing discipline on an ongoing basis to limit
the damage that working non-union does to our
profession. Members have lobbied, picketed, bargained and fought for the rights we share, and
continue to do so. ey definitely care.
6.
If no one sees
my face, it won't
matter.
You contribute value to a production with skill,
your time and your experience, as well as with
your face and voice. Background performers and
stunt professionals are integral to a quality production. By contributing to a production at less
than the agreed rates you are undermining the
contracts even if your face isn't recognizable.
See myths 1-6. If you accept work under lower
standards, you MAY damage your own career.
You MAY be held accountable to other performers through your union's discipline committee. You WILL be undermining the work
and sacrifices of regular, working performers
and people actively advocating for rights, respect and pay for the contributions of professional artists.
5 Ways to
Say NO to
working
Non-Union
S a y NO t o Bul l y in g... an d wo rk in g
No n-Union. Here are some ways to play it.
1. Be hard to get. (You're worth it): "I truly feel
that I could put my heart and soul into playing
the part of "Spaghetti Monster" just as you envision it, but I can't wave those tentacles without a union contract."
2. Be helpful. "Have you looked into the TIP
program? ey help productions access highquality union talent (like me) on a more limited
budget."
3. Be pure. "I made promises when I joined the
union. I would LOVE to be involved in your
project but working non-union is unethical -like stealing, extortion and indecent exposure."
4. Be fearful. "If my union catches me doing
your non-union project, they'll kick my ass
from here to Hollywood and I’ll never work in
any town again."
5. Be vulnerable. "I can't live with the shame of
working non-union. I'd need to move to another country and create a new identity to erase
the stain of my betrayal. ink of the children!"
“I didn’t work for less than minimum. I worked for free.
at doesn’t count, does it?” — Overheard
FALL • 2011
25
Mary Lou Fallis
MEMBER
Face to Face online
can get you work
ere are some performers, not mentioning any
names, who don’t keep their profile on Face to
Face up to date. is is a mistake. Sometimes
producers of small budget productions can’t afford
to hire a Casting Director and turn to Face to
Face online to find their cast. One story: Valerie
Buhagiar was directing a low budget short
called Small, Stupid and Insignificant, and
needed a very young girl who could look
Middle Eastern and sing very well. Fortunately,
Rosie Elia was on Face to Face and got the job.
Valerie was thrilled with her work, the film won
the Experimental Drama award at the 2011
Female Eye Film Festival, and Rosie got a nice
new credit on her résumé.
Rosie Elia
Crowdfunding
Filmmakers are turning to crowdfunding, an
online fundraising concept that combines
microfinancing with social media, to raise
funds for their films. YEAA member, Rebekah
Miskin, is promoting a short film, Washed in
the Blood, which is crowdfunding through
Kickstarter.com, an arts-specific site. e Seder
Movie, a film with seed funding from
Bravo!FACT, and a cast including eresa
Tova, Adam Rodness, Daveed Louza, Harvey
Atkin, and Devan Cohen, is also looking for
additional funding on the site. Glen Matthews,
another YEAA member, is raising funds for
Room Service on a similar site called Indie
GoGo. On the upper end, a film out of
Tennessee raised $346,000 but most of the
projects seem to be looking for finish funding
of a couple of thousand dollars.
Two more ACTRA
Toronto members
appointed to the
Order of Canada
ACTRA Toronto members Mary Lou Fallis
and Eugene Levy were appointed Members of
the Order of Canada. Ms. Fallis was recognized
for her contributions, as a performer and
broadcaster, in making classical music more
accessible to Canadians across the country. Mr.
Levy was recognized for his contributions as a
comic actor and writer, and for his dedication
to charitable causes. Congratulations to both!
Hi-Def Make-up
ere's a good chance you're auditioning for an
HD camera so we asked film and television
make-up master, Stephen Lynch, for his advice
on make-up products and application for these
unforgiving cameras.
Lynch likes Cargo Cosmetics and the Make Up
For Ever HD line. He cautions that you need to
be twice as careful and sparing in your application
for HD cameras. Take it easy with the concealer,
he says, and the powder. Avoid bright colours;
tone down the colour to a soer palette. Also
stay away from anything with a high shimmer.
Blend well and when you think you're done,
blend some more. He says his best tip is Clarins
Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer. He
says it acts like a camera filter, taking 5-7 years off
men and women, functioning as a moisturizer as
well as a line eraser. Use it over the entire face.
YEAA member, Rebekah Miskin always looks
great in a photo. She swears she only uses an allnatural hypo-allergenic concealer by Aveda.
Degrassi, which uses the RED
camera, asks Background
Performers to use MAC Blot
Powder. e MAC Pro
Membership program offers
discounts of 30% to performers
and on-air talent.
Audited Financial
Statements online
ACTRA Toronto’s latest audited
financial statements are online at
w w w. a c t r a t o r o n t o . c o m You’ll
find them in the Members section.
Rebekah Miskin
26
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
YEAA's Starred Up
On July 27, the Young Emerging Actors Assembly (YEAA), an ad-hoc committee of
ACTRA Toronto, officially launched its website (www.yeaa.ca) at Augusta House in
Kensington Market. Committee members' demo reels ran silently on screens around
the venue showcasing their work while e Avenues provided live entertainment
and DJ Rebekah Miskin mixed between sets.
Dedicated to connecting and empowering themselves and encouraging other
emerging film and television artists and creators to work ACTRA, YEAA was
founded by Bryn McAuley and Eli Goree. YEAA Works ACTRA!
Y E A A C ommitte e memb ers c elebr ate at Au gust a Hous e ( lef t to r i g ht ): Richard Young,
Shannon Kook-Chun, Megan Anderson, Bryn McAuley, Eli Goree, Helen Johns, Sam Coyle,
Shondra Kayd, and Andrea Del Campo. (Photo credit: Steve Blackburn, YYZEvents)
TIP at TIFF
by Tasso Lakas, TIP Coordinator
On average, at least six Toronto Indie Production industry. I’ve seen two versions of the pre- locked
(TIP) films make it into the Toronto Interna- film, the first very different from the second,
tional Film Festival each year. is year, I suspect we’ll and I’m excited about seeing the third. Mr. Viral
have that many, if not more, given the quality had a whopping 311 performer work days and
of the work produced in the last twelve months. shot in two locations, Montreal and Toronto, for
under $125,000. Mr. Viral is a filmic experience
TIP producers must be the most innovative in likened to LSD on steroids. A short film that I
the country; they take small ideas and turn am sure will make it into TIFF 2011 is Craig
them into big memorable filmic experiences on Goodwill’s Patch Town, a musical satirizing
super-low budgets. When you experience all the post-industrial Soviet Russia. When Craig came
human energy in these films, none of which are to TIP with his application, he was encouraged
funded with public money, it doesn’t take a to find more money to help him realize his
genius to see how TIP, which just turned nine creative objective. Fortunately, Judy Gladstone
years old this year, has revived freedom of at Bravo!FACT jumped on board and helped
expression in Canadian film. TIP films showcase the auteur realize his imaginative story. We’ll
raw dramatic content, uninfluenced by funding see if Hello October makes it into the festival, a
committees. With TIP films, you experience real small drama poignantly shot and never seen by
Canadian drama, from the dark to the hilarious.
the director, the late Doug Dales, whose almost
At press time, I am wondering which TIP films four decades of charitable contributions to the
will make it into the festival this year. Perhaps Toronto indie film community, through his
Moon Point, a Sean Cisterna and Christian company PS Services, can never be forgotten.
Potenza road picture about two fellows who set No doubt there are many more films being
out to go to their high school reunion on an submitted. When you do the math, TIP films
electric wheelchair. In this film, the journey is represent about 20 percent of all the Canadian
truly more interesting than the destination, as shorts shown at TIFF, which, given the number
the guys encounter a succession of crazies along of overall submissions, shows how influential
the way. And then there is Alex Boothby’s Mr. TIP films are in focusing Canadian audiences
Viral, a feature comedy sending up the advertising on indigenous Canadian film content.
The impact of the TIP world on Canadian
cinema grows each year as its many alumni
attract larger budgets upon which to build their
next motion picture. One such success story is
TIP poster boy Warren Sonoda. Sonoda has
directed two features in the past year, Textuality
and the soon to be released Servitude, bringing
his output to a total of nine or more features
since directing his first TIP production, Ham
and Cheese, eight years ago.
e Toronto indie film community has ACTRA
Toronto performers to thank for helping them
realize their dreams. ACTRA Toronto performers,
through their substantively reduced rates,
donate almost two million dollars in performance
fees each year to TIP films.
We’ll be listing this year’s TIFF TIPs on the
ACTRA Toronto website. Google the titles and
check out their visual style, cast lists and more on
their websites and Facebook pages. And plan on
experiencing these inventive Canadian films at
TIFF and supporting TIP films all year round.
FALL • 2011
27
Bonnie
Gillespie
Finally, this LA-based casting director
and author of Self-Management
for Actors, is coming to Toronto
with transformational seminars
based on her book!
90 Minute Q&A Session: Bring your questions, learn how to tier jump
and tackle the THREE BIGGEST career mistakes!
Three ways to experience Bonnie’s awesomeosity!
SHOWBIZ KIDS, 2-Hour PARENTS Seminar: Discuss the opportunities,
challenges, highs and lows of having a kid in showbiz. Learn how to set
and manage expectations to survive and thrive in the entertainment industry.
An immersive 2 Day Class: Build your actor muscles in ways you may
not have thought they could be strong. Explore ideas for moving out of
stuck places, discovering how to perform within alignment to your true
"type", targeting people in this industry that provide the best opportunities
for mutual benefit!
Work with Bonnie in Toronto this October!
For details visit: DramaDepartment.ca
28
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
WELCOME
NEW
MEMBERS!
Cyrus Aazam
Raven Adamson
Amar Agha
Nisha Ahuja
Sonya Anand
Robert Andrew
Sarah Armenia
Louay Attia
Peggy Baker
Rawny Baker
Jennifer Balen
Zoltan Barabas
Jason Lee Bell
Adam Benish
Yatharth Bhatt
Christopher John Blue
Ryan Bobkin
Luke Bontius
Vic Burconak
Jesse Michael Carere
Pilar Cazares
Francisco Chacin
Jed Churcher
Keith Cole
Susan Hilary Conn
Seth Cooperman
Joe Costa
Katelyn Costa
Deidre Cross
Jessica D'Ettore
Nolan Daws
Calum De Hartog
Julia Debowska
Craig Decarlo
Anna Maria Demara
Katherine Devlin
Adriana Disman
Emily Drake
Julie Dunning
Mark Edwards
Daniel Falk
Rachel Fischer
Stefano Fraschetti
Amy Gardner
Jen Georgopoulos
Glenda Gerrard
Marisa Giles
Justin Goodhand
Jonathan J Griffin
Deanna Gutierrez
Hunter Gutman
John Hastings
Spencer Howes
Emma S. Johnson
Zoe Sky Jordan
Rida Josephe
Ticoon Kim
Alexandra Lalonde
Richard Le Blanc
Naomi Levine
Rodolphe Louis
Yulia Lukin
Adamo Mangoni
Martin Mcnenly
Caylie Mcrae
Holly Merritt
Jake Michaels
Elika Motaharynia
Drew Murphy
Shiva Negar
Matthew Nethersole
Halle Nunes
Rachael Nyhuus
Jay Ould
Craig Pady
Tom Pashkov
Britney Pastuch
Joe Perez
Stephanie Pigott
Jen Radomsky
Sydney Rieckermann
Johanne M Robichaud
Michael Alexander Robinson
Jenna Rocca
Mark Roeder
Al Rogers
Lindsay Rolland-Mills
Ashley Ross
Sarah Russell
Christopher Ryan
Zoi Samonas
Mark Satterthwaite
Laura Screnci
Tanya Sitko
Goran Slavkovic
Andrew Smart
Owen Smith
Allyson June Smith
Emily Smith
Victor Starecky
Adam Douglas Stevenson
Katrina Stuart
Nathaniel Sutherland
Joanna Swan
Lucas Ten
Linda Truong
Chris Vance
Albert J Vella
Graham Walsh
Jesse Weafer
Joe Weir
Justin Welsh
Skyler Wexler
Mel White
Jonathan Widdifield
Corey Wood
John Bayliss • Naomi Engel • Mary Gyles • Michael Magee
Winnifred Pon • Gerald Pratley • Seana Smyth • Lamont Tilden
Kenneth Winters • Elwy Yost
Elwy Yost
I first met Elwy as the father of one of my high
school friends. Saturday Night at the Movies was
just starting, so to me he was less a media
darling than a Dad with an odd job. e house
of Lila, Elwy, Chris and Graham was standard
Etobicoke for the time: friendly and without any
hint of the near obsessive love that Elwy had for
the movies. at only became apparent when
we watched him on TV. His enthusiastic verbal
style was soon widely imitated through the halls
of our school, and into a wider group of friends.
A good Elwy imitation was as valuable as knowing all the lines in a Monty Python skit,
and Elwyisms crept into every conversation.
He called everyone in our group of friends
“son.” We thought it was mostly because he
never remembered our names, but there was
warmth and truth to it. We oen challenged his
broad taste in movies- all those westerns and
e ief of Baghdad (?) but there was no
doubting his deep understanding of the
language of film when he showed Citizen Kane
or e Maltese Falcon.
Elwy loved everything about movies. He
interviewed actors, directors, hairdressers, and
stunt people, and always managed to show how
each job was critical to the finished film. Aer
his trips to the U.S. to do interviews, he would
have hundreds of new anecdotes and tidbits of
movie facts, which he would recount with
humour and awe. At the heart of each story was
his love for the community of a film set and the
“magic shadows” those communities give the
rest of the world. His son Graham is now a very
successful writer/producer in California, and I
think was partly drawn there by Elwy’s stories and
belief in the value of well-made entertainment.
As an adolescent in Toronto in the seventies,
Friday night meant the Baby Blue Movies on
CityTV, and Saturday night was Saturday Night
at the Movies on TVO with Elwy - the yin and
yang of a city’s cultural awakening. anks
Elwy, for opening so many eyes and ears to the
joys of “the movies.”
— Alex Fallis
(TVO file photo)
FALL • 2011
29
with
Us
www.actratoronto.com
ACTRA
Toronto
Council
Who’s
Who
ACTRA
Toronto
Staff is
here
for YOU
PRESIDENT
Heather Allin hallin@actratoronto.com
PAST PRESIDENT
Karl Pruner kpruner@actratoronto.com
ACTRA NATIONAL PRESIDENT
Ferne Downey fdowney@actra.ca
VICE-PRESIDENT, FINANCE
Austin Schatz aschatz@council.actratoronto.com, ext. 6607
VICE-PRESIDENT, INTERNAL AFFAIRS
Theresa Tova ttova@actratoronto.com, ext. 6605
VICE-PRESIDENT, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Art Hindle ahindle@council.actratoronto.com
VICE-PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS
David Gale dgale@council.actratoronto.com
VICE-PRESIDENT, MEMBER SERVICES
David Sparrow dsparrow@council.actratoronto.com
EXECUTIVE MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Wendy Crewson wcrewson@council.actratoronto.com
ACTRA Toronto
General contact information
Tel: 416-928-2278 or toll free 1-877-913-2278
info@actratoronto.com
www.actratoronto.com
625 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 2G1
Eli Goree egoree@actratoronto.com
Richard Hardacre rhardacre@actra.ca
Karen Ivany kivany@council.actratoronto.com
Lisa Jai ljai@council.actratoronto.com
Taborah Johnson tjohnson@actratoronto.com
Don Lamoreux dlamoreux@council.actratoronto.com
Jani Lauzon jlauzon@actratoronto.com
Steve Lucescu slucescu@actratoronto.com
Lynn MacKenzie lmackenzie@council.actratoronto.com
David Macniven dmacniven@council.actratoronto.com
Colin Mochrie cmochrie@council.actratoronto.com
John Nelles jnelles@council.actratoronto.com
Jack Newman jnewman@council.actratoronto.com
Eric Peterson epeterson@council.actratoronto.com
Nicole St. Martin nstmartin@council.actratoronto.com
Spirit Synott ssynott@council.actratoronto.com
Caucus chairs, member advocates and ombudsperson:
Shereen Airth, Apprentice Chair
sairth@actratoronto.com, ext. 6621
Jim Usatis, Additional Background Performer Chair
jusatis@actratoronto.com
Taborah Johnson, Child and Youth Advocate
tjohnson@actratoronto.com
Jani Lauzon, Diversity Chair
jlauzon@actratoronto.com, ext. 6618
Eric Bryson, Stunt Committee Chair
ebryson@actratoronto.com
Shawn Lawrence, Ombudsman
slawrence@actratoronto.com, ext. 6604
Bryn McAuley, Young Emerging Actors Assembly
bmcauley@actratoronto.com
Commercial Agreement Interpretations
Judy Barefoot, Director, Tel: 416-642-6705
Kelly Davis, Steward, Tel: 416-642-6707
Cathy Wendt, Steward, Tel: 416-642-6714
Commercial Audition Callback Inquires
Claudette Allen Tel: 416-642-6713
Commercial Cheque Inquiries
Terri Black, Examiner, Tel: 416-642-6744
Lyn Franklin, Examiner, Tel: 416-642-6730
Brenda Smith, Examiner, Tel: 416-642-6729
Commercial Payment Inquiries
Tammy Boyer, Coordinator, Tel: 416-642-6739
Tereza Olivero, Coordinator, Tel: 416-642-6731
Communications and Organizing
Karl Pruner, Director, Tel: 416-644-1506
Karen Woolridge, Public Relations Officer,
Tel: 416-642-6710
Janesse Leung, Public Relations Officer,
Tel: 416-642-6747
Norm MacAskill, Organizer, Tel: 416-642-6711
Laura McKelvey, Organizer, Tel: 416-642-6728
Finance and Administration
Karen Ritson, Director, Tel: 416-642-6722
Independent Production Agreement (IPA), CBC TV
& Radio, CTV, City-TV, Global and TVO Agreements
Sue Milling, Director, Tel: 416-642-6719
Indra Escobar, Senior Advisor, Tel: 416-642-6702
Erin Phillips, Steward: IPA, CityTV, CTV, VISION, TIP,
Documentaries, Industrials, Reality TV, Tel: 416-642-6738
Barbara Larose, Steward: IPA, Canadian Film Centre,
Co-op, Student Films, UAP. Staff Liaison: Minors,
Background Performers, Tel: 416-642-6712
Noreen Murphy, Steward: IPA, Animation, Dubbing,
New Media. Staff Liaison: Voice Performers, Tel: 416-642-6708
Richard Todd, Steward: IPA, CBC, Global, NFB, TVO,
Staff Liaison, Health and Safety, Stunts, Tel: 416-642-6716
Clare Johnston, Steward: IPA, Audio Code. Staff Liaison:
YEAA, Puppeteers, Tel: 416-642-6746
Toronto Indie Production
Tasso Lakas, TIP Coordinator, Tel: 416-642-6733
Member Training Intensive & Gordon Pinsent Studio
Bookings
Stephanie Stevenson, Administrative Assistant,
Tel: 416-642-6735
Membership Department Dues & Permit Payments
Contact: Membership Department Tel: 416-928-2278
Karl Pruner, Director
30
PERFORMERS • ACTRA Toronto
pirate voice-ads 2010 REV.1:pirate voice performers
12/22/09
Commercial voice work is a wonderful way to make ends
meet between gigs. With professional workshops and
one-on-one training from professional voice actor, director
and instructor Tracey Hoyt, that’s just what you’ll do.
If you’re ready to make your first voice reel or refresh your
current one, Tracey can help you with that, too. To learn
more, visit piratevoice.com or call 416-594-4357 today.
piratevoice
“What makes a house grand
ain’t the roof or the doors
If there’s love in a house
it’s a palace for sure.”
~Tom Waits
Belynda Blyth
Sales Representative
Your Key to Success
Bus: 416-699-9292
Cell: 416-371-3717
bblyth@ rogers.com
www.belyndablyth.com
Actra member since 1985
RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd., Brokerage
2237 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4E 1G1
FALL • 2011
31
Fall Members’Conference
From Justin Bieber to
Rick Mercer, we work in an
industry where knowing your
brand could be the key to
your success.
Join Amy Price-Francis, the cast,
casting director and creators
of King and a galaxy of stars at
the Fall Members’ Conference
as we explore everything you
ever wanted to know about
branding and the state of
your union.
Saturday,
Sept. 24, 2011
Don’t miss it!
Amy Price-Francis in King
(photo courtesy of Showcase)
ACTRA Toronto Performers
625 Church Street, 2nd floor
Toronto,ON
M4Y 2G1
Printed in Canada
For more information, check out
www.actratoronto.com
C a n a d a Po s t C o r p o r a t i o n
Publication Mail Agreement No.
40 07 019 6