Long Term Effects of Being a Non-Union Actor - Essay Example

Long Term Effects of Being a Non-Union Actor The purpose of this paper is to show that non-union actors suffer with low self-esteem after working as an extra for a long period due to the significantly lower pay rate they receive as opposed to union actors who work as extras. This paper will give evidence of this through by citing several journal articles and newspaper articles that support this claim. Succinctly stated, the thesis of this paper is: When an actor is non-union long-term, self-esteem is often low because he or she rarely makes more than a union actor’s minimum wage. Furthermore, opportunities to audition are limited, and non-union workers do not receive the respect, or benefits provided to those who are in unions. Introduction “Ever since the first Hollywood director yelled, ‘Action!’ on the set of a motion picture, the anonymous corps of performers known as ‘extras’ formed an integral element of the film capital’s working society” (Cary 38). This powerful opening leads directly to the crux of this paper. Actors who work as walk-ons, diner patrons, soldiers, and the like are called extras. These are the actors that do not have a spoken part in the production; they are there to provide the full ambience of the scene. If the production is to convey a busy street scene, that scene requires a host of extras to make the scene believable therefore, the presence of each and every extra constitutes a completed realistic scene that the viewer finds credible. Yet, many extras are not paid in a manner consistent with their important function within the industry. In fact, if the extra happens to lack union status, that extra’s pay is decimated by as much as 50% of what a union member would be paid for the same work. Non-union extras should be paid for the work they perform as handsomely as union workers. There are two reasons why I postulate this idea: 1) non-union members who do not receive pay on par with their union counterparts fall into a situation of low self-esteem, and if continued over an extended period of time leads directly to 2) non-union members becoming disenchanted with the industry and performing at lower standards which is not good for the individual extra, nor for the industry as a whole. I will use the rest of this paper to prove my thesis which will rest upon three foundational points: 1. an extra’s pay level denotes their value to the production company 2. challenges in obtaining union membership and, 3. “ordinariness”, and the fear of it Pay Levels In 1995-1996, there were a series of articles that dealt with the issue of union versus non-union pay rates for extras. In one such article, it was stated that a union extra earned $99 a day, or $128 a day for a soap opera job, yet a non-union extra only earned between $30-70 a day for doing the same work (Horwitz 22). Not only do non-union extra receive lesser pay than union members, the non-union extras also receive lesser amenities, if given any at all. The Horwitz article states, “a SAG extra in The Associate recalls ‘300 extras in a basement with one bathroom’…[and another] ‘extra in Sylvester Stallone’s Daylight describes several hundred extras in a dimly lit, cold warehouse with winds gusting in off the Hudson. “There were two Portosans” (24). Not as glamorous as one would suppose. In a recent journal article, pay level and self-esteem were studied and it was found that ‘consistent with reinforcement and expectancy theories, most of this research concludes that when high performance results in high pay increases, performance is reinforced and more likely to be repeated in the future’ (Gardner, Van Dyne & Pierce 307). This study states what most people intuitively expect – you earn based on how well you perform. Yet, in the world of the extra, this almost truism does not exist. In their world, you earn based on union membership. This directly relates to my thesis because further into the Gardner et al. study it is stated, ‘pay level contributed to employees’ sense of self-worth as organizational members and…pay level was significantly related to future employee performance’ (318). Therefore, the structure of the pay level of extras is not conducive for performance excellence and positive self-image and self-esteem. Challenges in Obtaining Union Membership In the previous section, it was discussed that pay levels were not equivalent for union and non-union extras. This section will delve more into this subject. The reasons stated in several articles that non-union extras receive lesser pay is that union actors are more professional skills than non-union actors (Horwitz 24). Yet there are many actors – union and non-union alike – who work diligently to improve and hone their acting craft. For example, in the Horwitz article, sixty-one year old James E. O’Donnell, Jr., a practicing assistant district attorney, works as an extra because he enjoys the work. ‘By his own account [he has] doled out a lot of money for pricey headshots, was contacting more than 200 casting directors, production companies, soaps and films, and had enrolled in several commercial courses, including one that specialized in voiceover work and another that taught on-camera soap opera technique” (26). Mr. O’Donnell is extremely serious in his passion for being an extra; however, he has the financial wherewithal to pursue it wholeheartedly. Not many extras can afford to take this path. However, this saturation of education and aggressive job hunting has been rewarded for Mr. O’Donnell is very much in demand. The unions Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television & Radio Artists (AFTRA) do not recognize the efforts of actors such as Mr. O’Donnell. The only criterion these unions recognize is whether or not the applying applicant completed at least one (1) speaking part. That’s it. If an actor cannot land a speaking part, there’s not entry into the hallowed world of higher pay, benefits and improved amenities. There used to be a union for extras called the Screen Extras’ Guild, but it was reabsorbed back into SAG and all non-union wage earners’ salaries was cut by a third (Cary 46). Another way to earn SAG membership is ‘by having a look or a skill no SAG member has or filling in for no-show union members three times’ (Hanrahan 12). Then and still, the extra has to come up with a hefty “initiation fee” which is usually over $1,000 in order to complete the application for union membership. How this point relates to my thesis is blatantly obvious, after an actor works diligently for less pay, under extreme conditions (at times), they still may not be able to gain admission to the union not due to talent, or for lack of qualifying; at the end of the day, the extra may not obtain membership status because of not being able to raise the funds for the union initiation fee which circles around to the lower pay rates. If they received union pay rates, they would be able to more easily afford the initiation fee. This simple fact of life for many extras is extremely depressing and further diminishes their self-esteem. In their cases, experience shows them that hard work does not equate to improved status. In 2001, when there was a threat of a SAG/AFTRA strike, the Canadian actors’ union, ACTRA, stated it would ‘be behind its U.S. brethren’ and ‘if a strike is called, will instruct its members not to work in any production that relocates to Canada’ (Tillson 19). Union members even receive assistance in pressuring production companies from outside of the country. Yet, due to basic finances and restrictive policies by the unions, hard-working long-term actors are barred from membership. This definitely impacts upon a non-union actor over the course of years of failed applications to join a union. Ordinariness The last topic to be covered can arguably be called the most important in that most actors do not want to be considered “ordinary”. Ordinariness is something that is the bane of most people’s existence, yet the masses are just that – ordinary. A recent article from the Sydney Morning Herald begins with this statement: Ordinariness is in the eye of the beholder (“Take Me to Your Reader” 1). No one wants to be ordinary, yet ordinary must exist in order that we know what truly is extraordinary. In the case of the actors who does extra work, almost all of them want to be extraordinary; they want to obtain a speaking part so as to go on to be a star in a blockbuster, or to receive a coveted award for their outstanding performance. What actor wants to be ordinary? In a recent journal article that studied how to distinguish between a true hero and a celebrity, “ordinariness” was one of the 13 factors put forth to study participants. Interestingly enough, being “ordinary” for a hero was a positive thing. Being ordinary was ranked as the highest factor for a hero. For being a celebrity, ordinary was also high, but it was lower than for being a hero. This suggests that the study participants wanted to believe that celebrities and heroes while having fame and notoriety were still “regular people” on the inside. A common theme of many celebrity profiles. Yet, how many ordinary people do you know that jet off to exotic locales to shoot a new movie, or wear designer clothing that costs the average of one month’s salary for the average person? These are some of the daydreams of actors. Most actors want to make it big and become stars. The effect of working hard to snag extra jobs and not doing so, in the long-run robs these extras of their dream, of their fantasies and brings them face to face with something they care not deal with – their own ordinariness. Conclusion Based on the various journal and newspaper articles cited, there is a clear pattern that arises when one views the situation of the non-union actor who takes roles as an extra. Not only do these actors receive less pay, they receive poorer quality amenities than their union counterparts, non-union actors have a challenging time in gaining admission to the union due to stringent rules and expensive initiation fees which all combine to create an atmosphere of intense anxiety which leads inexorably to lower self-esteem over an extended period of time. A possible alternative solution to this rather bleak picture would be to utilize some of the findings from Garner et al.; to increase performance, production companies need to show appreciation for their extras by increasing pay when extras upgrades their skill set(s), by communicating what the minimum wage rate is for the United States and show that they are paying their valuable extras significantly more than this rate, and thirdly to show extras that they are valued via \direct and indirect, verbal and non-verbal’ communication that their contributions are valued by the production company (Gardner et al. 318). Just these three actions, proven to be effective by a research study can work to assist working extras in regaining positive self-esteem and becoming more productive. Wouldn’t it be a fascinating if current production houses tried this approach? Citations E-Links Extra! 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