Conservatory

Looking to refine your audition skills for both stage AND screen? Join us for a special workshop designed to fine-tune your auditions and translate performances more specifically for theatre and film. From blocking and delivery to framing and physicality, we will discuss what makes a tape sink or swim in each medium to put you in the running for the gig!

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Apr. 30, 2024). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 

This Arizona-Utah Local conservatory will introduce members to the audiobook industry as well as provide in studio practice and feedback on ways to improve your craft. Audio narration is one of the fastest growing segments for union performers today! Isn’t it worth your time to find out if this avenue is right for you? 

This program will be taught by working audiobooks professional and SAG-AFTRA member Sean Pratt.  

Top Ten Things You’ll Learn:

• Why audiobook narration is its own unique style of VO
• Why your audiobook demo is different from your commercial VO demo
• The art, effort and attitude of narrating audiobooks
• The differences between the fiction and nonfiction genres 
• The basic equipment you’ll need to start practicing your audiobook technique
• Ideas for create your narration booth
• Resources for finding audiobook work
• The general state of the audiobook industry and where it's headed
• Your questions answered during Q & A
• There will be materials provided for the participants to take home and review. 

In the second half of the program, a limited number of members will be selected by lottery to work in a VO booth and get direction from Sean. Members who wish to participate in this workshop portion must prepare 1-2 pages from a fiction or nonfiction book of their choosing and be very familiar with the text. Lottery will be held after registration closes and additional instructions will be provided. 

Cost for this program is $40. Upon registration you will be sent a link for payment. After payment is received, you will be emailed the exact location. There are no refunds. 

Questions? Email Lisha.Brock@sagaftra.org.

RSVP: Reservations are required by Tuesday, April 16. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to Arizona-Utah Local SAG-AFTRA members. No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 

The Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston-Austin Locals are offering our members a FREE live online Tom Todoroff masterclass workshop on Thursday, April 11, 6-9 p.m. CT. In this class, instruction is done by way of demonstration. So attendees may volunteer to perform a 1-2 minute monologue and receive personalized coaching in front of the group. Tom will coach several actors on their prepared pieces to demonstrate how to use Guideposts, Viewpoints, Vocal Variation and The Four Agreements to craft the most dynamic, compelling performance possible.

This meeting is open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid through April 30, 2024). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

This event is not intended to imply an endorsement of any individual or company by SAG-AFTRA. Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed are those of the individual guests, not of SAG-AFTRA. The information provided through the workshop is given for informational purposes and may not be a suitable substitute for applicable professional advice. You should always use good judgment in these matters.

Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 

Deadline to RSVP is Mar. 21 at 12 noon PT.

Location: SAG-AFTRA Plaza, Cagney Boardroom
            5757 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Description:

Join the SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Conservatory for a Stunts Panel! Come meet with working industry stunt professionals, hear what they have to say! Have questions? Get them answered! 

Meet our Panelist:

Thom Williams has been in the stunt industry since 1998. He has been nominated twice for an Emmy for Doom Patrol and The Punisher. He has been nominated 5 times for a Screen Actors Guild Award and has won once for Avengers: Endgame. He won a World Taurus Stunt Award for “Best Work with a Vehicle” for Jason Bourne. He is currently stunt coordinating The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.

Freddy Bouciegues has been around since 2000. He has been nominated 3 times for a Screen Actors Guild Award and twice nominated for a World Taurus Stunt Award for Best Fight. He is currently stunt coordinating Rebel Moon – Part 2: Scargiver.

Travis Wong has been in the stunt industry since 1998. He has been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Fast and Furious 7. He is currently stunt coordinating Back in Action with Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx.

Shauna Duggins has been around since 1986. She is a 3 time Emmy winner and 4 time nominee. Nominated for Screen Actors Guild Award 9 times and one win. She has been nominated 6 times for a World Taurus Stunt Award with 3 wins. She is currently stunt coordinating Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Los Angeles Unit.)

Questions? Please email conservatory@sagaftra.org.

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Apr. 30, 2024). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

Please note that ADA requests must be received 48 business hours before the start of the event. 
 

RESCHEDULED: This in-person conservatory class was previously scheduled for Monday, May 20, 2024 at the Silver Spring Civic Center. It has been rescheduled for Monday, June 24 at the SAG-AFTRA Washington-Mid Atlantic Local Office (7735 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 950, Bethesda, MD 20814). 

On-camera auditions are often difficult and intimidating. It is hard to do an inspiring read for a camera or disinterested reader. It's also difficult to get a good sense of the material and decide how to play a scene or character when you only have a few minutes to go over your sides. In this workshop, we will explore a technique for doing quick breakdowns of a scene and role with limited time, and a way of working off of the lines and suggestions in the script to bring the material to life, making your cold readings both fun and effective. In this workshop, Robert Epstein employs the principles of the Meisner Technique to create compelling performances in your cold reading auditions. 

Robert Epstein, known as DC's resident Meisner expert, has taught The Complete Actor's Training, his long-term program for actors, for over 30 years. Robert has performed roles on cable and network TV, and has directed DC film & theatre projects including "Adams Morgan: The Movie," as well as leading many workshops for the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory and the Actor's Center. 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Apr. 30, 2024). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 

When trying to secure voice work, your demo can be your strongest marketing tool, or it may be why you keep getting passed over. A strong, fairly-recent demo can wedge your foot in the door and get you on the 'short list' for the job. By listening to and discussing examples, we will talk about common mistakes many actors make that could be jinxing your opportunities. We will work on how to find and spotlight your best tricks and how to strike a balance between consistency and versatility. 

Ken Slobodkin is  a Creative Service Director, Audacy Virginia and CEO, the Voice Actor's Place Demo Production. For more than 40 years, "Slobo" has muttered foolish nonsense into microphones as a radio sidekick, newscaster, morning show host, imaging voice and producer. He has crafted sound design for TV and film comedy for Premiere Radio Network, and produced at both the Studio Center and Earwork Audio. He has also been a talent coordinator with Voice Talent Warehouse in Las Vegas. Ken's all-time favorite role was as the voice of Rod Roddy for "The Price is RIght Live" show. He recently became 'Star-Trek-struck' recording lines with Kate Mulgrew for the latest Trek video game. Captain on the bridge! Boston-born (the accent still comes out every so often), Ken enjoys karaoke, audio plug-ins, and walking the Virginia Beach boardwalk with partner and fellow empty nester Marcia. 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Apr. 30, 2024). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 

Character voice is typically associated with animation and video game work, but the manipulation of voice and speech is just as applicable to our work in VO, Audiobooks, and on-camera. In this course, we'll look at many of the manipulatable facets of speech and apply them to some character copy examples. We'll talk about the difference between character and character voice, define the primary expectations of character voice, explore physicalization and facial manipulation as rough tools for character voice creation, and then work through changing several facets of speech through exercises. We'll end by applying what we've learned to a few character sketches from animation. Through it all we'll have a lot of fun!

Keith Flippen, a film/TV/VO actor for 30+ years, is the owner of the Actors' Place, Inc. in Fredericksburg, VA. He has taught camera and on-mic acting for 20 years through his studio as well as Speech, Voice, and Dialects for Old Dominion University from 2004-2021. In the last year, his audition coaching clients have booked projects for Netflix, Hulu, FX, a recurring guest star for the CW series Walker, and a recurring role in Fox's The Big Leap.

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Apr. 30, 2024). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 

In this workshop, Anne Flosnik answers your questions about working in the exciting audiobook industry. WIth 27 years in the business and over 600 audiobooks in most genres to her credit, Anne will share her tips and tricks, as well as her experiences working in many segments of the industry, including working with audiobook publishers, on platforms such as ACX, and working with authors directly as a Narrator/Producer.

Flosnick has won audiobook awards and distinctions for both fiction and non-fiction narrators. Her awards include five Audie Nominations, three AudioFile Earphones Awards, and an American Libraries Association (ALA) Award. Anne created the "Narrator Uplift" House on Clubhouse, a bimonthly recorded show with audiobook industry and audiobook-adjacent guests. 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Apr. 30, 2024). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 

Deadline to RSVP is Mar. 18 at 12 noon PT.

This is a three week intensive course for performers under the age of 18 only.

You must be available for the following dates in order to take this class:

• Wednesday, March 20 from 4:30pm - 6:30pm
• Wednesday, April 3 from 4:30pm - 6:30pm
• Wednesday, April 17 from 4:30pm - 6:30pm

Once you are registered for this initial prerequisite course on March 20, you will be automatically registered for the rest of the dates listed above. 

Class Limit: 20

Location: Online via Zoom

Instructor: Cynthia Bain

Description:

Join the SAG-AFTRA LA Conservatory for Cynthia Bain’s Young Actor Studio Signature Scene Study Class!

This virtual three week course of Cynthia Bain's Young Actor Studio Signature Scene Study Acting Class for Young Performers is dedicated to nurturing the creative potential of aspiring actors by providing a supportive and enriching environment for them to explore and refine their craft. By taking a deep dive into script analysis and character analysis, they believe in empowering young performers to discover their unique voice, fostering a deep appreciation for the art of acting. With a focus on goal setting, positive achievements, and replacing can't with can - Cynthia Bain's Young Actor Studio instills confidence that extends beyond the stage. Their mission is to cultivate a community where passion meets skill, where collaboration thrives, and where each participant can learn professional acting and life skills in a safe, supportive environment.

• Learn script analysis and deep character analysis. 
• Learn goal setting, positive achievements and replacing can’t with can.
• Learn professional acting and life skills in a safe, supportive environment.

Please note: You will receive your Zoom information the day before the class from SAG-AFTRA LA Local. If you have trouble joining the Zoom meeting, please email webhelp@sagaftra.org or call (855) 724-2387.

Members must have a registered Zoom account in order to participate. You must use a Zoom account with the same email address that was submitted with the RSVP. 

Members will be expected to engage with professionalism and courtesy.

Questions? Please email conservatory@sagaftra.org.

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Apr. 30, 2024). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event.