May 04 2009
Acting On Behalf Of Equity
In some cases Equity will work with extra’s to oversee cases that require a representitive. Equity do sometimes get it wrong and tend to favour credited actors over supporting artists. An anonymous supporting artist recently spoke of how he had been passed from pillar to post by Equity representatives and revealed he was terminating his membership because he felt “abandoned” by the union.“I think if I had been an actor their attitude would have been completely different, and yet Equity’s membership from supporting artists must be great,” he said.
Equity are fallible but, they have made some big mistakes in the past. Equity are being paid subs from members and therefore need to step in to talk to producers or other professionals when things go wrong.
Joining Equity is only possible if you have worked for at least six days as a walk on, background or supporting artist over a period of twelve consecutive months. The work needs to be in accordance with the appropriate Equity Agreement.
If you do not fall into the members who work within a 40-mile radius of Charing Cross in London another organisation called the FAA will cover those areas. This means that Equity cannot employ people within another union’s jurisdiction and so the work carried out under FAA terms does not count towards joining Equity.
As an Equity member Equity will negotiate agreements setting out the terms and conditions for the employment of Walk-on, Background and Supporting Artists in television. The Agreements currently in place are as follows:
Equity/BBC Agreement for those working on productions made by the BBC.
Equity/ITV Agreement for those working on productions made by the ITV Companies.
Equity/PACT Agreement with independent television productions outside the 40 mile radius from Charing Cross in London.
Equity/TAC Agreement for those working on Welsh language independent productions.
Equity have a free online directory for all who work as a Walk-on, Supporting or Background artist. Employers and casting companies use this directory to employ artists.
