Boat work

[UCO]

Salute everyone
Monteal this time of year is really nice, cold , fresh and workless for the most part.
I thouhgt I would keep on the auditon protocol fresh and try for what was advertised as a TALL SHIP in the local rag.
Through the metro with my cube and CD rom photos the whole bit;
I entered the modern dance facility they have opened and proceeded to the second floor where the audition would take place.
I was greeted by a man with a camera and another woman; They were making a documentary on the project. They asked about the use of image and so forth and I replied accoringly.
My time was up so after my before show nervous piss I went into the room.
It was a dance room equiped with mirrors and low cielings; both of which are potiencal disasters of throwing a metal box around;
There was a second cameraman there with a big TV like camera, a fuzzy lapdog microphone and next to him was the judge table.
Four women sat and watch me get ready with the music.
I then inrtoduced myself and handed the photos and other promo goodies to one of them.
THe routine Happens
Sort of winded and trying to disipate the endorphines I got calm;
They asked me questions about my history and if there were any other skills pocessed. I answered:
The oldest woman then said to me if you are willing to give up six months for the project the part was open to me.
I repied in amazement being taken on the spot I thought about it for a second and said I had to know more;
She replies
You are with twenty others on a 90 ft river boat in Texas; Louisiana, miss, Al, and Florida; for six months doing circus show and being crew,and you get to live on the boat with meals.
This is what befuddles me/
She said with as much conviction as she could scammer.
We are able to pay you a wopping 50 dollars a ........................
WEEK.
I shut my eyes to see if I was awake and they smiled to the cameraman wondering if I was put on some canid show.
I don t know really, I am not really a capitalist performer but does doing crew work and circus shows for less then ten bucks a day seem a bit ridiculous?
What do you guys think ?

[martin ewen]

Please please please
Go through with it to the stage where they give you a contract then post it up here.
$50 a week, thats got to be illegal, the only hard bit is actually getting out of the room with the contract. " i just want to go and have a coffee and look it through"
Get a lawer on (is it quid pro?) where the payment is part of the settlement and sign and sue on the same day.
They'll certainly settle out of court and you'll make more than $50 for next to nothing.
Congrats on keeping a straight face thus far.
I strikes me it could be all designed simply to get your footage for nothing and the gigs deliberately unrealistic so they just scam content pretending its an audition.

[UCO]

Do you think it could be a problem letting them have my footage?
I was specific enough saying if I didn t give them permission to use the footage unless I took or got the part; but can they use it anyway?

[martin ewen]

IANAL (I am not a lawyer)
That would depend on the wording of the release you signed, It may have 'Standard release' on the top but that doesn't mean there are not woeful clauses further down.
They seem to be so unconnected with reality that you have to presume they have some other, more rational, profit motives.
They gave you a copy of the release? or you just signed it and they popped it into a file?
Camera crew, rental of studio, casting lady, thats all expenditure. They have to recoup somehow and the idea that they might actually get a cast to work for $200 a month is bordering on insanity (near where I live)
They can agree to anything verbally, it doesnt count, but don't worry too much as unreasonable clauses by themselves are uninforceable by law, or contestable at least.
Who are they? do you have a biz card from them?
Are they for example an american company or a canadian subcontractor. i wouldn't think the parent company (the cruises themselves) would allow themselves such legal vunerability.
You could have fun with this , its not a problem.

[UCO]

The realese was standard as it could have been, nothing about the use of likeness for publicity or action figures or anything like that, it was only in regards to refference.
I figure anyone else who did the audition and got the same offer might be recovering from the shock, I got the information and the call back number in case I would change my mind.
It would have been more noble to ask for it as a vounteer experince, I mean they spent more coming to montreal then they will on two peoples salaries for six months.
Good luck filling the holes to the CS

[martin ewen]

Good luck filling the holes to the CS??
Caravan stage? Still no wiser.

I'm pretty sure its illegal to pay that little in the states.
Still they still practice slavery on so many levels I wouldn't doubt its possible

[UCO]

Martin I sent you a private email because I could have been trying to protect a small ignorate performance company without the balls to say we can t pay you more than this, but after seeing the web site I feel a bit of Che today
This place is called the caravan stage at caravanstage.org
This sponsored entertainment company is looking for suckers or criminals on the run;
I hear they pay cash
Check out the sponsorship page definately more funds then a mere 7.50 a day for crew and cast. blue

[martin ewen]

OK now i see its a mom and pop operation living their dream. A registered charity. You could take for granted all the money they earned was spent on the boats upkeep. The sponsors give them cents every time you click on the banner adds or give money to them for PR purposes (money that would be spent as tax otherwise.)
I hate it when anger turns to pity.

[UCO]

Very true but there should be worthy hands in the area and why the Montreal visit coming here to in hopes to get a ex cirquey to come hop on the boat for half a year for almost no pay.
No sense

[martin ewen]

They are registered as a charity in 2 countries, (2 different legal entities) Having canadian 'cast' probably helps in the maintanence of their canadian 'charity' obligations.

Business's exist to make profit, charities exist to sustain themselves and their charitable objectives.
If in doing so these guys maintain or improve their boat then thats the hidden business as its appreciation is the payback.
I doubt they have to pay any or little tax on a substantial asset with things the way they are.
The theatre things just an idealised way to preserve their asset (and a way of life but at the end of they day the employees work for next to nothing while they sit tight with a boat worth lots of money while you help them crew and maintain it and with your sweat sustain their charitable loophole)
They are probably very nice people but what they are doing is hardly ethical. Now I must go and feed the hungry.

[worldwidese]

You've been had! They seem to be making a documentary which they will use to generate more revenue.They were here in New Orleans a week ago doing auditions and looking for sponsors. They don't really want any professional performers. They want young wide eyed dreamers who are happy to work for just the experience of sailing around.

They get a town to sponsor them, and the public sees the show for free. They will be back in our area in April, doing shows in a small bayou town. The town gets the sponsorship money from the State. I know because the mayor is a friend of mine.

[Stretch]

Sounds like a sick version of the Jamey Kennedy show or Candid Camera.

Instead of paying to go to summer camp, they pay you $50 a week and all the fish you can snag from the river!

What a deal . . . for a 14 year old!