Actors
Copyright © 2000 Robert C. Huber
"We're tightrope walkers. When you walk the wire in a movie, the wire is painted on the floor, but when you walk it on the stage, it's a hundred feet high without a net. . . . You've got to do it, because you're on the wire and there's no going back again like you can in the movies. That does a whole different thing to you psychologically. It's with you all the time--you know you've gotta walk that wire."
Al Pacino, actor
As discussed in the previous lecture, our impression of the lives of actors tends to be distorted by the intense media focus on the exceptional few. In this lecture I shall discuss the working lives of the more typical actor. I will include illustrative examples from the area of television commercials, because I believe that this is the professional area most accessible to students.
Education and Training
There is an important difference between education and training: education happens to people, training to dogs. But seriously, education (as discussed in the Introduction) is more broad and has to do with teaching you how to think and how to be a better, more fully rounded person. Whereas training is the acquisition of a narrow set of skills that enable you to do a specific job. In actor training we often use the term technique to describe the specific skills that actors need to know. Those who have learned these techniques well may be said to have mastered the craft of acting. These terms are also sometimes applied to actors in order to describe the level and quality of their work. For instance and actor who is said to be a "technician" is one who relies on a mastery of voice and body skills instead of psychological characterization. One who is said to be a "craftsman" has a thorough and balanced command of both classical technique and method-based emotional expression. An actor who is said to be an "artist" is a craftsman who is also brilliantly original. Actress Susan Sullivan (Greg's Mom on Dharma & Greg) has said that "The great joy [of acting] is to be an artist, and that requires intelligence, commitment, and depth." The skills that an actor needs can be acquired through direct experience, self-study, or by enrolling in a course of study at a college or university.
Direct Experience
Direct experience--on the job training--is the oldest method, having been the only way anyone could become an actor prior to the twentieth century. Yet even today there are some people who simply go out and get themselves cast, then slowly move up the ranks, learning as they go. This choice presupposes a fair amount of latent talent--something upon which to build. In the theatre the direct experience approach may begin at a local community theatre where mostly amateur actors are cast less for their skills than their willingness to work for free. For film one can often get cast with little training and experience in student films at a local university--if you're not a student there it can be an advantage because they won't have to work around your classes and you'll be a new face, always a plus. Usually your only compensation, the oft seen "meals and copy provided," will be a videotaped copy of the film which you can use to help get more work.
College and University
Leafing through the actor biographies in the back of a professional theatre program these days I am struck by the observation that within my lifetime there has been a tremendous change. Almost every actor today will indicate having learned their craft through formal study at a college or university--many earning bachelors or even masters degrees in the process. I believe that an actor who is educated as well as trained will be a better actor and have a better chance at sustaining a career. A good formal education invariably shows itself during the interview and rehearsal process. Such college training was clearly the exception a generation or two ago. I think there are several reasons for this. First, more people in general go to college today, including those who will become actors. Second, the training itself has become more professionally oriented and widely available. The knock against college training in the past was that it was too academic--theoretical rather than practical--and that the teachers were not in touch with the real world of the working actor. The best schools today have professional actors as adjunct faculty, and many have professional acting companies associated with them. There are thirty-three such schools represented by the University/Resident Theatre Association (www.urta.com), including Arizona Repertory Theatre with the University of Arizona, and Missouri Repertory Theatre with the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Members allow students, upon graduation, to work in a professional company for pay as a bridge between the academic and the "real" worlds. One of the clearest arguments for my contention that stage, film, and television should be studied as a unit is that there is no such thing as a film or television acting major. All actors get their basic training as stage actors in a theatre arts program, although they may take a few specific courses in acting for the camera. One goes to film school to learn about directing and cinematography--the things that differ from the stage--but not for acting.
Not all schools follow the liberal arts model. Some, called conservatories, devote a greater proportion of class time to performance training than to general education. Julliard in New York City is perhaps the most famous and prestigious of such schools. The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria California represents a more modest localized version. Some of the professional resident theatres around the nation have acting conservatories associated with them. American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco is an example. Conservatories are a good way to get solid professional stage training, especially if you are convinced that a regular college is not for you. They are geared toward preparing actors for work in the profession and nothing else. Costs vary widely and some even offer traditional academic degrees in conjunction with nearby educational institutions. Most have fairly rigorous auditions, meaning that they are quite selective and will weed out those who may have the money but not the potential. Some universities have attempted to bridge the gap between the broadly academic and the narrowly focused and intensive conservatory approach. One of these is the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University where they strive for a 50/50 balance between conservatory training and liberal arts. Another is UCLA's new Ray Bolger Musical Theatre Program which takes a similar approach.Self Study
There is a third choice for training as well, and that is self-study, usually a combination direct experience and private acting classes. In large cities where there is a strong theatre, film or television presence such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago one can find high quality professional acting workshops. These are private training classes which teach various specific acting techniques such as: basics, scene study, voice training, dialects, voice-over, cold reading, and improvisation. Sometimes they are available by audition only, but often anyone can attend who can pay the fee. Heather Graham (Boogie Nights, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) took this route. After high school she went right to Hollywood where she has studied with one teacher for eight years as her career developed. It is important to note that even well trained professional actors attend such workshops to learn new techniques, work with a famous teacher, or just keep up their skills. It is much the same with professional dancers who must constantly "take"--attend dance classes just to maintain and improve their skills. It is also worth noting that where you get your training can also be a valuable source of contacts for future work. Among the most comprehesnive and prestigious of these private institutions is The Actor's Studio founded by Lee Strasberg to teach method acting. They offer a complete course of study and admission is by audition. A series called Inside The Actor's Studio is currently running on the Bravo channel in which famous film actors recount their experiences while in training there. Prominent competitors include The Stella Adler Academy of Acting, the Sanford Meisner school in New York, and The American Academy of Dramatic Art. Some actors use these comprehensive academies as a kind of graduate or post-graduate school after university training.
If you are seriously considering a career as an actor, the best thing you can do for yourself is to get the best training that your finances and grades will allow. The best training can generally be found at large universities within the sphere of influence of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. It is also wise to look for a school that has a graduate program in the field, not because you intend to go beyond the bachelors degree, but because such schools usually have the largest and strongest programs overall. You should look for a BFA or MFA program rather than the traditional B.A. or M.A. These are considered "professional" fine arts degrees, meaning that they are for those who want to act rather than teach. If you choose to go the college route, you will be giving yourself the added advantage of a degree which will help you to get other kinds of jobs if the need arises, either to support yourself while waiting for your break, or for an alternate career if acting doesn't work out for you. A bachelors degree, even in Theatre Arts, will open the door to many other opportunities.
Getting Work
Avoiding Pitfalls
To work regularly in any phase of the business--stage, film, or television--an actor must have an agent. However, this business, especially in Hollywood, is filled with con artists who make a living by separating those who aspire to be actors from their money. The typical young actor doesn't realize this has even happened until it is too late. They are usually surprised that they were taken in because they had complete confidence in the person who cheated them. That's why they call them con artists--they are artists in gaining your confidence. They are well dressed, knowledgeable, sincere, and likable. They seem well-connected and often drop the names of famous actors who they claim to have represented. They dangle the bait of fame and fortune before you, promising success if only you will They succeed because of human greed; people want to be rich and famous, but they don't want to have to work for it. Here are three simple guidelines, that if you follow precisely will prevent you from becoming victimized by the unscrupulous who claim to be legitimate agents.
If you ignore this guideline you should be aware of the following:
Many of these scams are big "under-one-roof" operations like the Beverly Hills Studio. Other common wastes of money are talent catalogues such as Players' Guide and photo books like Faces International Magazine. Young hopefuls are thrilled to see their picture and resumé in a magazine "that all the casting directors read." Nothing could be further from the truth. The latest wrinkle is the online registry where your picture and resumé appear in a directory on the World Wide Web, an equally useless strategy. These scams advertise extensively and attract the naive who think this is the way to become a working actor. But there are no "package deals" or short cuts to success. In the real world, agents, photographers, and acting teachers all work independently, not as a team. Real agents expect actors to know how to act before they get there. Fake agents and so-called managers actually make their money by selling lessons and photos, not by getting actors work. These one-stop shopping "agencies" exist simply to make money from those who don't know any better. Another common rip-off is the "talent search" where "agents" rent a hotel ballroom in your town looking for "new faces," and charge a fee for you to audition. It is sometimes aimed specifically at child actors. Real agents are bombarded with new faces every day as they sit at their desks, so they don't need to go out of town find them. These scams are so simple to avoid, yet newcomers continue to fall prey to them every day, even after being warned.
Agents
Agents make money by getting an actor work. The standard commission of 10% of the actor's earnings is normally deducted directly from the paycheck. In order to get an agent, an actor must interview. For example, an actor interested in doing commercials should seek an agent who specializes in them. Some agencies are exclusively for commercials, other large theatrical agencies (meaning film & television) have commercial departments. There are publications such as Lawrence Parke's The Agencies (available for about $10 at Samuel French bookstore, 7623 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood) which describe each agency and its specialization. Agents must be both licensed by the state and franchised by the unions. A list of franchised agencies is available from acting unions such as SAG, the Screen Actors Guild, at (213) 954-1600 or online at www.sag.com/agentlist.html.
Most actors do not limit themselves to only stage, feature films, commercials, or series television, but seek work in some or all of these areas. They may have a different agent for each. The rules vary in this regard. For example, in Southern California an actor can have only one agent represent them for commercials, but in New York they can freelance (have more than one agent). Remember, since agents make money by getting actors work, they won't take actors on as clients if they don't think they will be easy to place. Individual agents must limit their clientele (100 is typical for commercials, but around 50 is common for films) in order to serve each effectively. A small commercial agency may have only 500 clients, a large one as many as 1,500. This is why getting started with a good agent is not easy. It is also why you should be wary of any "agent" who is willing to take you on just because you've "got the look."
Once an actor has targeted several agencies that appear to meet his criteria, he will submit a picture and resumé along with a short cover letter requesting representation. With any luck he will get an interview with an agent who may agree to take him on as a client for a specified period of time, usually a year. To be successful, actors cannot rely on agents alone to get them work. An actor must proactively seek out opportunities by regularly reading such trade publications as Back Stage West/Drama-Logue (www.backstage.com), Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter which include audition information and casting calls for all phases of the business. It should be noted, however, that even if actors get jobs on their own, they must still pay their agents ten percent of their earnings.
Personal Managers
For years Hollywood was ruled by the "big three" agencies, International Creative Management (ICM), Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and the old William Morris Agency. Today the grip of the big agencies is being challenged by the growth of personal managers. They have been around for some time, but are now proliferating because they are not licensed, franchised, or limited to 10% fees. Personal managers are not supposed to find actors work, but may advise them and assist in negotiations. Unlike agents they may also "produce" their client's shows and take big fees for that service. For instance, actress Jenna Elfman's personal managers are credited as producers on her sitcom, Dharma & Greg. Lately, many agents who lose their licenses or franchises suddenly reappear as personal managers. Some actors like Friends' star David Schwimmer find personal managers useful in directing their careers in conjunction with an agent. Other stars like Leonardo DiCaprio are represented only by their personal managers. Some A-list stars such as Kevin Costner and Sharon Stone simply have their lawyers negotiate for them. One of the arguments for personal managers is that since they make more money by taking higher commissions that they can have fewer clients and so give more personal attention. Both Hollywood producers and agents are currently clamoring for the California State Legislature to move in and regulate personal managers in the same way talent agents are. Two of the reasons that they are complaining is that agents are losing business, and producers are being forces to cast entire "packages" of managers' clients in order to get the one star that they want.
Beginning actors should steer clear of personal managers and seek a franchised agent instead. When approached by anyone who offers to help you in your career a good question to ask is: "Are you an agent or personal manager?" Beware of anything but a straightforward answer.
Photos
In order to get an agent or work, actors must have an 8 x 10 black and white glossy photograph of themselves. It is best to use a photographer in the entertainment industry who specializes in this type of work. Agents or acting workshops can recommended photographers, and word of mouth from other actors can also be a good source. Otherwise, the ads in Back Stage West/Drama-Logue can provide a starting point. Ask what you get and how much it costs-shop for a good price. Although a current popular shot for commercials is the three-quarter (from the top of the head to the thighs), head shots are still common. The head shot (full face down to the second or third shirt button) is the standard for film, television, and stage use. Typically a shoot will consist of one roll of 36-exposure film. The cost for this can range from $100 to $200. For this price the actor may pick one shot, decide how to crop it, and be given a print of it. Picking a second shot will add to the cost. A good photographer (or "shooter" in actor slang) will give advice as to what to wear and how to pose, and for women may recommend using a professional make-up artist the day of the shoot-the $50 to $75 cost is worth it if you can afford it. These photos can also be retouched by a professional. However, the most important thing about the photo is that it should look like the real you, not a glamour shot.
There are specialty labs which will make copies of these photos and add the actor's name. The photographer can recommend some, or you can check the trade paper ads or the yellow pages for the industry area you are in. One can expect to pay between forty and fifty cents per print, but should order no more than one hundred copies. You can always order more later. It is important not to order too many copies if you don't already have an agent, since your agent may want you to reshoot or add their logo and phone number. Again, steer clear of places that take photos, make prints, give acting lessons, and represent actors all under one roof. Always use specialists.
Demo Reels
Screen actors may also collect and edit clips of their performances on videotape. These may include appearances in feature films, television series, and commercials. They are called demo reels because originally they were a reel of 16mm film. Today's demo reel is a VHS cassette with the actor's name and photo on the label. There are pros who advertise in the trade papers to provide this editing service. It is usually offered on an hourly basis at from $35 to $80 an hour.
Resumés
An acting resumé contains contact information and a summary of the actor's training, experience, and special talents. When just getting started it will be short, and beginning actors are cautioned not to pad it with made-up experience. It's a small world and sooner or later someone who was actually in the national tour of Rent will know you weren't. It should be neat, legible, accurate, and contain no spelling errors. Saving the word processor file to disk on a computer makes updating and reformatting a breeze. Some resumés are done on colored paper to make them more distinctive. When it is complete and copied, it is attached to the back of the head shot. This comprises an actor's business card, and is absolutely essential.
Casting
Actors are selected to play roles through a process called casting. It occurs in several phases including a review of head shots and resumés, interviews, auditions, and callbacks. For famous actors, casting may only involve negotiations with talent agents and personal managers. Casting may be open or closed, union or non-union, and on the professional level is usually announced only in the trade papers. Open casting implies that anyone can try out, unless it is a union project in which case only those who are members will be heard. Closed casting implies that only a select group will be considered, such as in the case of a stage acting company which casts from among its members, or a university that limits casting to theatre majors only. In a sense, commercials are closed cast because they are conducted directly through agents and not publicly announced. To do casting work most efficiently, some form of sifting is usually employed. For example, some actors may be eliminated purely on the basis of their picture and resumé, others are washed out in an interview, and those that survive are invited to actually read for a part. When an audition does not employ any presifting, and all comers are heard, it is often referred to as a cattle-call. In most cases the actors who are most suited for roles are given a callback, which means they are invited to read again to help those doing the casting to make up their minds. At a callback one actor is often reading against others, meaning that they are being compared. One of the things that a director is looking for in a callback is the actor's ability to take direction. This means being able to change some aspect of the reading in response to specific coaching. For instance, the director may say: "Can you do that scene again as though you are proud of yourself?" An audition may be public or private. In a public setting everyone who is auditioning is in the same room serving as an audience to the readings. In a private audition, actors are read individually, often against actors hired just to read the other parts.
An actor's agent will attempt to match her client up with auditions for work that he is best suited for. In the case of television commercials it works something like this. A casting director has a breakdown faxed to a few of the 180 commercial talent agencies in Los Angeles. A breakdown is a list of descriptions of the types of characters needed for the commercial. Next, the agent pulls photos of the actors she thinks will best fit the breakdown and sends these submissions as a package to the casting director. Then, if he is selected from among the pictures the agent will call the actor to go for an audition and interview. Generally the audition will be conducted and videotaped by the casting director, and the actor will be contacted for a callback audition if they like him. The casting director runs the callback audition while the commercial director, producer, ad agent, and the client (MacDonalds or Ford for example) watch in the background-the actor may get a second callback audition if all these people like him. Then the ad agency calls the agent to put him on avail--the dates they might need him. Finally, if the ad agency later calls the agent to book the actor (or "the talent" as they are called in television), that means he's got the job! Once booked he may get calls directly from costume people for fittings, and from the production manager to set call times and locations, but usually he will hear about these things from his agent.
Auditions for stage and film work are somewhat different. Neither stage nor film auditions involve ad agencies or clients. Stage auditions are live and are rarely videotaped. They are often conducted by a stage manager while the director merely observes and makes comments. Playwrights have final approval on casting in first productions. Feature film auditions may be live or videotaped. The casting for feature films is done by casting directors who send breakdowns to actors' agents. Some casting directors only interview actors, then send them to the director for readings. Sometimes the director is only actively involved in the casting of the leads and supporting actors. Producers are usually only involved near the end of the process, or in negotiations with major stars.
Extra Work
Those people who appear in the background on television and film are called extras. Their job is to look like they belong in the environment, and sometimes to react to the activities of the featured performers. They may talk, but don't have lines that can be clearly understood by the viewer. Many actors try to get background work in the early stages of their careers, while other people do it on a continuing basis to supplement their incomes from their real jobs. Extras often subscribe to a calling service which pages them as jobs are announced. Extra work may be union or non-union, although non-union calls are often for meals only. Union work is governed by SAG rules.
There are no extras, as such, in theatre. Since those in the background are needed night after night, they work nearly as many hours as the leads. The economics simply don't allow it. Playwrights know this and often account for backgrounders by doubling, the practice of one actor playing two or more roles. In musicals there is often a chorus, actors who mainly sing and dance, but who also appear in various costumes in the background of many scenes throughout the play. It is also common in large musicals to cast special understudies called swings, actors who regularly play a variety of smaller roles while understudying larger parts, or dancers who learn everyone's chorus parts and play them when the regulars are off.
In his novel, Emma Who Saved My Life, Wilton Barnhardt explains what actors who are out sick are really doing.
"Well, one of the regulars, Tony, has the flu and will be out for two weeks (what Tony is really doing is auditioning for another show in San Francisco, a big role with billing; no one has ever had the flu in the history of the theater, absence is due to something else always--you'd go on with the flu, for pete's sake)."
Salary
An actor may earn anywhere from nothing to millions. In most cases an actor earns scale. This is salary determined by a wage scale in the contract of the union which has jurisdiction over the project. At the highest levels famous actors may command alternate means of compensation including a percentage of the gross profit. In any case, the union scale is only a minimum, actors are always free to negotiate for more. For pay purposes, SAG actors are classified as either extras or principals. Extras are those in the background whose lines, if any, are not discernible. Principals are those who have scripted lines or are the subject of a shot.
An actor doing a commercial will be paid SAG union scale for the day, which is called a session fee. If he is a principal this will be a minimum of about $500, if an extra it will be about $250. If it is a non-union commercial, the pay may be less. If the commercial is aired, an actor will receive a holding fee for a thirteen-week block of time. This obligates him to not work for a competing product during that period. Commercials may be renewed for these thirteen-week blocks over a twenty-one month cycle, after which they are usually retired. The major money for the work will come if the commercial is actually aired. The amount will vary widely depending on a number of key factors, including: whether it is national or local, how frequently it is shown, and for how many weeks. If it is a national commercial the actor will be paid residuals which are determined by a complicated formula. One of the agent's jobs is make sure the actor gets the correct amount. Occasionally older commercials are reinstated at which time the ad agency contacts the talent agent to renegotiate residual payments. Sometimes, a client like Jack-In-The-Box, which is not a national chain, regional one, will offer a buyout. This means they can run the commercial as often as they want for a negotiated one-time fee. A local commercial may earn an actor a few thousand dollars, but a featured role in a long-term national one can bring in tens of thousands.
For theatrical films (what you see at movie theaters), the SAG minimums are $596 for a "Day Performer" and $2,070 for a "Weekly Performer." From there it goes to specific pay schedules. Weekly performers on Schedule "B" can get up to $5000 for a theatrical film, and $4200 for television. Performers working on Schedule "F" are paid by the project rather than by the week. Under schedule "F" actors working on a theatrical movie earn $55,000 per picture; on a TV movie, $30,000 per picture; on a mini-series, $34,000; and on episodic TV (a weekly series), $30,000 per episode. Beyond these minimums actors can negotiate whatever their marketability and popularity will bear. For instance, the cast of the television sitcom Friends each will receive about $1,000,000 per episode for their final season, the leads on ER get $300,000, and Drew Carey recently got an increase to $400,000 per episode plus a new Porsche! At last report, the salary king of sitcom was Kelsey Grammer who gets $1.7 million per episode for his series, Frasier.
As the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. The escalating salaries of the leading screen players have created a kind of two-tiered system, much like that of the National Basketball Association. While the networks and studios dole out whopping salaries for stars, lesser known actors and day performers are held to minimum salaries. Consider the following sobering figures. Around 80% of SAG members earn less than $7,500 per year, and 25% earn nothing. Television actors are in the same boat. About 70% of the AFTRA membership earn less than $2,000 per year. Obviously there are many members who are part-time actors who make their primary living doing other things. Only 4% of the SAG membership earn more than $50,000 per year and less than 1% earn the extraordinary salaries that you read about in the papers.
The situation is much simpler in the theatre--everyone is poorly paid! Well, I'm being a little facetious, but my point is that salaries are more evenly distributed across the board. Plus, there are no residual payments, videotape sales, or broadcast options for stage performers. Consider these facts. Less than half of the 36,000 members of the stage actors union found any work in the 1997-'98 season. The average number of weeks worked was 17.7, and the average annual salary was $14,936. And these figures represent an increase over the previous season! There is one final irony. Screen actors, especially highly paid ones, get their money before the audience even sees the product. If the movie is terrible and nobody sees it they still get paid. On the other hand theatre actors may hope for a six-month run, but if the play is awful and closes after one week, they only get paid for the time they actually worked. One could say that theatre actors have more incentive to do a good job.
RehearsalsIn all of the dramatic arts, rehearsals are conducted to prepare for performance. Apart from the writing of the script, this is the most creative part of the process. Actors are paid not only for the time they spend on stage or on camera, but also for the time they spend in formal rehearsal. I say formal, because it is assumed that actors will memorize their lines and blocking on their own time. For the professional stage actor, rehearsals are conducted during a normal eight-hour working day during a three to five-week period. Union rules require meal and rest breaks. Film and television rehearsals are typically shorter and less regular. Series television rehearsals are conducted daily for four days, then shot on the fifth day. Although in many cases, such as Ally McBeal, the actors don't have a full dress rehearsal until just before they shoot!
Film rehearsals are even more limited and irregular. Rehearsals are conducted on the set, whether in a studio or on location, day or night as the shooting schedule permits. These include camera rehearsals in which the camera operators rehearse their movements along with those of the actors. Since only a few lines need to be memorized for each shot and then forgotten, rehearsals tend to be short and fragmented. But there are always some exceptions, especially among film directors who came from the stage. Orson Welles was known for rehearsing for up to three weeks-almost unheard of in film. A more current example is British director Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies) who uses a lengthy rehearsal period to develop storyline and characters with his actors.
Performance
Performance is the part of acting that we are most familiar with, since this is what the public sees. Whether on camera or on stage it is the most rigorous part of an actor's job. It is particularly difficult in theatre because suddenly the actor is the sole responsible party. On stage, when the curtain goes up, the playwright and director can only watch helplessly as their work is completely in the actor's hands. This places tremendous pressure on the actor. Stage actors must sustain their performance continuously with no shouts of "cut!" to save them. The very act of concentration and focus that is required for the two to three hours of performance is draining. Most actors are drenched with sweat and physically and emotionally exhausted after a play. Broadway actors must do this eight times a week for months or even years. While film and television actors may not have to sustain a performance in this way, they have other unique pressures. Film sets are boisterous places with an atmosphere of barely controlled mayhem which can make concentration and focus very difficult for an actor. Performing on camera can occur under difficult circumstances such as with wind, rain, or other special effects. There is also a lot of standing around and waiting, and many retakes. The fragmentary nature of a shooting schedule makes it difficult to develop a character and be consistent in performance.
Differences Between Modes
In addition to those previously mentioned, there are other circumstances which differentiate the experience of acting on stage from on camera. Stage actors get the benefit of the immediacy of the experience. There is a certain high that actors get from performing before a live audience. Many highly paid screen actors take time between pictures to do stage work because they need to feel this direct contact with an audience that camera acting lacks. They also do stage work because they find the scripts more artistically fulfilling and challenging than much of the work they do in films or television. Some screen actors who work the stage may even donate their time, either because the salary is so insignificant compared to their film work, or they feel strongly about the message of the play and hope that their name will draw an audience. Recent examples of highly successful screen actors returning to the stage are Al Pacino who did Eugene O'Neill's Hughie at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum in 1999, and Kevin Spacey and Brian Dennehy who did plays by O'Neill and Tennessee Williams on Broadway the same year.
Another difference is the scope of the modes of dramatic art. Those appearing on television are sometimes referred to as talking heads because television favors the close-up shot. Due to the small size of the screen, as compared to movies or the full-scale of the stage, television is limited. Because of the limited amount of information that can be contained within such a small screen, it is essential that the subject be viewed more closely more often. Film with its larger format allows for wider shots more often, but also makes extensive use of the close-up. This is especially true of dialogue scenes in which most acting takes place. Therefore, some have noted that screen actors tend to act only from the neck up. That is to say, they make extensive use of the expressive qualities of the face at the expense of the rest of the body. When seen on the fifty-foot tall movie screen in extreme close-up, the slight lift of an eyebrow can have momentous impact. On stage, the entire actor is seen at all times. Moreover, they are seen from a distance and at different angles by each section of the audience. There are no close-ups on stage. Every scene is in "long shot." Thus, stage actors must use their entire bodies to express even the most subtle emotions, or they won't be communicated to the audience. Some exaggeration or magnification of natural movements and gestures are required. The stage also makes greater demands on the actor's voice. Hovering just outside the frame of film and television is the boom mike which can pick up even the softest whisper. Therefore screen actors become accustomed to acting in a natural voice. Actors who work exclusively in the screen media have lost the ability to "throw" their voice through an entire auditorium while engaged in normal conversation. It is a technique akin to that of a trained singer. The greatest delicacy is required to balance such exaggeration with the realism that today's theatre audiences have come to expect from watching mostly movies. It is a tightrope walk for the stage actor. It is also one of the most important differences between stage acting, as such, and acting for the camera.
In one way, television acting is more like stage acting than film acting. Most taped sitcoms are four-camera shows. The scene is shot simultaneously from four different camera positions. They are also performed in sequence, almost like a 22-minute play. Films, however, are shot out of sequence over many weeks and with frequent breaks for new set-ups. Some television casting directors actually prefer to use actors with a lot of stage experience because they are accustomed to working their way. However, television work is very fast and results oriented. They want to see the actor deliver a final performance in the audition room and at first rehearsal. Stage actors are more used to slowly evolving their characters over several weeks of rehearsal. On the other hand, television directors want to see the exact same thing on camera that they saw in rehearsal. Film actors sometimes have trouble recreating what they did the shot before, but stage actors are trained to reproduce their work night after night.
Some actors are better at performing spontaneously than others. Their response to the danger of the moment gives the first run-through a certain freshness and reality that gets "rehearsed out" when repeated over and over. In film such first takes are captured and so can be used. Actors who work this way do better in film. Other actors who see the rehearsal as a period of exploration and discovery, and who build and solidify their performances over time, do better on stage.
Unions
The organization of labor into unions was one of the most important social and economic movements of the early twentieth century. Labor unions gave workers the power to negotiate effectively with management for both working conditions and pay. Actors and other theatre workers were among the first to organize themselves. Virtually all professional actors are members of one or more unions. There are four acting unions today, differentiated by their jurisdictions, which basically means by mode (film, television, and stage). Unlike some trade unions, the acting unions do not find work for their members. But like all other unions they guarantee a fair wage, decent working conditions, health insurance, and pension benefits. Young actors are often cautioned against getting their union card too soon because once they are members they can no longer work on non-union projects, an important source of training and experience. Once members, they must compete solely with more experienced union actors for jobs. It is better for young actors to wait until they must become members in order to take a role. Under the Taft-Hartley law non-union actors may work under a union contract for thirty days, after which they must join the union in order to accept further work.
SAG: Movie Actors
With over 118,000 members nationwide, the largest and most influential acting union is the Screen Actors Guild (www.sag.com), commonly called by its acronym SAG. Its members reported total earnings of $1.63 billion under SAG contracts in 1998. Its jurisdiction covers feature films, industrial films, filmed music videos, and all television programs or commercials that are recorded on film. An actor can become a member either of two ways: 1) by accumulating three days of work on approved projects as an extra, or 2) by getting cast in a principal or speaking role that requires union membership. The applicant must supply a letter verifying casting from the producer, and pay an initiation fee of $1,356. Subsequently most actors must pay yearly dues on a sliding scale of from $100 to $3,700 based on acting income. Those who earn over $200,000 must pay up to an additional $25,000. Most people are surprised to learn that of its many members, only 4% earn more than $50,000 per year, and that 70% earn less than $7,500 per year. This is dramatic evidence of how different the lives of most actors are from the stars we hear about most often. In fact, most members of this union are only part-time actors and must rely on other jobs to make a living. Many actors try very hard to make a minimum of $7,500 each year as this is the cut-off point for health benefits eligibility.
AEA: Stage Actors
The Actors' Equity Association (www.actorsequity.org), more commonly called just "Equity," has 40,000 members. It represents actors in all live legitimate theatre, both musical and dramatic. Membership is gained by either: 1) accumulating fifty weeks of apprentice work with an accredited acting company, or 2) being cast in a role which requires Equity membership. Equity and SAG have a reciprocal agreement allowing crossovers which permits film actors to work on stage and vice versa. As long as they have been members for a year and have acted in a principal role, they can get membership in the other union with lowered dues. Since there is generally less money involved in stage work, the fees and dues are lower for this union. The initiation fee is $800, and the annual dues are $78. Most members (60%) work on the East Coast, but 30% work in the West and the remaining 8% are members of Equity's Central Region.
AFTRA: Television Actors
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (www.aftra.org) was founded in 1937 and has 71,000 members (30,000 in the Los Angeles area alone). Its jurisdiction includes all live and taped television, commercials, audio recordings, radio, deejays, talk shows, game shows, announcers, and narration. The initiation fee is $1000 and the annual dues range from $85 to $1,585 depending on income earned. (Members will vote in 1999 to raise this to $116 and $1841 respectively.) One of the reasons for its large membership is that they have an "open door" policy: anyone can fill out an application, pay their fees and dues, and be a member without training, experience, or a job offer. This may also be why 70% of their membership earns less than $2,000 per year. Members of AFTRA and SAG recently voted down a proposal to merge their unions.
AGVA: Other Performers
The American Guild of Variety Artists (www.home.earthlink.net/~agvala) was formed in 1939 from several older groups. In the 1800's there were two kinds of theatre: legitimate, and variety. Legitimate actors did popular and classical plays and thought of themselves as the only "true" actors, hence the name. Variety referred to stage shows called vaudeville that were made up of various short acts such as singers, comedians, dancers, jugglers, trained animals, and such. This was the union that represented them. Today, vaudeville is dead and most variety acts have been absorbed by television. This union's membership has diminished accordingly. AGVA represents entertainers such as comics, singers, magicians, and dancers who perform before live audiences in such venues as nightclubs, theatres, hotels, industrial shows,cruise ships, and theme parks. They also have an open door membership policy with an initiation fee of $600 and dues ranging from $72 to $795 per year. Las Vegas is one of the strongholds of AGVA.
All of these unions are under the umbrella of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America, also known as the Four A's, and are affiliated with the AFL-CIO.
Reading Assignment
You should be reading Chapter 7 in your textbook to get more information about stage acting today. By now you should know the routine. After studying the chapter go to the online quiz at:
Take the quiz and send the answers back to me as directed at the bottom of the quiz
Lecture Exercise
A union actor got work as a principal in a commercial and earned a session fee. Shortly after he worked as a Weekly Performer on a new movie under the lowest level contract. Assuming he worked for minimum scale, what were his total gross earnings for the two jobs? How much did he get after his agent took her cut? Do not consider union dues or fees.
If you show your math I can guide you if you are wrong and need to redo your work.
Note that when submitting the answer start the subject line with:
TH101DE -- YourFirst&LastName -- L-9
Next lecture: Directing