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U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division
Here is the fact sheet from the Dept. of Labor: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf
Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act
This fact sheet provides general information to help determine whether interns must be paid the minimum wage
and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act for the services that they provide to “for-profit” private sector
employers.
Background
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) defines the term “employ” very broadly as including to “suffer or permit
to work.” Covered and non-exempt individuals who are “suffered or permitted” to work must be compensated
under the law for the services they perform for an employer. Internships in the “for-profit” private sector will
most often be viewed as employment, unless the test described below relating to trainees is met. Interns in the
“for-profit” private sector who qualify as employees rather than trainees typically must be paid at least the
minimum wage and overtime compensation for hours worked over forty in a workweek..
The Test For Unpaid Interns
There are some circumstances under which individuals who participate in “for-profit” private sector internships
or training programs may do so without compensation. The Supreme Court has held that the term "suffer or
permit to work" cannot be interpreted so as to make a person whose work serves only his or her own interest an
employee of another who provides aid or instruction. This may apply to interns who receive training for their
own educational benefit if the training meets certain criteria. The determination of whether an internship or
training program meets this exclusion depends upon all of the facts and circumstances of each such program.
The following six criteria must be applied when making this determination:
1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to
training which would be given in an educational environment;
2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern;
and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
6. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the
internship.
If all of the factors listed above are met, an employment relationship does not exist under the FLSA, and the
Act’s minimum wage and overtime provisions do not apply to the intern. This exclusion from the definition of
employment is necessarily quite narrow because the FLSA’s definition of “employ” is very broad. Some of the
most commonly discussed factors for “for-profit” private sector internship programs are considered below.
DOL WHD logo
Similar To An Education Environment And The Primary Beneficiary Of The Activity
In general, the more an internship program is structured around a classroom or academic experience as opposed
to the employer’s actual operations, the more likely the internship will be viewed as an extension of the
individual’s educational experience (this often occurs where a college or university exercises oversight over the
internship program and provides educational credit). The more the internship provides the individual with skills
that can be used in multiple employment settings, as opposed to skills particular to one employer’s operation,
the more likely the intern would be viewed as receiving training. Under these circumstances the intern does not
perform the routine work of the business on a regular and recurring basis, and the business is not dependent
upon the work of the intern. On the other hand, if the interns are engaged in the operations of the employer or
are performing productive work (for example, filing, performing other clerical work, or assisting customers),
then the fact that they may be receiving some benefits in the form of a new skill or improved work habits will
not exclude them from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime requirements because the employer benefits
from the interns’ work.
Displacement And Supervision Issues
If an employer uses interns as substitutes for regular workers or to augment its existing workforce during
specific time periods, these interns should be paid at least the minimum wage and overtime compensation for
hours worked over forty in a workweek. If the employer would have hired additional employees or required
existing staff to work additional hours had the interns not performed the work, then the interns will be viewed as
employees and entitled compensation under the FLSA. Conversely, if the employer is providing job shadowing
opportunities that allow an intern to learn certain functions under the close and constant supervision of regular
employees, but the intern performs no or minimal work, the activity is more likely to be viewed as a bona fide
education experience. On the other hand, if the intern receives the same level of supervision as the employer’s
regular workforce, this would suggest an employment relationship, rather than training.
Job Entitlement
The internship should be of a fixed duration, established prior to the outset of the internship. Further, unpaid
internships generally should not be used by the employer as a trial period for individuals seeking employment at
the conclusion of the internship period. If an intern is placed with the employer for a trial period with the
expectation that he or she will then be hired on a permanent basis, that individual generally would be considered
an employee under the FLSA.
Where to Obtain Additional Information
This publication is for general information and is not to be considered in the same light as official statements of
position contained in the regulations.
For additional information, visit our Wage and Hour Division Website: http://www.wagehour.dol.gov
and/or call our toll-free information and helpline, available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in your time zone, 1-866-
4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243).
U.S. Department of Labor
Frances Perkins Building
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210
1-866-4-USWAGE
TTY: 1-866-487-9243Contact Us
. The FLSA makes a special exception under certain circumstances for individuals who volunteer to perform services for a state or local government agency and for individuals who volunteer for humanitarian purposes for private non-profit food banks. WHD also recognizes an exception for individuals who volunteer their time, freely and without anticipation of compensation for religious, charitable, civic, or humanitarian purposes to non-profit organizations. Unpaid internships in the public sector and for non-profit charitable organizations, where the intern volunteers without expectation of compensation, are generally permissible. WHD is reviewing the need for additional guidance on internships in the public and non-profit sectors.
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Wege Family Welcomes Wildlife Filmmaker to Aquinas
Two generations of Peter Wege’s family turned out in April for the 15th annual Wege Lecture at Aquinas College given by Chris Palmer, the renowned wildlife film producer. Pictured above being recognized in Aquinas’s Performing Arts Center from left to right are: Patrick Goodwillie, Mary Nelson, Jim Nelson, Jonathan Wege, Peter Wege II, Caitlin Wiener, Jessica McLear, Christopher Carter, and Rachel Wege-Lack, Peter Wege II’s daughter, who is shown introducing Chris Palmer to the full auditorium.
Chris Palmer, whose wildlife documentaries have appeared on IMAX, Disney Channel, and Animal Planet, among others, showed clips from his films, including up-close encounters with Southern Right Whales and a wolf pack making a den. In his elegant British accent, Chris Palmer captivated the audience with his animated style and passionate commitment to protecting wildlife.
“I want the world to be preserved,” he told the crowd, “and wildlife films are one way to tackle the problems of the environment. All the films I make are part of a conservation campaign.”
To Read More go to http://www.wegefoundation.com/news/chrispalmerlecture.html
Professor Chris PalmerAuthor of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (Sierra Club Books, 2010)Distinguished Film Producer in ResidenceDirector, Center for Environmental FilmmakingSchool of Communication, American Universitycell 202-716-6160; office 202-885-3408Center website: www.environmentalfilm.org SOC profile: http://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/palmer.cfm Shooting in the Wild on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gOTUlc Shooting in the Wild website: http://bit.ly/a4L3LU Chris’s Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrispalmer47 Follow me on Twitter @chrispalmer_au Chris’s blog: http://soc-palmer.blogs.american.edu/ President, One World One Ocean FoundationPresident, MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundationcpalmer@mffeducation.orgwww.mffeducation.org Chief Executive Officer, VideoTakes, Inc.chris@videotakes.comwww.videotakes.com
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Ask An Expert: Is Shark Week Good for Sharks?
Is Shark Week Good for Sharks?
Discovery Channel's Shark Week 2011 starts Sunday, July 31st
Shark Week is entertainment by exploitation By Chris Palmer
Chris Palmer is the director of American university’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking and author of the new Sierra Club book, Shooting in the Wild: An Insider’s Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom.
Teeth of Death. The Worst Shark Attack Ever. It’s that time of year again, when the Discovery Channel brings out shows like these as part of its annual Shark Week. This week of bloody feeding frenzies and vicious shark attacks is part of a larger trend in nature programming. Instead of seeking to educate or promote environmental conservation, these shows focus only on presenting graphic, sensationalized animal violence. While they might garner high ratings and attract advertiser dollars, these shows all too often mislead the audience, exploit animals and fail to promote conservation.
It’s easy to understand why Shark Week would attract viewers. The subject matter is riveting, the editing is flashy, and the shows are thrilling and suspenseful. This brand of mayhem and mutilation has an eager audience and has turned the nature-film genre into an entertainment juggernaut. However, even worse than these programs’ shameless appeals to the viewer’s basest instincts is their impact on the wildlife they show. In a time when sharks face increased threat from shark finning, overfishing and pollution, programs that depict sharks as vicious, man-eating killers only make it more difficult to convince the public of the need to protect them.
In reality, wild creatures spend most of their time resting or finding food. Obviously, a feeding frenzy makes for more exciting footage, but showing such a disproportionate amount of violence gives a dangerously skewed view of animals. While it would be just as mis- leading to suggest that animals never hunt and kill, there’s a major difference between showing the dispassionate reality of nature, and creating whole programming out of only the most gory and gruesome details.
To Read More go To http://www.scubadiving.com/training/ask-expert/ask-expert-shark-week-good-sharks
Professor Chris PalmerAuthor of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (Sierra Club Books, 2010)Distinguished Film Producer in ResidenceDirector, Center for Environmental FilmmakingSchool of Communication, American Universitycell 202-716-6160; office 202-885-3408Center website: www.environmentalfilm.org SOC profile: http://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/palmer.cfm Shooting in the Wild on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gOTUlc Shooting in the Wild website: http://bit.ly/a4L3LU Chris’s Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrispalmer47 Follow me on Twitter @chrispalmer_au Chris’s blog: http://soc-palmer.blogs.american.edu/ President, One World One Ocean FoundationPresident, MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundationcpalmer@mffeducation.orgwww.mffeducation.org Chief Executive Officer, VideoTakes, Inc.chris@videotakes.comwww.videotakes.com
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
As an 11-year old in 1958, I watched the Disney film White Wilderness. We see a cute little bear cub lose its footing on a steep, snow-covered mountainside and fall faster and faster until it's tumbling down totally out of control. It eventually stops falling after banging hard into rocks. The audience laughs because we assume it is totally natural and authentic and it's funny in a slapstick kind of way--at least at first. In fact, it is totally staged top to bottom, including the use of a man-made artificial mountain and captive bear cubs.
When I was a teenager growing up in England, Life Magazine carried a prize-winning sequence of photographs showing a leopard hunting a baboon. It was dramatic and thrilling. The final picture showed the leopard crushing the baboon's skull in its jaws. Later it was shown to be all staged with a captive leopard and a captive and terrified baboon.
When I first got into television in my early 30s, I brought home a film I had just completed to show my wife, Gail. She especially liked a close-up scene of a grizzly bear splashing through a stream and asked me how we were able to record the sound of water dripping off the grizzly's paws. I had to admit that my talented sound guy had filled a basin full of water and recorded the thrashings he made with his hands and elbows. He then matched the video of the bear walking in the stream with the sounds he had recorded. Gail was shocked, offended and outraged--and called me "a big fake" and a "big phony-baloney." I had made a documentary after all, which led her to expect authenticity and truth.
What ethical issues do these three stories illustrate? First, audience deception through staging and manipulation. Second, cruelty to animals. And third, a more subtle ethical issue but a vital one nonetheless: Do wildlife films encourage conservation?
To Read More go TO
http://www.documentary.org/magazine/wild-ethically-nature-filmmakers-need-code-conduct
Professor Chris PalmerAuthor of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (Sierra Club Books, 2010)Distinguished Film Producer in ResidenceDirector, Center for Environmental FilmmakingSchool of Communication, American Universitycell 202-716-6160; office 202-885-3408Center website: www.environmentalfilm.org SOC profile: http://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/palmer.cfm Shooting in the Wild on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gOTUlc Shooting in the Wild website: http://bit.ly/a4L3LU Chris’s Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrispalmer47 Follow me on Twitter @chrispalmer_au Chris’s blog: http://soc-palmer.blogs.american.edu/ President, One World One Ocean FoundationPresident, MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundationcpalmer@mffeducation.orgwww.mffeducation.org Chief Executive Officer, VideoTakes, Inc.chris@videotakes.comwww.videotakes.com
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Keynote Speech for the National Annual Meeting of the ARCS Foundation At Amelia Island in Florida
SCIENCE AND COMMUNICATION: FRIENDS OR ENEMIES?
By Chris Palmer
Distinguished Film Producer in Residence
Director, Center for Environmental Filmmaking
School of Communication, American University
palmer@american.edu; (202) 885-3408
June 3, 2011
It’s a great honor to be invited to give this keynote speech. The ARCS Foundation is a vibrant
organization. In this academic year, you’ll award $4 million to over 400 graduate and
undergraduate scholars. I commend all of you for your dedication to passionately pursuing the
vital goal of keeping America strong in engineering, science, and medical research. It doesn’t
surprise me at all that the ARCS Foundation was selected for the distinguished CASE Award in
2009 based on the commitment and engagement of ARCS members to its scholars.
This morning I’d like to speak about working with scientists, communicating science, and finally
about the ARCS Foundation itself.
I. Working with Scientists
In 1986, marine scientist Greg Marshall invented the crittercam. Attached to an animal, this little
camera enables biologists to gather new information, such as feeding patterns, mating behavior,
and migration routes.
Greg Marshall hired Nick Caloyianis, a veteran filmmaker specializing in sharks, to go to the
east coast of Mexico to shoot underwater scenes of Greg attaching a crittercam to a shark.
A few weeks later, out at sea, the team hooked a bull shark. These sharks are aggressive and
dangerous even when they are calm and free, but this one was stressed and confined.
While Greg Marshall was attempting to attach the crittercam to the shark, its handlers,
mistakenly thinking Greg was done, released the creature prematurely. A producer asked Nick
Caloyianis to get shots of the free-swimming shark, and though Nick knew it was a risky
situation, he agreed, resolving to keep his distance. He dove in and began filming. But what Nick
didn’t know was that shark handlers in another expedition boat had decided to recapture the
agitated bull shark and finish attaching the crittercam.
As he was peering through his lens, Nick suddenly noticed a dark shadow in the upper right
corner of the viewfinder. He didn’t realize that this was the shadow of a shark handler diving in,
hooking the bull shark in its mouth, and hightailing it back to the surface.
The shark, now extremely agitated, lashed out at the nearest creature, which happened to be
Nick. He turned the camera toward the shark to push it away, and as the animal thrashed and bit
at the camera, Nick’s hand went into its mouth. Reflexively, he pulled it out, splitting his thumb
and forefinger to the bone. He dropped the camera. As he continued to pound and push the shark
away with his hands, it lashed out at his legs. He could feel the shark’s teeth sinking into his
flesh, tearing it open and crushing his anklebone.
Nick somehow got his leg out of the shark’s jaws, but the angry animal charged at him again and
again as they both headed for the surface. Nick was now badly injured. He and the shark
surfaced right next to the shark handlers’ small skiff, and Nick was pulled into the boat, his silver
wetsuit streaked bright red with blood. Nick spent weeks in the hospital and months more
recuperating. He still has nightmares about the incident and suffers chronic pain from his
injuries.
This tragic accident happened because of poor communication between scientist and filmmaker.
Often such communications are highly effective, so that both filmmaker and scientist mutually
benefit. The filmmaker can make an exciting film, and the scientist can get his or her research
conveyed successfully to the general public. Take these examples. The first is a clip from an
IMAX film on whales.
Show clip from Whales. We couldn’t have made this film without whale biologist Dr. Roger
Payne whose work we feature in the film. He told us where the whales were, when they were
likely to breach, sing, tail-slap, and perform many other intriguing behaviors. He taught us how
to interact with the whales to ensure mutual safety and minimal disturbance.
Here’s another clip from an IMAX film on wolves. Show clip from Wolves. We couldn’t have
made this film without wolf biologist Dr. Steve Torbit. He told us where to find wolves, what
behavior to look for, how wolf packs function, the vital role of play, how wolves mentor their
young, and how wolves collaborate when hunting.
To Read More Go to
http://www.arcsfoundation.org/national/Keynote.pdf
Professor Chris PalmerAuthor of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (Sierra Club Books, 2010)Distinguished Film Producer in ResidenceDirector, Center for Environmental FilmmakingSchool of Communication, American Universitycell 202-716-6160; office 202-885-3408Center website: www.environmentalfilm.org SOC profile: http://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/palmer.cfm Shooting in the Wild on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gOTUlc Shooting in the Wild website: http://bit.ly/a4L3LU Chris’s Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrispalmer47 Follow me on Twitter @chrispalmer_au Chris’s blog: http://soc-palmer.blogs.american.edu/ President, One World One Ocean FoundationPresident, MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundationcpalmer@mffeducation.orgwww.mffeducation.org Chief Executive Officer, VideoTakes, Inc.chris@videotakes.comwww.videotakes.com
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Best practices: Fundraising
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Best Practices: business tips from the pros
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
How to network effectively
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Best practices: Managing time effectively
Professor Chris PalmerAuthor of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (Sierra Club Books, 2010)Distinguished Film Producer in ResidenceDirector, Center for Environmental FilmmakingSchool of Communication, American Universitycell 202-716-6160; office 202-885-3408Center website: www.environmentalfilm.org SOC profile: http://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/palmer.cfm Shooting in the Wild on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gOTUlc Shooting in the Wild website: http://bit.ly/a4L3LU Chris’s Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrispalmer47 Follow me on Twitter @chrispalmer_au Chris’s blog: http://soc-palmer.blogs.american.edu/ President, One World One Ocean FoundationPresident, MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundationcpalmer@mffeducation.orgwww.mffeducation.org Chief Executive Officer, VideoTakes, Inc.chris@videotakes.comwww.videotakes.com
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
How to be a star speaker
Professor Chris PalmerAuthor of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (Sierra Club Books, 2010)Distinguished Film Producer in ResidenceDirector, Center for Environmental FilmmakingSchool of Communication, American Universitycell 202-716-6160; office 202-885-3408Center website: www.environmentalfilm.org SOC profile: http://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/palmer.cfm Shooting in the Wild on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gOTUlc Shooting in the Wild website: http://bit.ly/a4L3LU Chris’s Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrispalmer47 Follow me on Twitter @chrispalmer_au Chris’s blog: http://soc-palmer.blogs.american.edu/ President, One World One Ocean FoundationPresident, MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundationcpalmer@mffeducation.orgwww.mffeducation.org Chief Executive Officer, VideoTakes, Inc.chris@videotakes.comwww.videotakes.com
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Professor Chris PalmerAuthor of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (Sierra Club Books, 2010)Distinguished Film Producer in ResidenceDirector, Center for Environmental FilmmakingSchool of Communication, American Universitycell 202-716-6160; office 202-885-3408Center website: www.environmentalfilm.org SOC profile: http://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/palmer.cfm Shooting in the Wild on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gOTUlc Shooting in the Wild website: http://bit.ly/a4L3LU Chris’s Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrispalmer47 Follow me on Twitter @chrispalmer_au Chris’s blog: http://soc-palmer.blogs.american.edu/ President, One World One Ocean FoundationPresident, MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundationcpalmer@mffeducation.orgwww.mffeducation.org Chief Executive Officer, VideoTakes, Inc.chris@videotakes.comwww.videotakes.com
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Best Practices: creating a personal mission statement
Reprinted by Permission of Professor Chris Palmer - School of Communication, American University
Best practices: Acing a job interview
Professor Chris PalmerAuthor of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (Sierra Club Books, 2010)Distinguished Film Producer in ResidenceDirector, Center for Environmental FilmmakingSchool of Communication, American Universitycell 202-716-6160; office 202-885-3408Center website: www.environmentalfilm.org SOC profile: http://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/palmer.cfm Shooting in the Wild on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gOTUlc Shooting in the Wild website: http://bit.ly/a4L3LU Chris’s Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrispalmer47 Follow me on Twitter @chrispalmer_au Chris’s blog: http://soc-palmer.blogs.american.edu/ President, One World One Ocean FoundationPresident, MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundationcpalmer@mffeducation.orgwww.mffeducation.org Chief Executive Officer, VideoTakes, Inc.chris@videotakes.comwww.videotakes.com
Interview with Actor Brian Dragonuk
Brian Dragonuk
ED- The Eerie Digest occasionally runs into an individual who has many venues that they work in, but not so many as actor Brian Dragonuk. Brian, you currently wear more hats than anyone that I have met to date. Since 1999, you have been in over five-hundred projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic States, on projects as varied as a Film/Video Actor,
Print Model, Radio Personality, TV Show Host and as an Actor in the training of Federal Law Enforcement Agents, Medical Students, Lawyers, and Emergency 1st Responders.. Please tell us about these aspects of your career.
BD- I started my Acting career very late in life (47) as an Extra on the set of “The Replacements. I worked daily for 43 days with from 300-500 other Extras (daily- Over 15,000 Different people over the 43 days) and that collective pool of experience taught me something (Very Basic) that I believe is still true today – If you want to make a Living as an Actor here – You must make yourself VALUABLE to as Many Employers as you can.
Some of the People I met on “The Replacements” worked “Other Markets” – (Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC and Richmond are all different markets with their own Agents, Casting Directors, Production Companies and Projects), By the end of my 1st full year (2000), I had worked in and was “On File” with people in each of them.
Others on set felt the way to increase the Potential Employers (looking to hire you for Future projects) was to work different types of Venues in the Same Market. Each requires different Training & abilities, Different Resources and in most cases different Potential Employers. By the end of my 1st year, I had broadened my Resume to include – My 1st Commercial Modeling (Print) work, TV Commercials (Including my 1st Speaking part), Public Service Announcements, 1st Speaking part in a Film (a Student Film), and my 1st Live Practical Training jobs. Hosting a TV Show, Radio Broadcasts & Voice over/Narration jobs were added my 2nd year.
Live theatre has never interested me so I still have not added those opportunities to my Resume.
The Career Defining opportunity I “Fell into” that year was something new and almost Unheard of – The Live Practical training. Here you are hired by a Training Center to play a part while interacting with their students so Staff can evaluate how much training the Student retained and how they will react in various situations. Most is 1 on 1 Training (you and 1 student) but group Training is also done.
My start as a Standardized Patient working with the Medical Students at Johns Hopkins University in 1999 and at The Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy (a joint Training Academy for 19 Virginia Law Enforcement Agencies in Ashburn VA) in 2000, led to a lot of work over the last 10 years as this type of training became a standard training practice. This also boosted my Film/Video work because by paying attention and Learning what the students did for their end of the training practical, I gained the knowledge & resources to create believable characters.
I have been employed as a Standardized at 9 Universities including Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland – Baltimore, Howard University and Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. This led directly to 25 Film/Video Projects As Patients, Doctors or Nurses over the last 10 years.
I have assisted in the training of federal law enforcement agents at the United States (US) Secret Service training academy, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Capitol Police and Virginia Law Enforcement Officers at NVCJA in Ashburn VA. This led to 30 Film/video Jobs as a Law Enforcement Officer over the same 10 years I have participated in mock trials to assist in the training and evaluation of trial lawyers
For a major training center in DC, Assisted in the training and evaluation of first responders in radiation disaster drills for the Department of Homeland Security And planned and executed Mock assassination attempts for The US Dept of State- Diplomatic Security (teaching Embassy Personnel How to avoid being a Target when out of the US) .
ED- You have also produced twelve cable talk shows, and you own DragonukConnects.com Please tell our readers about these projects.
BD- Producing the Talk shows was an outgrowth of hosting a few shows. I auditioned for a Hosting position with a Company that has Several Shows “On-Air”. After I Interviewed Several of the People they had Scheduled, I approached them about an idea about taking several Projects I had been part of and interviewing the people involved in from original idea to broadcast. I produced several Shows for them starting with the Original Concept, Writing Scripts, Hiring Talent and Production Crew, Shooting, and Editing to create the final project. I produced Shows on TV Commercials, Public Service Announcements, and Industrials then produced a few other shows for them and others.
The idea that evolved into DragonukConnects.com started in 1999 on ‘The Replacements”. While the other Actors on Set would talk about their other jobs, the Training they had and issues about making a living in this Market, They would not provide any of the Important Details, Agents & Casting Directors that hired them, Who Provided the Training, Where to get good Quality Headshots ETC.
I started trading any information I found out about with other Actors for any additional information they had. That led to a Yahoo Group to Send Casting Notices, Information on Training sessions & Networking Events to Hundreds of Actors at a time then to DragonukConnects.com. I wanted to be sure EVERYONE that wanted Information had FREE access to it.
DragonukConnects.com not only sends the casting notices, Training & Networking Information out to 5500 local Actors but allows Employers to view the Actors Headshots, Set Photo’s, Profile, up to 10 different Resumes, 10 Video Demo reels, and voice Reels – all as a FREE Service to the Actors. DragonukConnects.com also has a large membership of Freelance Production Crew.
ED- You have had a long acting career, and in 2001 you appeared in the television documentary, ‘The New Detectives’. Describe this TV Show and the role that you played.
BD- The complete name of the show was The New Detectives: Case Studies in Forensic Science, it was the 1st (starting in 1995) of the Forensic shows (CSI 2000, NCIS 2003, Bones 2005). It was my 1st speaking (Principal) part in a Nationally Broadcast TV Show (cable).
I played the Detective (Detective Doug Lake) investigating a missing person’s case that becomes a Murder Investigation. Paying attention to what the Police Academy Cadets did during the Live Training Practical’s I had worked on (Holding the Gun Properly, Handling Evidence, Getting person out of a Vehicle safely, handcuffing them ETC) gave me the resources to accurately play my part and directly led to many other Film/Video parts as a Law Enforcement Officer.
ED- In the year 2000 you had roles in several additional shows/movies. How did these projects add to your acting experience and what confidence did they give you towards your career?
BD- In 2000, I was still trying to piece together the process of Filmmaking – How all the pieces fit together. Extra work in Major Hollywood Productions like Unbreakable, & The Book of Shadows – Blair Witch II & TV Shows like The Young Americans gave me the Onset Experience I needed.
Blair Witch II was mostly crowd scenes but Unbreakable & Young Americans were Close-ups. In Unbreakable I filmed a 2 day scene as a Close-up with Bruce Willis. Willis Walks down a staircase in the Train Station – I walk up and Bump into him and walk away (Scene was Cut). It is a lot different even as an Extra to film that type of Close-up scene between you and a Major star. The timing of EVERYTHING you do must be exactly the same in every take – from every Camera angle. And I do mean EVERYTHING, a pause in your step, looking at your watch, adjusting your glasses, looking left or right ETC.
I learned more on filming that 1 scene than on 10 other Sets, but what I learned on those other sets is what got me on Unbreakable.
ED- For the next three years you played in such notable productions as ‘American’s Most Wanted’, ‘Hack’, ‘Shallow Deep’, ‘The District’, and ‘Line of Fire’. Tell us about these and the roles that you performed in them.
BD- Hack (Philadelphia PA) The District (Washington DC) and Line of Fire (Quantico & Richmond VA) were more Extra work – Mostly Crowd Scenes with a few more featured shots mixed in. I worked multiple episodes of each.
Americas Most Wanted was my 1st speaking (Principal) role in a UNION (AFTRA) National Broadcast TV Show (The New Detectives was Non-Union and Cable).
My Scene is on 1 of my Video Demo Reels on my website. It’s only 3 Words “What the Hell??? Then I Chase the Bad guy in my car & on foot – But it’s a Career Milestone.
Shallow Deep was a Local Independent Film and my 1st fairly Major role (I had shot 10-12 Student or Low Budget Independent films by that time but ALL were 2-3-4 Lines shot in 1 day). In Shallow Deep I had Multiple Lines, in multiple scenes throughout the Film.
I Played the Main Characters Probation Officer.
ED- You had a role in ‘The Sorcerer of Stonehenge School in which you not only acted but assisted in the casting department. This is something that you also performed in the video ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a few years before. What did this entail?
BD- At that time I was posting Auditions thru Yahoo Groups but what most actors did not know was that I also was involved in other casting opportunities and job selection with several Agents, Casting Directors, Production Companies or local Filmmakers outside the newsletters. Since they (not I) contacted the Actors, no one knew I had a small part in the hiring process.
I would get an e-mail or phone call asking Advice on who I felt could play a role or that these 2, 3, 4 Actors auditioned for a Part and did well, who did I think would be best for the part.
These 2 Projects were developed by a good friend and I brought him a few Actors that he had not previously known for both projects. He gave me Credit for Assisting on the Project in the Rolling Credits & IMDB.
ED- You also had appearances in ‘Bones’, ‘Limits to Ambition’, ‘Twenty Questions’, ‘The Sentinel’, and twelve episodes of ‘The West Wing’. This was a remarkable series of productions that must have been exhausting for you. Please describe your work on these and how you managed so many acting roles during this period.
BD- Bones, Twenty Questions, & The Sentinel were Extra work – Mostly Featured In our market extra work keeps you working (and in the Casting Directors Mind) until the principal roles comes your way.
Limits to Ambition and West Wing are a Different story.
Picture This – I am an Overweight OLD man (True life Casting) in my underpants only, Face down in a bed with both hands and both feet tied to the 4 corners of the bed and Duct Tape over my mouth. (Beautiful picture isn’t it)
Now add an incredibly gorgeous 20 yr old Brunette, scantily (but fully – $%^& -it) clothed, sitting on my legs- spanking me.
Just then the door opens, My Mother walks in to see what the noise is, and faints – falling to the floor. A very powerful scene (and Funny) for the project but to this point non-speaking, the story was told in Facial Expressions & gestures – not words.
West Wing was Featured Extra work and a very prestigious set to work on. Many locals never got to work on 1 episode- to be cast (even as an extra) 12 different times told other potential Employers more about the quality of my work than anything else I could show them.
A trained extra knows when doing background, to keep their face from being clearly visible. Once you are “seen” or “established” you are usually not brought back for more work until the Production is sure you can’t be recognized. When you are “Featured” (given something to do when in focus and clearly visible) you have no choice but to follow directions and be seen. You might be a Bartender or Waitress (Non-Speaking) you can be seen again at that location, but once they leave to go to the ballgame (the next 3 days of shooting), you can’t be there as well.
Toward the end of the series I was “Featured” on the 1st day of a 3 day shoot. My being booked for the next 2 days had never been an issue because the Crew knew I would hide my face and stick to the crowd scenes for both as I had done in the past, but this time I got a call from the Casting Director asking if I would mind working as Crew the next 2 days instead of as an extra. I accepted and worked on the Production Crew as a Casting PA (Wrangler) the next 2 days. I was able to work as a Casting PA on 2 additional West Wing episodes and that work led directly to Production work on the feature films Breach & Step-Up.
One last West Wing story.
Last year a good friend (She played my daughter in my 1st Commercial Modeling (Print) job back in 2000) e-mailed me saying she was In LA and had landed an Intern job as the assistant to Director Thomas Schlamme on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. She wanted to know if I ever heard of Thomas Schlamme.
My reply was simply a Photo of Brad Whitford, Tommy and myself, standing in front of the White House in a West Wing Episode.
When she showed Tommy the photo he remembered several other scenes I was in on other episodes. You have to remember Tommy only came to DC 1 weekend at a time 2-3 times a year and I had not seen him in 3 years, yet, he can describe what I did on set.
ED- You followed these up with a role in the television documentary, ‘Countdown to Ground Zero’ 2006. Please tell our readers all about that.
BD- Countdown to Ground Zero is a 9/11 documentary and I Played Rick Rescorla Vice President of Security for Morgan-Stanley/Dean-Witter and Safety officer for Tower II. Rick had been trying to get Morgan Stanley to move since the 1st bombing in 1993 but to no avail. On 9/11 he evacuated the entire building successfully when the 1st plane hit the other tower only to have people on the ground send them back up. Once the 2nd plane hit his building he got everyone below the plane out a 2nd time but no one above the plane hit got out the 2nd time.
One of my favorite career principal roles.
ED- Please tell us of your role in 2008′s ‘One-Eyed Horse’.
BD- One-Eyed Horse is a Western set in the 1880′s and filmed in Jessup MD. I had a very small principal part where a group of riders stop at my farm looking for directions to town. I give them directions, offer them food and water and send them on their way not knowing they intend to attack an event going on there.
One-Eyed Horse, as an 1880′s Western created challenges for character development because of having to deliver my lines as an 1880′s rural farmer / Amish Church Deacon.
ED- 2009 saw you in two projects, ‘The Color of Rain is Red’, and ‘Sealed Fates’. Can you describe these to us, and what were the themes behind them?
BD- Both of these projects offered some unique challenges to expand my skills as an actor.
In “The Color of Rain is Red’ I played to OLD Overweight (real life typecasting again)
Indiana Jones character out to save the world from an Invasion from Outer Space.
The challenging thing was the scene where I takeoff and Pilot my ship into space to head off the Alien Fleet. It’s set up as a scene from Star Wars where Han takes off in the Millennium Falcon; I’m actually setting in the back of a panel truck (like a UPS Truck)
With the back door open looking out into the darkness of night (not a studio with a Green screen). All of the controls I am using, monitors I’m watching are not there but are Computer Generated Graphics added later in editing. Much more challenging than the Green screen work I had done earlier.
In Sealed Fates I Faced a different Challenge, Films use Changing scenery, Background Extras moving through the shots and a large revolving pool of principal actors interacting to keep a movie moving forward and interesting. 90% of Sealed Fates (the 90% I’m in) takes place in an Elevator with only 1 or 2 other actor’s total.
We had to totally rely on the interaction between ourselves, our facial expressions & body language, and attitude keep things interesting and moving forward. Everything is a Close-up.
ED- We understand that you are currently developing and writing several movie scripts and a book. Can you give us a sneak-preview of them?
BD- The 3 Scripts are as varied as my Career – A Family based movie about a Group of 12-15 year olds bonding as Friends while learning to ride horses and help the main character deal with very adult issues in “Teenager” ways.
The other 2 are a Courtroom Drama (Mock trials for Lawyer Training) and a Political Satire.
The book is what I’m really excited about right now. It’s about making the right choices in order for actors to be considered for more of the available jobs. While I am trying to keep positive and uplifting, I focus on the everyday things Actors do in order to stop anyone from hiring them.
A lot of things are simple to correct like giving out Business cards with contact information so small or in a font that is unreadable that they are tossed out by the very people you are trying to build a relationship with.
Other things are HUGE and 99 1/2% of you will think I’m making this up but it happens more than you think.
I Equate the Actor getting a job from an Employer as the same Process as getting a date with “THE ONE” in the following manor.
Have you ever walked into a crowded room, and Gasped “Oh my Gosh – That’s “THE ONE”.
You have 2 very different choices:
Go comb your hair, Check your clothes, pop in a mint and walk over and say HI.
Guzzle a few beers, run over Belching and yelling “Pull my Finger – Pull my finger” so you can pass Gas and Smile.
How often do you think Actors run over to Employers Belching and yelling “Pull my Finger – Pull my Finger?” And why do you think they still expect to get hired.
A few years ago (before DragonukConnects.com) I sent out the following request for Headshots:
This is Brian
I’m looking for new headshots to update my home files that I use to assist others in Hiring actors for their Projects.
I use Binders with 8 X 10 Plastic sleeves for my files so ALL headshots must be the proper size.
Resumes must be printed on the back of the headshot or printed on paper, trimmed to 8 X 10 and attached to the back of the headshots. Untrimmed Resumes will not be saved because they will not fit the 8 x 10 plastic sleeves in my binders. Do not send e-mailed files – I’m Computer Illiterate, Have no way to store them. They will be deleted without being opened. I must have printed paper headshots. So, I stopped counting at 500- the number of unopened e-mailed Headshots & Resumes I deleted over the next week.
One guy Federal Expressed (so that is $15) a beautiful Expensive Folder (I still use it) knowing I was taking the headshots out and putting them in my binder but the folder contained 5 copies of 5 different headshots with 1 8 ½ X 11 resume and a cover letter that said he “Only sends Headshots out LA Style”. I have not found any LA source saying to do this.
That’s right- he spent $15 to send me a folder as a gift and 26 pieces of trash I had to carry down 2 flights of stairs and out to the curb.
I actually had 2 FULL trashcans of oversize (8 ½ x 11) headshots, headshots without resumes attached, ETC to carry out to the curb that week.
Between the 500 plus e-mailed replies and the sending of useless paper about 75% of those that submitted Ran up Belching, yelling “Pull my Finger – Pull my Finger? And only 25% were Professional and sent the proper tools to get work.
2). One of those that sent things in properly was an Actor I had never met but had done some great work on a few projects I was involved in.
He is dark skinned African American, wearing a dark shirt, with a dark backdrop and the photographer did not use any front lighting. His skin, hair, Shirt and the backdrop all looked like blended shadows – Nothing in the Photo could be recognized.
I knew of a TV Commercial shooting soon that he could be perfect for, so I e-mail him asking for better photos so I could show them to the People casting and their client.
I received back a Scathing e-mail telling me I didn’t have a clue what I was doing because those headshots were the hottest things in LA. (Do you see a pattern here – IF it is really -really stupid – It has to be hot in LA. I can’t find any headshots anyplace in LA where you can’t see the person in them.)
Several days later I received a 2nd e-mail from him telling me I was disorganized and incompetent because he still did not have the date, time & location of the Audition.
Do I have to tell you that the job is a $1200 paycheck he will never see? He Ran up Belching, yelling “Pull my Finger – Pull my Finger?
ED- Brian, You most definitely have been busy, and have spanned a career that most actors would be envious of. We want to thank you for sharing your experiences with our legions of readers, and just know that there are many more good things in the cards for you. We wish you much luck and hope that you will keep in contact with all of us at The Eerie Digest magazine.
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