Notes from a filmmaker: Monday, February 13, 2006

[Franklyn]

Hi guys, I found one from February. I have them all over the place. Enjoy.


Getting Fucked by SAG in the snow.
Current mood: angry

Wow, so the snow was pretty impressive. My assistant Kelly and I used this as a needed forced break. We both got all sick worrying about casting.
SAG is trying to bite my balls off, through my ass. I wonder why an organization would stop and actor or actress from working on a production just to ensure that a larger actor gets their pay scale. For everyone that makes millions they are thousands of actors trying to survive. If I can offer them a lead role for less money than SAG wants me too pay them and in the process ensure a quality picture I should be able to.
I had a SAG rep tell me that what they are asking of me is a drop in the bucket for our film and in all honesty it is. But the problem is the few thousand that we would add to the actor's salary will lower the entire look of the film.
As it is I am paying my leads more than I get as a director.
I support people looking out for actors who are getting taking advantage of but when an actor wants the opportunity that is present they should be allowed. I felt extorted while I was on the phone. The power they hold is fear.
I can't risk casting someone and later finding out I can't get distribution because of it.
I'd love to hear other people's opinion on this. I figure SAG will have a lot of support rightfully but I know I don't feel this way alone.

[jonyrotn]

I wish I had some advice for you brother, I really do. But this is not the type of world I'm familiar with.. The pools I swim in everyone gets an hourly wage..A man who works 12hours gets paid twice as much as a man who works 8 hours..A guy with 10 years on the job gets a higher salery than a guy with 5 years on the job and so on..Call it communisim, but If we all got paid by our looks or how funny we were there would be alot of car notes being repossessed. The best I can do for you is a homicide..I don't know you real well, but we both listen to Ron and Fez so I do feel a kinship..I can't possibly kill everyone on the union board but I can do one or two..I tell you what.. I'll kill the biggest one and hopfully that will scare the piss out of the remainder..I promise no one will ever find the body, so you won't end up on Forensic files or some shit like that..So you got that going for you, which is nice..Good luck with the rest of your shoot and let's just say you owe me one..
Where Brooklyn at ?

[Franklyn]

I wish I had some advice for you brother, I really do. But this is not the type of world I'm familiar with.. The pools I swim in everyone gets an hourly wage..A man who works 12hours gets paid twice as much as a man who works 8 hours..A guy with 10 years on the job gets a higher salery than a guy with 5 years on the job and so on..Call it communisim, but If we all got paid by our looks or how funny we were there would be alot of car notes being repossessed. The best I can do for you is a homicide..I don't know you real well, but we both listen to Ron and Fez so I do feel a kinship..I can't possibly kill everyone on the union board but I can do one or two..I tell you what.. I'll kill the biggest one and hopfully that will scare the piss out of the remainder..I promise no one will ever find the body, so you won't end up on Forensic files or some shit like that..So you got that going for you, which is nice..Good luck with the rest of your shoot and let's just say you owe me one..
Where Brooklyn at ?

This has to be my favorite post in here. Beside being hysterical you paint a great picture. Let's just say I said no the other, lol. :lol:

[JustJon]

That's the problem with unions. Sometimes they extort people and claim it's for the good of all. If an actor is willing to work below scale, then they should be allowed to accept the job they want, but since that could conceivably viewed as a way to force a lesser known actor to take less money than they want in a larger production, they screw over the person who wants to make a small production.

[Franklyn]

That's the problem with unions. Sometimes they extort people and claim it's for the good of all. If an actor is willing to work below scale, then they should be allowed to accept the job they want, but since that could conceivably viewed as a way to force a lesser known actor to take less money than they want in a larger production, they screw over the person who wants to make a small production.

Preach on my brother. I had to turn away so many willing an talented people.