The New Orleans Local held it’s 2021 annual membership meeting on April 27 via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The meeting included local officers, Local Board members, delegates, staff and members from both Louisiana and Mississippi. Local President Diana Boylston welcomed members and called the meeting to order.
Adella Gautier led a remembrance for members we lost in 2020. Gautier said, “They are still with us, preserved in film.” The members included Lenore E. Banks, Michael Frome, Tom Lester, Tracey B. Mann, Carol Sutton and Lauren Swinney. Each name was spoken out loud, followed by a moment of silence for reflection.
In the president’s report, Boylston referred to members as her “union family,” noting that we have strength in our diversity. Boylston read and reminded members of the preamble of the SAG-AFTRA Constitution, which speaks of inclusion, nondiscrimination and diversity. She spoke of The Safe Way Forward safety protocols, mask mandates and vaccines. She highlighted the resources available to members, including videos posted on the SAG-AFTRA website, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Disaster Relief Fund, the On-Camera Lab, The Actors Fund and other relief efforts online to assist members. She encouraged members to use the website and email neworleans@sagaftra.org and info@sagaftra.org for local information and general questions respectively. Members can visit sagaftra.org/nola for local updates.
The national report was presented by National Board member Olga Wilhelmine, who mentioned that committees can now meet and encouraged members to be involved. She also reported on the union’s new sexual reporting app. Wilhelmine encouraged members to check the unclaimed residuals fund to see if they are owed funds.
SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Rebeca Damon attended the meeting and presented a report on the evolving industry and changes in technology. She also reported on the Labor and Technology Summit, the Cares Act and the qualified performing artist deduction. In the staff report, Director of Locals Administration Lisha Brock spoke about the many moving parts of our union, including the numerous SAG-AFTRA contracts, labor laws and so-called “right-to-work.” She referenced the website, pointed out areas of interest and noted it is always being updated. Brock also informed members of the upcoming elections and reviewed deadlines for nominations and voting.
The meeting concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Local Board member Lance Nichols. The panel included Casting Director Matthew Sefick and actor Alimi Ballard. Sefick, who has been casting for 12 years in the southeast and who has worked on Queen of the South, Queen Sugar, Paradise Lost, The Passage and Homeland, shared some of his insights on his regional casting experiences. He explained that one of the biggest challenges with Zoom auditions is spotty internet connections. Poor Wi-fi can create lag, so if possible, use an ethernet cable.
Ballard, whose credits include Queen of the South, Queen Sugar, The Catch, and CSI, Zoomed in from New Zealand, where he was filming. He spoke of working on set during the pandemic and answered questions about his career. One piece of advice he offered was that when actors don’t have time to memorize a long script, they should focus on a mood for the audition. Members had the opportunity for an informal Q&A with both Sefick and Ballard following the discussion.
Resources
General Questions: info@sagaftra.org
Local Questions: neworleans@sagaftra.org
Local Website: sagaftra.org/nola
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