Cameras roll during filming of an advert that was cast by Daniel Plancke's Real People Shanghai agency. 

 

The desire to perform is a difficult one to satiate. As a foreigner with but a modest grasp of the local language, already scarce opportunities to scratch the itch become a whole lot scarcer. This was the situation that Karl Ignaczak found in Shanghai when he arrived two years ago and what prompted him to set up the Shanghai Actors' Association (SAA) one year ago.

 

"It felt a bit like the wild-west out here. There was no organization and no protection for actors," says Ignaczak, originally from Poland. "I wanted to create a community where actors can share information about shoots, agents, jobs and generally help each other."

 

And that's basically what the SAA does.

 

The SAA members meet every Monday night at the Tang Hui bar between 7 PM and 10 PM. They have different themes for each Monday: comedy, films, improvisation.

 

"We provide a platform for actors to perform. We see ourselves as the core acting association for Westerners in the city with about 80 members. Of them, between 20 and 30 attend our weekly meetings which are a lot of fun. We do have local Chinese members but we'd like more," says Ignaczak.

 

What it may lack in technical merit the group more than makes up for in passion and enthusiasm.

 

"There is acting work in Shanghai," says Paul Cascante, an actor from the United States. "I've had more work in my three and a half years here in Shanghai than I had in 16 years as a professional actor in Los Angeles."

 

He recently had a role in a film about Marco Polo. He played the part of a Persian ambassador. He has also appeared in numerous commercials, TV series and corporate videos.

 

"More and more Chinese companies want a foreigner in their corporate videos," he adds.

 

Many of the members have been involved in the various films made in and around Shanghai in the past year: Mission Impossible III, The White Countess, Son of the Dragon and Fearless.

 

Daniel Plancke of the Real People Shanghai agency has had a busy six months with clients placed in several productions.

 

"We've got film roles, TV roles, commercials, lots of voiceover work and live promotional work," says Plancke whose Australian-based agency is recognized as one of the city's more respectable.

 

"Acting agents have something of a bad reputation in Shanghai with many not looking after their talent well, not preparing them for auditions and sometimes not even paying properly," says Plancke.

 

Ignaczak backs this up: "Everyone is an agent in this city. It's easy, there's no investment and little effort, most are pretty hopeless."

 

"We've been established in Australia since 1992," says Plancke, "and we make sure our clients are fully prepared before an audition and that they have the appropriate promotional material."

 

It's a notoriously tricky industry, but Plancke reckons that when juggled with another more reliable income source, a living is possible, albeit a little precarious "feast and famine"-type existence. One of Plancke's clients just got the lead role in a forthcoming Chinese movie called Shanghai 1976.

 

"Most of the work we have just now is for local people but we have openings for Westerners, especially those who can speak Mandarin. Even just basic conversational Mandarin can make a big difference in terms of getting extra work," says the man who can make dreams come true. "Western extras need sufficient Mandarin to understand the director's directions."

 

Pay rates vary, naturally. A small extra role will pay between 100 yuan (US$12.5) and 150 yuan an hour. A featured extra will make between 250 and 300 yuan an hour but for any roles that involve lines the pay rates rocket up.

 

"Those rates need careful negotiating, that's what I'm good at," says Plancke.

 

He Xiaoping is one of the busiest agents in Shanghai. For those able to drop everything and make for the set immediately, He is the man.

 

"I get very little notice from the studios. When the demand is there it's there and I need to get people and I need them fast," says the man, who, despite the brusque manner, does have gilt-edged connections in the Shanghai/Hong Kong film world.

 

"I need people that I can call and who can then get to the job quickly. For those who can do that reliably I can find them regular work," He continues. "For films I need people who are either good looking or who have a striking look, for commercials looks are less important but some Mandarin is very useful."

 

(Shanghai Daily November 27, 2006)