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ACTRA actra MAGAZINE SUMMER 2016 Mark your calendars! Tommy Tweed became the first National courtesy of CBC Still Photo Collection Photo president of ACTRA in 1952. Born and We’re celebrating ACTRA’s 75th raised in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Tommy was a founding member of RATS in 1943. year anniversary in 2018! Tommy was also one of the group of four individuals, which also included Esse Ljungh, W.O. Mitchell and Jean Murray, to first be presented with a John Drainie Award for their distinguished contribution to Canadian broadcasting. Without the talent, hard work and dedication of our founders, our union would not be what ng! it is today. ACTRA has grown into a mature rat organization that draws from the strength leb of its members, and sisters and brothers ce in the Canadian labour movement. e’re W ACTRA.75 Contents Change happens Photo courtesy of CBC Still Photo Collection Photo whether we want Photo courtesy of Bell Media. Thijs Jan Credit: photo Cover FEATURES 19-2 it or not. In our Keeso Holmes and Jared Adrian stars 8 industry, it’s already 19-2’S RecIPE FOR SUccess Cary Lawrence underway. 14 #ACTRAontheHill 4 Ferne Downey, Rebecca President’s Message Applebaum, Shannon Kook, CANCON IN A borderless Alvin Sanders FAANG world Ferne Downey 18 paGE 8 ACTRA’S WOMAN 6 OF THE YEAR Bargaining Update CatherINE JOELL From RADIO’S MackINNON “DOLLAR A HOLLER” to VIRAL VIdeo ADS 20 Stephen Waddell “Likes,” camera, actION! Harrison Houde 28 24 APPLAUSE SCHOOLING CANADIANS paGE 14 ABOUT CANADIAN FILM 34 Jack Blum & Vinay Virmani Farewell paGE 20 Photo: Photo: marketed and seen, it also creates new You can easily change the word Australia F challenges for performers and our culture as for Canada in that question. Like Australia, Chartrandred a whole. As Australian professor Julianne we’re not a global superpower or an eco- Schultz noted in a recent lecture on culture nomic titan. Both countries exist in the in a digital era, we’re living in the “Age of shadow of not only the largest economy in FAANG.” That’s a shorthand term stock the world, but the largest culture producer analysts use to describe the new global era in the world. We’ve managed to build a dominated by Facebook, Apple, Amazon, creative industry here in Canada through Netflix and Google. These are the new titans hard work, talent, effort and planning. of global industry. They’re worth billions It didn’t happen by accident and it won’t of dollars and they aren’t constrained by thrive if we forget that. CanCon in a borders. In fact, they have more assets than As the government looks to these issues, many countries. some are arguing that government should They are also, as Schultz notes, dramat- simply give up, get out of the way and let the ically different from the big businesses we markets take care of themselves. The core knew in the past: of the Broadcasting Act laid out—almost 50 borderless years ago—principles that are still relevant “What makes this different to say, the rise today. The technology we use may be dif- of the multinational firm of the middle ferent but the idea that our broadcasting years of the 20th century—the great cor- system should be owned and controlled by FAANG world porations that sold energy, transport and Canadians and used for the benefit of all consumer goods—is that culture and the Canadians is unshakeably vital. By Ferne Downey, ACTRA National President art and craft of making meaning are at The key fundamentals for which we’ve the heart of the new corporations . As a advocated in the past remain relevant if “Everything is on the table.” sure it understands just how important result, support for sustaining, growing we want to make sure Canadian content That’s how the new Minister of Canadian our industry is and how it works. Prime and exploring cultural identity is also does not disappear on our screens: Heritage described the review she had just Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals more fragile than those who came of age launched into Canada’s cultural policies. It’s were elected on a promise of change—but in the middle of last century could have 1. Effective and enforceable regulation exciting, but also unnerving. Our industry, the sort of change they deliver will have ever anticipated . of broadcasting on both conventional and all of the work we do as performers, is a huge impact on our creative industries and digital platforms; closely tied to government policy. The right and all the people they employ. Facebook’s 31-year-old founder Mark 2. Maintain Canadian control of our mix of government support and regulation Change happens whether we want it or Zuckerberg recently warned of “the danger telecommunications corporations; has helped to build a screen-based indus- not. In our industry, it’s already underway. of people and nations turning inward— 3. Increase public and private investment try that has resulted in more work oppor- A global digital revolution has changed the against this idea of a connected world and in the production of new Canadian tunities for us to tell Canadian stories. The way in which people enjoy and appreciate a global community.” We might nod in content; and wrong mix could put all of that at risk. As culture. Movie theatres and record stores agreement if we think about China at its 4. Support independent and local voices. you’ll see elsewhere in this issue of ACTRA are being replaced by Netflix and iTunes. authoritarian worst, but what about in an Magazine, we’ve been working hard to get While this does create new opportunities open place like Australia? Do we become The timing is intriguing: Canada’s sesqui- on the new government’s radar and make for ACTRA members to have their work invisible and lose our moorings?” centennial celebrations (with culture as a 4 ACTRA MAGAZINE President’s Message Photo: Photo: centrepiece) will launch in 2017; ACTRA Ferne Downey, F red Chartrandred will celebrate 75 years of vigorous cultural Sarah Gadon and advocacy in 2018; and Canadian content Benz Antoine is hot, and being discovered and re-dis- covered every day. Yet, when Canada has so much success, is it really wise to put “everything” on the table? We have built something for which it is worth fighting on behalf of this and future generations. At ACTRA, we have been quite proficient at adapting to the constantly changing landscape. It is not change I’m afraid of—it is change to the point of unrecognizability and the potential decimation of CanCon and, consequentially, our work opportun- ities. Intelligent, strategic decisions will need to be made in this Canadian Heritage consultation and we will need to have a strong, clear voice. The government has a leading role to play to ensure our Canadian industry continues to thrive and CanCon is respected. Culture has grown into a major economic driver and is a beacon for young, creative people trying to make a living. We are in it to stay. Canadian content rules, balanced regu- lation and government support have helped to ensure our industry continues to thrive in the face of a flood of American content. We need this balanced approach to con- tinue in the Digital Age. Every step we take will be directly tied to your life as a profes- sional performer—talk to your MP regularly at your constituency office. Make friends. Help them understand how our business works—because “everything is on the table.” SUMMER 2016 5 Photo: Jag Jag Photo: opportunities for professional performers. digital media commercials year-over-year Many members who used to enjoy working for six years. In the last round of bargaining, G in commercials are seeing fewer oppor- in response to member complaints pre- undu tunities than in the past. Advertisers are dominantly in Toronto, ACTRA eliminated now focused on the bottom line when it the four-hour call/half-day rate, a victory comes to production costs for their spots. to be sure. But in exchange, we had to trade Multinational corporations are increas- exclusions for members of the public and ingly producing commercials that are used advertisers’ employees to satisfy truth in globally. The trend of using members of advertising concerns. We also made the the public and employees of the advertiser trade to save our share of professional work From radio’s in commercials continues. Production of in these commercials, work as announcers, non-ACTRA digital ads is increasing as hosts and interviewers, and to maintain/ advertisers turn to non-signatory agencies increase ACTRA’s share of commercial juris- “dollar a and production companies to produce diction and member work opportunities. directly for digital media using non-ACTRA Meanwhile, in the U.S., SAG-AFTRA and performers. And U.S. advertisers and agen- the ad industry have recently concluded holler” to viral cies are coming to Canada increasingly to renegotiation of their National Commer- produce non-ACTRA ads for the U.S. and cial Agreement and released the Terms of global markets. Ironically, we are not alone Settlement. SAG-AFTRA received healthy to face these hurdles on our side of the wage, residual and benefit increases. In video ads table. The Mad Men era of full-service ad exchange, the ad industry received exclu- agency predominance has passed. sions for members of the public and adver- By Stephen Waddell Non-signatory boutique content agencies tisers’ employees—which matches ACTRA’s are producing digital commercials, which exclusion language agreed in our bargaining ACTRA has been negotiating agreements off-camera work.

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