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A Local Union Member wants to know Why they should Keep Their DragonukConnects membership
Total posts: 245
Joined: 14 year(s) ago
Posted 2:38 AM Jan. 8, 2015

I get way too many emails with info I don't need. There are few roles for middle-aged union white women and I'm getting 3-4 emails a day that have no value to me. I wish I could filter them so the emails I get are useful. Otherwise why should I subscribe when all I'm really getting is something else to maintain?

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We both know that In this market Union Principal work on the Large Hollywood movies and TV Series are extremely rare and of those roles for shoots here most are cast in NYC and even LA without any of our Union Members even invited to audition.

Of those remaining that are actually cast here because the job is here - the parts are highly shopped in NYC so NYC Union actors can come here to audition even though parts cast in NYC for jobs here are almost NEVER shopped here so our Union Members can attend the NYC Auditions

I carry almost all the Union Day Player work and Extra work on these projects as I can but if the jobs are thru local Casting offices and you are well known and Liked by the office staff - you get the notice from them the same time I do - just like the other 3000 local Union Members looking for work.

If it is an out of the Region Casting director (NYC OR LA BASED) setting up shop here for a few weeks/months and I hear of something - I make sure Don has it for his Union Yahoo Group because I do not care How local Union Actors find out about jobs as long as they do find out. Don may have it on his own from another source but I make sure he has it - Just like I do with every Union job - He knows that ANY Union job posted in my newsletter can be reposted unless that particular posting states not to repost.

I have had many close Union friends cancel their memberships because of not seeing any value to keeping it while others are on set praising my site and telling others to join.

At 1st I paid close attention to those finding "no Value" in my site vs those Union Members "Praising it" until I realized that the difference has nothing to do with me or my site but the Personal Career Choices of those particular members.

I do post most of the Union Extra work for the big Hollywood Movies and TV Series but Many of the Local Union Members made the Personal Career Choice not to do that kind of work.

I post quite a bit of the Low/No budget Indie films, Student Films and 48/72 Hour film festivals that have Union Contracts but Many of the Local Union Members made the Personal Career Choice not to do that kind of work because of the deferred pay, low pay or no pay that comes with them

I post most of the Union Contracted New Media Projects but Many of the Local Union Members made the Personal Career Choice not to do that kind of work because of low viewing or lower rate of pay

I post a lot of the Cable "Reenactment" shows and while Some Union Members get Bethesda Union office approval to work on them - Many of the Local Union Members made the Personal Career Choice not to do that kind of work because even though approved by the Union it is still Non-Union work at Non-Union pay

Other Union Members find Value in areas not covered by Unions like Print or Live Practical Training like Standardized Patient work for Medical Teaching Universities, Law Enforcement Training programs, Disaster Training Drills or Legal Training Programs.


Still others look at Union or Non-Union Theatre and /or Production Crew Work while not in front of a camera


Still others find value in Training to better Manage their Careers, Grow into other Jobs, get Hired for more of the jobs they apply for while others made the Personal Career Choice not to


If you are getting more than 1 Newsletter per day then the others are either jobs available to Union Members (or you did not state your correct Union status in your Profile) or Training, networking or other Resources that may help advance your career.
You can either take advantage of them or delete them - your Personal Career Choice

Best Brian