Actor Eric S. Robertson returns to talk with host Ben Hauck about his personal journey from proudly being a non-union actor, to joining the union SAG-AFTRA, to declaring financial core status soon after joining SAG-AFTRA. In the interview (which serves as an addendum to his interview in Episode 9 titled “Why I Choose to Stay a Non-Union Actor”), Eric explains how he was positioned to join the union as an actor and why he intended to immediately go financial core upon becoming a member. He shares how he wanted to gain the pay union actors get and expand his union work opportunities, but also keep his non-union work opportunities honestly, without working illegally “off the card” — against the union’s strict Global Rule One. Eric shares his emotional experience in joining SAG-AFTRA and whether financial core status was presented as an option. He also divulges how the number of auditions dropped dramatically after he joined the union. Then, he explains his process in declaring financial core status, his receipt of a financial core acknowledgment letter from SAG-AFTRA, and his acting experience after going fi-core. Toward the end of the interview, Eric expresses that he believes in what the union does, especially in the commercial world, but he also believes the business is more about creating demand for your type than being union.
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☞ Mentions in This Episode
Episode Sponsor
The Fi-Core Workbook: A Guide for the Screen Actor Deciding Whether to Declare Financial Core Status
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Eric S. Robertson’s Bio
Eric S. Robertson is an actor, writer and director. Originally from the Toronto area, he started performing in dance and musical theater, working all over Canada and the US. At age 30, he settled in New York City to attend The Barrow Group School’s two-year acting conservatory program and start a career in film and television. Since then, he’s stayed proudly non-union and thus has acted on almost every show Discovery ID has to offer. (He’s also done many other projects, including some indie films.) Eric has done a slew of commercials and several national print campaigns. He’s also directed many shows around NYC, including the Off-Broadway show he also wrote, Gym Shorts: The Show. Eric is a member of the Core Artist Ensemble. He continues to look for meaning and inspiration in every endeavor, and he wishes the same for you.
- Eric’s website: http://www.ericsrobertson.com
- Eric’s reels: http://www.ericsrobertson.com/?page_id=377
- IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5156813/
Fi-Core Autoresponder Series
To subscribe to the Fi-Core Autoresponder Series, to get additional information about financial core, visit https://actingincome.com/ficoremail.
Acting Union Links
- SAG-AFTRA
- SAG-AFTRA’s Commercials Organizing & Recapture Initiative (CORI) (aka “#BestInTheBiz”)
- Actors’ Equity Association
References to Prior Episodes
This episode references previous episodes of the podcast.
- AIP007 | How Going Fi-Core Affected My Acting Career – with Ricardo Lori: https://actingincome.com/episode7
- AIP009 | Why I Choose to Stay a Non-Union Actor – with Eric S. Robertson: https://actingincome.com/episode9
- AIP019 | Why I Went Fi-Core: https://actingincome.com/episode19
Fi-Core Central
Fi-Core Central answers questions about financial core status for the actor and features the downloadable ebook The Fi-Core Workbook. As mentioned in this episode, The Fi-Core Workbook contains information for drafting a financial core declaration letter as well as a sample financial core acknowledgment letter.
- Fi-Core Central | Better Facts for Actors about Financial Core Status: http://ficorecentral.com
- The Fi-Core Workbook: A Guide for the Screen Actor Deciding Whether to Declare Financial Core Status: http://ficorecentral.com/workbook
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