Jennifer Ward-Lealand: Kiwi actor and director on being elected vice-president of Global Performers Unions Federation

After many years of representing performers locally in New Zealand, Kiwi actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand has taken on a new role.

Ward-Lealand was recently elected to the top ranks of the global federation of actors’ unions at the World Congress in Birmingham. 

She says it's the first time New Zealand's been invited to the top ranks within FIA (Federation Internationale des Acteurs) and her appointment came as a surprise.

"The screen industry is global, people travel, work travels, and we can share resources, we can share ideas, there's a really wonderful, frank, exchange of ideas." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rutkin
from News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Right now. Though after many years representing performers locally, our
very own acting Royalty, Jennifer Wardlland has been elected to
the top ranks of the Global Federation for Actors. Jennifer
was appointed as one of the vice presidents last weekend
at the World Congress in Birmingham, and Jennifer joins me now, good.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
Morning, Good morning, Francenisca, love you to talk to you.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
How significant is this appointment for you.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Well, it's the first time New Zealand has been has
been up there on the Presidium of FEAR, which actually
stands for Fata Arcion Internacional Ductur or International Federation of Actors,
and that's the Global Federation of Performers, unions and gilds
all over the world. So it has about eighty seven
countries involved and we've made it four years ago to

(00:59):
the Executive, so it kind of goes executive which is
around eight countries represented, then the Presidium, which yours, those
people represent six countries and then the president. So to
have been elected onto the Brasilium, which was I have
to say, quite a surprise. I was in Birmingham for
the World Congress and assuming right rightfully so, that New

(01:22):
Zealand would again be on the executive but then there
was a change of circumstance of a Prasidium and next
thing I know I was I was being elected on
to that. So it is significant and that little you know,
we're one of the smallest performers unions in the world,
in the world, but obviously our presence has been mighty.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
How good is it to be working on a global level.
You're excited to have the opportunity to look at the
issues that the lot of areas are facing on a
global level.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yes, I am Francisca because performers everywhere, you know, performing
or acting as a global industry. The film industry is
a global industry. Theater obviously as much more as each country,
but the screen industry is global. People travel, work, travels,
and we can share resources, we can share ideas as

(02:16):
a really wonderful frantic exchange of ideas, and also a
larger unions and guilds can support smaller unions and guilds,
and that's you know, that's really at the heart of it.
It's making sure that we try and make things better
for all performers all over the world because we all
face the same challenges.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
What kind of challenges are performers facing. I mean, we're
hearing an awful lot at the moment about AI and
the impactor could have on the industry.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
Indeed, you know, and that isn't just the theoretical that's
happening right now in production companies are acquiring studios specifically
to implement AI across all roles. And and you know,
we're not putting our hairs in the sand because there
are some performers who you know, it's their voices, their
intellectual property, and they may choose to use that to

(03:07):
use a digital replica and be recompense for that. But
here in old all our voice artists already seeing you know,
concerning contact language like digital double synthesization, machine learning, things
like that. So we risk losing the human element that
makes an act or an actor, and that makes storytelling

(03:28):
I think, you know, powerful with emotional debts and you know,
the actors creative interpretation. So you know, we need to
stop being proactive around educating our members around those contract protections.
And as I said, an actor might choose to do that,
but they have to be recompensed. Not just you work
for one day, but actually that production is going to

(03:50):
use you for three hundred days in your synthesized form.
You're just not going to get paid for it.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Jennifer, what do you hope to achieve with this role?
What benefit to New Zealand will there be you being
in this role?

Speaker 3 (04:03):
Well, I really hope to just continue in I've been
doing this job as president for seventeen years and like
myself and my board, this is all a voluntary This
is all voluntary work. But I feel like, you know,
actors are the people who have to have to fight
their corner like everybody does, and you know, we need
to make sure that there were at the table with decisions.

(04:24):
I think one thing that's missing in New Zealand is
is a star system. And let me explain that before
anybody thinks, what do you mean you're alternity staff. When
you actively incentivize production companies, and it's particularly overseas production
companies to use New Zealanders, then those people get elevated

(04:45):
and then they can work elsewhere, but they also bring
money back to the country. So Australia the Australian actors
didn't you know, automatically come out of the womb being
more talented. But they had certain things in their given
industrial legislation to make sure that actors got Australian actors
got picked for work for overseas work there and there

(05:08):
have been a pletter of wonderful, talented Australian actors who've
made them in the world stage. There are fewer New Zealanders.
I think it's more by luck if a film does
well than by design. So I think we can look
to change things and we can look to basically, I
guess I want to have more of an overview of

(05:29):
how we can make things change and also how we
can make things better for the people who aren't even
at our level. So it's about, you know, you lift
one boat. I think what's the expression. Somebody will be
out there screaming it at the listening land that you know,
one boat rising lifts all or something like that. Apologies
apologies to those who remember the expression if.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
You raise a really good point, because I've often been
told it's wonderful as it is when international productions come
to New Zealand and they use a lot of our
crew because we have such fantastic world class crew, but
sometimes it can be hard to get actors on the set.
Is that what's been happening.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yes, yes it is, because I think things aren't quite
right and the you know, if those films are receiving
the rebate, which has to this government's credit has been
actually lowered so that local production can access that. But
if people are coming in and using the rebate at
the moment, you could probably.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
Do that.

Speaker 3 (06:28):
In terms of the criteria, you could probably fulfill all
the criteria to get that rebate and still not have
a New Zealand actor in there. And so there's often
an idea that, oh, but there were so many actors
used in this, Well, no, you're seventy three percent that
you're quoting is actually a lot of background talent and
maybe day players. So you know, until you start getting

(06:52):
a level playing field where New Zealand workers actors as
actors and workers can get the same opportunities, the same
access to casting, then things don't change. At the moment,
any actor can come and from overseas for under fourteen
days without any kind of letter of non objection from
the Unions of guilds, and that's not just out sets,

(07:14):
the directors, the writers. You know, we're all in this together.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
Jennifer, thank you so much for your time. Really a
sorry about that. It was a bit abrupt, wasn't it.
Thank you so much for your time. Really love you
to talk to you. And congratulations on the appointment to
Vice President at the World Congress in Birmingham.

Speaker 1 (07:30):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.