Emily's SAG-AFTRA Initiation
Donation protected
For those who don't know me, my name is Emily, and I'm an actress.
When did I start acting? I'm never sure how to answer this question. When I was three and I would take a giant box of costumes out into the backyard and put on shows for no one? When I auditioned for my first real play my freshman year of high-school and got the lead? When I was the youngest person accepted into Towson University's prestigous Acting Track in 2007? When I got my first union film job working with Anne Hathaway in 2013? When I left my full-time job last year to do it full-time? All I know is, it's what I'm meant to do, so I intend to keep doing it.
I am a working actor, but it's time for me to join the SAG-AFTRA union. If you're unfamilar, SAG-AFTRA is a labor union for actors who work in film. When I join, I'll have access to better contracts and better wages, agents who will take me more seriously and help me get more work, members-only workshops and seminars to help further my career, and health and human services like insurance. To be eligible to join SAG-AFTRA, you need to earn three union waivers by working a union job for three days on set; I have four! So, I'm ready and eager to take this step.
The one hiccup is, to join SAG-AFTRA you have to pay a one-time $3000 intitation fee - worth it, but a little steep! Being an artist of any sort is an expensive and financially risky endeavor. Work usually pays well, when you can get it, but employment is often irregular. Headshots, reels, makeup, trips to New York and everywhere else for auditions - don't come cheap. Since I started acting full-time, I've seriously downsized my living situation, and I tend bar and do other odd jobs to make ends meet. Still, it's hard to save when you're working so hard and just managing to break even.
That's why I'm starting this gofundme page - to raise the $3000 I need to join SAG and take my career to the next level. Every penny you donate will go toward that intiation fee. If I'm lucky enough to exceed the $3000 mark, I'll use half of that extra to pay for other basic things I need to get work (a new reel, business cards, etc), and I'll donate the other half to Girls Rock Philly (because girls do rock and should grow up believing that and all art is so important).
I can join SAG-AFTRA any time, but I am hoping to join by July so I can get health insurance. (I turn 26 in July, so I won't be eligible to stay on my parents' policy anymore.) My birthday is July 18, so consider your donation a birthday gift to me?
If you can donate even a small amount to this campaign, I will super appreciate it! To put things in perspective, I have over 1200 Facebook friends. If half those people donated $5, I would meet my goal. If each of the 135 people who recently "liked" a screenshot of me on "Law & Order: SVU" donated $20, I would meet my goal. $3000 seems like a lot of money, but with a little help from a lot of people, I can totally get there!
I hate asking for help. Anyone who knows me will testify that I'm one of the hardest workers they know. I seriously hate tooting my own horn, but everything I have - my education, my car, my career, just everything - I've worked really hard to achieve, on my own, without the safety net a lot of people have. I'm also a huge supporter of the arts. Most of my friends are musicians, and I've spent so much of my life going to their shows, buying their records and shirts, putting them up when they come through town. I'm the kind of friend who will show up for you and 100% support your creative endeavors. I'm not saying I expect to, but if I could get even a little bit of that back... That would mean everything. I would be so, so grateful.
If I reach my goal of $3000 by July 1, I'm gonna throw a big bash to celebrate. Anyone who donates will be invited, so stay tuned for details about that.
Thank you so much for the support. Thank you for reading this. Thank you in advance for donating what you can and/or for sharing. Thank you thank you thank you!
When did I start acting? I'm never sure how to answer this question. When I was three and I would take a giant box of costumes out into the backyard and put on shows for no one? When I auditioned for my first real play my freshman year of high-school and got the lead? When I was the youngest person accepted into Towson University's prestigous Acting Track in 2007? When I got my first union film job working with Anne Hathaway in 2013? When I left my full-time job last year to do it full-time? All I know is, it's what I'm meant to do, so I intend to keep doing it.
I am a working actor, but it's time for me to join the SAG-AFTRA union. If you're unfamilar, SAG-AFTRA is a labor union for actors who work in film. When I join, I'll have access to better contracts and better wages, agents who will take me more seriously and help me get more work, members-only workshops and seminars to help further my career, and health and human services like insurance. To be eligible to join SAG-AFTRA, you need to earn three union waivers by working a union job for three days on set; I have four! So, I'm ready and eager to take this step.
The one hiccup is, to join SAG-AFTRA you have to pay a one-time $3000 intitation fee - worth it, but a little steep! Being an artist of any sort is an expensive and financially risky endeavor. Work usually pays well, when you can get it, but employment is often irregular. Headshots, reels, makeup, trips to New York and everywhere else for auditions - don't come cheap. Since I started acting full-time, I've seriously downsized my living situation, and I tend bar and do other odd jobs to make ends meet. Still, it's hard to save when you're working so hard and just managing to break even.
That's why I'm starting this gofundme page - to raise the $3000 I need to join SAG and take my career to the next level. Every penny you donate will go toward that intiation fee. If I'm lucky enough to exceed the $3000 mark, I'll use half of that extra to pay for other basic things I need to get work (a new reel, business cards, etc), and I'll donate the other half to Girls Rock Philly (because girls do rock and should grow up believing that and all art is so important).
I can join SAG-AFTRA any time, but I am hoping to join by July so I can get health insurance. (I turn 26 in July, so I won't be eligible to stay on my parents' policy anymore.) My birthday is July 18, so consider your donation a birthday gift to me?
If you can donate even a small amount to this campaign, I will super appreciate it! To put things in perspective, I have over 1200 Facebook friends. If half those people donated $5, I would meet my goal. If each of the 135 people who recently "liked" a screenshot of me on "Law & Order: SVU" donated $20, I would meet my goal. $3000 seems like a lot of money, but with a little help from a lot of people, I can totally get there!
I hate asking for help. Anyone who knows me will testify that I'm one of the hardest workers they know. I seriously hate tooting my own horn, but everything I have - my education, my car, my career, just everything - I've worked really hard to achieve, on my own, without the safety net a lot of people have. I'm also a huge supporter of the arts. Most of my friends are musicians, and I've spent so much of my life going to their shows, buying their records and shirts, putting them up when they come through town. I'm the kind of friend who will show up for you and 100% support your creative endeavors. I'm not saying I expect to, but if I could get even a little bit of that back... That would mean everything. I would be so, so grateful.
If I reach my goal of $3000 by July 1, I'm gonna throw a big bash to celebrate. Anyone who donates will be invited, so stay tuned for details about that.
Thank you so much for the support. Thank you for reading this. Thank you in advance for donating what you can and/or for sharing. Thank you thank you thank you!
Organizer
Emily McKinley Hill
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA