We have found 19,377 posts across 4 actor forums:
Cheat sheet : Actors that have cast before - what impressed you about actors ? by CuspChaser111 • last post Jan 13th
Here’s what I noticed about our fellow brothas & sistas: 1. The importance of how to walk into a room. Energy & demeanor. You’re judged the minute you walk in. 2. Follow up after (this was for a play I cast) but a quick 3-line “all the best with project thank you for the audition” made a difference. 3. Dress & attempt at their version of the character. 4. Openness to play with role and make split second changes right there if directed. Some ppl simply cannot take direction. Also some ppl were amazing but were too young / too (whatever) and no matter how good of an actor there was they just weren’t the part - this is why the right headshot to show YOU and your ENERGY is so important - not just a “pretty” picture unless your casting is just “pretty picture” and honestly who wants to engage with that all day - find your accurate casting and stand out that way. I used to think it was just being “a great actor” being off book and having your choices made but it is so much more about your casting & ability to take direction in the room than anything. Sadly I’ve learned it’s more casting v. acting ability. What have you learned while casting as an actor?
Diversity in Casting-What's the truth on the ground? by jackblackbird • last post Jan 13th
Diversity in casting seems to finally be the golden rule to casting. With social pressures, producers are demanding diversity becasue, without a diverse cast, a show or film is almost automatically at a disadvantage and can easily be negatively portrayed. I've heard non-white actors complain of being stereotyped as drug dealers and thug roles and it's absolutely true. I've heard the complaints from our LBGTQ brothers and sisters that LGBTQ roles should be filled by LGBTQ actors and I love this approach. Here's where my question comes in. As someone that has done a couple films myself, I've struggled with wether or not to cast drug dealer/thug roles with actors that are non-white. Is it better to not give into a stereotype or is it better to simply cast the best actor for the role? Are actors of color weary of roles that live in the criminal world or is more a case by case basis? As an actor myself, part of the fun is playing villains and bad people but as a filmmaker, I don't want to further the issues that non-white/LGBTQ actors already face. I've actively tried to find LGBTQ actors to fill roles that were LGBTQ in the film, but this has it's own challenges. LGBTQ could be anyone with any personality and with any background. Is casting LGBTQ only about the sexuality of the actor or is actively seeking LGBTQ actors that live in and understand that world and the unique challenges that a true LGBTQ actor can bring to a role (as opposed to an actor trying to imitate being LGBTQ)? Just curious what the truth on the ground is? Should filmmakers push for diverse casts no matter the subject matter or does it seem forced?
Does Gary Oldman play himself within circumstances with his own mannerisms unless he’s playing someone real? by MedicalKitchen • last post Jan 13th
The man amazes me and I’m wondering if trying to build a character actor resume instead of a leading one would be smart. Does he play himself but hide himself within a costume?
Looking for Actors to Provide Audience Lines (Non-Paid, Quick) by MeTime13 • last post Jan 13th
I'm looking for people to submit lines for the audience of the mange Record of Ragnarok! Please click the link to join my server and look the "general-soundclips" channel for more info! [https://discord.gg/9yXVmsET](https://discord.gg/9yXVmsET)
Can an actor’s chances of getting cast be hurt by cosmetic issues like droopy eyelids or something like that? by Awkward-Ideal • last post Jan 13th
Title basically
Need a Monologue by Plymouth-Deli • last post Jan 13th
I’m a new actor (in an older body) and I’ve been invited to audition for representation. I need a monologue, 1 minute or shorter that would be right for me. I’m a late 50’s male with somewhat of an ethnic NY vibe. I welcome suggestions for a monologue that will help me land an agent. Thanks!
Backstage by Abel_is_a_penguin_ • last post Jan 13th
Hello! As many people here in an actor and because of COVID I cannot find auditions in my town or anywhere because they’re closed/canceled; which bring me to my question. Is backstage helpful? Because of this pandemic outing my resume on there and sending audition tapes for roles seems to be the best choice but I cannot afford to lose $150 on an app that I don’t know if it’s legit. Thank you.
Have you ever submitted for a role twice? by hithirteen • last post Jan 13th
About a month ago I submitted myself to an audition on Actors Access and they requested a self tape. I sent it in, never heard anything, and forgot about it. But now, a month later I’m looking on AA and I see they’ve posted again looking for people to submit for the same role? What is the proper etiquette with this? I don’t want to be annoying but I’m just curious!
REPOST: Comprehensive guide about O1B, EB1 and Tier 5 visa requirements for aspiring actors. by GlitteringTarget0 • last post Jan 13th
>Repost because I'm a dumdum who accidentally deleted important thread. Most of you aspiring actors always pondered about this. "I would like to be an Actor but my country's film industry is crap, America could be a good place to start." "There are various visas to enter the UK/US, I'm sure I could use the easiest to obtain." Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble but in order to enter the US/UK as an actor you need the O1B and Tier 5 visa specifically. >What exactly is O1B/TIER 5 visa and how do you obtain them? Well, good question! Let's start with O1B first, shall we? #O1B "Extraordinary Alien Visa" Is a visa granted for 'extraordinary' individual in the field of arts (specifically for O1B). This requires the individual to prove that they are "prominent in their field". >How do we show the government official that "we're prominent in our field?" You need to show them at least two of these criteria: - Has performed or will perform services as a lead or starring participant in a production or event that has a distinguished reputation as shown by critical reviews, ads, publicity releases, publications, contracts, or endorsements. - Has received national or international recognition for achievements through critical reviews via published materials by or about the foriegn national in major newspapers, trade journals, magazines, websites, etc. - Has performed in a lead, starring, or critical role for organizations and establishments that have a distinguished reputation as evidenced by media articles, testimonials, letters of recommendation, website reviews, and other similar items. - Has a record of major commercial or critically acclaimed success. - Has achieved significant recognition from organizations, critics, government agencies, recognized experts. - Has commanded or will command a high salary or other compensation. (Source: Lightman law firm LLC website) Along with the VERY IMPORTANT PROVE OF: - Agent or Manager who's willing to be your beneficiary. >IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU ALSO NEED UPWARDS OF $7000 IN ORDER TO FILE THIS VISA TO COMPLETION. So in other words you need to launch your career before you can file for a visa to enter the United States as an actor. >"What's the difference between O1B visa and EB1 visa? The requirements feels so similar to each other?" EB1 is an immigrant visa, while O1B is a non-immigrant visa. Some people on this thread said it's better for us to have the EB1 since there are studios who refused to employ people on O1B because of the extra paperwork, but most are fine with O1B. Also, in case of EB1 you may not need a beneficiary, but the evidence you gave them are going to be very heavily scrutinized, so it's a little harder to get. _________________________________ #TIER 5 "Temporary Worker" Visa. Is a visa used to enter the United Kingdom as an actor or other field of distinction, with almost exactly the same requirements as the US O1B requested: You need all of the following to be eligible for the creative category: - Make a unique contribution to the UK labour market, for example you’re internationally renowned or are required for continuity. - Certificate of sponsorship reference number. - Be paid the minimum salary as set by Equity, PACT or BECTU (except for models, musicians or circuses). - Enough money to support yourself in the UK - you’ll usually need to have at least £1,270 available (unless you’re exempt). - Certificate of sponsorship >You need a licensed sponsor to give you a certificate of sponsorship before you can apply to work in the UK. >A certificate of sponsorship is a reference number which holds information about the job and your personal details. It’s not an actual certificate or paper document. >Your sponsor will give you your certificate of sponsorship reference number. >They must also give you some other information to help you to apply, for example how much you’ll be paid. (Source: UK government website) So on top of being rich with lots of money to sustain yourself, you need to have experience and prove to both the US and UK government that you are in fact, an extraordinary talent. But fret not, you can always start somewhere! If not in your home country, you can kick start your career by immigrating to a country which has requirements that are easier to fill than the two countries mentioned above. There are thousands of ways to do this, you just need to persevere and be diligent in honing your crafts. Good luck to all of you out there!
Can someone explain how virtual live castings for major projects work? by jettitors • last post Jan 13th
So, let’s say a CD is casting for a major guest starring role in a major network TV series. Does getting notes during the audition probably mean the actor is liked? Has anyone here booked a job without getting notes? Does the CD always have a poker face and say “Lovely/Excellent/Great work!” to everyone? Do you have to have a backdrop and ring light/umbrella light setup, or can you simply use a plain white wall in your room with natural lighting? When doing Eco Cast Lives, does the CD send all tapes at the end of the day to the director, or do they select certain actors and then forward the tapes over?
Anxiety About a Huge Career Step by Goat_Disastrous • last post Jan 13th
Hello all! I’m a twenty year old actor. I’ve been acting since I was about twelve, in various school plays and musicals, and around my junior year I started to get serious about making this a profession. I began submitting to anything I could, at school I booked the leads in both our main musical and play, and started studying the business side of things. Fast forward three years, and I’m still going strong! I’ve booked about ten acting roles in those three years, which range from an extra in a Whatabuger commercial to a principal role in a SAG-AFTRA (planned) wide release film (release got canned due to COVID). I lucked out and had a producer from that movie send my stuff to some talent managers in LA and I flew out to meet and sign with one, and I even booked one of the leads in an indie anthology film during COVID, which really helped me stay focused during the break. However, I lucked into a role that I did not expect to get anytime soon. I booked the male lead in a new series on a major streaming platform (don’t want to risk leaking anything). I am most proud of the fact that this was a role I found and auditioned for myself. My manager was very helpful in negotiating the terms of my contract, but I went through five rounds of auditions on my own, and booked the role! I even got upgraded (I auditioned for a smaller role originally but they then had me audition for the lead). This is very exciting! My name will soon be out there and the pay is expectedly wayyyyy more than I’ve made on anything. I have about a month until I fly to location to start shooting, and most of the time I am fine and excited about it, but every once in a while I get hit with a HUGE WAVE OF ANXIETY. I begin to think of all the lines I have (About 200 throughout the entire season) and the immense money and marketing that is going into the project to trust that I will be a good actor, the fact that I have to do an english dialect for the first time EVER on worldwide television, (I did audition with the dialect though), knowing that my entire family and everyone who’s ever known me will end up watching it, along with thousands of strangers. My meeting with the rest of the cast and producers have gone great, but the terror of possibly messing up lines or just not being good gets me sometimes and it always sneaks up out of nowhere. Has anyone else had a similar experience?? I am worried it will affect my performance as my nerves will be through the roof once I get on set. I could probably say more in this but it’s getting pretty long, so I can discuss more in the comments! Thanks so much.
Looking incompetent because they forgot to send me the script. by bucannonmitch • last post Jan 13th
Hey guys, I know it's part of the job, people will mess up and things won't always go perfect but I'd love to get your take on this. I recently filmed a corporate video where the role I was playing had a script of 180 words unbroken. Short and sweet. I spend the week learning and had it drilled in my head but when I got to the studio they said "Ok, we'll do script 1 now and then straight to script 2" I had hoped he made a mistake but he confirmed I was meant to have received another script, also 180 words. Both scripts needed to be read back to back with no cuts. He then says "Ok we still have an hour, so learn this and we're all set" I don't know if you've ever tried to learn a script so fast that the old script is now a distant memory but this was the case here. Both scripts have pretty much the same words in different order (weatherman) blustery winds, heavy showers, north-west torrential rain etc) so my mind was now muddled between the two scripts. He kept coming in the room to read with me and correcting my mistakes as he needed the words said exactly as in script. Long story short, they ended up having to do a make shift auto-cue app next to the camera for me to read from. The first script was now a muddle and it took far longer even with the auto-cue as the speed was either too fast/slow. But boy did I get the feeling that they thought I was incompetent, they seemed to be getting annoyed as the auto-cue phone app was taking so long and after many takes we got through it. I guess this is just a rant, at the time I took a deep breath and saw it as an opportunity to learn from, definitely my worst experience. Had they sent the correct scripts I'd have been in/out in an hour. I think I was there for 4, including lunch. The whole day was a strange atmosphere, from the moment I walked in I met the team of 2 and no one said a word to me for at least a minute. Later, the director brought in a guy to meet me and basically lightly grilled him for not sending me the script, it was so odd. It made no sense. I'm grateful for every role I can get, acting isn't even part-time for me so I'd love to know how a more experienced actor would have handled this. Do you just get on with it? Mention your concerns?
Comprehensive guide for aspiring actors about US O1B visa and UK's TIER 5 visa. by GlitteringTarget0 • last post Jan 12th
Most of you aspiring actors always pondered about this. "I would like to be an Actor but my country's film industry is crap, America could be a good place to start." "There are various visas to enter the UK/US, I'm sure I could use the easiest to obtain." Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble but in order to enter the US/UK as an actor you need the O1B and Tier 5 visa specifically. >What exactly is O1B/TIER 5 visa and how do you obtain them? Well, good question! Let's start with O1B first, shall we? #O1B "Extraordinary Alien Visa" Is a visa granted for 'extraordinary' individual in the field of arts (specifically for O1B). This requires the individual to prove that they are "prominent in their field". >How do we show the government official that "we're prominent in our field?" You need to show them at least two of these criteria: - Has performed or will perform services as a lead or starring participant in a production or event that has a distinguished reputation as shown by critical reviews, ads, publicity releases, publications, contracts, or endorsements. - Has received national or international recognition for achievements through critical reviews via published materials by or about the foriegn national in major newspapers, trade journals, magazines, websites, etc. - Has performed in a lead, starring, or critical role for organizations and establishments that have a distinguished reputation as evidenced by media articles, testimonials, letters of recommendation, website reviews, and other similar items. - Has a record of major commercial or critically acclaimed success. - Has achieved significant recognition from organizations, critics, government agencies, recognized experts. - Has commanded or will command a high salary or other compensation. (Source: Lightman law firm LLC website) Along with the VERY IMPORTANT PROVE OF: - Agent or Manager who's willing to be your beneficiary. >IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU ALSO NEED UPWARDS OF $7000 IN ORDER TO FILE THIS VISA TO COMPLETION. So in other words you need to launch your career before you can file for a visa to enter the United States as an actor. >"What's the difference between O1B visa and EB1 visa? The requirements feels so similar to each other?" EB1 is an immigrant visa, while O1B is a non-immigrant visa. Some people on this thread said it's better for us to have the EB1 since there are studios who refused to employ people on O1B because of the extra paperwork, but most are fine with O1B. Also, in case of EB1 you may not need a beneficiary, but the evidence you gave them are going to be very heavily scrutinized, so it's a little harder to get. _________________________________________ #TIER 5 "Temporary Worker" Visa. >Is a visa used to enter the United Kingdom as an actor or other field of distinction, with almost exactly the same requirements as the US O1B requested: You need all of the following to be eligible for the creative category: - Make a unique contribution to the UK labour market, for example you’re internationally renowned or are required for continuity. - Certificate of sponsorship reference number. - Be paid the minimum salary as set by Equity, PACT or BECTU (except for models, musicians or circuses). - Enough money to support yourself in the UK - you’ll usually need to have at least £1,270 available (unless you’re exempt). - Certificate of sponsorship >You need a licensed sponsor to give you a certificate of sponsorship before you can apply to work in the UK. >A certificate of sponsorship is a reference number which holds information about the job and your personal details. It’s not an actual certificate or paper document. >Your sponsor will give you your certificate of sponsorship reference number. >They must also give you some other information to help you to apply, for example how much you’ll be paid. (Source: UK government website) ___________________________________________ So on top of being rich with lots of money to sustain yourself, you need to have experience and prove to both the US and UK government that you are in fact, an extraordinary talent. But fret not, you can always start somewhere! If not in your home country, you can kick start your career by immigrating to a country which has requirements that are easier to fill than the two countries mentioned above. There are thousands of ways to do this, you just need to persevere and be diligent in honing your crafts. Good luck to all of you out there!
HELP I HAVE TO SEDUCE THE GIRL I LIKE FOR A PLAY IDK WHAT TO DO by beatmymeatman • last post Jan 12th
so in general, ive always had quite a bit of ego in terms of my acting. i make a point to be extremely confident about everything, as ive found pretending to know exactly what you are doing greatly helps my stage performance but STILL. i have never had to do anything along the lines of seducing a girl. i am one of those people, that only ever interacts with his closest friend. i am NOT skilled socially. And now, my acting teacher, (bless her soul) just said that im going to have to seduce my "wife" in the play. I've never had a part like this. My usually completely confident act in class and in general is completely crumbled in the face of actually having to speak to a girl. i know this sounds absurd, but honestly. Other than my mother, i dont speak to girls. like EVER. i have not had a legit conversation with one it literal years. WTF do i do. also, to make matters worse, this one girl happens to be the only girl in my school i happen to find hot. i imagine this is a necessary step if i ever want to become a famous actor, but JESUS WHY NOW
why, anxious, introvert, can’t public speak... want to be an actress. by ihatgreengrapes • last post Jan 12th
* edit- “why” in title, i meant to say SHY. Lol Hey everyone i’m sorry if this is a bad place to say this or ask but i just want some input! so i’m 17, junior in HS. I’ve always been extremely shy and “backwards” (as my family says) very anxious person, most introverted as it gets. Since i was about 13 i’ve been editing videos and i’ve become very good at it, but i’ve always had the idea in the back of my mind for acting. I think only because i know i’d be good at it (which sounds narcissistic i think, but i literally know i’d be good at it) but i’m scared that i’ll fail. Idk if it’s myself wanting to make a difference for people (LGBTQ shows and actresses made a difference for me, so it’s kind of me wanting to do the same) Idk if it’s a real passion i have, but i feel like i’m already late to the game or something. I have absolutely no experience, i’ve only taken tech classes in high school, no acting classes. Idk if i’m just hyperfixating on the idea of my love for celebrities, or maybe the fame that will come with it (relates back to the inspiring people thing) or what. Idk, this is all a bunch of words but any input would be nice! and if i do want to pursue this, what would i do in college? i mean, i don’t believe there’s an “acting major” or something like that, so what would i do or like how would i build up to it? (sorry i know this isn’t a sub for the mentally deranged lmao) I also think that my connection to fictional characters is influencing my “want” to be an actress. i can cry my little heart out at the way actresses play fictional characters, and i get so in to it.
acting help by Hot-Ad-313 • last post Jan 12th
I just feel so pressured. i guess the weight of needing to be "successful" but also being financially stable are getting to my head. I love acting. I love acting just for the pure feeling of acting. I don't care to be famous or get super big. But i do want to do this. It makes me happy. I've been doing acting since middle school. I've done many school plays all throughout middle school, high school, and now college. I've even done some short films with friends for fun. I currently major in theatre and although so many tell me otherwise i can't force myself to do something else. acting just makes me happy..you know? I feel success is something that's different to each person. And i guess for me, success would be, being the best actress i could be and doing film and theatre. but i just don't know HOW. I'm so stuck in my brain and scared of failure. But at the same time, how could i fail when doing it for free would make me happy? but free won't pay bills. I wanna try getting into a talent agency soon. i wanna try. i wanna try really really hard to make this work. I'm just scared.. is it worth getting just my associates and just trying to get more hands on experience with the local theatres + whatever agency i join? or should i go for a bachelors and then try it out? ugh i don't know.. i live in texas. i feel NOTHING happens in texas like it does in LA or new york. could i still have a shot? or should i move to those places? could i still book stuff and not live in those places? i don't know..
thoughs about casting calls on facebook groups by mosenco • last post Jan 12th
What do you think about these groups on facebook? Many of them are real actors? If it's yes, why they searching job on a facebook group? is it because they are graduated but still hasn't any agent yet? The casting calls are legit? I still don't understand if these facebook groups are full of graduated people without any agents in search of a job to start, and directors with low budget in search of affordable new actors, or in reality they are all amateur, where most of them don't have any degree in acting and such and full of scams
What can I do at this moment? by Exciting-Ad-26 • last post Jan 12th
Long post. Due to anonymity I'll also delete it in the near future. I will still appreciate advice. I'm 25F undergraduate student in Europe and will probably be between ages 27-29 when I finish major. As a child I loved the idea of being in a film and theatre as a job. Unfortunately due to lack of charisma I was never suggested to do such thing by people around me growing up. When I was 19 I did a very stupid decision. I dropped out of college because most successful actors dropped out of school. I didn't think things through, that they did it because they were actually busy acting unlike me not even starting and lost a year I could spend doing anything productive whether related to acting or not. Few months after dropping out I changed major (not related to acting though more than the previous, because I couldn't find a drama school I could trust, I was an easy trap to waste money as I was inexperienced and had fear the schools only wanted to take my money). I decided to take some acting classes and spent 400€ on a course that took place once a week for 3 months. I didn't understand much what was going on, maybe it was too advanced. I took the class that was compatible with my college schedule. I also joined FB casting groups and I feel like I only made a clown of myself because I was completely off the profile. I applied because this ain't LA and there are much less opportunities. While there were no direct remarks I feel that I got weird looks and might as well be the next Tommy Wiseau. Yes, I am working on my English and pronunciation, but for an actor perfect pronunciation is not enough. I know I lack a lot of self-awareness like Tommy Wiseau, but I don't know where. I don't feel the cringe others probably feel when I act. But seeing any videos of me make me cringe. And when I try to change it I still cringe. I also did some work as an extra and ended up feeling extremely insecure. All of the movies I was in even if at first they kind of put me right in front of the camera I feel like they cut me out completely now. Now, I know, I am not naturally talented at acting. I could hardly focus in a hobby group after I went broke because of that course. Still, I really wish to be in a movie once. I am ok with not becoming an actor as a source of living, but I really would like to be good enough to once be in a movie, even a small role is ok. My dream role, however is to play eccentric characters, doesn't matter if villains or normal. But if I manage at all to actually become an actress that would be great. How can I start? Due to covid many drama schools are closed and also, I cannot really afford classes at the moment. Are there any exercises that actually help and I can do at home, alone? Preferably not too loud not to disturb the neighbors, I did consider pursuing a degree in acting, maybe after I finish my primary studies. But I am getting old and like I said, I'm afraid I'm not naturally good to gain enough from it. But even if I decide to pursue acting after college (I'll be in my late 20s or 30s), what can I do NOW, that my 30 year old self can be thankful for? I gave up many times, but I always end up dreaming of it again. TD;LR 25F with no talent or much experience would like to get on the wagon by the age of 30. What can I do now?
DEMAND SAG-AFTRA AGGRESSIVELY ADAPT TO REFLECT TODAY'S VOICEOVER LANDSCAPE! by morganbkeaton • last post Jan 12th
[Hi all, with the permission of Bob Bergen (legendary actor, known for voicing Porky Pig), I’m sharing his words from a Facebook group. Bob has long been deeply involved in the union, and is a proud member. Feel free to share, comment, email, etc. Here’s his post (the attachment he refers to is [this link](http://chng.it/6V2jBddttt)):] Gang, this is long and detailed. But it is one of the MOST important issues I have ever been involved with on behalf of my fellow voice actors. Read the attachment below first, then come back to this long text. I’ll cut to the chase. With the exception of animation, the majority of voiceover is non union and has been for years. This has contributed to the disastrous lack of funds in our Pension and Health. The top agents in the industry are seeing fewer and fewer union opportunities everyday. I ask that you sign the attached petition and make your voice heard at SAG-AFTRA that their Board approve the proposal below, which has already been approved by both The National Voiceover Committee as well as The Hollywood Voiceover Committee, but stuck in the red tape bureaucracy of the union for over 2 years. This proposal is a 5-7 year plan, where SAG-AFTRA will suspend membership qualifications for voice actors. Actors may pay off their initiation at $50 a month for 5 years, during which they may continue their thriving non-union voiceover career while union staff works to aggressively organize their non union buyers without disrupting the buyer’s day to day. The union has been blind to the erosion of the union vo industry for 20 years. I believe this proposal is a proactive way to reclaim this work. But leadership needs to understand the landscape of today’s vo industry outside the union bubble. I have been trying to get the union to address this for these 20 years, which has come down to this proposal. Time is not on our side, and I truly believe this is our one and final shot to get a handle on this. I ask that every actor, from beginner to working pro, union, non, fi-core, as well as agents from every market large and small, and casting directors sign this petition and if comfortable comment on their experiences. IF WE ARE GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENT AT THE UNION AND BRING THE VO INDUSTRY BACK TO THE UNION FOLD, WE NEED A HUGE SHOWING OF SUPPORT BY THE VO COMMUNITY BY SIGNING THIS PETITION. The bottom line: SAG-AFTRA is completely oblivious that the majority of the vo industry is non-union, and they need to make the hiring of union talent as fast and easy as it is to hire non-union. They need to embrace this thriving majority of voice talent into the union fold so more voice actors can enjoy guaranteed minimums, P&H, and residuals. By reclaiming the union vo industry we will bring more money into our P&H fund, reversing the current state which has been detrimental to so many performers. Some bullet point details: * We have seen disruptions in the entertainment industry for decades. Film disrupted Vaudeville. Sound disrupted silent films. Television disrupted film. Cable disrupted network TV. Streaming disrupted broadcast television. With every disruption, since the creation of SAG and AFTRA the majority of our performer contracts stayed union. Until the internet, whose disruption to the voiceover industry transformed voiceover from a geographic industry to a technological industry. For the first time turning the majority of a professional acting genre non-union. I call this the “Amazon-ization” of voiceover, creating a faster and simpler business model. * This all started with the perfect storm, as the launch of the online vo industry coincided with the commercial strike of 2000, technologically taking the vo industry outside the backyard of the union. And since non-union work is not tracked at the union, many if not most union staff and leadership were clueless this was even going on, let alone growing and thriving over the past 20 years. * Depending whom you ask, voiceover is anywhere from 60-80% non union. Bottom line: THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK IS NOW NON-UNION! It matters not how great our union contracts and benefits are if the majority of the voiceover industry doesn’t us them. * A HUGE issue with the union’s current business model is the majority of working voiceover actors around the country do not see enough union auditions to even qualify to join SAG-AFTRA. * The non-union vo industry is thriving. But these actors deserve for their work to bring minimums and benefits such as residuals, pension and health. These actors have for years been shunned and shamed by the union. They should be welcomed, with their business model studied and embraced. * I have been hands on with the vo community throughout the country. From actors, to agents, to casting directors, for the past 20 years all have shared with me their frustrations as they attempted to get the union to address the erosion of the union voice-over industry to deaf ears. We are living the results today. When I got into the business in the early 80s there was very little non-union vo work. Non-union used to mean less competitive, less talented. You could hear a non-union read a mile away. Not so much today. Watch an evening of Network Television and you cannot tell the union from the non union voiceover commercial. * Please sign the attached petition, and share this with every vo player you know. There’s power in numbers and we need to send a loud message to the union. I appreciate this is a radical proposal. But if we are going to reclaim this industry, if we are going to bring in more union work to more union members, we need to make radical changes. Because status quo has not, and is not working. Los Angeles and National Voiceover Performers Committee Proposal October 4, 2018, modified December 8, 2018 Summary: Due to major technological advancements over the past two decades, the majority of the voiceover industry (as much as 75% or more, by some estimates) is non-union. Voiceover work is increasingly being produced non-union and voiced by non-union performers, who along with their buyers have created a faster and easier business model, which is thriving. Simply put, voiceover can be recorded by anyone, anywhere in the world. The opportunities for SAG-AFTRA members working in voiceover areas has been steadily decreasing over the years and will continue to do so unless we take action now. Voiceover performers live in an anonymous and atomized landscape, unlike the vast majority of our peers who work on camera. Reclaiming this work will require an approach that may feel uncomfortable for some; it is an approach that meets the industry where it is, rather than where we would like it to be. The purpose of this proposal is to reclaim union voiceover by helping to bring both non-union buyers and voice actors into the mix and under the umbrella of SAG-AFTRA contracts. In order to mitigate the erosion of union voiceover work, the Los Angeles Local Voiceover Performers Committee recommend an added way to bring non-union voice actors into our Union. Our proposal is designed to modify the current payment plan for joining SAG-AFTRA and to make it easier for these performers to choose to join the union. Currently, SAG-AFTRA offers two payment options for new members: • Full initiation fee payment plus current dues , or • A down payment plus five (5) equal monthly installments until the balance is paid in full after six months. This proposal applies to New Joins who exclusively work in voiceover and our recommendation is that the $3,000 (or applicable) initiation fee be paid in equal increments over a three (3) to five (5) year period. Our proposal also recognizes the need to concurrently organize non-union buyers; something we believe can best be done by granting an organizing waiver temporarily suspending Global Rule 1 for these voiceover new-joins during the five year initiation payment period. This would allow voice actors to work for their existing clients while paying the initiation fee. We feel this would encourage them to report their work to a union representative, who can then begin a process of education and organizing of the buyers in this space. During the proposed three (3) to five (5) year joining period, the Los Angeles and National Voiceover Performers Committees and Voiceover Contracts Department, will work with agents, buyers, and talent throughout the country to help educate and proactively assist in converting non-union work. Another important piece of this is to concurrently develop technology that will streamline the signatory and hiring process for union actors in the voiceover arena. We believe this proposal enables the union to most effectively recapture an industry that has slipped away from us. This will allow us to organize in a way that recognizes and accepts the technological shifts that have occurred in the industry. We will also be working with the necessary SAG-AFTRA departments to: • Streamline the online signatory process; • Educate Members, Agents and Non-Signatory Producers; • Make the hiring of union voiceover talent as fast and easy as it is to hire non-union; • Create a business model within the Union that consistently and continuously organizes non-union voiceover work. [http://chng.it/6V2jBddttt](http://chng.it/6V2jBddttt)