Filming 'DISSOLUTION' - Ethics within my Practice

Shots from the film shoot of 'DISSOLUTION'

This weekend I filmed the short film 'Dissolution', directed by Eleanor Hilton, and produced by Vast Productions. Prior to the film shoot, I had signed an ACTOR/CONTRIBUTOR'S AGREEMENT STANDARD TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT. These Terms of Engagement outlined clearly and concisely what the job entailed and what rights they had over my image. I made sure to read through this engagement thoroughly leading up to the shoot so I was aware of the intricacies which the film entailed.

The nature of one scene was sexual. This did not include full nudity, a bra and knickers were to be worn, but it was still an aspect of the shoot which was outlined clearly to me when I was applying for the job. This coincides with the guidelines stated in Clause (CC13) NUDITY AND STIMULATED SEX ACTS (p.75, Equity PACT). Preceding the audition, which was done via self tape, the criteria stated clearly that there was a scene of a sexual nature. Once I got the job, I read the script and in that it clearly stated the extent of said scene.
Had I not been comfortable with that once I had read the script - it would have been well within my rights refuse to do the project, or alternatively, request a body double.

The experience during the shoot was an entirely pleasurable one. It was evident that the entire film crew were strongly aware of ethical values on a film set. They gave me breaks aplenty, frequently inquired if I needed anything (refreshments / water / tea), supplied substantial food during the entirety of the shoot and also gave me the privacy and space which I needed to get ready. Dietary requirements and preferences were also flagged up by the team, as well as the makeup artists asking if I had any allergies to any products before beginning my makeup. I felt safe, secure and also that I was in a professional environment; all factors which enable an actor to concentrate on the tasks at hand and deliver a desirable performance.

Before the scene of a sexual nature, the director ran through the sequence with me and asked again 'Are you ok with all of that?'. The assistant director said anyone who wasn't imminently needed in the room for that scene was required to leave. This meant that the only people in the room were necessary, no onlookers, as it were. They made sure the temperature was adequate for me, and had a blanket on hand between takes should I get cold. All of these factors contributed to me feeling totally at ease and therefore I could delve into the acting side of it. Had I felt uncomfortable in any way whatsoever - I know I wouldn't have been able to give a realistic performance.

Ethics within my Professional Community: Codes of Practice (5b & 5c)

Devlopment of my Inquiry
Before I delve into this blog - I would like to write a concise intro regarding the development of my Inquiry.

I now have my Inquiry question (or draft 1, I am subject to change the wording and direction slightly should I run into any major problems). After brainstorming my ideas with an actor friend of mine - I concluded that the question I should begin to zone in on is:
'How does your personal appearance affect your chances within the acting industry?'
Areas within this topic which I can delve into may include:

• Cast type
• Playing age and actual age
• Headshots Vs Self Tapes
• Professional appearance and personal appearance
• Nudity Clauses

Ethics
Developing my study on from this - I began to research the codes of practice which steer the ethical framework within the screen acting industry. The professional sources are linked below. The Actor's Union - Equity - as well as the American combination of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists - gave substantial insight in regards to the Nudity Clause. During my experience of screen auditions - I have had to approve nudity clauses. The U.K. and the U.S.A.'s standards are similar, however they differ slightly in regards to the audition process. The U.K. standards outline the following:

Clause (CC13) NUDITY AND STIMULATED ACTS
4. At Auditions
a) No artist shall be required to disrobe entirely or partly until after being interviewed. (Equity PACT TV, p.75)

Whereas on the otherhand - the SAGAFTRA standards (American standards) declare:

43 Nudity
A. '... The performer shall also have prior notification of any interview or audition requiring nudity and shall have the absolute right to have a person of the performer's choice present at that audition.' (SAGAFTRA 2005 Theatrical Agreement, p.105-106)

Whilst the actor's rights to refuse to perform nude remain the same in the U.K. and across the water; the American's Theatrical Agreement stated above allows nudity in the initial audition process and that is where the two nations differ. If I was faced with nudity in the first round of an acting audition I have to say I would heavily question it.

The professional and personal divides of the acting industry become tangled together at times. After studying the theoretical approaches to ethics (Reader 5, p. 9) it made me question our actions in the workplace. This ties into my findings of Joan Crawford's character whilst reading her autobiography - 'Not the Girl Nextdoor' (Charlotte Chandler). It became apparent that Joan, as an actress and a person, was extremely moral. I would view her as a Virtue Ethicist - moral behaviour & character as important as action. One section that rings true for this observation is when Joan recalls the inappropriate 'casual' groping that went on at her workplace i.e. film sets. Men found it hard to distinguish between the on-screen 'sex symbol', Crawford's profession, and the person she was and the rights she deserved, Crawford's personal self.

Do I think about the ins and outs of what a nudity scene could entail when I film a self-tape attached to a nudity clause? I am not against nudity on-screen. It generally serves a purpose and goes in line with the era or the storyline of the plot. But, personally, what would I deem as suitable for my portrayal on screen?

List of resources:
https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-nudity-clauses-but-were-too-shy-to-ask/
http://www.sagaftra.org/files/sag/2005theatricalagreement.pdf
http://www.fia-actors.com/uploads/Equity%20PACTTV.pdf
https://vle.bruford.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=34601

Ethics within my Professional Practice

When considering the ethics which revolve around my professional practice - I composed a rough list that consisted of:

• Honesty with actors when you are providing them with a filming service
• The cost of Spotlight UK self tape service compared to Spotlight Ireland
• The level of self promotion on social media - the personal and professional distinction becomes blurred
• Nudity clauses in the audition process

Furthermore, whilst discussing 'ethical considerations' at the campus session last week - it dawned on me that we make ethical considerations daily. They don't have to be soemthing of a mystery. Here are a few ethical considerations I noted surrounding the area of my line of inquiry (appearance, self-tape auditions, film industry) -

• What qualifies as professional maintenance rather than vanity?
• Is the use of social media a safe method to promote yourself professionally?
• Making assumptions about people
• Ageism within the film industry - are we judged on our playing age? 
• Is self taping a true reflection of oneself?
• Did I consider nudity clauses within an audition brief?

With ethical considerations we are guided to form a valid opinion based on the thought and facts we have done / gathered surrounding the consideration. Throughout the study of module 2 I hope to form opinions on these areas of ethical considerations, along with accumulating more.

My notes on ethics in my reflective journal

Advice to Module 1 and 2 on 'THE BIG QUESTION'

Module 2s are currently being thrust with the task of finding that 'question' for our inquiry... In order to find this - it is advised to discover a Big Question (or a few big questions...) relating to directly to our own practice and experiences in order to branch out from that.

Today, during the campus session, we got into groups to discuss ways in which to explain said Big Question phenomenon that is hard to grasp - it's understandable yet sometimes hard to articulate. The Big Question is relevant to both module 1 and 2, as it is as much about finding out who you are as a practitioner as anything.

We found a good way to visualise 'grasping' this Big Question - an image of an umbrella containing a big question and the droplets form the smaller subheadings which are more personal and relevant to us. At the start of the session, I had in fact jotted down 'For an inquiry question - is it ok to have a broad umbrella that subheadings stem from?'

Summarising this analogy of The Big Question resulted in something along the lines of :

Think of the biggest question in the smallest way and most relevant to you and specific to my practice.

Personally, as a module 2 student, I think the route to finding my inquiry question is asking what is the big question reoccurring throughout the study of my practice and my previous blogs. My job now is to refine this question into one more specific to me and my line of practice.

Campus Session 20/10/17

Today's campus session was a lightbulb moment for me. I haven't had a lot of these so far on the course - I think everything I read / explore leads to a certain point and I realised that point today.


Adesola furthered my understanding of the all important 'Inquiry'... She stressed that we must focus on what would be useful to me. In other words - a specific area. This alone urged me to decide on one specific area that all my areas of research and past blogs had been pointing towards.


I guess I had forgotten that I have to get something out of this inquiry. It has to be relevant to me and a process which I go through.


From this I have begun to brainstorm ideas of wording my inquiry. I know it is going to be about the Importance of Appearance in the Screen Acting Industry. That is a big step for me.

Amsterdam - A City of Cultural Enhancement

This is a definition of film according to Mr. Wim J.A. van Roosmaten

It was interesting to see the rise in popularity in film

'Digitization is changing everything' - filming equipment in our pockets - Apple Inc., 2008

Amsterdam is so full of major cultural hubs and research centres. During a 3 night stay there recently, I managed to fit in many a museum. Even walking around the streets, enriched with a sense of history, was enough of an experience.




One museum in particular related to my practice - the EYE Film Museum (a short FREE ferry trip from beside Amsterdam Central station). This museum displayed the history of film genres alongside the development of filming technology. Perhaps one bulletin of info which related to my practice most was the section on the 'Smartphone'. This states how 'Today everybody carries around a complete film industry in their pocket' - which is exactly how I use my personal iPhone for my professional self-taping.




The museum was simultaneously a refresher as to why I love the screen industry so much. I watched snippets of old classics alongside newer films, including various European films... It just confirmed for me that there is a universal language in film.




https://www.eyefilm.nl/en

Exploring Ideas (Interview With Actor within the Industry - task 4A & C)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hseo4n2vp4r813r/Module%202%20Inquiry%20Ideas%20Interview%20CJH%20%28Task%204A%20%26%20C%29.mp3?dl=0

With this blog I have attached an interview I conducted yesterday (11/10/2017) with an actor within the industry, Christian James. He spoke about his ideas regarding some of the questions I have formed which I will potentially explore more for my inquiry.

Christian led the answers in interesting directions. For example, in regards to 'perfection' and 'image' he emphasised that we should strive to be ourselves within this industry. This got me thinking that maybe within the professional practice of acting it is majorly beneficial to get to know our 'casting type' and embrace that. Be the best we can be within our casting bracket - and that is as far as we can go with perfection. Trying to be something you are not only holds back your opportunities.

As well as this, rather than concentrating on the negative outcomes of the rise in self-taping, he referred to self-taping to be a solution for first-round long distance auditions. Perhaps auditions that we cannot make due to money / engagements would be made possible if given the option of a self-tape first round.

I had predicted a negative reaction to the world of self-tape from actors - however, from this I have learnt not to judge where a conversation will take you.

Have a listen!

(Questions as follow...)

Q 1: How has the method of self-taping affected your experience in the industry so far? Or affected your perception of the acting industry?

Q 2: How has the centrality of television / screen in people's lives changed the acting industry? Or the audition process?

Q 3: Do long distance auditions produce more or less opportunities? What is your experience with long distance auditions?

Q 4: Do you think self-tapes affect the spontaneity of the audition process?

Q 5: What is perfection? Do we strive for perfection in the audition room or in a self-tape, and is it achievable?

Q 6: Is talent a nature / nurture occurrence?

Q 7: Do you have any views on mind-set being a large contributor to success in the industry?

Q 8: Is image a large part of the industry and do you think there are pressures re. image and perfection within the industry?



Relating SIGs to my Practice (Task 4B)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ3E1dEDF0C/

I have noticed over the past few months that Lauren Harper
(http://laurenharper26.blogspot.hr) on my module course shares similar interests to me. This naturally got me thinking about the possibilities of SIGs (Special Interest Groups) perhaps already exist but need highlighting.
I have already, by chance, tagged her in an Instagram post regarding healthy breakfast options which she has previously posted about before.
I am a strong believer that healthy eating reflects and aids my professional practice. It requires discipline, planning and time (similar to acting prep) and it encourages a healthy being inside and out. I can gain enough energy to focus on my studies and exercise. Concentration is vital for the acting profession and healthy food gives me the stamina I need. I am sure teachers, writers, creatives, dancers etc can gain the same values from nutrition, any thoughts?

Image from my Instagram - eleanor_actor

Image from Lauren Harper's Instagram

Past images from my Instagram

Past images from my Instagram promoting my healthy lifestyle

Documenting the importance of food prep for my hectic lifestyle between jobs, auditions and studies

Broadening Questions Ethically (Group Discussion & Task 4A)

2 days ago, I partook in a group Skype discussion where Adesola brought up the concept of 'POINTS OF WONDER'
I got thinking how my initial inquiry questions brainstorm could lead to bigger, ethical questions.
Self-respect preparation and editing led to
"What is perfection?"
Other questions / topics that spiralled from this included:
"Talent is subjective: is talent a nature / nurture occurrence?"
"Can you teach / learn perfection?"
"Is mindset a large partaker in helping you to be successful in a harsh industry?"

Ethical Questions

Our questions can evolve into larger, worldly issues / questions. We can discover these by opening the box more and more.

O found an interesting link from a question I was asking to a piece of literature I am currently reading: It appears some actors (or indeed professionals in the industry) fear the ride of self tapes. I think this reflects the fear which Crawford remembers when she notes that many actors feared the big change from silent movies to sound in movies.

From this - another ethical issue relating to my professional practice kept to mind:
"Do we fear change or embrace it?"

Trying to piece together all of these overlapping questions proved difficult in my head. Instead, I resorted to penning the ethical issues I have come across so far in my studies and furthermore writing down the sub questions which relate directly to my industry.

Rough mindmap of sub questions stemming from main ethical issues

Relating to Crawford

Since starting to read 'Joan Crawford Not the Girl Next Door' I have noted down some quotes which have stirred something in me. As it happens, I find Crawford incredibly relatable.

"Through dancing, I became a dramatic actress. It's so important to have the opportunity to explore the world and yourself, to have the chance to test yourself. I tested myself, and I passed." (Crawford, p. 9)

I began dancing aged 3. I grew up taking extensive lessons and grades in ballroom, Latin American, ballet and pointe. My performance experience as a kid always consisted of choreography. That was just expected of kids in a stage production. I moved to London aged 18 fully believing I would continue to strive towards a career in pure dance. However, deep down I always knew I had a passion for acting. It just became clearer when the three disciplines (acting, singing & dancing) began to separate into three distinct industries. I always loved performing and perhaps I used my dramatic tendencies to perform onstage as a dancer. It has become evident now that acting is my strength, but thanks to the medium of dance.

"Don't turn down parts, especially at the beginning when each part you turn down could be the last one you're ever offered" (Crawford, p. 30)

This is Crawford's advice to young aspiring actress. I haven't yet turned down a part. I am for the motion of getting as much experience as I can.

"I always want to succeed on merit, not on the casting couch" (Crawford, p. 31)

This is Crawford's comment on a girl saying she got the position because the director personally liked her best. In this industry, people will often throw snide / underhanded remarks at you. When I originally got interest from an agent I remember somebody saying 'Oh but that's because she has that look'. I am not denying that this industry puts heavy emphasis on particular 'looks'; however I will equally say that if you don't bring the goods as an actor - you won't get very far. You have to have the ability and mindset to match a certain 'look' (whatever that may be...)

"She didn't like crowds. Crowds bothered Joan all her life. Crowds made it seem warmer than it was and they made her feel "small and lost"." (Chandler, p. 33)

When I initially moved to London, I remember feeling rather anonymous in a huge, crowded city. It got me down a lot. People came across cold and insensitive. In time I realised that everybody was just busy and preoccupied - not inherently cold. London is, on a bad day, a busy yet lonely place.

"A person who has a good opinion of herself conveys that to others, and they start to have a good opinion of you" (Crawford, p. 35)

This quote ties in with the question Adesola mentioned in her blog 'Is it possible to represent your Self ever?' and also the idea that the degree course encourages you to figure out who you are and where you fit in amongst the industry. A stronger sense of Self is a wonderful asset as an actor. My sense of self has become stronger yet I believe throughout the modules and in life it will grow even more.

"You have to go to everything you can go to, do everything that will get you seen, and you have to do it with a lot of energy" (Haines, p. 35)

This is William Haines' industry advice to a budding Crawford. I believe this reflects my proactive approach to life... Expressed in some of my previous blogs - I reiterate my lust for life and to 'go do!' when it comes to your career and broadening your mind.

" 'Hold something back, Joan. Control all that wild energy or you'll wear out your audience right away.' I listened and learned" (Crawford, p. 46)

The above is Edmund Goulding's advice to Crawford regarding screen acting. Screen acting is a learning curve which I am currently experiencing. In my early self tapes I gave too much (over expressive etc); then I gave too little (looked contrived and stiff) and now I am simmering down to a happy (but never perfect) medium.

If Crawford listened and learned - then it must be a foolproof method of discovery!