Joined a Union, ready to strike.

So this past October I was cast in an honest-to-goodness-olde-timey-radio show.  There are guns and explosions, nerdy scientists, Nazi evildoers, and plenty of sound effects to blow your ears off your head.  It was a lot of fun to do and made me want to do more voice over work.  My charactery voice should get me some work, right?

Well this project went AFTRA do to the producers deciding it should be.  (Some cast members are AFTRA and I guess it was easier..blah blah blah, technical paperwork stuff)  Needless to say, I went right along with it and am now a proud card carrying member of the union.

So AFTRA is the union you can just buy into. You can wake up one morning and say...I want to blow $1600 in one shot.  How can I do that?  I know, I'll join AFTRA.  Bam.

I had a choice.  Don't join, but after the next AFTRA project I do, I am a must join.  Or just join now.  So I joined.  And I'm instantly eligible to join AEA and SAG (after I wait my year) because this radio show counts as my 1 project I have to do in order to join a sister union.  Good deal I think.

So I'm part of a union.  It's something.  Onward and upward right?

I'm a little put off though.  There is a very impersonal touch with AFTRA.  with Equity, they've been in contact.  send me little notes here and there.  They are very personable when it comes to members, prospective members, and EMC (of which I am one).  AFTRA was literally all online.  I suppose that comes with a union that takes anyone.  You don't have to earn anything to join.  You just throw down some money.

Happy New year, bring on 2011 and debt!

Necessary evil, right?

I do have a nifty card to show people when they ask, so that's something right?