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3 Key Regulations You Need To Know About Talent Agents in BC

Kenji Maeda — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:52:07 +0000

As actor you need to be informed. You need to know your rights. You need to know how to protect your money.

Being an actor, there are investments we make so that we are prepared. We pay upfront for training, photo shoots, headshot reproductions, demo reels, parking, and many more things. The one thing we do not and shout not put our hard-earned cash toward is for getting an agent.

In the province of British Columbia, Talent Agents are regulated through the Employment Standards Branch of the Ministry of Labour. They help to provide clear guidelines about fees or commissions agents receive, how soon an agent should be paying their actor (after receiving payment from the production company), and most importantly knowing that there are rules and if agents are not following the rules, there is a governing body who can help to solve issues.

Here are the three key regulations you need to be aware of:

1) Do not pay a registration fee up front to be represented by an agent.

The talent agency must not charge an actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person a fee for taking and providing photographs of the actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person, unless the fee

(i) does not exceed $25 a year, and
(ii) is only deducted from payment of wages received by the actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person;

2) Talent Agents can charge a maximum of 15% commission

All fees paid to the talent agency by an actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person who is employed as a consequence of the efforts of the talent agency, are not more than 15 percent of the wages owing to the actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person from his or her employment

3) No other fees may be charged by a Talent Agency

For services such as Casting Workbook, the performer must pay directly to the service and not through their talent agency.

Can’t resolve your issue?

If you have unresolvable issues with a talent agency with regards to the regulation outlined by the Ministry of Labour, you should contact the nearest office of the Employment Standards Branch.

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How To Have a Great Audition from Casting Director, Bernie Telsey

Kenji Maeda — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:38:49 +0000

New York Casting Director, Bernie Telsey has experience casting film and stage productions since the 90′s. Some of the films he and his company has cast include Sex and the City, Across the Universe, Rent, and Finding Forrester. Some of the Broadway and off-Broadway shows include the original cast of Rent, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, and Wicked.

Bernie has some great tips on what makes an impact in the audition room. In the video clip below, he talks about the following things:

What it means to be prepared.
The difference between stage and film auditions.
How to choose a song or monologue.
How to approach cold reads.

“Actors are a very important part of society.”

Kenji Maeda — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:41:09 +0000

The GVPTA (Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance) linked this video over on Facebook in honour of World Theatre Day on the weekend. I just had a chance to view it and thought it was really captures the importance of not only actors in society but the whole arts and culture sector.

In the video, Patsy Rodenburg (Voice and Shakespeare teacher in New York) speaks to why she thinks actors and playwrights are important and why she does theatre.

Enjoy and be inspired.

2010 Tax Time. Use It To Your Advantage.

Patricia Cullen — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:35:47 +0000

Taxes. Every year I learn something new I wish I had known years prior. And this year is no exception. During a very in depth interview with Mark Yoshihara, CA of Backspin Entertainment Business Services, we discuss what you can and cannot expense and a few tricks to stretch those expenses further. So grab yourself a cup of coffee and a comfy chair, because we cover pretty much almost everything.

Editor’s Note: This article is intended to provide you with general tax information and should not be used as your only source of information. You should always seek the assistance of a professional familiar with your own personal circumstances for tax and financial advice.

Promotions/Marketing

This includes IMDB, Castingworkbook, demo CDs or DVDs, correct?

Yes, anything that you do to promote your business is considered a marketing expense. If you were to place an ad on the billboard, that would be an expense. Any business cards or anything you use to promote and advertise your business would qualify.

Portion of Rent

How exactly does writing off a portion of your rent or mortgage work?

It’s based on what percentage of the home space you use for a workspace. The percentage is calculated by dividing the area of your office space by the area of your entire home. Generally speaking, it works well if you had an empty room set up as an office. Then you use that percentage to calculate the business portion of rent, mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance, utilities, strata fees & repairs and maintenance. One thing to keep in mind if you own your home, do not amortize it for business because when you sell, it will affect your tax free principal residence status.

Internet

Because the internet is generally for both business & personal use, you want to determine what percentage is actually used for business.

Phone

The business expense portion of your phone use is based on the amount that is used for business. If you’re using your personal line for long distance business calls, that’s also a business expense.

Office expenses

100% of paper, ink, pens, toner, envelopes, erasers, stamps, paper clips, staples…..basically everything you need for the office. This would include renewable software subscriptions such as an anti-virus program.

Computer

What portion of your computer is considered an expense?

It’s amortized and the rates always change but right now, they’ve actually gone up. The current rate is 100% but you can only claim 50% of that in the first year and then claim the other 50% in the second year. This also goes for computer equipment such as scanners, printers, microphones, etc. Generally you would write off completely, anything that would be less than $200. Software is 100% over 2 years as well.

Travel expenses

Any airfare, accommodation, transportation expenses incurred during travel for business are business expenses but then again meals, even while traveling for work can only be claimed at 50%, so you want to keep track of those separately.

Meals

Speaking of meals for business. What about when attending classes or workshops? Are the meals purchased during those times an expense?

Meals when either traveling or attending conventions, conferences or similar events can be claimed. So if you are attending an acting/film convention or conference, that would qualify. Attending classes and workshops would not qualify.

Entertainment

No matter how many people you entertain you can only expense 50% of the bill. There are however, different rules if, for example you have a business and you’re taking out all your employees for a Christmas dinner, then that would be 100%.

Parking

It’s been my understanding that you cannot write off parking expenses incurred at parking meters because of a lack of receipt.

There is few expense categories that don’t provide a receipt and meters are one of them. If you don’t get a receipt, just document it by writing it down. Keep track of it along with your mileage. Parking for business is a 100% business expense.

Bus passes

Once again it’s a percentage of business use. So, you can write off individual transit receipts that are used for work or a percentage of your monthly pass. However, if you write off a percentage of those monthly passes for business use, that will affect your transit tax credit.

Auto Expenses

If I have this correct, you need to keep track of your km’s used for business, because this determines your percentage of business use & then, what percentage of auto expenses you are eligible to expense.

That’s correct. The business portion of gas, oil, repairs, maintenance, amortization, lease payments, insurance and interest on a loan to buy a car is determined by your keeping track of your mileage. If you don’t have your mileage recorded, the CRA will deny any automotive expenses. You must have your mileage log book.

What about when you purchase a vehicle. Is there a total of the purchase price I can write off?

When purchasing the vehicle you amortize it at 30% a year. But it’s a declining balance so you don’t write off a flat 30% a year. It’s a 30% declining balance so there’s no limit to how many years you can write this off. The cost of the vehicle is capped at $30,000. (Read on to ‘Other Tax Questions’ to learn more about declining balances.)

Personal Development Courses

Training, Workshops, Classes, Stunt courses, Singing, Dancing – Anything you’re doing to enhance your business is considered an expense.

What about gym, yoga or Parks & Recreation memberships?

No. They do not count.

Beauty & Fashion

I’ve heard that some women write off their makeup.

If it was purchased and used specifically and exclusively for business and not for personal use, you could claim it as a business expense.

And what about clothing?

Again, if you bought clothing specifically for business use and not for personal use you can claim it. It must be used exclusively for a specific audition or specific role.

Movies, Movie Rentals and Books

Anything that is considered research & development for your business is a 100% write off. Anything where you’re watching actors or reading up on actors or the industry is researching and developing your craft as an actor.

GST

When should the self-employed consider getting a GST number?

The Rule is once your sales or revenue gets to $30K a year, you have to get one. However there are many benefits to getting a number regardless of what your income is. Let’s say you buy a computer and pay $50 in tax. With a GST number, you’ll get that back.

Paying GST Instalments throughout the year – is that a choice made by the tax payer or by the CRA?

My advice is to file quarterly. You have a choice when you first sign up for GST if you want to pay annually, quarterly or monthly. File quarterly, because 2 things. Number 1, it forces you to do your bookkeeping every 3 months which is good incentive to avoid a huge box of receipts and at the end of the year. And the other thing too is that if you pay more GST than you receive, you get a refund from the government. And therefore if you are getting a refund you might as well get it sooner than later. As we know, some actors can go six months or longer without work so they have zero revenue, but they will have expenses.

Submitting your taxes.

The self-employed are not required to have their taxes in until June 15th. But if you end up owing you’re charged interest as of May 1^st. If you do owe taxes you must pay the CRA by April 30^th to avoid interest.

RRSP Contributions

Try to maximize your RRSP contribution. Not only is a RRSP a tax deduction, income generated inside your RRSP is sheltered from tax. You can always cash in your RRSP anytime if you need the money in the future, but it will be taxed in the year that you cash it in, except if it is used for first time home buyers or for qualified education.

Tax Free Savings Account

Also, in 2009, the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) was introduced, whereby you can invest up to $5,000 per year into a TFSA and the income is completely tax free, including interest and capital gains. Generally the investments allowed in a TFSA are similar to the investments allowed in an RRSP. You can carry forward any unused contribution from previous years.

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If you’re interested in handing over your tax preparation to Mark, email queries@backspin.biz or visit www.backspin.biz for more info. And remember to use your Backspin coupon from your Production Heads Coupon Book!

-Written by Patricia Cullen with special thanks to Mark Yoshihara of Backspin for his time & expertise.

[Photo Credit: alancleaver]

Coming to Canada to Act?

Kenji Maeda — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:28:29 +0000

A bunch of emails come in over at the Vancouver Actor’s Guide from international (mostly from the USA) actors asking about working and auditioning here in Canada. And really, the main thing to consider is whether you have the paper work to legally work here.

You need to contact the office of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). Because each country has different rules and regulations when it comes to working in a foreign country, find the closest Canadian Embassy, Consulate or High Commission. Note: You must contact the location that works with your country of citizenship. If you are an American citizen then choose one of the visa offices across the US. There’s a full list of international Canadian Visa Offices on the CIC website. They will be able to properly assess your situation on an individual basis.

Working Holiday or Exchange Programs

Some countries like Australia have established a Working Holiday Program which allows you to travel to another country and work casually to help pay for expenses as you travel around. Of course, not all countries offer this and the ones that do have guidelines. For example, they are generally for those aged 18 and over. Some have a maximum age limit of 30 – 35.

Here is a short, but not exclusive, list of the pages for specific areas that have Exchange or Working Holiday programs set up. You should continue to do your own more extensive research beyond these pages, but this can give you a start.

Citizenship & Immigration Canada – www.cic.gc.ca
Australia – www.whpcanada.org.au
Austria – www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canada-europa/austria/embassy/swap-en.asp
France – www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canada-europa/france/visas/pvt-en.asp
Germany – www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canada-europa/germany/visa-internD-en.asp
Ireland – www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canada-europa/ireland/embassy/advice_about_visas_and_immigration-en.asp
New Zealand – www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/newzealand/whp/intro-en.asp
Canadian High Commission for all of Northern Europe – www.canada.org.uk/visa-info/worker/e_stuwor.htm

Share any other resources or information you have in the comment below.

[Image Source: jstephenconn]

Casting Director, Candice Elzinga: How To Make A Good Impression

Kenji Maeda — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:03:12 +0000

Found this great clip which Anastasia Bandey posted over on her Actorworks Vancouver site.

Vancouver Casting Director, Candice Elzinga answers a question asked of her: What can an actor do to stand out amongst others in an audition? Candice has a lot of experience in this industry having worked on more than 200 films or TV epsiodes, including 44 episodes of Andromeda, and 34 episodes of Jeremiah.

How To Use or Lose Those Nerves For Audition Success

Michael Coleman — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:20:03 +0000

Most auditions that fall apart and do not resemble what the actor had in mind when rehearsing things in their living room comes down to one word… Nerves.

Here are some thoughts and advice on how to eliminate or better yet “use” the nerves to your advantage. Different scenes and characters can utilize these feelings differently.

For characters that require a sense of urgency, tension, stress, a level of distress, etc… I often see actors come into the room and take a moment or two to eliminate their “audition nerves” and reach a level of calm only to struggle through their entire scene as they aren’t able to portray the level of stress, tension, urgency that the scene requires. If the scene requires an edge of uncertainty, doubt, etc. use the natural feeling you have walking into the room. If you are feeling a little scared and the scene requires you to be a little scared – GO. Start! Don’t take several moments to compose only to spend the entire audition trying to lose that same composure.

For scenes that do not require this level of uneasiness or require a different tone I suggest you do a few things. before you begin take a full breath in and exhale a full breath out before performing while on your mark. Avoid taking a deep breath and holding your breath until the scene begins. I see this a lot in the room and it often leads to a rocky start.

I also suggest playing the “truth game” in your head when you walk in. Be aware and warm up being truthful in all you do. Make simple, truthful statements in your head about your environment–

* The Casting Director is wearing glasses.
* The chair is black.
* The reader is a guy.
* I am going to use that chair from Ikea.

I know a lot of actors that kind of snap out of it once they leave the room and they couldn’t tell you much about what just happened only moments before. When you are in the room – be in the room.

You would be surprised at how powerful this little exercise can be. It is your job to be grounded and perform in honesty. This is a great warm up and wonderful to put the entire room into a place of calm of simplicity. (I would do these statements in your head without moving your lips to avoid looking a little crazy)

For anyone that has a problem with nerves in the room I encourage you to try these techniques. I would love to hear your experiences after trying these in your next auditions. I have personally found tremendous success from these ideas as have some of the actors I have worked with and I would love to hear what others think.

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Michael Coleman is an actor, writer, voice-over performer and acting coach based out of Vancouver and Los Angeles. Michael is the founder of The Audition Room and The Shoreline Actors Film & Television Studio both based out of Shoreline Studios.

Exercise: What Makes A Good Audition?

Kenji Maeda — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:35:20 +0000

I was doing my usual browse across some websites people were sending me recently and came across a site for a film project called, The Baby Cliff. The project, “a series of fictional comedy shorts,” is collaborative in nature. The public has the opportunity to participate in three different ways:

Vote on what lines to include in the script. (“Writer”)
Submit an audition tape for some of their characters. (“Actor”)
Vote on those audition tapes to help create a short list of the Actors. (“Casting Director”)

You can read more and participate with the project on their site (http://thebabycliff.com). I’m bringing this up because I saw a valuable learning opportunity, particularly for you Actors out there, to take a look at some auditions and critique them with an objective eye.

I took a look at most of the auditions they had available and there’s a mixed bag of experience with those actors. It even looks like part of the marketing and promotion for this project was to set up a tent at a public event where guys and gals put themselves on tape. Others submitted auditions using their own camcorder from home, web cams, and even some where the actors did the taping in an acting studio.

Despite the fact that the image or audio quality between one video to the next might be different, try to ignore the technical aspects and focus on the acting.

The Exercise

I’ve embedded the audition submissions that are available on their site along with the character descriptions for the character. I would encourage you to watch some of the auditions with inexperienced actors (and you will know which ones those are within a few seconds) just as much as you watch other ones. You can learn a lot when you see what doesn’t work. Then find the ones that do work and figure out why.

Some things you can look for:

Are they making strong choices?
Do you have an idea of who they’re talking to? The relationship between the characters?
Do you understand the general story of the scene?
Where’s their eye line? Is it working?
Do their actions/movements feel forced or natural? Too big or too small for the screen?
What’s working for you and what’s not?

Remember, this is an exercise on breaking down the components of an audition. Not simply to say “Good Actor / Bad Actor.” Figure out what you need to work on.

Martha

Female, age 48, an angry mother of a lazy teenage boy. She’s just about given up and has a bone to pick with Storkie-man for glamourizing the world’s toughest job. If her energy wasn’t already spent, she might manage to slap a bra on her sagging breasts before heading out of the house.

Martin

Male, age 27, loves the action and the adrenaline rush he gets from his job as a bomb-tech. His mission, to save men everywhere from a lifetime sentence to the old ball and chain.

Russ

Male, age 35, a no-nonsense bomb-tech who knows he’s making a difference in the world. He sees himself as a mentor for his younger partner.

Did you discover anything for yourself after viewing those auditions? Let us know in the comments below.

You can also read our blog post: 7 Core Elements to Improve Your Audition

Ask Questions To Find The Right Photographer

Patricia Cullen — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:40:10 +0000

Like many of us in the arts, we didn’t wise up to what we really wanted to do some several years and well traveled career paths later and Michael Ford is no exception. His love for photography started as a hobby in high school and it wasn’t until falling in love with Paris, France through his lens that he realized this is exactly where he had to be, behind the lens.

“I was tired of giving myself to someone else’s vision,” working for big companies whose moral standing were of one mind, profit. Michael reclaimed his love for photography taking a few courses but more predominantly, rolls upon rolls of film, discovering and defining himself through the process. As technology developed from film to digital, Michael followed suit.

“At a certain point, when the technology reached a level suitable for professionals, it just made sense to move to digital. It provides a certain freedom, both artistically and technically.” And while Michael enjoys the artistic freedom from setup, to shooting through to post production, clients have much to benefit from digital as well. “With the digital process, you don’t need to order a print of every shot, carry those prints around town to your friends, to your agent, potentially damaging or losing them along the way.” Clients view their shots online in a web gallery, give their friends & agents access to it, or have the shots saved to CD. Then there’s the security feature where Michael keeps two copies of your images on separate hard drives in separate locations. We could tell you where, but then we’d have to kill you.

So, who is Michael’s ideal client? “That’s a hard question. I guess clients that are open to the process, come prepared and are excited to be here. It’s important that they respect my work and my choices and that they believe in me and have faith that I know what I’m doing. And the energy, a loose energy, free with their body. Clients who leave their ego at the door and who work with me as a team, sharing their thoughts on the process.”

It also helps when clients are prepared for the shoot. The studio is theirs, but much of the success rests on their preparation. “Be careful about what you wear. A headshot greatly influences how you will be marketed. It’s always good to talk with your agent about how they’ll position you in the market before you get your shots done.” And as far as some wardrobe do’s and don’ts, “Stay away from busy patterns, solid colours are usually best but some textures are usually okay. And if you’re thinking of getting a new style of hair, don’t do it the day of or the day before. Give yourself some time to get used to it. And mostly for women, hire our professional makeup artist who understands what is required for headshots. You need makeup to achieve a natural look. And finally, schedule your session a time of day that works for you and get lots of sleep the night before your appointment.”

And what advice does Michael have for readers in the process of selecting a photographer? “First, check out their work. Visit their site and see if their style appeals to you. Then, ask some questions to make sure they’re the right photographer for you.” What kind of questions?

Do you limit the number of shots?
How long do you spend with your clients?
How long after the shoot until I see the prints?
What’s the process from shoot to finish?
What’s included in the cost?
How many images will you post process for me?
Where do we shoot?
Do you shoot on digital or film?
Is it possible to meet you in person before I book with you?
How do I get reprints in the future?
Are my digital images backed up? What happens if your computers are stolen or crash, are my images gone then?
Will you re-shoot at no-charge if I’m not satisfied?”

“And don’t use price as a sole criteria. It’s about finding the right match for you. Price alone does not reflect whether a photographer is the right match for you or not. Call them and get a feel for their personality.”

Be sure to check out Michael Ford’s website which has more tips and information on the experience of the photoshoot. You can check him out at www.fordheadshots.com, or call him at 604.839.3673.

If you are a high school student graduating in 2010, you can enter yourself into a draw for a free grad portrait. Become a fan of Ford Grads on Facebook by September 1 2009 and you will be entered.

Actors: Work With Your Allies – Part Two

Michael Coleman — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:03:33 +0000

Continuation from Part 1, Work With Your Allies where Talent Agents and Casting Directors were brought up. Here are other allies you work with every day that you want to reconsider your approach when working together:

READERS

This is your scene partner in an audition. You wouldn’t do a scene on set or in a scene study class without first talking to them. Why would you eliminate this part of the process when real work is on the line? Be efficient but don’t be afraid to respectfully ask for anything you need (a beat or a laugh or something), remember they weren’t in your living room rehearsing this with you. They don’t know what you are thinking? How many auditions have you flubbed because a reader screwed it up for you? It is your audition and therefore your responsibility to initiate dialogue. Remember to be both efficient and respectful. You always ask if they wouldn’t mind… and you know what you want to ask well in advance. If you can do this quickly and just outside of the room that is often the best way to proceed.

CAMERA PERSON

Know your frame. Show them your final mark if you are walking into frame. This is almost always a really quick chat. But if you let them know what you are thinking of doing and if you know what they are shooting in advance you will most likely have all of your magic captured on tape. Nothing worse than losing an audition because whomever is watching the tape can’t see what you’re doing.

ACTING COACH

All of your dumb questions go here because there is no such thing as a dumb question. Get one on one coaching for EVERY audition. Actors who do this excel and progress more quickly. It is insane to do an audition out loud for the first time in a room (believe me – I used to do this) and it is equally insane to not have done it exactly as you like a few times considering variable before going in for the real deal. How many auditions do you get in a month? Can you really afford not be amazing every time you go in? If you aren’t going in as a legitimate first choice why are you even there in the first place?

DIRECTORS / PRODUCERS

They want everyone they see to be perfect for the role so they can have carte blanche pick and design the perfect show. In reality if 10% of actors nail it that is a good day. This mentality needs to change. We should all be nailing it every time. There is no reason not to except laziness or a refusal to be educated. Remember this is a creative and collaborative process. If a director offers you a chance to dialogue or discuss – do so. If you simply answer “no” every time you get the “Do you have any questions?” thing you are turning down a chance to work together. Set moves too quickly to direct as much they would like in the real work and therefore a lot of the directing takes place in the audition room (particularly in episodic work). Find a way to engage the director/producer and show them you can work together.

PEERS

“Be the change you want to see in the world” is one of my favorite sayings. Be a stronger community. Offer to help others run auditions and don’t be afraid to ask for the same in return. Be better at what you do every day with real things that create real work. When we are a more talented, dedicated community there is more work for everyone. For everyone in every area of the industry. And make sure you are doing real things that really make us stronger. Get in better shape. Train relentlessly in auditioning and scene study. Booking freebie gigs isn’t something that strengthens our community. In fact, it weakens it to some degree.

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