Latest news with #MonikaDalman
Vancouver Sun
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Hollywood North's first union approved vertical series in the works
The union representing actors in B.C. has signed its first deal with a vertical series production. Designed to be watched on your phone, verticals are feature film-length stories typically broken down into 70 to 150 episodes of 60 to 90 seconds each. Until this agreement was struck between the UBCP/ACTRA union and Vancouver's Service Street Pictures for its upcoming production of Night's Embrace: Crimson Vows, verticals had been strictly non-union. 'I've cried at least five times today. This is such an important step forward for our industry, and I'm beyond grateful,' said Monika Dalman, casting director and co-founder of the Vertical Film and Short Series Alliance (VFSSA) in a statement. ' UBCP/ACTRA has been an absolute dream to work with … They have truly gone above and beyond to keep actors working and to support the growth of vertical production.' The VFSSA is a community-led industry collective dedicated to 'professionalizing and elevating the vertical format.' 'We understood from the beginning that even with the eventual creation of a vertical union agreement, there would always be non-union vertical productions — that's simply the nature of the beast,' said Dalman in an email to Postmedia. 'Our goal was to create a framework where clear protections and expectations could exist for cast and crew, regardless of union status. We wanted to be able to help people even if they weren't qualified to join a union yet.' Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. While UBCP/ACTRA members cannot work on non-union productions, the local Directors Guild and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees have allowed members to work on verticals. 'For actors, it opens the door to union vertical work with established minimum fees, insurance and retirement benefits, protections for children, work involving stunts or intimate scenes. For producers and platforms, it establishes a scalable framework, that protects performers tailored to the unique demands of vertical storytelling, offering global usage rights for a defined three-year period,' said the VFSSA statement. The B.C. actor's union acknowledges the growth of the vertical industry and sees this agreement as opening a 'new path of work' for its members, many who have been struggling as the television and film industry around the globe has contracted. Some estimates peg the current industry numbers as being off by 25 per cent. According to Keith Martin Gordey, president of UBCP/ACTRA and vice-president of ACTRA national, the 'pilot agreement' represents a growth opportunity for B.C.'s film and television industry. 'As the industry evolves and exciting new opportunities to tell stories emerge, UBCP/ACTRA is alongside industry to ensure that our members are able to deliver their talent and professionalism to create great productions on safe sets,' said Gordey. Verticals have been criticized by some within the industry for the lack of industry standards. Dalman says that 'in-theory' agencies like WorkSafeBC, Employment Standards, and the federal government of Canada should already be paying attention to what's happening on these sets, but often, oversight 'falls short.' 'A unionized set adds an extra layer of accountability that helps protect everyone involved,' said Dalman. 'It's not just the actors who need protecting — it's every human being on that set, whether they're in front of the camera or behind it. Everyone deserves to work in a safe, fair and respectful environment.' Started in China about seven years ago, verticals began to catch on in North America during the post-pandemic shift away from TV screens and home computers to phones as people began to commute and travel again. The content is watched using apps such as ReelShort, FlickReels, DramaBox and GoodShort. Each platform usually offers between 10-20 free, cliffhanger-packed, episodes to pull the viewer in. After that, it costs between US$20 to US$40 to continue to view. Right now in Hollywood North, around 20 verticals are being shot a month with budgets usually running from US$120,000 to US$200,000. Verticals tend to average around eight days of filming. Dgee@
Calgary Herald
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Hollywood North's first union approved vertical series in the works
Article content The union representing actors in B.C. has signed its first deal with a vertical series production. Designed to be watched on your phone, verticals are feature film-length stories typically broken down into 70 to 150 episodes of 60 to 90 seconds each. Article content Until this agreement was struck between the UBCP/ACTRA union and Vancouver's Service Street Pictures for its upcoming production of Night's Embrace: Crimson Vows, verticals had been strictly non-union. Article content 'I've cried at least five times today. This is such an important step forward for our industry, and I'm beyond grateful,' said Monika Dalman, casting director and co-founder of the Vertical Film and Short Series Alliance (VFSSA) in a statement. ' UBCP/ACTRA has been an absolute dream to work with … They have truly gone above and beyond to keep actors working and to support the growth of vertical production.' Article content The VFSSA is a community-led industry collective dedicated to 'professionalizing and elevating the vertical format.' Article content Article content Article content 'We understood from the beginning that even with the eventual creation of a vertical union agreement, there would always be non-union vertical productions — that's simply the nature of the beast,' said Dalman in an email to Postmedia. 'Our goal was to create a framework where clear protections and expectations could exist for cast and crew, regardless of union status. We wanted to be able to help people even if they weren't qualified to join a union yet.' Article content Article content While UBCP/ACTRA members cannot work on non-union productions, the local Directors Guild and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees have allowed members to work on verticals. Article content 'For actors, it opens the door to union vertical work with established minimum fees, insurance and retirement benefits, protections for children, work involving stunts or intimate scenes. For producers and platforms, it establishes a scalable framework, that protects performers tailored to the unique demands of vertical storytelling, offering global usage rights for a defined three-year period,' said the VFSSA statement. Article content Article content The B.C. actor's union acknowledges the growth of the vertical industry and sees this agreement as opening a 'new path of work' for its members, many who have been struggling as the television and film industry around the globe has contracted. Some estimates peg the current industry numbers as being off by 25 per cent. Article content Article content According to Keith Martin Gordey, president of UBCP/ACTRA and vice-president of ACTRA national, the 'pilot agreement' represents a growth opportunity for B.C.'s film and television industry. Article content 'As the industry evolves and exciting new opportunities to tell stories emerge, UBCP/ACTRA is alongside industry to ensure that our members are able to deliver their talent and professionalism to create great productions on safe sets,' said Gordey.
