performers
ON SET
November 2013 Issue #13-1
Quiet On the Set…
i’m Reading! By david gale
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Performers On Set. to
better communicate with you, we have expanded the
Performers Magazine franchise to include quarterly issues of
the new Performers On Set. guided by our editor, Chris
owens, the editorial committee and staff, Performers On
Set, like the magazine, will bring you articles, pics and
important facts to keep you better informed about the biz
and up to date with your union. important contact info will
also be included, such as the new after-hours line: 1-855201-7823, [email protected].
Rest assured that Performers Magazine will still be published
a couple of times a year and will continue to explore our
industry in-depth from a performer’s point of view. the
positive feedback from the membership and the wider
industry proves we are publishing a magazine our sisters
and brothers are proud of.
Performers On Set and Performers Magazine are, and will
remain, member-driven. most articles in Performers
publications will be written by members, for members our stories, told by us. From time to time aCtRa toronto
may communicate time-sensitive information to the
membership too.
if you are reading the first issue of Performers On Set on set
- congrats! You are among the 15,000 union performers
making toronto one of the leading production centres in
north america. according to FilmOntario, toronto is the
#1 production centre in Canada and #3 in north america,
behind L.a. and new York. We are currently experiencing
the highest production and domestic/co-production volumes in
Ontario's history! these are just two examples of the type
of news we plan to share with you in Performers On Set.
if you have a story or article you want to share with Performers
On Set please send it to [email protected].
We can’t promise we’ll publish it but we will read it and get
back to you. don’t worry if the article is too long, we can
publish it in-part and post the full version online. in case you
haven’t made it to set in a while, Performers On Set will be
available in hard copy at the aCtRa toronto offices and
in a flipbook format online. enjoy! ●
digitaL demOCRaCY
Forty-one aCtRa members have stepped up to run for 24 Council seats.
ten Stunt Performers are running for 5 seats and 3 alternates on the
Stunt Committee. all nominees and their statements are on our website:
www.actratoronto.com. union democracy is stronger when more
members vote on union business. make your voice heard. vote! ●
photo by Caitlin Cronenberg
the JOY OF FiLmmaKing:
Sex After KidS By Chris Owens
in 2010, Ontario-born writer-director Jeremy lalonde made his feature film debut with The Untitled Work of Paul Shepard.the ensemble comedy was well received and earned Zoie Palmer a Best actress aCtRa
award nomination.
ruNNINg
for CouNCIl:
Shereen airth
heather allin
Josh Barilko
Ronald Benjamin
ted tibor Berger
Lisa Berry
Shan Cauvery
K.C. Collins
John Connelly
Wendy Crewson
maria del mar
tedd dillon
Catherine disher
Ferne downey
Rosalind Feldman
Sedina Fiati
david gale
Lorne goodman
Richard hardacre
art hindle
tabby Johnson
Joel Keller
donald Lamoreux
Jani Lauzon
Burke Lawrence
angelica Lisk-hann
david macniven
Farah merani
Colin mochrie
John nelles
Jack newman
Clara Pasieka
eric Peterson
Leah Pinsent
Chris Potter
John Robinson
alex Ross
david Sparrow
nicole St. martin
Spirit Synott
theresa tova
ruNNINg for the
stuNt CommIttee:
Shelley Cook
Ric garcia
erin Jarvis
Blair Johannes
Kevan Kase
angelica Lisk-hann
John Stoneham Sr.
alicia turner
al Vrkljan
geoff Williams
Link to nominations page:
www.actratoronto.com/2013-actra-toronto-elections/
2013-actra-toronto-council-elections-candidates-page/
WRite YOuR
mPP
Bill 71, the Ontario bill to
Protect Child Performers, is
expected to be carefully examined in Committee.that means
interested parties and individuals may make representations
before the Committee and suggest amendments to the bill. Producers, aCtRa toronto, parents and
others might request hearings. here’s what you can do to help protect
child performers. Write an email to your mPP and ask them to get it on
the agenda! this bill is also of interest to minors working in theatre. ●
go here to write your mPP:
www.actratoronto.com/advocacy/
respect-the-artist/protect-child-performers/
in searching for subject matter for his second feature, Lalonde, a father
of two, sat down to write ideas. the first idea he wrote was 'sex after
kids.' and that, as they say, was that. title and subject matter had been
decided. Speaking with eric Volmers in the Calgary Herald, Lalonde said,
‘it just seemed like such a ridiculously rich world... i had to jump on the
subject matter before somebody else did.’
Billed as 'an ensemble romantic comedy about what happens when
you're too tired, uninterested, or annoyed to seduce the person you love,
loath, or haven't even met yet', Sex After Kids was filmed in and around
the toronto area in 15 days on nights and weekends spread out over
three months.
Lalonde has a knack for bringing talented actors together. in Sex After
Kids he is once again working with Kris holden-ried, Zoie Palmer
and mary Korhnert. he also added the likes of Katie boland,
Kristin booth, Paul Amos, Peter Keleghan, Jay brazeau,
mimi Kuzyk and gordon Pinsent. according to dar dowling in
The Blog, Lalonde is a firm believer in collaboration and was very open
to suggestions from the cast, many of whom have kids of their own.
according to Lalonde, ‘my rule is: the best idea wins.’
When asked what drew him to the project, affable veteran Jay Brazeau
said,‘i fell in love with The Untitled Work of Paul Shepard and he loved Carl
bessai's Fathers and Sons. and we both look like teddy bears so it was
a natural. he said he was going to do a film called Sex After Kids which i
thought was a boffo title. i didn't need to read the script, i said count me
in. i spent two action-packed days in Kitchener with mimi Kuzyk. What
more could a guy want? i laughed, i cried, i disrobed - it was the
quintessential Canadian film experience. i should also add that i have
never laughed so hard performing sex my whole life. i'm thinking of calling
my autobiography Fifty Shades of Jay.’ ●
Sex after Kids recently won the best Canadian feature film prize at the Film North Huntsville International Film Festival.
trailer: http://vimeo.com/57375588
exPLORe aCtRa tOROntO’S
neW WeBSite
We hope you like aCtRa toronto’s new fresh clean look: easy to read
and easy to navigate. Our website has to be many things to many people.
First, it must be useful to you, the members, but equally as important for
your livelihood, it provides information to Producers, and, finally, to the
general public. Your perennial favourites are accessible from the homepage: What’s shooting and the Agents list. Discounts, another
of your favourites, is found under Performers/Community. take a
look around. Find committee news, online versions of Performers On Set
and Performers magazine, videos and more. ●
LOW Budget
aCtRa FiLmS at tiFF
taKe YOuR KidS
tO the COnFeRenCe!
two Co-op projects, 1 tiP feature and 6 tiP shorts were chosen
to screen at tiFF 2013. Four of the shorts made it into the tiFF
top ten: Wakening, Silent Garden, Winter Garden and The Good
Escape. ●
By nicole St. martin
Winter Garden
the
FutuRe OF
FeatuReS?
Pacific Rim, a big-budget
tent-pole feature that shot
in toronto did big business
in China. it was the largest
hollywood film opening
of all time in China. ●
Wrangling a sitter, paying
them and not seeing your
little one for a whole day
can be a deterrent to
attending a conference,
even one as fun and informative as the aCtRa
toronto members Conference.that’s why we decided to provide members
with on-site child care at
this fall's Conference at no
charge. Improv Care,
experienced on-set tutors,
run by aCtRa member,
D a h l a m a c Ke n n a ,
transformed one of the Ryerson classrooms where our conference is
held into a magical, kid-friendly, Space-adventure-themed room. improv
Care's fully-trained, certified and screened professionals offer the highest
quality child care for infants to adolescents. as soon as the door to the
"Space Room" opened, my little guy ran into the room and didn't look
back. at the end of what felt like a long day for this Conference Chair, i
headed up to get Luc, thinking he'd be tired and ready to go, but no. he
wanted to show me the Space-themed-mobile, the Space tunnel and introduce me to his new friends. he’d had a fantastic day, slept really well
that night and will no doubt want to come with mummy to the next
conference and play with his improv Care providers in whatever
imaginatively-themed room they create. the day after the conference i
received very positive feedback from parents of the kids who attended
the child care. “miranda and ivor loved it. i am grateful, as i couldn’t have
been at the conference and shared my Finance report otherwise.thanks.”
David macniven, treasurer
i am deeply grateful to improv Care for the top-notch service they provided our members' children, as well as to staff member, Karen ritson,
for helping us make it happen. ●
What’S gOing dOWn With Yeaa?
By Clara Pasieka
it is a busy time for Yeaa! in September, Yeaa hosted its inaugural Yeaa @ tiFF Party and was met with a full house and eager guests lining up
around the block.Yeaa thanks all members for attending and would especially like to thank Council for their support of the event as well as aCtRa
staff for jumping on-board. to see photos from the event, be sure to check out Yeaa’s Facebook page.
in early October, a few members participated in an artists’ health alliance Workshop sponsored by aFBS where many members explored alexander
technique for the very first time at no cost. did you miss out on these? don’t worry. Yeaa has another soirée around the corner! in december, Yeaa will host its annual fundraiser in support
of the Yeaa Shorts program. Last year,Yeaa sent nine short films, all spearheaded by Yeaa members, to the ReelWorld Film Festival! Yeaa members
will be doing it all again this year. the Yeaa Shorts subcommittee met with bryn mcAuley and myself,Yeaa’s co-Chairs, to strategize. For the first
time this year,Yeaa will be engaged in an extensive outreach campaign
to other organizations in toronto to bring more union, diverse, young
performers into the Yeaa fold and to encourage more diverse artists
in both on-screen and key creative roles.
emeRging
Are you a performer who plays 17-27 on-screen? Come on
out to a Yeaa meeting or event as Yeaa gears up for its inaugural
animation carnival, the Yeaa Shorts initiative, and much more! Yeaa
generally meets the first thursday of every month. Check the website
for upcoming meetings. ●
20
Yeaa Committee members Kristina esposito and richard Young
have been named two of ReelWorld’s e20, emerging Filmmakers. Daniel
hayes and Natasha semone vassell, two more aCtRa toronto
members are also among the e20. aCtRa toronto Senior advisor, Indra
escobar, and tasso lakas, tiP Coordinator, are both e20 mentors.
Read more here: http://www.reelworld.ca/articlesdetails/tabid/126/artmid/581/articleid/38/20-emerging-Filmmakers-Prepare-for-the-2013ReelWorld-indie-Film-Lounge-.aspx
ACROSS
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neW!
FuLL memBeR
BaCKgROund
COmmittee
aCtRa toronto Council adopted a motion at its
September meeting to establish a committee of
full member background performers.the committee met for the first time on October 16th. issues
raised include: 1) the size and composition of the
aCtRa Background count 2) Preference of engagement 3) Booking and Cancellation rules 4)
Food issues 5) Working Conditions 6) Respect issues. a new checklist is now presented to each
production, prior to the start of filming, reminding
engagers of their obligations under the iPa agreement. Other issues raised at the meeting are being
addressed with talent agent groups and Casting
director groups. a meeting of Background talent
agents and Background Casting directors at
aCtRa toronto brought together the two groups
face to face for the first time. also in development
is a Casting Background talent database which will
enable Casting directors and low-budget Producers to search for aCtRa toronto members who
work Background. if you have questions about
working background, or the work of the aCtRa
toronto Background Committee, please call an
a C t R a to r o n t o s t e w a r d o r e - m a i l
[email protected]. ●
BG CATEGORY NOT FOUND IN NCA
YOUNG EMERGING TWENTY
SMEAR
___FOR COUNCIL
ONE ELEMENT OF A NICE VOICE
HINT
MERCER'S SIGNATURE
LAST YEAR'S AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
HESITATION
LAST YEAR'S ACTRA AWARD WINNER MALE
SMALL CHUCKLE ONLINE
DEMOCRACY INCREASES WHEN YOU DO THIS
PROVIDE WARMTH FOR BG IN THIS KIND OF
WEATHER
EXPRESSION OF DISGUST
BUTCH CASSIDY COMPOSER
WHO YOU SHOULD WRITE TO TO PROTECT
CHILD PERFORMERS (ABBR.)
WHERE THE SERIOUSLY ILL ARE (ABBR.)
IN THE MATTER OF
ACT__
SINGULAR
A LAUNCH WITHOUT FANFARE
BETWEEN SEX AND KIDS
WHERE TO VOTE FOR NEW COUNCIL
COUNCIL MEETING FREQUENCY
WHERE CDN ACTORS SOMETIMES GO FOR
PILOT SEASON (ABBR.)
THE EASY WAY TO GET YOUR RESIDUALS
(ABBR.)
HELLO (SLANG)
STAGE___
NUMBER RUNNING FOR STUNT COMMITTEE
NEGATIVE
DOWN
Just a Prayer
diversity update:
Several aCtRa toronto films were screened at the
Filmi South asian Film Festival: Just a Prayer, The Haircut, The Change, Shiva, I Think I Know You, Audition Day,
We Each Have Our Armies, Small Talk Denial. as well,
diversity Committee member, farah merani, took
part in a girl Power Panel. ● Filmifestival.org
PROBLem On Set?
COntaCt YOuR SteWaRd
go to www.actratoronto.com/contact/ , look up the
production, then click on the Stewards email address.
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TECHNOLOGY DEPT. (ABBR.)
PART OF HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER IN CHINA
MONTH NEW COUNCIL STARTS
LAST YEAR'S AWARD WINNER VOICE
LAST YEAR'S AWARD WINNER FEMALE
ROBERT LANTOS' SON
TO __OR NOT...
PRESIDENTIAL BIRD
DIVERSITY FILM FESTIVAL
VASIL'S ___HOLIC
SCHELLENBERG TO FRIENDS
PAGE ON WEBSITE TO FIND WHAT'S SHOOTING
SUB-GROUP OF COUNCIL
FUNERAL SPEECH
A SMALL ROLE
KIND OF SOUP
INDO-CANADIAN STAR LISA
OCEAN
PREMINGER
POSSESSIVE
IT'S ALL ABOUT __
___WARE
YEARS OF COUNCILLOR'S TERM
here is a complete list of aCtRa toronto Steward’s
emails and phone numbers:
Commercials:
Cathy Wendt: [email protected]
416.642.6714
Kelly Davis: [email protected] 416.642.6707
film, tv, Animation,
New media, tiP etc.
barbara larose: [email protected]
416.642.6712
Cindy ramjattan: [email protected]
416.642.6738
Clare Johnston: [email protected]
416.642.6746
erin Phillips: [email protected] 416.642.6711
Noreen murphy: [email protected]
416.642.6708
Report a performer-related
problem on set that involves:
child performers working more
than eight hours a day (under 12
years for the iPa; under 12 years
and without permission for the
nCa); unscheduled stunts or dangerous situations where stunt performers
are not being used; and unscripted nudity or sexual situations not outlined in
the contract; an injury to a performer.
!
New after-hours email and phone number
for critical on-set emergencies:
perfomers ON SET
1.855.201.7823
[email protected]