Agents pitching thesps on deal
Letters supporting agency ownership in the mail
The move, which comes as ballots go out today to SAG's 98,000 members, underscores the importance placed on the pact and its provisions to ease ownership restrictions on agencies while preserving the SAG master franchise agreement. Result will be announced April 19.
"Dear Valued Client," began a letter dated Thursday, received by hundreds of thesps repped by Cunningham-Escott-Dipene. "We hope you will support the thousands of hours of hard work that went into arriving at a win-win agreement for actors and agents. The agreement provides for uncompromised representation and strengthens the partnership between the agency and acting community."
The missives stem from an information campaign package that included sample letters and Q&A sheets and was prepped by the Assn. of Talent Agents and the Natl. Assn. of Talent Representatives, the trade groups that negotiated with SAG. An ATA rep said several agencies have sent out such info recently to help persuade actors to vote for the pact.
"I and everyone at CED feel that regulations in our industry are important," wrote prexy T.J. Escott in the CED letter. "The old regulations were antiquated and unworkable. This agreement is an agreement that speaks to the industry as we know it in the 21st century. Without an agreement we are in a nether world that could lead to disruption and chaos in our industry. I and everyone at CED wholeheartedly support this agreement and ask you to give it your support as well."
Opposing view
Opponents of the deal have contended that allowing ad agencies, advertisers and indie producers to buy up to 20% of talent agencies will create unacceptable conflicts of interest and shrink opportunities for actors.
"The consolidation of power and the vertical integration under the deal will lead to fewer agencies and less jobs for actors," asserted SAG board member Mark Carlton.
SAG also announced Tuesday that the deal includes a provision to expand access to agents. If the three-year deal is approved, SAG said it will be able to take these steps:
- It would hold Actors First Job Fairs in major cities, allowing members to meet one-on-one with agents and to participate in panel discussions and workshops with agents and casting directors.
- It would launch a Business Conversations program for smaller groups of actors and agents.
- SAG and ATA/NATR will launch a series of access days at agencies around the country with SAG sending members to selected agents for general interviews each month.
Getting agents
SAG prexy Melissa Gilbert said: "Getting an agent is one of the biggest hurdles an actor faces. These programs -- made possible by approval of the SAG-Agency Franchise Agreement --will help open doors to our members, resulting in more opportunities for work for SAG actors."
Carlton said the pledge of new SAG efforts in the agent arena is simply a way to sugarcoat a bad deal. "I think it's a desperate effort to scare people into thinking they won't be able to get an agent otherwise," he added.
Opponents have also complained that members will be receiving a summary of the agreement rather than the full text. "This is such a bad deal for actors that we are not surprised that SAG won't include the actual language," Carlton said.
