[NEohioPAL] DAYS OF SLAVERY ARE OVER...START PAYING FILM ACTORS FOR THEIR CRAFT

[thsthingovourz at aol.com]

Greetings Fellow Thespians

Now first and foremost I feel there are some stellar actors and actresses here in our great city of Cleveland and the surrounding areas.  Throughout the years I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to work with some of them.  Those I've not, I've seen working their craft on stage and screen and they do a good a job as any New York, Chicago, or LA professional thespian would.  

A professional is just that, a professional, no matter the city they reside in or represent, and Cleveland shines through with many talented people.  Since the 'big film tax break' blew into town, movie shoots have been popping up enabling our acting community to actually start getting paid for our craft which is a beautiful thing.  However, another thing that has been popping up is scores of countless film projects that have the audacity to want the actor or actress to do days of shooting and dangle the "you'll receive an IMDB credit for your efforts" and the kicker is NO PAY!

I cannot for the life of see this as nothing more than taking advantage of the acting community to line their own pockets or inflate their egos.  Though the days of slavery are over, for every actor or actress that doesn't take the no-pay gig, there are 100 others that will because we're all looking for that big break, and these so-called film makers know this, and it's a damned shame.  

I'm not saying all film makers in Cleveland take this approach so put down the torches and pitch-forks.  But for those that do this on a regular basis, they are nothing more than cheap pimps that should be shunned rather than admired.  These film-pimps couldn't care less about the countless years of training and coaching some of us have gone through or the many sacrifices we make to be actors.  

Then with what all the actors have done to hone their craft, all they get is "hey it's great exposure and you'll get an IMDB credit".  In reality, that IMDB credit and 2-dollars will buy you a cup of coffee and not much more.  Unless we all stand united and refuse these scavengers, the thespian slavery continues.  However if we do stand together, than we'd be able to be paid for our craft instead of how things are now with some of these scoundrels in the Cleveland film making industry.  

Ask yourself this...Would you rather be able to earn a living for your craft as they do in other cities? Or are you happy being pimped out like a cheap hooker with no pay?  Stand up for yourselves, stand up and say NO, then if we all do, they can longer feed on us like mosquitoes.  
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