Houston-Austin

SAG-AFTRA Austin Actors Conservatory is partnering with Austin Film Society for an extensive, introductory-level approach to professional production management. Led by Randy Polk, production veteran and SAG-AFTRA Austin Actors Conservatory Committee member, the workshop will provide the actor and producer insight into the production process for a film, new media or any scripted entertainment project.
 
Cost: Free for SAG-AFTRA members and AFS MAKE level and above members; $25 for AFS WATCH members; $35 for general admission
  
Attendees will learn about:

• Production manager duties and responsibilities before and during production
• Breaking down the script, identifying production elements and breakdown sheets
• Scene scheduling
• Negotiating for equipment, locations, etc.
• Director/1st A.D.’s breakdown, shot lists
• Casting and SAG-AFTRA contracts

RSVP to austinrsvp@sagaftra.org. 
 
Randy Polk traveled to Hollywood after graduating from theatre and film programs at Texas State and the University of Texas, and now has a 23-year career in television and film production. Polk has professional experience in most areas of media production, was an owner of an equipment rental and production services company, and has done staging for a variety of live events (Emmy's, Golden Globes, major concerts, arena events, etc.) Alongside providing support services to many of Hollywood’s top production companies, he has also been on the other side of the camera in over 30 network television shows, films and video games. Polk also taught as a professor at the University of Houston’s Jack J. Valenti School of Communication for 14 years.
 

Please join Austin members as they welcome Gregory Kallenberg, founder of the Louisiana and Memphis Film Prize competitions. Film Prize filmmakers Tommy Kendrick, Laurie Powers and Travis Champagne will also be on hand to share clips of their SAG-AFTRA films.

Guests are invited to share ideas and industry news and also stay for game night at the Highball after the mixer. This event is open to SAG-AFTRA members and industry guests ages 21 and up.
 
When: 6 – 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 9
Film clips and Q&A begin at 6:30 p.m.

Where: The Highball Lounge
Free parking in connected garage

RSVP to austinrsvp@sagaftra.org. RSVP is required. Responses on Facebook or Eventbrite do not qualify as RSVP.
 

The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge weekend-long competition is back! 25% of Americans have a disability, making it today’s largest minority population. Yet far too often, their important and varied stories go untold…until now.

Now In its 6th year and supported by some of Hollywood's biggest names, the challenge gives filmmakers the platform to collaborate and tell unique stories to help change the way the world defines and views disability. Judged by a noted and diverse group of entertainment industry talent, films are not required to include disability in the storyline, but teams must include at least one person with a disability in front of or behind the camera.  

REGISTER TODAY for the annual, weekend-long competition! Entrants are given 55 hours to write and produce a 3-5 minute short film based on an assigned genre.

Registration Deadline: April 3, 2019

Click here to register online.

Shoot Your Short Film: April 5-7, 2019

Member Discount: SAG-AFTRA members receive 20% off the entry fee and special arrangements have been made for the films to be produced under the SAG-AFTRA short film agreement. To see the member discount, click here.

Finalists will be announced and screened at the Newport Beach Film Festival (April 27) and receive a one-year subscription to Variety Magazine. Winners, announced at a red-carpet event, hosted by Sony Pictures Studios at Sony in Culver City, are awarded industry mentorships; the opportunity to screen their film at the Los Angeles-based HollyShorts Film Festival (August 8-17), an Academy Award-qualifying competition; and other prizes, including Dell computers and a full, one-year subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud.

Mentor meetings for winners include writer, director, producer Phil Lord (Spiderman Into The Spider-verse, Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street) producer John Penotti (Crazy Rich Asians) casting director Pam Dixon (Angels in the Outfield, City Slickers) and Tiffany Smith Anoa'i, VP Entertainment Diversity, Inclusion & Communications, CBS Entertainment. Additional mentors TBA. 

For rules, guidelines and additional list of prizes go to www.disabilityfilmchallenge.com.

It is the responsibility of each member to confirm each producer has signed the applicable contract before making an agreement to render services. Failure to confirm the signatory status before rendering services may lead to disciplinary charges being filed. If you have any questions, please contact the contracts office at (323) 549-6828. 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 by the union nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

The Houston-Austin Local will be welcoming digital strategist Heidi Dean! Take control of your career and discover tips on how to grow your career through marketing and social media.

The industry is changing and entrepreneurial professionals are taking the lead. During the meeting we will cover: 

• The latest news on work in the region
• Resources to feel confident in booking work
• Connection with a career minded community

Come welcome the many new members of the Houston-Austin Local and recharge with renewed energy that is SAG-AFTRA in Texas!

When: 2-4 p.m., Sunday, March 24
Doors open at 1:30 p.m.

Where: MediaTech Houston
3324 Walnut Bend Lane, Houston, TX 77042

RSVP to HoustonRSVP@sagaftra.org by March 21.

This meeting is open to SAG-AFTRA members in good standing only. Parent/guardians of performers under 18 are welcome. Please bring your SAG-AFTRA membership card (paid thru April 30, 2019) for admittance. 

Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

Houston  Conservatory hosts a tax and business workshop to help the arts community get their act together. Join CPA Katy Ploch and financial advisor Laura Owen for a look at how changes in the tax code can affect your creative industry’s business practices. This workshop is free and open to the public!

RSVP is required. RSVP to HoustonRSVP@sagaftra.org by March 6. Seating is limited.

Kathy Ploch, CPA is the Tax Compliance and Consulting Specialist at Harper & Pearson Company, P. C. She has been in public accounting preparing all types of tax returns for 35 years. Ploch is currently on the Texas State Society of CPAs Board of Directors, the TSCPA Federal Tax Policy Committee, the TSCPA Relations with IRS Committee, and the AICPA Tax Executive Committee. 

Originally from Houston, Laura Owen, financial advisor, graduated with a degree in political science from American University in Washington, DC, and then re-located to Los Angeles where she began a career working in the film industry.  After 13 years in the entertainment world, Laura decided it was time to follow in her family’s footsteps to become a 3rd generation Financial Advisor alongside her mother, Vivien Owen, a First Vice President – Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley, in the Texas Avenue Group.

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 tax preparer/professional, legal or financial counsel. 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.