Entertainment upstart

Chapter 472 Joining the Actors Guild
After Zhou Xia and his assistant Li Jingwen got off the plane, the staff of Xiahua Films' Hollywood office came to pick them up.

Afterwards, they followed the people from Lionsgate to Hollywood Studios.

As the car drove into the studio, a metal sculpture in the style of Universal Pictures' logo appeared, which looked very domineering. In addition, there were sculptures of other Hollywood giants, each with their own characteristics.

"Boss, you have signed a two-month work contract with Shimen Films. Now prepare the materials. We will first apply for you to join the local film and television actors association. In this way, all your interests will be well protected. The other is insurance If the matter of Lionsgate is done well, it will come for you to sign."

Zhang Xueda from the Hollywood office who came to pick him up was a 28-year-old young man studying in the United States. He introduced Zhou Xia in detail in the car.

"Oh, listen to you, what conditions or qualifications do you need to join their actors' union? I have no problem with this." Zhou Xia nodded in agreement and asked casually.

"Boss, you can rest assured that there is no problem. There is no nationality restriction on joining the Screen Actors Guild of America. As long as you want to develop in Hollywood and get basic security and career support, you can just apply to join." Zhang Xueda explained to Zhou Xia.

"It's so convenient. I heard that the Screen Actors Guild of America has a lot of guarantees for actors. If I become a member, what benefits will I get?"

"Advantages, let's talk about guarantees. The union will set minimum income standards for different actors, so that producers can't lower prices at will, and group performers can also be guaranteed. In addition, there are regulations on the maximum working hours, so it won't There is a 24-hour continuous rotation in China, and there are no holidays.

"Overtime pay" beyond normal working hours also needs to be calculated separately, and there are also requirements for a relatively comfortable working environment, eating environment, number of meals per day, etc. "

"There are regulations on the eating environment and the number of meals?" Zhou Xia felt that it was too detailed.

If it is in China, sometimes the shooting is too long, and meals are rushed, and the actors may be hungry for a long time, or if the shooting is too tight, whether it is a group performance or a big-name actor, they will just squat down casually. Just eat box lunch on the ground.

"Yes, these can't be done like in China. Generally, as long as there is a violation, the actor will sue the union, and the producer will be demanded by the union for compensation and go to court. So, boss, you can finish filming in one month, but it takes two months to shoot. time."

Zhang Xueda finished talking to Zhou Xia with a smile, and said in a low voice, "For example, the accommodation, clothing, and private locker room for business trips; there will be special care for special groups, and substitute arrangements for action actors. Must stipulate.

This time you are also the lead actor, and you need to ask them to do a good job in these aspects. Your salary is actually a bit too low, and it is more appropriate to be around 500 million dollars. After joining the guild, if you are dissatisfied with this aspect, we can ask the guild to come forward , Renegotiate with the producer, after all, you are the top salary in China. "

On the side, the staff member of Lionsgate Films saw Zhou Xia whispering in Chinese, and glanced this way.

Zhang Xueda didn't care about the other party, and continued to wait for Zhou Xia's answer.

"Is this still possible?" Zhou Xia looked at the other party with some doubts.

In other words, the producer of Lionsgate Films had grasped his psychology, agreed to his requirements on the role, and let him sign such a cheap contract.

He originally thought that the salary was about the same. After all, he has never acted in Hollywood, and he has few influential works.

"Yes, there is no problem in this regard. You can ask the union to negotiate a new contract and let them bring it up with the producer."

"What's the benefit to the union? Why do they fight for my interests?"

"Boss, it's not good for them. The main thing is to ensure their authority and protect the rights of members, so that they can gain a foothold. Of course, after you join the guild, you have to pay the membership fee. The membership fee will also vary according to the income of the members every year." Variety.

年收入20万美刀以下，会费大约是在3816美金以内，年入20万-50万，会费为4816-6316美金；年入50万-100万，会费为5066-6316美金。不论演员年收入如何，最高会费一年不会超过6566美金。”

"I see. If we ask, if the producer wants to terminate the contract with me, what should we do?"

Zhou Xia was very moved, but still felt that since the producer of "The Expendables 2" signed such a contract with him, they might not be defenseless.

In fact, he didn't care about the millions of dollars, but the feeling of being slaughtered still made him very unhappy.

"No, it's their problem in the first place. If they terminate the contract because of this, they will have to compensate you for the loss, and they will have to find another actor. Coupled with the problem of time, this will be a greater loss to them. And if they deal with it No, the Screen Actors Union can even let the actors go on strike, he dare not."

Zhang Xueda said confidently.

Seeing that he was so confident, Zhou Xia knew that the other party was deliberately acting in front of him, so she couldn't help thinking.

Since this is the case, why the producer of "The Expendables 2" still lowered his salary so much? This situation is definitely not that simple.

He didn't look carefully at the terms of the contract. As for his manager Yang Tianzhen, she didn't know much about the situation in Hollywood, so of course she couldn't see anything. Perhaps the producer had already taken precautions in the contract.

Thinking of this, Zhou Xia looked at the other party and said, "Don't worry, when you settle down, I'll ask the company to fax the contract. After you read it, we'll talk about it."

"Okay, if the other party does this, it may have already stated the relevant situation in the contract." Zhang Xueda also understood Zhou Xia's meaning and agreed.

"Yes, what's the situation with the Chinese here? Do they join the actor's union a lot? Have their rights been guaranteed?" Zhou Xia changed the subject.

"There are quite a lot of them, not only big names, but also many ensemble performers. In China, chasing dreams in the imperial capital is called "Bei Piao", panning for gold in Shanghai is called "Hai Piao", and Chinese people who are active in Hollywood call themselves "Wu" drift".

There are thousands of domestic "dock drifters" in Hollywood, and the number is growing at a rate of nearly 1000 per year. Most of them do not have green cards and fixed jobs, and most of them are college students who graduated from domestic film and television schools.

Many people came here after graduating from college, and went to work in several small companies, but they didn't go well, and they lost their jobs after a while. Seeing the posters for extras, they plunged into the ranks of "Wu Piao".

In addition to being extras, some of them work in the field, or are engaged in domestic related industries. There is no corresponding labor union in China, and they have no awareness of joining the guild, so they are basically forced by their agents to join the actors' union.

Pay an annual fee of 380 US dollars, and that’s it. You will have all the guarantees you should have, but you will not hide your work machine. You also know that racial discrimination is still here, and there are very few opportunities for people with yellow skin. "

"That's right. In American film and television dramas, there must be people of color, but they are basically replaced by black people." Zhou Xia knows a little about this.

"Yes, but you are different, boss, you joined because of special film appointments, like Chen Chong, Wu Junmei, Liu Yuling, Michelle Yeoh, Meng Guangmei, Zhang Ziyi, etc. because of work, they temporarily joined the Screen Actors Guild of America.

After the work is over, there will be no more job opportunities. As long as you don’t pay the dues on time, you will be expelled from the union. "

(End of this chapter)