SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles - Spring 2018

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SPRING 2019

A Letter From L.A. President Jane Austin

Seasoned self-starters gave SAG-AFTRA members a crash course in content creation at the MOVE L.A. Developing Your Own Projects: From Concept to Completion panel held at SAG-AFTRA Plaza on Feb. 7.

Members Get Work by Creating Their Own Content

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or over a century, actors from around the world have flocked to Hollywood in pursuit of a breakthrough role. Modern performers, however, have begun taking matters into their own hands by producing their own content to showcase their talent. L.A. Local members got a crash course in content creation at the MOVE L.A. panel Developing Your Own Projects: From Concept to Completion at SAG-AFTRA Plaza on Feb. 7. Organized and moderated by event chair Shea Scullin, the panel featured union contracts expert Jessica Johnson and a group of successful content creators. They included creator and star of the ABC digital series American Koko, Diarra Kilpatrick; awardwinning multihyphenate filmmaker and SAG-AFTRA L.A. Board member Elaine Loh; seasoned actor and WeMakeMovies film collective head of operations Aubrey Mozino; award-winning filmmaker Steven Calcote; and 50-year entertainment industry veteran Frank Crim. When creating your own productions, the

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first thing to consider is what your project’s message is and how to develop the concept. Calcote stressed the importance of having a friend or peer group who can provide honest feedback and tell you what does and does not work. Content creation is a collaborative effort requiring community involvement not only for peer review, but also for social and professional support. L.A. is full of capable student actors, filmmakers and crew members looking for self-produced and student projects from which they can gain experience, Crim explained. You will most likely need to fundraise, but do not let it deter you. Kilpatrick lauded the effectiveness of crowdfunding websites such as GoFundMe and pointed out the surprising power of simply asking for aid, especially when you can demonstrate work you have already done. Mozino added that creative peer groups like WeMakeMovies and NewFilmmakers L.A. are not only great places to network and meet fellow creators,

My Fellow Brothers and Sisters, Just like that, we are making our way into spring and witnessing 2019 begin to take shape! Between our recent commercial contracts negotiations, the #AdsGoUnion campaign and the construction happening at SAG-AFTRA Plaza, I think it’s safe to say this year will be one of change, but as resilient members, change is something we know much about. When I began my career in 1987, I remember the union offered just a handful of contracts for classic mediums such as film and TV and now we have over 41 different contracts that make it easy for any project or job, regardless of budget or platform. As you have read, SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative agreement on terms for successor television and audio commercials contracts, and the SAG-AFTRA National Board is recommending that members ratify it. The tentative deal introduces an innovative and flexible alternative compensation model that specifically addresses the realities of the modern advertising business while preserving and enhancing opportunities for actors to have a professional career. It is incumbent upon every member to educate themselves on union contracts; therefore, I urge you to attend the upcoming informational meeting on April 24 at the Sheraton Universal. Check out page 7 for details. CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

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4/16/19 3:34 PM


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