Author Topic: AEA Membership Candidate Program  (Read 12221 times)

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rgkelle

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AEA Membership Candidate Program
« on: Apr 06, 2010, 11:31 pm »
I am currently completing my freshman year of college with a design/production major and picked up an ASM position for an Equity show this summer.  The Stage Manager of the show told me I could obtain points towards AEA membership, but was curious as to if this was something worth doing.  I know it has the $100 fee and such - but is it frowned upon to start so early? 

thankyou5

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #1 on: Apr 07, 2010, 05:10 pm »
I don't see anything wrong with starting as an EMC now.  I started the summer before my senior year in college.  But you might want to check with Equity, because I can't remember if EMC points/weeks expire after a certain period of time.  I know I was rather thankful that when I did fully join Equity I had a $100 less to pay as I had paid them my $100 for EMC 6 years previous to joining. 

Just be mindful that when you are in the EMC program once you reach a certain amount of weeks you can no longer SM or ASM non-Equity Shows.  Also note, that being an EMC is not a requirement prior to becoming a full member.  At any time anyone can be offered an Equity Contract on a show and become a full member.  This is what happened to me.  I think I had about 20 EMC weeks and then before I finished the amount of weeks required by EMC I was offered a contract.

Feel free to contact Equity directly to get all the details of the EMC Program.     

missliz

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #2 on: Apr 07, 2010, 08:26 pm »
If you sign up for the EMC program, you have 4 years to get your 50 points (unless this has changed since I got mine). I ended up signing onto an Equity show that gave me my card, AND $100 off the registration fee. I think it's actually great because you get a few years to work and gain experience to actually have a resume to back up being an AEA member, but you have to think if you'll feasibly be able to get the points in that amount of time.
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

Libby

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #3 on: Apr 07, 2010, 10:40 pm »
From the equity website:

"Candidates must complete 50 creditable weeks of work at any of the participating theatres. The weeks do not have to be consecutive, and may be accumulated over any length of time."

I signed up from the program after freshman year of college and started working towards my 50 weeks. In all reality I reached the weeks by the end of my junior year. Once you reach the 50 weeks you have 5 years to join equity. After the 5 years you will lose the registration money and, if you were for some reason to start the program again you would have to start from the beginning.

Equity does say that once you have the 50 weeks you can only work at an equity theatre under an actual equity contract. But there is nothing saying that you can no longer SM/ASM a non-equity show, only that you can't work at an equity theatre as a non-eq.

There is a backwards way of still being able to work at an equity theatre as a non-eq that equity would frown upon:
 Theaters that participate in the EMC program do not send all of the interns/etc to equity in case they might be an EMC member; you are responsible for getting the weeks submitted (by filling out a form and having the theatre send it it). If one happened to know that they would reach the 50 weeks with a certain job but also know that they are not ready to become equity they would simply have to not fill out the form. You can also backlog the weeks, so even after the show that you PAed/interned/etc on is over you can have the company fill out said form and send it in.

IMHO the emc program doesn't serve that much purpose besides getting $100 towards your card (which was the big perk for me) and possibly showing future employers that you are planning on stage managing professionally (especially if your resume has a lot of general theatre work).

AEA has a lot of answers on their website:
http://www.actorsequity.org/membership/emc.asp

RuthNY

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #4 on: Apr 08, 2010, 08:37 am »
The quoted portion of the post below, is incorrect and dangerous advice.  Although YOU, as the EMC, fill out a form and submit it at the start of each EMC job, the THEATRE is responsible for reporting your employment, every week, in writing, to Equity.  Getting credit for an EMC job after the job has finished, unless there has been some kind of mistake made, is a difficult process, and does not usually happen.  I advise against even considering doing something like this.

If you have questions about the EMC program and the associated rules and guidelines, feel free to call the Director of Outreach and Education at AEA.  If you have questions about the number of weeks you have accrued, or want to know if your last job has reported your work correctly, call the AEA Membership Department.  If you send me a PM, I can tell you who to ask for!

<snip>
There is a backwards way of still being able to work at an equity theatre as a non-eq that equity would frown upon:
 Theaters that participate in the EMC program do not send all of the interns/etc to equity in case they might be an EMC member; you are responsible for getting the weeks submitted (by filling out a form and having the theatre send it it). If one happened to know that they would reach the 50 weeks with a certain job but also know that they are not ready to become equity they would simply have to not fill out the form. You can also backlog the weeks, so even after the show that you PAed/interned/etc on is over you can have the company fill out said form and send it in.
<snip>
"Be fair with others, but then keep after them until they're fair with you."
--Alan Alda

Rebbe

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #5 on: Apr 08, 2010, 11:00 am »
I don’t think it’s frowned upon to get EMC points while a college student.  It’s just a matter of understanding how points can impact your opportunities in the future.   I was in the EMC program (after college) but got an Equity contract before I completed my weeks.  I don’t think EMC had any impact on how much I learned, or whether I was hired.  I think if you focus on getting professional experience that teaches you about theater and stage management, you’ll be in a good position to turn Equity when and if you want to, EMC or not.  I’ve known plenty of situations where a theater offered an Equity contract to someone without EMC or even much SM experience, so if that's part of your concern, know that an Equity Card isn’t always as hard to come by as you might think.
"...allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster."  (Philip Henslowe, Shakespeare In Love)

stancial

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #6 on: Apr 08, 2010, 12:54 pm »
I'm afraid there is a fair amount of misinformation in the replies to this questions.  Some of it has been corrected, some has not.  I asked Doug Truelsen, the Equity SE Traveling Rep in Orlando, to comment - here's his response:

The EMC Basics - When working at a participating theatre, you may register for the EMC program by filling out an application and paying a $100 registration fee.  Each week that you work in an Equity covered position at a participating theatre, you earn one point.  After you have accumulated 50 points, you may join Equity.  The $100 fee is deducted from your initiation fee.  You have five year window in which to join.

- Not all Equity theatres participate in EMC.  They must apply and Equity must accept them into the program.  A list of EMC theatres is available on the Equity website, www.actorsequity.org.

- You may take as long as you wish to earn those 50 points.  I have known people who have taken ten or more years to reach 50 points, often because they leave the business for a time.  Your points do not expire.  However, you should keep track of how many points you have and confirm them with Equity if you're coming back to theatre after being away for an extended period.

- You may not start the EMC program over.  It is a one-time process.  If you allow your five-year window to pass without joining, you may then only join Equity by either signing an Equity contract or being a member of a sister union in good standing for more than one year.

- While accumulating points, you are not a member of Equity and may continue to work at non-union theatres.  Once you have reached 50 points, you are still not a member and again, may work non-union.  If you are offered employment at an Equity theatre after acquiring 50 points, we expect you to be signed to an Equity contract, which is not exactly the same as joining Equity, especially in a right-to-work state.

- Individuals are not responsible for sending their weeks to Equity.  The theatre sends Equity weekly reports, including a list of who it is currently employing.   Your points are automatically added to your account.  Again, it is to your advantage to keep track of your weeks.

- Points are only added to your account during the span of the production.  It is highly unusual for points to be added retroactively.

As to when to join the EMC program, I see no downside to joining as soon as you have the opportunity.  The program was designed to give you time to add to your resume, get additional training and work alongside professionals at Equity theatres.  Joining Equity too early with a thin resume and not being prepared to compete with the Equity talent pool - both actors and stage managers - could be detrimental to your career.  By joining Equity through the EMC program, you now have the ability to show prospective employers that you have professional theatre credits, not just those from academic and community theatres.

I hope that helps clear up a few things.  If anyone has further questions, feel free to contact me.

Doug Truelsen
Southeast Traveling Rep
Actors' Equity Association
10319 Orangewood Blvd
Orlando, FL 32821
407-345-8600
dtruelsen@actorsequity.org

missliz

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #7 on: Apr 08, 2010, 02:21 pm »
I'm afraid there is a fair amount of misinformation in the replies to this questions.  Some of it has been corrected, some has not.  I asked Doug Truelsen, the Equity SE Traveling Rep in Orlando, to comment - here's his response:



- You may take as long as you wish to earn those 50 points.  I have known people who have taken ten or more years to reach 50 points, often because they leave the business for a time.  Your points do not expire.  However, you should keep track of how many points you have and confirm them with Equity if you're coming back to theatre after being away for an extended period.


I was told about the "expiring points" by a producer at the theater that started me on my candidacy! Thanks for clearing that up (and answering a lot of questions!)
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

MatthewShiner

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #8 on: Apr 08, 2010, 02:39 pm »
I don't think this any reason NOT to start the program, to be honest, I don't know of one SM who clocked up 50 points - usually, by the point, they get offered a contract.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

Dre2387

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #9 on: Jun 04, 2010, 09:26 pm »
Funny you should say that Matthew, because I just received my notice from Equity that I've completed 50 weeks.  :D  So, rgkelle, it's possible.  I started collecting points summer after my sophomore year and just finished getting them this past May.  So, it took about 3 years (2 summers during college, 1 summer after, and year after graduation.)  But I'm probably going to wait a year to join (that or get offered a contract before the year's up.)

Best of luck rgkelle!
Andrea

joannamblack

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Re: AEA Membership Candidate Program
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2012, 01:10 pm »
Hi rgkelle,

I don't know how useful I will be as the equity rules are a little different in Canada. I personally see no issues with beginning the process while you are still in school, the issue I have found, is knowing when to actually get your equity card. Even if you graduate with enough credits to get your card, you are still a recent grad who might find it difficult to find equity work, whereas it is easier to find (what we call) apprentice jobs. However, you have 5 years after getting those credits to get your equity card, which still gives you plenty of time to get the experience necessary to getting equity gigs.

 

riotous