Houston-Austin

Members will learn important skills needed to submit themselves for online casting, specifically, how to compress their videos, make basic edits, upload to dropbox, send large files via wetransfer and how to setup accounts and submit themselves on various casting web sites like Actors Access and Casting Networks. 

NOTE: This is a THREE HOUR class that meets over Zoom web conferencing. It is specifically for Mac users.

When: 1:45 p.m. ET / 12:45 p.m. CT / 11:45 a.m. MT / 10:45 a.m. PT

Click here to RSVP.

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

Join us and your VO peers for an online group workout, but leave your barbells and yoga mats in the living room.  Find a quiet place in your closet or some remote corner of your home and get some voiceover reps in. This workout is all about helping you strengthen your VO chops, while being social...from a distance.  Practice reading your favorite commercial copy and get helpful adjustments from the instructor and your VO Lab peers.  Be ready to offer constructive feedback and support the learning process, as well. VO Lab workout groups are a great way to fine tune your craft and have some fun in the process. Yes...these are intended to be fun.  

When: 4:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. CT / 2:30 p.m. MT / 1:30 p.m. PT

Click here to RSVP.

REQUIREMENTS

If you are completely new to voiceover, you must complete the VO Lab's Beginner Bundle: Introduction to Commercial VO Workouts class before participating The VO Lab's Commercial Workout.  Beginner Bundle classes are posted at different times during the month, so if you do not see the class currently posted on the Program Calendar, please check back regularly and look for our email alerts about our upcoming VO Lab programs.

This workout is for commercial copy only.  Participants need to bring two (2) pieces of commercial voiceover copy.

Frequency Restriction: If you participated in The VO Lab's Commercial Workout on July 28, 2020 you are not eligible for this program.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation Voiceover Labs normally require VO Lab eligible performers to complete one (1) Solo Booth session before being able to participate in VO Lab programs.  With the VO Labs now being temporarily closed, we are waiving that requirement.  Until further notice, performers that have completed the VO Lab Orientation and have VO Lab eligibility can participate in the VO Lab's Online Programs.  However, certain program prerequisites still apply, so be sure to carefully read the additional REQUIREMENTS (below) of each VO Lab program.  If you meet the criteria you can participate. If you do not meet the initial criteria, complete the prerequisites and you can move forward. 

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

When: 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. MT / 3 p.m. PT

Once you have completed the required Voiceover Lab Application (online), you must complete the Voiceover Lab Orientation (VOLO) in order to begin using the Lab. The 2-hour VOLO covers Lab policies, aspects of sound, file formats, sample rates/bit depths, audio interfaces, microphones, voiceover recording and editing.

Attendees must be present for the entire program from 6-8 p.m. ET / 3-5 p.m. PT

Please note:  the orientation will make you eligible for all Voiceover Lab programs and both facilities regardless of your location.  

REQUIREMENTS

If you attempt to join the VO Lab Orientation and receive a message stating: "You are Ineligible," that means you have not completed the VO Lab Application . Please click here and scroll to "How can I use the DLF Voiceover Lab."  Then, click the online application link and follow the prompts and instructions.

Program will take place using Zoom (conferencing application.)  Ability to log into program by computer equipped with a camera or by cell phone equipped with a camera.  Camera is needed in order for participants to view presentation materials.

Zoom Link and instructions will be sent two hours prior to the class.  Please follow the instructions on the email, otherwise you will not be admitted in.

Note taking materials (laptop, pens, pencils, paper) recommended.

Click here to RSVP.

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

This online class will provide feedback from an experienced casting professional. No more than 20 performers will be participating. 

When a new Casting Access Online class is announced, eligible performers Join the Waitlist to request a space in the class and are added to the class on a first-come/first-served basis. Confirmed participants will be notified by e-mail.

When: Friday July 31, 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT / 12 p.m. MT / 10 p.m. PT

July 31st is the day enrollment and cancellation close, your headshots are sent to the Casting Director, and the Live Q&A on Zoom occurs. Participants will receive a Zoom invitation the morning of the class. 

The live Q&A will begin at 11:00am PST | 2:00PM EST. After the Q&A scenes and instructions will be sent and actors will prepare their self-tapes. The self-tapes need to be sent in to castingaccess@sagaftra.foundation by 9:00am PST, Aug 6th. 

Rori Bergman is an Artios Award nominated Casting Director for her work on FX’s The Americans. She is the co-Casting Director of Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down and Nicholas Stoller’s upcoming Friends From College (both for Netflix). Rori has worked closely for the past 10+ years with longtime friend and collaborator Jeanne McCarthy on projects that include Collateral Beauty, Foxcatcher, Begin Again, Synecdoche New York, Please Give, Our Idiot Brother, and the upcoming films Rock That Body, The Land of Steady Habits and Private Life. Rori was born & raised in NJ, attended Cornell University, and is a proud member of the Theatrical Teamsters Local 817.

Click here to RSVP.

REQUIREMENTS

You must have completed a Casting Access Online application prior to registering for this class.

If you RSVP for this class you must be able to upload your video by 9:00am PST on August 6th. DO NOT BE LATE. Those who have been seated by July 31st are expected to comply. You must cancel your reservation if you cannot comply. 

 

Your video will not be accepted IF:

-Your video is shot vertically instead of horizontally. If you need to shoot on an iPhone or tablet, turn it sideways.

-It is not appropriately framed. Standard framing is top of the head to mid chest.

-The video has poor sound, clarity, or lighting. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it cannot take away from your performance.

-You have a distracting background. If you cannot provide a solid background, a minimal background is best.

-Your video has title cards or subtitles. They are unnecessary.

-Your video settings are not Unlisted. Videos that are Private or Public will not be accepted.

-You “share” the video through YouTube. You must email the video URL to the specified email address.

 

Building one's team is an important component to an actor's career. This small group session will cover what an actor has to keep in mind when looking to add a commercial agent, theatrical agent, and manager to their team.

Please bring pencil or pen along with something to take notes.

When: 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. MT / 1 p.m. PT

Click here to RSVP.

This class will meet REMOTELY. All RSVP'D Members will receive a ZOOM Link inviting them to join the class.

Small Group Sessions are facilitated discussions with the goal of digging deeper into some of the information and advice shared within the panels. These sessions provide a time to break down concepts into practical action items by which an actor can individually apply to their professional pursuits. This session will last for 1.5 - 2 hours. Participants must stay for the whole time.

Before attending, it is recommended you watch the panel discussion here.

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

The audition is not only how one prepares the material. It is also about the mindset actors have about auditioning, how they conduct themselves in the room and how they let it go. This session will cover the many ways actors can prepare mentally, physically and psychologically for the audition.

Please bring pencil or pen along with something to take notes.

When: July 29, 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. MT / 1 p.m. PT

Click here to RSVP.

This class will meet REMOTELY. All RSVP'D Members will receive a ZOOM Link inviting them to join the class.

Small Group Sessions are facilitated discussions with the goal of digging deeper into some of the information and advice shared within the panels. These sessions provide a time to break down concepts into practical action items by which an actor can individually apply to their professional pursuits. This session will last for 1.5 - 2 hours. Participants must stay for the whole time.

Before attending, it is recommended you watch the panel discussion here.

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

Headshots are an actors' calling card, but is it a professional picture that matches with how the buyers see you? Does your picture accurately communicate the product that is being sold? In this session we will discuss what your headshot is communicating and if that matches with what is coming into the audition room.

Please email copies of the headshots (MAX 2) that are submitted the most to thebusiness@sagaftra.foundation, by 7 p.m. the evening prior to the class. The class may not get through all headshots. 

If you have taken The Branding Workshop, please bring a typed copy of your branding sentence. It is not required that you take The Branding Workshop before you take this session.

When: July 30, 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. MT / 1 p.m. PT

Click here to RSVP.

This class will meet REMOTELY. All RSVP'D Members will receive a ZOOM Link inviting them to join the class.

Small Group Sessions are facilitated discussions with the goal of digging deeper into some of the information and advice shared within the panels. These sessions provide a time to break down concepts into practical action items by which an actor can individually apply to their professional pursuits. This session will last for 2 - 3 hours. Participants must stay for the whole time.

Before attending, it is recommended you watch the panel discussion here.

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

This class will include a Q&A and a PREPARED READING SESSION with an experienced casting professional.

Actors will choose a MONOLOGUE that most appropriately represents them. Monologues can be from film/television/theatre. Monologues should be no more than 2 minutes. 

Howard Meltzer is a veteran Casting Director whose career spans from Broadway to Television to Film. 

Howard is probably best known for casting 100 episodes of the hit Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana", which made Miley Cyrus a household name. In addition, Howard discovered a young Demi Lovato in Texas and brought her to the attention of Disney Channel. In addition, Howard cast the pilot "Girl Meets World", the pilot and series"Best Friends Whenever" (Disney Channel),and the pilot and series"Lab Rats" (Disney XD).

Based in Los Angeles, he has worked for Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers Television, 20th Century Fox, Dreamworks, Paramount, Sony, NBC Universal, CBS and FBC. Feature Films include: Lonely Boy, The Impossible (USA Casting).

Originally from NYC, he cast the Broadway productions: The Graduate, Fortune’s Fool, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, Elaine May’s Taller Than A Dwarf, Honour, Epic Proportions, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival), Fosse, Chicago (Revival), Annie (1997 Revival), Grease (1998 Revival) to name a few.

Howard is a Governor for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and, a former Vice President of the Casting Society of America.

Howard has been nominated 21 times for the prestigious Artios Award for casting and has won three times.

When: July 28, 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. MT / 2 p.m. PT

Click here to RSVP.

REQUIREMENTS

You must have completed a Casting Access Application prior to registering for this class.

Please note that the 90-day frequency restriction applies to this workshop. Your last frequency-restricted workshop must have taken place no less than 90 (ninety) days prior to this event to be eligible to register

 Only those participants who have received a telephoned or e-mailed confirmation message from staff will receive a link inviting them to the session. Waitlisted individuals who have not received such confirmation will not be sent the link to join the class.

 

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

Please note:  this class is aimed toward VO actors active and experienced with a DAW.  This is an advanced-intermediate level class.

When: July 28, 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. MT / Noon PT

Click here to RSVP.

REAPER (Rapid Environment for Audio Production, Engineering, and Recording) is a digital audio workstation (DAW).  

While REAPER can be used for all areas of VO, it is currently gaining momentum in the audiobook industry.  

This workshop will cover:

Customization and Configuring for Voiceover work.

Shortcuts, editing techniques, frequently used buttons and FX.

Recording considerations: redundant functionalities, layout templates, setting preferences.

The pro's and con's of this DAW versus others.

James Romick - After paying his dues performing in Dinner Theatres, Regional Theatres and Stock Theatres in the Midwest and up and down the I-95 Corridor from Maine to Miami, doing extra work and small roles in numerous films and on TV, studying audio engineering at the Institute of Audio Research here in NYC, and performing on Broadway for nearly 23 years, James has settled into semi-retirement at his home in New Jersey.

“For me, voiceover sort of came in through the back door. When I came to NYC back in 1980, there were only a handful of guys making a living at VO, and it was still that ‘big announcer’ style. Making a demo was expensive. Cassettes and duplication services were not cheap either. And there weren’t as many opportunities as there are today. So, I stuck to the live stage.”

“Now, with the advent of relatively inexpensive recording equipment, computers, software and the like, nearly anyone can dabble at being a VO artist. I’m pretty handy at basic construction, so I built myself a small home studio recording booth, outfitted it and dove in. Now I’m doing something I never thought I’d be doing in a million years. AudioBooks. 80 and counting."

“IMHO, REAPER is the nearly perfect DAW for VO recording. I’ve been using it and configuring it for nearly 4 years now and discover new things about it all the time."

 

REQUIREMENTS

This is an advanced - intermediate level class.  Attendees must have previous and active DAW use.

Participants are encouraged to have REAPER open to follow along.

The current version of REAPER is available for Microsoft  (XP and newer) and macOS (10.5 and newer):

www.reaper.fm

Zoom link will be sent via email the day of the class.

 

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

WATCH HERE

Tuesday, July 28, 12:30 p.m. PT / 1:30 p.m. MT / 2:30 p.m. CT / 3:30 p.m ET

Moderator: Camryn Manheim, Actor and SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer

Panelists:
Christine Bruno, Actor 
Ryan Haddad, Actor
Anita Hollander, Actor
Nic Novicki, Actor
Lauren Ridloff, Actor
Marilee Talkington, Actor
Russell Boast, Casting Director

Additional panelists to be confirmed. 

Please join us for Performers with Disabilities: Inclusion, Authenticity & Allyship, part of SAG-AFTRA’s series of livestream conversations exploring the intersection of storytelling, inclusion in the entertainment industry and equal opportunity for all. 

In recent news there’s been a push for more diversity across ethnicities, gender and sexual identity or orientation, with members across the industry advocating for more inclusion. However, there has been far less dialogue around the need for greater inclusion of performers with disabilities in productions in general, as well as authenticity in storytelling around characters who have disabilities.

This conversation will look at where we are now, where we need to be and how we can foster changes that move the industry forward toward greater inclusion and authenticity. 

This event is open to the public and does not require registration. Click HERE to watch. 

Email your questions or comments for panelists to PTEOE@sagaftra.org. Please note that, unless otherwise requested, your name may be read aloud during the program if your question is selected. Due to time limitations, not all questions will be addressed during or after the program.

This program will be recorded and may be later shared in whole or in part on SAG-AFTRA’s website, podcast and social media channels.

This workshop is not intended to imply an endorsement of any individual or company by SAG-AFTRA. The information provided through the workshop is given for informational purposes and may not be a suitable substitute for the advice of other industry professionals. You should always use good judgment in these matters and should not act or refrain from acting based solely on information provided through the workshop.