Online Casting Database Now Simpler and Faster for Both Actors and Entertainment Industry

Los Angeles (December 18, 2009)
— Screen Actors Guild announced today new enhancements to its iActor online casting database (iactor.org). The new features enable actors to create profiles that reflect their talents more accurately than ever. The upgrades also make talent searches more focused and easier, a significant benefit for casting agents, producers, new media developers and others needing to cast their projects.

“We recognize that the modern casting process has been refined over many decades, and our goal is to extend the best features of time-tested casting methods into the online space,” said Steve Graham, national director of digital marketing for SAG. “We’re committed to refining iActor on an ongoing basis to support its functionality and position as a go-to source for the entertainment industry.”

“iActor is part of an ongoing effort to utilize technology to better serve our members and our industry partners,” said David White, national executive director of SAG. “We will continue to refine our approach and find ways to upgrade the experience, which adds value to the casting process and provides another useful tool for actors to have in their toolkit.”

The enhancements are geared toward providing actors with the ability to further personalize their online profiles to better capture their unique attributes that will influence the casting decision. They also improve the functionality of the site by reducing the number of steps needed to perform common tasks. The enhancements include:

Profile enhancements

  • Improves published resumes by providing both PDF and HTML formats for more flexibility
  • Offers additional options for actor body type, ethnicity and special skills
  • Adds description fields for “voice quality” and “sound-alikes” to voice-over resume
  • Adds a new integrated media slideshow
  • Updates options for gender
  • Adds the ability to create custom credit types for more control and flexibility

Functionality enhancements

  • Adds drag-and-drop functionality throughout the site for superior ease of use
  • Allows the ability to include a mini headshot on printed resume
  • Allows the ability to update business contact numbers within iActor
  • Combines “Actors to Locate” with iActor search to provide results for all SAG members
  • Adds the ability to publish multiple resumes to public sites
  • Changes the way languages are selected; adds options for proficiency and accents or dialects
  • Allows additional cross-platform interfaces to share data with third-party casting services

iActor is Screen Actors Guild’s proprietary online casting database, populated exclusively by SAG members. Launched in 2007, the online resource provides industry professionals with automated Station 12 clearance, detailed actor resumes and multimedia files. It is provided as a free service to all SAG members and is accessible by the industry at no charge. For more information, visit iactor.org or e-mail info@iactor.org.

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About Screen Actors Guild

Screen Actors Guild is the nation’s largest labor union representing working actors. Established in 1933, SAG has a rich history in the American labor movement, from standing up to studios to break long-term engagement contracts in the 1940s to fighting for artists’ rights amid the digital revolution sweeping the entertainment industry in the 21st century. With 20 branches nationwide, SAG represents over 120,000 actors who work in film and digital motion pictures and television programs, commercials, video games, industrials, Internet and all new media formats. The Guild exists to enhance actors’ working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists’ rights. SAG is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Headquartered in Los Angeles, you can visit SAG online at SAG.org.

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