What the SPAA strike is like from an Actors perspective.....
Who and what is SPAA?
Screen Producers Association of Australia. An independent organisation designed to protect
the rights or producers and liase with other industry bodies.
Why did they tear up the Agreement and refusing to negotiate a new one?
They say that Australia loses International Commercial jobs because our actors are too expensive.
(From their website page media release and quoted by their president Geoff Brown)
Are they correct in their reasoning?
Ask yourself how many factors come into play when you choose a holiday destination?
Location, timing, exchange rate, availability, access, who you can get to go with you, travel time,
facilities etc etc etc To single out just one component in the complex formula of TV commercial
production is absurd.
So why is Australia losing ads to other countries?
As above, there are probably about 2 dozen reasons the major one being the GFC (Global Financial Collapse)
Meaning, advertising budgets have been cut because share prices are down, there's less money around
thus people will buy less so turnover will be down and thus profits will be down. Plus, ecomonic forecasting
is divided with half the world saying the worst is over and the other half saying it has just begun. Also,
NZ actors are cheaper and the USDollar has a better exchange rate. Canada has great people and really close to home so saves travel time and logistics. South Africa is dirt cheap but far far away. We have become expensive from ALL divisions however Australia has always offerred a premium product at premium price.
What does this mean?
Commercials that currently may pay around $8000 might pay only $4000 or even $1000 in future.
What percentage of a TVC budget goes to paying actors?
1.5 % or $15,000 out of 1 Million dollar campaign. Not a lot.
What percentage of a TVC does an Ad Agency or Production Company make?
35% - 40% or $350,000 out of a 1 million dollar campaign. Quite a lot.
What happens if we don't take a stand and they win?
SPAA agreements cover all TV and Film contracts thus like a set of dominio's, all agreements
will not be renewed and thus all wages will go down as there will be no minimum.
How will this play out?
SPAA are playing hard ball. No difference to any bully in the playground. Sure, they have the power
(or believe they do) and actors they assume are weak and apathetic and unlikely to mount a serious challenge.
They are hoping in our desperation for work we will still go for castings no matter what the pay.
Whats our biggest hurdle to achieving success?
We really need all Agents to agree that they also support the strike thus we limit the
amount of quality talent that the producers can get access to.
What's preventing all agents from helping us?
Well, they also may fail to see long term. They just want to make their commission and send actors
to jobs today. They don't realise that if this strike doesn't work, and hence all other agreements fall by the wayside,
that their income may fall at least 50% over the next 3 years as their actors earn less and less and less.
What we need to do
If you can look to the bigger picture and know that long term incomes for all actors in all fields will
fall then you need to refuse to attend castings that are not paying as per equity guidelines.
Whats our bargaining chip?
Firstly, we can limit who they see and secondly, while there is unrest and industrial action happening
here then it is unlikely that overseas companies will take the risk of filming here. The same way Aussie's
ignored Fiji as a holiday destination during the coup (s).
Be courageous. Take a stand!
Please forward to any actors you know.
Gerry Sont
