Part of this journey is being able to “do whatcha gotta do when you gotta do it”. That being said it looks like I’ll be rejoining the work force. I’m not sure in what capacity, but I have some ideas so what we’ll see what works for me.
I was looking at my earnings over the years on the SAG website (not that it’s been THAT much, it hasn’t), but I can say that I’ve earned several hundred thousand dollars over the course of my career - all under Screen Actors Guild contracts. Now the key is to keep earning and moving forward with a positive attitude onto bigger and better things.
My problem is that I’ve gotten bogged down with the serious side of the industry. It’s hard not to considering the current state of the entertainment business. Sometimes I wish I could just remain oblivious to the inner workings of Hollywood, but it might be my future so I have to have to pay attention to the really important stuff. Honestly, it has me completely drained and beat up, but I can’t complain because there are many more people that are actually doing the real union work. I’m more like a good soldier who has always done a great job of informing fellow performers, attending meeting and when needed, being on the picket lines.
We actors didn’t always get residuals, pension & health benefits, overtime, etc. Somebody, many people, had to fight for these provisions in our contracts. I feel as though I HAVE to participate in the process to protect these benefits for and make things better for those who will come behind me. After all someone did it for me.
Things are changing in this line of work and I don’t know how the chips are going to fall, but it’s going to be different. I’m already feeling the way new media is affecting the landscape as this tough business gets tougher.
Example: My “Bones” episode hasn’t rerun on network, BUT it was available – online - for months after it first aired and I didn’t receive a dime for that additional use of my work. The online version had 4-5 commercial breaks for which, I assume, the network received advertising dollars, but the actors received nothing. I’m way past the point of just being happy to book a job and see myself on TV, in a film or a commercial. It’s a job, a job I love when I get a chance to perform, but a job nonetheless.
I’ve worked plenty of acting jobs for free and will do more in the future I’m sure, but for those jobs I knew up front that it was going to be free. The play I did several years ago was free, heck, it actually costs me money to do, but I had an absolute blast doing it and I knew what I was signing up for in the beginning. The “Bones” appearance wasn’t meant to be free.
I am thankful that I have the experiences behind me that I do. By that I mean my foundation and infrastructure, the team that I’ve built over the years and credits that I’ve earned. I’m tired and I think I need to slow down in order to help myself move forward.
I was looking at my earnings over the years on the SAG website (not that it’s been THAT much, it hasn’t), but I can say that I’ve earned several hundred thousand dollars over the course of my career - all under Screen Actors Guild contracts. Now the key is to keep earning and moving forward with a positive attitude onto bigger and better things.
My problem is that I’ve gotten bogged down with the serious side of the industry. It’s hard not to considering the current state of the entertainment business. Sometimes I wish I could just remain oblivious to the inner workings of Hollywood, but it might be my future so I have to have to pay attention to the really important stuff. Honestly, it has me completely drained and beat up, but I can’t complain because there are many more people that are actually doing the real union work. I’m more like a good soldier who has always done a great job of informing fellow performers, attending meeting and when needed, being on the picket lines.
We actors didn’t always get residuals, pension & health benefits, overtime, etc. Somebody, many people, had to fight for these provisions in our contracts. I feel as though I HAVE to participate in the process to protect these benefits for and make things better for those who will come behind me. After all someone did it for me.
Things are changing in this line of work and I don’t know how the chips are going to fall, but it’s going to be different. I’m already feeling the way new media is affecting the landscape as this tough business gets tougher.
Example: My “Bones” episode hasn’t rerun on network, BUT it was available – online - for months after it first aired and I didn’t receive a dime for that additional use of my work. The online version had 4-5 commercial breaks for which, I assume, the network received advertising dollars, but the actors received nothing. I’m way past the point of just being happy to book a job and see myself on TV, in a film or a commercial. It’s a job, a job I love when I get a chance to perform, but a job nonetheless.
I’ve worked plenty of acting jobs for free and will do more in the future I’m sure, but for those jobs I knew up front that it was going to be free. The play I did several years ago was free, heck, it actually costs me money to do, but I had an absolute blast doing it and I knew what I was signing up for in the beginning. The “Bones” appearance wasn’t meant to be free.
I am thankful that I have the experiences behind me that I do. By that I mean my foundation and infrastructure, the team that I’ve built over the years and credits that I’ve earned. I’m tired and I think I need to slow down in order to help myself move forward.
http://www.stephonfuller.com/consultations.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hRX79E75yA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vMXinr1N9w
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