The Business of Acting

by Cathy Watters, cathy.the.writer@gmail.com

Being an actor is a lot like running a business. You have to invest in your business, advertise your product, impress your clients to ensure repeat business, and network, network, network.

Wendy Crewson, one of Canada's most prolific and acclaimed actor's has worked in the film industry for the past 27 years. She has several Gemini Awards to her name, as well as a Humanitarian Award bestowed in 2002.

She is currently appearing as Dr. Anne Packard in 24 opposite Kiefer Sutherland.

When she was starting out, Wendy instinctively put many key business elements to work.

INVEST IN YOUR BUSINESS

First, she invested in her product: herself. This involved taking Theatre and Film courses at Queen's University in Toronto and doing post-graduate work at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in England.

It wasn't an easy route. She worked mornings as a chambermaid and rehearsed in the afternoons.

Besides time and costs of university, there are other costs an actor has to be prepared for. These may include paying for a publicist, agent, photos, wardrobe, hair and makeup costs, accountant, union dues, self-maintenance (i.e. gym membership or personal trainer), placing ads in the Face to Face directory, and traveling to auditions.

ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT

While studying in England, Wendy had several goals she wanted to meet: practice her craft, gain some extra cash and obtain the British Equity Card, a professional designation for actors in England.

She got together with several classmates and ex-patriot North to form the American Repertoire Theatre group.

"Creating your own work never ends," Wendy says. "It's essentially what you do as an actor, all the time."

Creating and performing in a professional theatre group gave her valuable experience as an actor and as an organizer. When she returned to Canada, she took this experience and formed the "Village by the Grange" theatre group in Toronto.

This time the goal was exposure. She and her fellow performers invited CBC casting directors to the show and that's when things really began to take off for her.

The casting director for The Great Detective offered Wendy a part as an extra (a small, silent role). She got cast for a bigger role in a CBC movie about war brides that came to Canada because, having lived in England, she could do a Cockney accent.

After that, she got a four-year role in the series Keep the Home Fires Burning. She also began getting parts in Movies of the Week and with US companies that were filming in Toronto.

RE-EVALUATE THE BUSINESS

Once your business is up and running, you need to re-evaluate it on a regular basis. Are you meeting your goals? Can you improve the product or the business process? Is it time to expand? Are you reaching your target clientele?

Wendy came to realize there was a ceiling on the Canadian film and TV industry. As much as she wanted to continue living in Canada, she knew if she wanted to increase her exposure, she'd have to move to the US.

It was a difficult decision. She had saved enough money to either make a down payment for a house on Logan Avenue in Toronto, where she anticipated property values would increase over time, or move to New York and live frugally for a year.

She gambled, moving to New York and doing as many auditions as she could each day. "After awhile, you get a little part," she notes. "Then a bigger part." In the process, her one-year plan turned into a stay of 17 years.

NETWORKING

Wendy explains the nature of the film business networking. When you do a movie with someone, you spend seven days a week filming on location and everyone becomes close. You want to work with someone again if you've had a good experience. Every audition you attend, every class you take, every role you do is an opportunity to network.

PROMOTION

In the US, "absolutely every two-bit actor has a publicist" to push their name. Generally, it's a scheme she says. Publicists charge $2000 - $5000 per month, with no guarantee of results. "I don't know if there can ever be enough payback in what they do for you to justify having a publicist."

She says an actor's best calling card is her work. "You try to do the best possible job you can every time you walk in front of a camera, and get hired based on your merit."

As soon as you walk into an audition you're the salesman, and just like the guy who sells Fuller Brushes, you have to sell a product - your acting abilities.

To heighten chances of success, you need to be prepared. You may feel you don't have time to memorize all the lines, or you know the character-type already. However, the audition is your sales pitch and your presentation. You want to convince them you have the best "brushes" for the job.

"I always go into an audition fully prepared," she says. "I've thought about the part. I'm trying to do something different than 100 other girls are doing, and make them want to hire me."

Interestingly, once you get known, the movie becomes the product. When she was working with Harrison Ford on Air Force One, he told Wendy, "they don't pay me to do the acting. They pay me to promote the movie." Why? Because "acting is the fun part."

REVOLUTIONIZING BUSINESS: JUST ANOTHER DAY IN AN ACTOR'S LIFE

Imagine a world where movies are made based on the story it tells and the dramatic merit instead of how much money investors think it will make.

We would see fewer 'reality TV' shows and more quality films (and surprise hits) like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Full Monty and Life is Wonderful.

This is the idea behind the Movie Co-op of Toronto. Initiated by director George Bloomfield and his wife, and actress, Wendy Crewson, their innovative method of creating work for themselves involves finding investors and distributors after filming.

Usually, when you want to make a movie, you apply for funding through Telefilm Canada. To get the funding, you have to show you already have a distributor in place. This causes problems because in the end, business people are the ones making artistic decisions in an attempt to ensure financial success.

For example, distributors want to buy stories that target 18 to 35-year-old males, a group that tends to view the same film several times. Therefore, stories about 22-year-olds sell better than those concerning 45-year-olds.

"They're looking for a sure bet," says Crewson, "but there is no sure bet. The more you chase it, the less likely you will find it."

The Full Monty is a British film that was hugely successful in North America. Had someone tried to make that film in Canada, it may never have gotten off the ground. A film about a bunch of middle aged men with average looks who strip their way to fame does not fit the formula North American distributors use.

Bloomfield, whose directing credits include Due South, ENG, Nikita, and Emily of New Moon, invited several big-name actors to participate in the Movie Co-op's first project, Mozart Loves Me.

These include Eugene Levy, Colin Mochrie, Saul Rubinek, Peter Outerbridge, Maury Chaykin, and Crewson. They filmed for a week; producing a 20-minute promo tape they can take to festivals and show potential investors. As Crewson points out, "It's far easier for someone to invest in a film when they can see it in action as opposed to just reading the script."

Movie Co-op members are now looking for investors to raise $3 million. This covers the hard costs of the film such as catering, film stock and crew. The actors however, are working for free.

Actually, it's not "free". Its more like a delayed payment plan. They're investing their time and talent up front, the same way other people invest cash, and when the film begins to make money, everyone involved with it the actors and the investors will be able to draw out their shares of the profits. Because the creative force is working on this innovative payment plan, the total cost of filming will be half of what it would normally cost.

"We are betting on our talents by investing our time," says Wendy Crewson. With 27 years in the business, she knows she is making a sound investment. "I trust our ability to make a good movie."

Ultimately, the Movie Co-op will be an idea and talent bank for quality, high caliber films. The team of director and actors who participate in each film will promote their projects and find their own investors.