Of Prodigies, The US Secret Service, and Living Without Acting …

I suspect that much like the authors, actresses and actors, receive payment for their services in much the same fashion, and timing as Scott Pratt describes in a post on his blog, The Writer’s Predicament.

He writes:  “ … And the advance money? The fifty thousand? This is how they [the publisher] doled it out. Twelve thousand five hundred on signing the contract, $7,500 upon final acceptance of the manuscript, and $5,000 upon publication. It was the same payout on the second and third books. But once I signed the contract, it took them two months to write me a check and send it to my agent. The agent then took his cut and sent what was left to me. … Then I learned that it would be at least a year before the first novel actually hit the shelves in bookstores. A year. It took them a year to edit, print and distribute the book.”

The lavish lifestyles actresses and actors lead, lifestyles embellished to extremes for the sole purpose of attracting the paparazzi–and why does one need paparazzi?

Maintaining those lifestyles that attract the attention of directors who want you to act in the movies they direct, and of viewers you want to come and see those movies in which you star, costs a fortune.

I doubt that less than a few actors and actress, if any, receive on a consistent basis enough funds from movies in which they have starred, to maintain their standard of living.

Those actresses and actors who have actually consolidated a fortune would seem to have done that be working hard at understanding the economics of film making and creating a method by which they can use the money earned by starring in films to work for them, such as investing that money–not with anyone like Bernie Madoff–while they maintain close watch on their spending habits.

It would seem to me that the smart actresses and actors employed this technique that enabled them, prior to the end of the day, to as Mara Wilson stated, “ … live without acting …”

But what does all of this have to do with me, a writer, wife of thirty years, mother of three, psychotherapist, and painter?

Why does any of this interest me?

Better yet, why do I even care?

Plain and simple.

Reading what Mara Wilson tweeted about acting and why she stopped, along with truths dispensed by Scott Pratt about publishing have vindicated me to myself.

Now how does a person achieve vindication with her or his own self?

What does it mean?

Individuals in the businesses of publishing and movie making, and many other professions, create a mystique, if you will, not unlike our government with US Secret Service Agents, concerning the actual work done by the individuals they employ.

They start by making those who work for them out to be prodigies.

Mara Wilson sheds light on this and reveals what is really taking place by stating, “I think that there are many much more talented, much more conventionally attractive actresses out there who are taking the roles I would have been offered. To paraphrase the showtune, anything I can do, Anna Kendrick or Ellen Page or Jennifer Lawrence (or any actress from the plethora of actresses waiting to be “discovered”) can do better.”|

Translation: It takes more thought and creativity to figure out how you’re going to survive standing around on the movie set observing other actresses and actors try to ‘… get it right …’ for the director, than actually getting ‘ … it right …’ or as the movie industry terms it, acting.

In short, the movie actresses and actors often held up as great and leading standards, are not the prodigies and vanguards of the profession, the movie industry makes them out to be.

But then why present them as such?

Mara speaks about this too.

The celebrity aspect is nothing short of ridiculous, and auditioning is brutal and dehumanizing,” she explained. “Every time I see a pretty young girl on the subway reading sides for an audition, my only thought is, ‘Man, am I glad I’m not doing that anymore.’ I never feel nostalgia, just relief.”

Aside from the attempt to endow their creations, namely the movies then the actresses and actors, with more value, all towards the point of charging more for movie tickets, DVD’s and any paraphernalia associated with a movie, the agents, directors and movie executives need to create a system that keeps the actresses and actors they’ve humiliated, coerced to do commit self-denigrating behaviors and encouraged live unhealthy lifestyles, coming back.

They also need a way to guarantee a steady stream of new talent–wannabee’s, a source they can tap, should those who learn the truth decide to chuck in the towel and give up the habit, or worse yet, demand a fairer system that most usually includes receiving more money.

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