Any Extras, Sir?

Please believe me when I say that I wanted today's blog to be a positive one. To be honest, I didn't actually have any intentions of blogging today but, if I had, then all my intentions were for it to be a happy, sunshiny one. I mean, of course there would've been a few clouds along the way but ultimately I wanted it to be a fun one after yesterday's maybe overly negative entry. But then something happened yesterday afternoon. Something that means I'm finding myself repeating myself yet again on this blog. Apologies in advance.

Y'see, yesterday someone* posted on Twitter about their upcoming book and the fact that they were looking for extras to be in the upcoming trailer. Excellent. A well-known performer and author creating further work for others. Now that's what I like to see. That's enough to brighten up anyone's afternoon. Or at least it was until I clicked on the link to find out more. What I was greeted with wasn't a casting call but a competition. This job wasn't open to extras or any other performers at all, it's being directed at fans of the writer instead.

And why not I hear you ask? Why not indeed. I'm sure there are hundreds, if not thousands, of fans of this particular writer that would perform all kinds of ridiculous jumps to work with him for the day. For those who don't work as an extra or actor then I'm sure that this sounds like a most excellent way to spend the day. And I'm sure it would be much fun. But it worries me too. Firstly, why have they decided to cast it this way? Just as we've seen recently with other high profile companies choosing to cast extra roles by getting their friends and family to step in, this competition idea is a worrying development. Firstly it makes a mockery of the profession. What other jobs would you find being filled by way of a competition? Oh hey guys, ever fancied working in an operating theatre? Email us with 100 words on why you'd be great at performing lifesaving open heart surgery and you could win the opportunity to work as a surgeon for the day! I realise acting work is hardly live-changing stuff but it is still people's livelihoods. A mini Twitter storm happened after the message was posted and I understand that there are going to be some paid extras on the shoot too. But what's worrying is that there isn't the budget for all the extras they need so instead of working within their means, they're essentially filling other people's roles with free labour. Imagine that happening at your place of work. Bit annoying, eh? I realise that a publishing budgets are low. I know we all like to think that authors churn out books and then sit back in their ivory towers but that simply isn't the case. However, I do object to projects being made where the budget clearly doesn't match the vision.

Then there's the worry, as I've mentioned before in previous blogs, that when higher profile companies are employing these casting techniques that others will the follow suit. It's a bloody great way to get people to work for free and unfortunately gives other companies further ideas on how to spend as little money as possible on performers. Time and time again it seems that it's the performers that are the ones to be losing out. It was announced yesterday that a deal has been struck between the Writers' Guild and the BBC which means that scriptwriters will be be paid per-click when their work is watched online via BBC iPlayer. A most fantastic idea but what about performers? What happens when an actor's work is watched again online?  Absolutely nothing.

But let's ignore my negative views and just be happy for the lucky competition winners whose dreams come true as they get to work with one of their heroes for the day. I mean, I bet they'll have a ball creating their own costume and doing their own make-up. It'll be great sorting out their own transport and paying for themselves to get to the set. And then it'll be super-fun organising their own food as they watch other cast members and crew enjoy the on-set catering for 12 hours. Oh yeah. Sorry. I forgot to tell you all that, didn't I? No, and the entrants are barely told this either as most of  it is written in the teeny-tiny terms and conditions at the bottom. All suddenly sounds like less of a fun day out now, doesn't it? If nothing else though, at least the competition winners will get a taste of the true actor experience. And that really is something that money can't buy...


*I'm choosing not to name them here as I'm sure much of the decisions have been made by the publisher rather than the writer.

Network Fail

It's very normal to see a casting that only promises food and travel to actors. However angry it makes me, I'm used to seeing it now. So, last night, while taking one final look at castings before retiring for the day, I wasn't expecting to see anything particularly out of the ordinary. Maybe a few mentions of bikini-clad zombies who turn to a life of prostitution but nothing more. So imagine my surprise when I see a corporate casting that isn't offering any pay. That's quite a thing in itself because corporate work is one of the few strands of acting that can actually pay your bills but it happens very ocassionally for smaller companies. But this wasn't just your local start-up business. Oh no. This is the company that you probably complain about on a daily basis. This is the company that's responsible for making you late and meaning you spend your commute pushed up against a pain of glass. This little company is Network Rail.

Network Rail appear to be producing an internal film and they're in need of ten extras to help them out with this. Fair enough. But for your efforts, this company which made a profit of £754 MILLION last year, is only offering to give you food and cover your travel expenses. And I'm not sure, given their track (gettit? Track? Y'know, like rail track? Oh forget it...) record, they would even get food and travel right. An over-priced stale sandwich and infuriatingly late trains, anyone? And don't even get me started on their depressingly limited choice of crisps...

So what the heck is going on here? Why can't a company that made more money in a year than I'll see in a zillion lifetimes not even offer a minimal payment to their extras? Ten extras at a £100 each for a day's work. That would cost them £1000, about the same amount they make from one very small person purchasing the opportunity to possibly get a seat on the 10.04 from London Paddington to Reading. Even if they paid each extra £1000, that'd mean them begrudgingly handing over 0.001% of their eye-wateringly huge pile of money. But no, instead of paying actors (who make up a huge proportion of their customers anyway) they choose to smugly sit on their pennies and watch on in the hope that yet again, they'll find a few performers willing to pimp themselves out as a very unglorified slave.

Network Rail's ethos is the following:

‘We are passionate about what we do and take pride in a job well done’ 

Apparently it seems that their primary passions are keeping their grubby hands on their profits and exploiting actors for their own personal gain. Apparently a job well done means that Sir David Higgins, the Chief Executive of National Rail, protects his £560,000 a year salary by denying actors the right to even receiving the National Minimum Wage when working for them.

But the worst thing about all of this? The fact that this situation is becoming all too familiar. Actors have now gone for so many years where they've allowed companies to take advantage of them that it has now become the norm rather than the exception. Equity now know about this and I seriously hope they take action otherwise these money-grabbing, exploitative companies will destroy that final scrap of dignity that the world of acting is still desperately clutching on to.