Ethics within my Professional Community: Codes of Practice (5b & 5c)

Devlopment of my Inquiry
Before I delve into this blog - I would like to write a concise intro regarding the development of my Inquiry.

I now have my Inquiry question (or draft 1, I am subject to change the wording and direction slightly should I run into any major problems). After brainstorming my ideas with an actor friend of mine - I concluded that the question I should begin to zone in on is:
'How does your personal appearance affect your chances within the acting industry?'
Areas within this topic which I can delve into may include:

• Cast type
• Playing age and actual age
• Headshots Vs Self Tapes
• Professional appearance and personal appearance
• Nudity Clauses

Ethics
Developing my study on from this - I began to research the codes of practice which steer the ethical framework within the screen acting industry. The professional sources are linked below. The Actor's Union - Equity - as well as the American combination of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists - gave substantial insight in regards to the Nudity Clause. During my experience of screen auditions - I have had to approve nudity clauses. The U.K. and the U.S.A.'s standards are similar, however they differ slightly in regards to the audition process. The U.K. standards outline the following:

Clause (CC13) NUDITY AND STIMULATED ACTS
4. At Auditions
a) No artist shall be required to disrobe entirely or partly until after being interviewed. (Equity PACT TV, p.75)

Whereas on the otherhand - the SAGAFTRA standards (American standards) declare:

43 Nudity
A. '... The performer shall also have prior notification of any interview or audition requiring nudity and shall have the absolute right to have a person of the performer's choice present at that audition.' (SAGAFTRA 2005 Theatrical Agreement, p.105-106)

Whilst the actor's rights to refuse to perform nude remain the same in the U.K. and across the water; the American's Theatrical Agreement stated above allows nudity in the initial audition process and that is where the two nations differ. If I was faced with nudity in the first round of an acting audition I have to say I would heavily question it.

The professional and personal divides of the acting industry become tangled together at times. After studying the theoretical approaches to ethics (Reader 5, p. 9) it made me question our actions in the workplace. This ties into my findings of Joan Crawford's character whilst reading her autobiography - 'Not the Girl Nextdoor' (Charlotte Chandler). It became apparent that Joan, as an actress and a person, was extremely moral. I would view her as a Virtue Ethicist - moral behaviour & character as important as action. One section that rings true for this observation is when Joan recalls the inappropriate 'casual' groping that went on at her workplace i.e. film sets. Men found it hard to distinguish between the on-screen 'sex symbol', Crawford's profession, and the person she was and the rights she deserved, Crawford's personal self.

Do I think about the ins and outs of what a nudity scene could entail when I film a self-tape attached to a nudity clause? I am not against nudity on-screen. It generally serves a purpose and goes in line with the era or the storyline of the plot. But, personally, what would I deem as suitable for my portrayal on screen?

List of resources:
https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-nudity-clauses-but-were-too-shy-to-ask/
http://www.sagaftra.org/files/sag/2005theatricalagreement.pdf
http://www.fia-actors.com/uploads/Equity%20PACTTV.pdf
https://vle.bruford.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=34601