Houston-Austin

When: 9 - 11 a.m. PT/ 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. MT/ 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. CT/ 12 - 2 p.m. ET

The Career Center addresses a central challenge for performing arts and entertainment professionals: navigating the episodic nature of work in the industry. For many, survival work—initiated to make ends meet—ends up draining the creative professional and becoming more of a problem than a solution. This orientation will help you begin to take the necessary steps to identify meaningful work that complements your life in the entertainment business.

Questions? Please contact The Actors Fund at Careercentereast@actorsfund.org

RSVP: Click here for details and 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.

As we head into yet another year of uncertainty, the thought of setting financial goals seems daunting. Join a panel of experts from Morgan Stanley, Union Bank and Abundance Bound as they demystify what financial wellness looks like for actors and performers – from banking basics to investment specifics. Featuring Jed Cohen, Paul Butler and Miata Edoga, and moderated by actor and writer Lori Hammel.

Please come with questions - member participation is encouraged!

4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET

Click here for details, panelist bios and 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.

In these weekly, one-hour live Zoom sessions (beginning at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET), working actor and SAG-AFTRA Foundation staff member Tamika Simpkins dives deeper into questions about actors’ professional pursuits. This live program will mainly address the topics of that week’s Small Group Sessions, and members are encouraged to bring their specific questions to discuss.

Please note that members are highly encouraged to attend Small Group Sessions before coming to this program. The Small Group Sessions preceding this program are: 

Tuesday, Jan. 4: Representation

Wednesday, Jan. 5: The Audition

Thursday, Jan. 6: Headshots

Tuesday, Jan. 11: Self Tapes/Remote Auditions

Wednesday, Jan. 12: Money Management

Thursday, Jan. 13: Resumes

Tamika Simpkins' bio:

Philadelphia-born Tamika Simpkins is a television, theatre and voiceover actress inching through a journey filled with purpose and wonderment. She relocated on a whim to Los Angeles to pursue her creative aspirations after losing a bet to a friend. Tamika has performed in regional theaters in the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play DOUBT and in DEATH AND THE KING'S HORSEMAN. Her on-screen credits include GRACE & FRANKIE, DISPATCHES FROM ELSEWHERE, NCIS, SOUTHLAND and THE WIRE to name a few. Her love of storytelling has included voiceover performances in audiobooks for independent authors on Audible, video games, commercials, PSAs and most recently, Marvel’s BLACK PANTHER: WAR FOR WAKANDA video game. 

In addition to honing her craft working in front of the camera, Tamika has also worked behind the camera and has written, produced, and edited several independent film and media projects. For a few years, she was also a Commercial Casting Associate in her hometown. She also holds a double major Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and African-American Studies and has worked over two decades in the tech industry with artists and entrepreneurs and major corporations such as Warner Bros Studios and Clear Channel Radio.

Click here for details and 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.

Two or more voiceover actors tackling the same copy at the same time in the same recording space is an exciting proposition.  It requires good timing and vocal dexterity to keep the dialogue sounding interesting , lively and conversational.  It's a bookable skill that takes practice and focus. We will introduce concepts and direction that will help individual performances mesh to benefit the collective read. This program is specifically tuned for performers that are new to dialogue voiceover and copy will be provided by the VO Lab.

REQUIREMENTS

• Restriction: If you previously participated in a Beginner Bundle: Intro to Dialogue Voiceover, Dynamic Duos: Commercial Workouts for Two (or Three) or Dynamic Duos: Dialogue Voiceover Workout, you are not eligible to participate in this offering. Instead, look for our next Dynamic Duos: Workouts for Two (or Three) and sign up.   
• Attendees must be present for the entire program (Noon - 3 p.m. PT / 3-6 p.m. ET).

Click here for details and 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 class will meet REMOTELY. All RSVP'D members will receive a ZOOM link inviting them to join the class.

If you have not received the link by the morning of the class, please check your spam, junk, or promotions folders. If you still cannot find the link, please send us an email at thebusiness@sagaftra.foundation at least 15 minutes before the start of class time.

This class begins at 1p.m. PST/4 p.m. EST. 

SYNOPSIS

There are many areas an actor can pursue within the entertainment industry. By taking the time to narrow down what an actor really wants to focus on it can free them up to deepen their pursuit of job opportunities. In this session, we will examine the different ways an actor can focus their career goals and discuss how one can create a system by which to effectively target the industry professionals within that area.

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

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.

Click here for details and 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 class will meet REMOTELY. All RSVP'D members will receive a ZOOM link inviting them to join the class.

If you have not received the link by the morning of the class, please check your spam, junk or promotions folders. If you still cannot find the link, please send us an email at thebusiness@sagaftra.foundation at least 15 minutes before the start of class time.

This class begins at 1 p.m. PST/4 p.m. EST. 

SYNOPSIS

This session will provide a greater understanding of the components and elements that go into an effective demo reel, as well as cover the role of the reel and how an actor can best use it as one of their marketing tools. This session will last for 2 - 3 hours. Participants must stay for the whole time. 

If you want your reel reviewed:

• It must be no longer than three minutes.
• Email your name and YouTube or Vimeo link (No CDs or files) to thebusiness@sagaftra.foundation by 7 p.m. the evening prior to the class. We cannot guarantee that all submitted reels will be reviewed.

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

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. 

Click here for details and 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 class will meet REMOTELY. All RSVP'D members will receive a ZOOM link inviting them to join the class.

If you have not received the link by the morning of the class, please check your spam, junk or promotions folders. If you still cannot find the link, please send us an email at thebusiness@sagaftra.foundation at least 15 minutes before the start of class time.

This class begins at 1 p.m. PST/4 p.m. EST. 

SYNOPSIS

An actor was recently overheard saying that he just followed a couple of hundred people and will check back in 24 hours and unfollow anyone that did not follow him back. Unfortunately, this is common. Twitter is a conversation tool and, with any good conversation, the best thing to do first is listen and then engage. This session will cover using Twitter and reference Instagram and general tools and guidelines for dialogue, listening and learning while using social media. If you have never used Twitter or Instagram we encourage you to look up some tutorials online before attending this session.

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

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.

Click here for details and 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 class will meet REMOTELY. All RSVP'D members will receive a ZOOM link inviting you to join the class.

If you have not received the link by the morning of the class, please check your spam, junk or promotions folders. If you still cannot find the link, please send an email at thebusiness@sagaftra.foundation at least 15 minutes before the start of class time.

This class begins at 1 p.m. PST/4 p.m. EST. 

SYNOPSIS

Time is a finite resource. If you do not plan how to best use your time, days, weeks, months or years could go by without you feeling like your goals have been achieved. In this small group session we will examine where you can adjust past habits to best use your time in relation to your acting pursuits. You will come out of this session with some techniques to budget your time more effectively.

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

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 an hour and a half. Participants must stay for the whole time.

Click here for details and 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.

A  broadcast quality home studio is a must for anyone working in voiceover today. Join EIF Staff, Tatiana Grey as she demystifies the process of creating a budget friendly professional home set-up. She will discuss gear purchases, maximizing your space, tips and tools for optimal sound conditions, helpful resources and more. If you are in the process of building a home studio or just beginning to consider it, this class is a must! All levels welcome but class is designed for beginners.

Click here for details and 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.