Twin Cities News and Views March 2013

Letter from the Editor

By Mary Em Burns

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Twin Cities Local SAG-AFTRA e-newsletter!

I am honored and pleased to have the opportunity to craft our local’s e-newsletter. I hope that it will serve the membership well, providing information and a more accessible connection point to the local. We plan to publish four issues a year, once each quarter. 

Throughout my union tenure (I joined AFTRA in 1985, SAG in 2002 and AEA in 1983), I have longed for more regular Twin Cities union news and a more consistent local presence in our various union publications, both locally and in the national legacy SAG, legacy AFTRA and AEA publications. Since the Twin Cities union performer community does not necessarily have a central physical gathering place, most of our members rarely see each other unless they are at the same audition or on a job together. In addition, merger has now brought together more diverse union members locally. I believe that providing — even on a quarterly basis — news and other local updates will give our diverse membership the opportunity to start feeling more connected to each other, to the local and to the union. If we are able to hear more regularly about local events, board and committee work, and other union-related news, and see photos of our fellow union members, it will help bring us a bit closer to each other and strengthen our union presence in the Twin Cities.

Our newsletter — which will be sent by email to members quarterly — gives us a chance to not only share what has been going on in the local, but to tell you about other opportunities for members, such as those offered by the SAG Foundation in this issue. In addition to regular content from local elected leadership, staff and the editors, we hope that you — our local members — will want to participate and claim your place in the e-newsletter. Send us your comments and your contributions, share your photos from events, meetings and even on the job with other union members! We want to feature your experiences, advice and comments in our “Day in the Life” section each quarter (see above). We also plan a centerpiece feature in each issue, with this month featuring an interview with multifaceted local member Patrick Coyle.
 
I can share my own example of a “Day in the Life” moment, an experience I recently had. After a long dry spell of no auditions or jobs, I was called in by one of our local franchised agencies to audition for student film projects being produced by advanced film students at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC). With assistance from local film professionals, that college film program had worked with SAG-AFTRA under the union’s special contract that allows students to cast union actors in their projects — a perfect example of the fact that the union has been flexible in order to encourage more work and help grow future union members. I walked into the auditions and was greeted by a film professional (who was working with MCTC on the projects) and a casting agent with whom I had worked on past union commercial jobs. Even though I had not worked with these people recently, I was still treated with respect and was pleased to note that they not only remembered me, but also our prior work together. When I walked into the audition room, which incidentally held the entire class of student filmmakers and their teachers, and read for the two different films for which I was being considered, I also felt like a teacher of sorts — helping to prove to these potential future filmmakers that union actors can make a difference in their filmmaking experience and their final product. This feeling of sharing my experience and expertise with a group of potential “future employers,” along with the respect for my work and status shown by the industry professionals there that day buoyed me up for days to come, and again, reminded me that being a union professional is important to me, even when the jobs aren’t as plentiful as I would like.  

I hope you all enjoy this first issue of our e-newsletter and that you begin to share some of your stories, pictures, and ideas with us — including ideas for a potential new name for the newsletter. Please submit your comments, contributions and photos for us to consider for the next newsletter by email to: colleen.aho@sagaftra.com. Include your contact information, and for photos submitted, include the event/location name or description, the date and the names of all individuals pictured. Our deadline for submissions for the next issue is May 15*.

Have a great and prosperous three months, and I know we’ll connect again soon!

*NOTE: Submissions must be your original content. The editors will make the final decision on whether or not to include submissions, and reserve the right to edit all submissions. If your submission is accepted for inclusion, you may be required to sign a release.

The Twin Cities Local:  Building on the Past, Moving Forward as SAG-AFTRA

By Colleen Aho
Twin Cities Local Executive Director

The Twin Cities Local traces its roots back to the 1937 founding of AFRA — the American Federation of Radio Artists. Twin Cities AFRA began operating locally out of members’ homes in the mid-’40s. Later, AFRA became AFTRA, and the Twin Cities Local received its official AFTRA charter on March 7, 1957. Still later, the Twin Cities Local of AFTRA entered into a joint agreement with the Screen Actors Guild, and continued to successfully service SAG contracts and members in Minnesota for several decades. That joint agreement ceased for a relatively brief time span in recent years, but now the merger of AFTRA and SAG has brought us back full circle again. 

Many of you reading this newsletter are longtime local members of legacy AFTRA and SAG — you know the work of the local from past experience — but others of you are newer members, perhaps unfamiliar with the local. So for our local in particular, the beauty of merger is not only that it unites two legacy unions, but that it brings our business together again under one local — as one united organization.

Who We Are

The Twin Cities Local of SAG-AFTRA covers Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Our current staff of three includes yours truly, the executive director; Timothy Ogren, the assistant executive director; and Kari Forseth-Bales, membership and freelance administrator. Each of us has more than two decades of experience working for the union. We are dedicated to working on your behalf as your professional advocates; we believe in enforcing and expanding union standards and protections for our members; we understand that because our union and our local are part of the labor movement, we have a responsibility to organize and build labor strength in order to uphold the professional standards established by our union. We also partner with our community and our industry. Our local has long held a seat on the Minnesota Film and TV Board; we have proudly maintained active affiliation to and involvement in our statewide AFL-CIO and the regional labor bodies of Minneapolis and St. Paul; and we have partnered with other local organizations in many endeavors over the years. For example, Local Board member Tena May Gallivan will be leading a workshop on public speaking for several hundred Minnesota union women in late April, as part of the University of Minnesota Labor Education Service’s three-day Minnesota Union Women’s Leadership Retreat. This highly focused labor leadership program has been very successful, gathering together women from many different unions from all around the state, with the goal of developing effective women leaders. National Co-President Roberta Reardon gave a boost to Minnesota union women in September, when she was a keynote speaker at the Minnesota AFL-CIO Convention here, helping to kick off the statewide union women leadership initiative passed at that convention. 

Our elected leadership is led by Local President Peggy O’Connell. Peggy is a respected actor who regularly performs both under SAG-AFTRA contracts and on professional Equity stages. She is also a devoted mentor to young performers. You will hear more from her in the future about the work of her new committee focused on improving protections for young performers in Minnesota. The other Local Board officers are Barry ZeVan, Tony Saffold, Tena May Gallivan and Mark Bradley. Our National Board member is WCCO-AM personality Denny Long. Other members of the Twin Cities Local Board are Ansa Akyea, Randal Berger, Charles Brin, Bob Davis, Shawn Hamilton, Leigha Horton, Peter Moore and Michael Tezla. They are a talented, seasoned, multifaceted group of pros. I hope you have the opportunity to get to know them. Tell them your interests, ask them questions and express your concerns — and let them know what you will do to support your union. All of them are working professionals taking personal time to volunteer for their union, so don’t forget to thank them and think about ways you can volunteer your time, too.

What’s Going On

Work under our local runs the gamut under both legacy AFTRA and legacy SAG contracts, from broadcast shops to unique radio programming (A Prairie Home Companion) to commercials and corporate/educational media productions to new media, film and more. For example, a quick bit of research shows that in just the months since merger, 28 film productions were done under our local (productions in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota). Those productions included two regular theatrical films, 13 short films, four ultra-low-budget films, four student films, two low-budget modified films, two new media projects and one theatrical TV demo project. We know from past experience that the Twin Cities supports a growing indie filmmaker community, and we are pleased to be able to work with them directly now to offer them flexible film contracts that fit their needs.
 
We all know that the Twin Cities is historically a strong professional creative center, supporting two professional orchestras, many Equity theaters, and now emerging screenwriters and filmmakers joining the ranks of established pros. It is also a flourishing business center, with an outsized proportion of Fortune 500 companies headquartered here (the Twin Cities ranks first in the nation for Fortune 500 corporate headquarters per capita), and as home base for a number of prominent ad agencies and creative firms. The creative/production sector and the overall media and communications industry play a significant role in the local economy — and our members’ professional talents are needed in that industry. There is work for our members, but it is up to us to meet the challenge of bringing more of this work under union standards.

One local committee that must be recognized began this task pre-merger, as part of our local’s organizing and outreach work under legacy AFTRA. Headed by member Sue Scott, other committee members include Cathy Fuller, Jim Miller, Tammara Melloy and Tena May Gallivan. Kudos to them for their enthusiasm and commitment to finding fresh ways to create more local union jobs via outreach to producers and other industry partners in our market. 

Events, Meetings, Elections

The local will participate in the Twin Cities Actors Expo once again this year, with that event taking place on Saturday, March 30 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. SAG-AFTRA Twin Cities Local members will staff an information table, and Assistant Executive Director Tim Ogren will lead a discussion panel on working on low-budget film contracts. This event attracts hundreds of performers annually, including many young performers, and will bring our local in direct contact with local performers who aspire to work professionally in our industry. 

Monday, April 8 is the date of our Local Membership Meeting at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis. Doors open at 6 p.m., meeting start time is 6:30 p.m. Come to meet and mingle with other local members, hear reports and do other union business. As usual, the membership meeting is open only to Twin Cities Local members in good standing, so please bring your membership card to show at the door.

And finally, don’t forget that elections are coming up soon! Eligible local members can run for Local Board, National Board and, of course, for convention delegate. You will receive more information on that soon, but now is the time to start thinking about whether you want to run for an elected local position. The new SAG-AFTRA elected leadership takes office this summer. 

Stay in Touch!

Contact us in the local office any time with your questions and concerns; make sure that you notify the union if you move and change your mailing address, or change your phone contact info or email address. Write something for this newsletter, and feel free to contact us with your suggestions. Send us photos and write-ups of SAG-AFTRA jobs you are doing.
 
I look forward to hearing from you.

In The Public Domain: Past, Present, Future with Patrick Coyle …

By Mary Em Burns

Like most actors, SAG-AFTRA Twin Cities Local member Patrick Coyle has played a variety of roles over his lifetime, on and off both stage and screen, including student, actor, writer, director, singer, teacher, husband and father. I recently sat down with him over coffee to talk about many of those “roles” — how it all began for him, and where he’s going next. 

When and Where it All Began

Coyle grew up in Omaha, Neb. as one of two brothers in an Irish Catholic family that also included six sisters. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, as an English literature major and eventually earned his bachelor’s degree in that discipline. In his junior year at UNO he became friends with a young man who was interested in theater and who began to regularly audition for plays in the Theater Department. Even though he had never felt an urge to participate in any aspect of theater, Coyle, being a supportive and loyal friend, accompanied his friend to some of these auditions. Eventually, the theater director running the auditions told Coyle that if he wanted to stay and watch, he had to audition as well. Since he felt he had nothing to lose, Coyle went ahead and read for the play … and was cast in his first stage production, Night Watch, a murder mystery. After that show, he auditioned for The Glass Menagerie and was cast in the role of Tom. Those experiences got him officially “hooked,” so he refocused his class schedule to include theater classes. He even participated in a one-year playwriting intensive through the University of Nebraska Writers’ Workshop.

After graduation, Coyle acted locally at the Omaha Playhouse and then honed his acting skills by working in a variety of regional and dinner theater productions. He earned his AEA card while working on a professional production at Omaha’s Firehouse Theatre. 

In the mid-1980s, Coyle decided to move north to Minneapolis to take advantage of the many theater and film opportunities that were abundant in the Twin Cities at the time. In between acting jobs, Coyle worked as a waiter, a bartender and as a freelance writer, crafting reviews and other pieces for publications like the Skyway News. Also during this time period, Coyle met a beguiling young Minnesota-born woman by the name of Lily. This meeting (happily) sealed Coyle’s fate and ensured he would stay in Minneapolis with his soon-to-be wife and an eventual growing family.

Patrick Coyle and his daughter Clara

From Stage to Screen

Coyle’s initial stage work in the Twin Cities including working at Dudley Riggs’ West Bank theater, which not only provided him with more regular pay and steady acting work, but also needed experience and exposure. While working with Dudley Riggs, he was asked to audition for his first commercial voiceover job, which led to more of the same, and then finally, to an on-camera union commercial for a gas company. Coyle told me that he would always remember the experience of that job: The shoot was on location in Des Moines and he was “treated so well” that he was amazed. All of his prior non-union jobs paled in comparison. He realized that the union job was a “real step up.” At that point, offered the chance to join the union, he pounced on the opportunity and “never looked back” (Patrick joined Twin Cities AFTRA in 1985 and joined SAG in 1998). According to Patrick:

It was not easy to qualify for the union and tougher still to work enough to make it worthwhile, but I felt I had arrived as a professional when I joined the union, that I had credibility from coast to coast. I still believe that. I realized there is a ceiling I would hit as a non-union actor. I am proud to be a union actor and have not looked back on my decision to join.

Over the course of his commercials career, Coyle has provided voiceovers for a variety of products, including, among others, H&R Block, Hamburger Helper (he was the voice of the “comeback” Helper Hand) and Air Touch Cellular, for which he acted as spokesman for a year but was eventually replaced — by James Earl Jones! He has also appeared onstage locally in productions at several theaters, including Torch Theatre Company, The Jungle Theater, Eye of the Storm and The Cricket Theater. Coyle’s on-screen credits include appearances in the film Sweet Land (20th Century Fox), A Chance of Snow (Lifetime Original Films) and The Death of Tommy Grimes (PBS Films), among others. And during his spare time, he has also gigged as lead singer with a popular local jazz band, performing on stage and at weddings (in fact, that jazz band will be playing a gig in Minneapolis in early May to kick off Coyle’s current film project, The Public Domain, discussed below).

Coyle’s Second Stage – Writer/Director/Filmmaker

Even while working on his stage/screen acting career, Coyle continued to write. Since he loved theater and enjoyed writing, he wrote a play titled Detective Fiction, which, after a major setback, eventually became Coyle’s first full-length feature film. That first film was selected to appear in the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Coyle shared some details of this unique journey: 

I love movies; they are why I entered the acting/writing/directing profession. I wrote a play — Detective Fiction — that was optioned by a Hollywood director who said, “We are going to make this movie!” He held the rights for five years. Then he called me and said “I am retiring; we are not going to make this movie!” So I was disappointed for about five minutes, then I went to work on doing it myself. Because of my visionary executive producer, Michael McHugh, a man from the business world who loves the arts and who believed in me, two years later I made Detective Fiction and it went to Sundance, launching the writer/director chapter of my career. I learn so much from every film I make, I can’t wait to get to the next one to apply what I know. But I am most acutely aware of the fact that I am only as good as my actors. That is why I would never try to make a film without union talent. 

In 2002, when Coyle began production on Detective Fiction, he formed Ten Ten Films, and has continued to write and produce, with assistance from what he terms his “invaluable” team, which includes, in addition to Executive Producer McHugh, Producer Ann Luster, Executive Producers Elizabeth and Charles Mooty, and legal counsel Michelle Culligan. He feels that his film projects are a “gift,” so when he gets a chance to do a new film, he strives to make it a “step up” from the last project. He clearly succeeded with his second locally shot union film, Into Temptation (produced with financial assistance that also included a 2006 McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship). Not only was Into Temptation screened more widely than Detective Fiction, it was also declared the 2009 winner of the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival.

In addition to working on his own film and television projects, Coyle also continues to write scripts — at the request of his Hollywood contacts — and has now crafted more than a dozen screenplays, of which two are in development and one is currently in production. He and his local team are currently focused on preproduction for his third screenplay, The Public Domain. This film focuses on four fictional individuals whose lives are forever altered due to the August 2007 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, and who are then drawn together five years later at a local “nordeast” bar dubbed The Public Domain. In yet another confirmation of his talent and growing reputation, Coyle was one of three local filmmakers recently awarded a state-funded Legacy Arts and Cultural Heritage Production Reimbursement Award, which he will use toward production costs for this new film. With the guidelines of that award in mind, Coyle tells me that he will need to start filming locally in the next several months, and looks forward to again working with our “extraordinary” pool of local union talent. 

Merger on our Minds

Although, as we all know, the commercial and film production landscape has changed dramatically in Minnesota in recent years, both Coyle and I believe that the merger of SAG-AFTRA will have a positive impact on that landscape — both nationally and locally — but it may take some time. Coyle told me that he feels strongly that the “bar lowers in every facet of a production” if union actors/production staff aren’t utilized. When I asked Coyle for his take on the merger, he noted, “The merger can only make us stronger. It was a long time coming. I am thrilled we are one union, and I think as the economy continues to improve, it is just a matter of time before actors who truly want to call themselves professionals will realize that the way to go is union.” 

A Day in the Life …

Since I hoped to end our interview on a light note, I asked Coyle to share a memorable story from one of his many “roles” and he related the following incident from the set of In Temptation, involving one of his stars, Kristin Chenoweth:

Kristin’s first day on the set of Into Temptation was terrifying. Her very first scene was to walk up a flight of steps and enter a church. A crowd of 100 bystanders had heard a “star” was on the set. They were all watching. As Kristin (all 4-feet-10-inch and 90 pounds of her) entered the church, I yelled “cut,” she came out, and tripped on the first big step down. She dropped, rolled, hopped up and teetered on a steep flight of steps before getting her balance and yelling “I’m okay,” like the tough Broadway crooner/hoofer she is! The audience burst into applause; I thanked God and started breathing again … eventually.

Final Thoughts

As we ended our time together, I thanked Coyle for sharing so much of his journey (and thanked his very patient daughter who had accompanied him to the coffee shop). While his may be a unique experience in Minnesota, it is also a testament to the success that having real passion for your profession — along with hard work, people who believe in you, and, of course, a bit of the “luck of the Irish” — can bring, no matter where you live! Coyle summed it up nicely when he said: “Detective Fiction got me to Into Temptation, which is getting me to The Public Domain which, with the help of all the great talent we have here, will rock — in my biased opinion!”

Coyle's band, Brass Menagerie

The Agency-Actor Relationship Unplugged

by Tim Ogren

Here's something you should know about franchised talent agents and agencies. When members sign on with an agency, whether that means signing on with multiple agencies as a nonexclusive freelance talent or signing exclusively with one agency, they are hiring that agency to further their own career, to help negotiate and obtain jobs for them. The talent agent has a fiduciary duty to put the member’s best interests ahead of the agency’s. In this case you, the member, are in control of your career decisions, although of course you may lean heavily on your agent’s years of experience and knowledge of the market and work available.

The legacy SAG and AFTRA franchise agreements (still separate for now) spell out various rules to protect members and regulate your relationship with your agents. Some of the most important rules include the following:

• Agents can only collect a 10-percent commission for all jobs they book, whether they are union jobs or not.
• An exclusive franchised agency agreement can only last 12-18 months in a new relationship, and up to three years for clients that have been previously represented by the same agent. The performer can decline to continue under an agreement if the agent fails to book work for the performer within a 90-day period.
• Agents can be disciplined for such rule violations as failure to promptly turn over members’ monies or advising members to break union rules against working for nonsignatories.

These are but a few of examples of protections for performers. Although you are never required to hire a talent agent, should you choose agency representation, the union requires that you work only with franchised agencies for work under union jurisdiction.

The member in turn owes their agent professionalism:

• Keep your headshots/contact information up to date. If you change your look, change your headshot.
• Promptly pay your commission. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
• Show up at auditions and sessions on time and well prepared.
• Provide your agent with the hours you work and all relevant job information. Contact your agent should you believe anything on your employment contract may be in error.

As always, if you have any questions about working with franchised agencies, please contact me at the Local office at timothy.ogren@sagaftra.org or 651-789-8990 ext. 14.

List of Current Twin Cities Franchised Talent Agencies

SAG & AFTRA Franchised
• Allensworth Entertainment Inc.   
• Meredith Models & Talent Agency 
• Moore Creative Talent Inc.  
• Wehmann Models & Talent Inc. 

AFTRA Franchised
• Caryn Models & Talent Agency  

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation: Great Opportunities for Local Members!

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides vital assistance and educational programming to the professionals of SAG-AFTRA, while serving the public at large through its signature children’s literacy programs, BookPALS and Storyline Online. The SAG Foundation continues to work on bringing more professional workshops, panels and seminars to the national SAG-AFTRA membership, including the new Casting Access Project Online and the expansion of the Foundation’s livestream and video gallery.

The Casting Access Project (CAP) Online is for SAG-AFTRA members who live outside of Los Angeles and New York City. It allows performers from all over the country direct access to casting directors from L.A. and NYC.

In order to participate in CAP Online, SAG-AFTRA members must log in to the SAG Foundation website, create a username and password, and complete the online orientation here.

Once the SAG Foundation has verified a member’s eligibility, he or she will be able to RSVP for online instruction by casting directors.

Participants’ headshots will be sent to a CD, who will choose sides for them. The actors will upload their video for the CD to view and they will receive notes on their performance from the CD.

All SAG-AFTRA members and the public at large can watch most of the SAG Foundation’s LifeRaft panels and Conversations Q&A's through the livestream. Livestream viewers can submit questions to panelists through Twitter with the #SAGF hashtag. Videos are then posted to the Foundation’s video gallery. LifeRaft panels and Conversations Q&A’s provide valuable information and insight from top entertainment industry professionals and high-profile actors.

The SAG Foundation’s CAP Online, livestream, video gallery and all of its programs are free for SAG-AFTRA members. The SAG Foundation does not receive any union dues. It relies solely on grants, donations and voluntary contributions from SAG-AFTRA members in order to provide its no-cost programming to the entire membership.

Watch the SAG Foundation’s 2013 promotional video featuring Alan Arkin, Matt Damon and John Hawkes.

Remember, if you need help, ask. If you can help, give. We’re all in this together.

Sign up to be on the SAG Foundation mailing list on the homepage of the SAG Foundation to keep up with livestreams, programs and events.

Follow the SAG Foundation on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Name this Newsletter … and Win SAG-AFTRA Swag & Bragging Rights!

We know that our newly minted newsletter belongs to the Twin Cities Local membership, so we would like to ask our members to help name it. The person who submits the chosen name will not only win a little union “swag,” but will henceforth have the right to brag and be known as the one who gave our newsletter its signature name. Here’s how it works:

Send us your suggestions for a name for the SAG-AFTRA Twin Cities Local e-newsletter. Please submit your entry by email to Colleen.Aho@sagaftra.org no later than April 30. Include your name and contact information with your submission. Make sure that your suggestion suitably reflects both our local geographically and our union’s diverse membership (i.e. “Actors” newsletter would not be suitable …).

Rules:
You must be Twin Cities Local member in good standing to submit. We must receive your submissions by April 30. All submissions must be original ideas of eligible Twin Cities Local members. All submissions will be considered by the Local Board, which will select the five finalists. The five finalists as determined by the Local Board will then be put to a vote at an upcoming local membership meeting. 

And do plan to attend local membership meetings — your participation always counts!

Quote of the month: Lucinda Winter MFTV

“Minnesotans have a long history of creating award-winning films, television shows and commercials. Every day our state plays host to producers and production companies visiting here to create content that will be seen on screens large and small. It’s our job to connect Minnesota’s talented actors and production technicians with work opportunities …”
— Lucinda Winter, Executive Director, Minnesota Film and TV (February 2013)

Some industry factoids from the MFTV:
- From 2007 to 2011, Minnesota invested 4.6 million general fund dollars in the state’s Snowbate film production incentives program … yet Minnesota is the least competitive of the 41 states offering such incentives.
- GDP for Minnesota’s motion picture and video industry (NAICS Code 5121) was $285 million in 2000, but $203 million in 2010, reflecting a consistent decrease in volume over a decade.  
- Minnesota’s film and video work force has a long history of producing commercials, corporate communications, national cable TV series, documentaries, and indie and studio films. In 2012, the industry employed 4,108 union and non-union Minnesota workers. Total 2011 payroll was $67.5 million. The state currently has more than 300 firms engaged in production and post-production activity. 
- Legislation was just introduced in the Minnesota Legislature to make Snowbate more competitive. The bill calls for a $10 million appropriation for Snowbate in fiscal year 2014, and an increase in the rebate percentage to 25 percent. Click here to view Senate File 352.

For more info on film and television production in Minnesota, click here.