Career Development

Learn about the art of audiobook storytelling from award-winning director and producer Paul Alan Ruben in this special conservatory offering.

The purpose of this SAG-AFTRA audiobook workshop is to identify fundamental performance habits, in fiction and non-fiction, that create compelling storytelling. Becoming a compelling and successful audiobook narrator, in both fiction and non-fiction, begins with recognizing that the storyteller’s job-one is 100% acting, 0% voicing.

In fiction, the fundamental performance habits that will be addressed include, identifying and playing point of view, playing the emotional stakes and matching them, playing the third-person narrator, speaking dialogue like real people, engaging the here and now, and using punctuation as your co-director. In non-fiction, these fundamental performance habits include, understanding your performance outcome as the author’s surrogate, owning your role as expert/teacher/persuader, emotionally investing yourself in ‘wowing’ the listener with this fantastic story.

Ruben has directed and produced award-winning audiobooks for every major publisher since 1990. Ruben has received two Best Spoken Word Grammy Awards and the programs he has directed have received numerous Audiofile Earphone and APA Audie Awards, including last year’s Audie-winner, Lisa Flannigan, for Spinning Silver. Over his career, Ruben has conducted narrators’ workshops and coached numerous individual narrators. He has also cast and directed multiple first-time narrators, many of whom have become household names, including, Edoardo Ballerini, Oliver Wyman, Michael Crouch, Maggi-Meg Reed, Cassandra Morris, David Ledoux, Holter Graham and Kathleen Mcinnerney.

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete form below to RSVP. Please note that you must be logged in to RSVP. 
Seeing this on your app? Please click here to log into the website and RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing — no guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome. SAG-AFTRA members, please bring your membership card or digital card from the app (paid through April 30, 2020) for admittance.

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.

Unfortunately, the presenter will not be able to travel to lead the March 22 ProACT workshop. We regrettably must postpone and hope to reschedule in the coming months.

For those of you who paid your Conservatory dues ($35/year) please know you are paid through December and may attend any Conservatory events in other Texas cities.

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience. Please email dallas@sagaftra.org if you have any questions.

Please note that this event has been postponed out of an abundance of caution. Read the message to members here. 

Thank you for your understanding and patience. 

Calling all future television, radio and digital newspersons, reporters, sportscasters, disc jockeys and announcers:

Mentors, all of whom are seasoned professionals currently working at New York television and radio stations, will discuss their careers, answer questions and give students individual attention in breakout sessions. This is an invaluable opportunity to meet and learn from some of the best in the field! The day will consist of panel discussions exploring career paths and getting a job in the competitive world of broadcast, as well as group and individual critiques of mp3 demos on USB’s and résumés (bringing materials is suggested).

Whether you major in broadcast journalism or communications, or just want to learn more about the profession, the annual mentoring program is right for you! SAG-AFTRA is the union that represents broadcasters.

This program is FREE and open to all college students interested in learning more about careers in the television, digital and
radio news and broadcast industry. Lunch will be provided.

RSVP: Space is limited, so RSVP early to guarantee your spot! Complete the form below to make a reservation

For more information, email newyork.mentoring@sagaftra.org.

Unfortunately, this event has been postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date. If you have any questions please email colorado@sagaftra.org.

Put Your Best WEB Foot Forward with Branding Expert Marjorie R. Asturias

As a professional in the performing arts, your brand is your calling card and what distinguishes you from the crowd. In this interactive workshop we will discuss what effective branding is and how to accomplish it. Then we’ll walk through the steps to create a basic website to reflect your brand and will leave plenty of time for questions and assistance.

Should you choose, you can leave this workshop having created your very own website! Build and manage your personal brand online with a WordPress.com website. WordPress.com lets you create, customize, and launch a user-friendly website without having to know a single line of code. Even if you’ve never heard of HTML, if you can use a smartphone, you can build a beautiful website for your portfolio, video reel or media gallery. You can also create a contact form for agents, producers, directors and other to reach you directly.

When: 7 – 9 p.m., Monday, March 9
Registration: 6:30-6:55 p.m.
Beverages, light snacks will be provided.

Reservations are required: No later than 5 p.m., Wednesday, March 4. Space is limited. Click here to reserve your spot and for advance payment for non-members.

Cost: Free to all SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid through April 30, 2020).* 
Non-members: $15 with advance registration; $20 cash at the door.
Anyone not registering in advance will be admitted the night of the event on a space available, first come, first serve basis only.

*SAG-AFTRA members, please bring your membership card or digital card from the app (paid through April 30, 2020) for admittance. 

SPECIAL NOTES: This is a hands-on workshop with both group and one-on-one attention given. Please bring your laptop (fully charged) with a charging cord so you can build your website during the workshop.

More About Marjorie R. Asturias
Marjorie is on the business development-partnerships team at Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com and other fine software products. She has helped thousands of small business owners, writers, bloggers, artists, and other creative professionals and freelancers around the world build their websites and launch their brands on the web. She's based in western Colorado and lives with her family, including her four-legged kiddos.

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.

 

Please note that this event has been postponed out of an abundance of caution. Read the message to members here.

Watch your email or app updates for announcements about the rescheduling of this and other member events.

Thank you for your understanding and patience. 
 

Please note that the Spring session of Sight Singing has been cancelled out of an abundance of caution. Read the message to members here. 

Watch your email or app updates for announcements about the rescheduling of this and other member events.

Thank you for your understanding and patience. 
 

Come meet your new local SAG-AFTRA staff member Katie Wallack, Manager of Contracts & Member Outreach, and learn:

-Why commercial work is coo-coo pants right now.
-Talk about commercial work (we’re not doomed, we’re digital).
-The forecast of commercial work, let’s make it rain!
 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete form below to RSVP. Please note that you must be logged in to RSVP. 
Seeing this on your app? Please click here https://www.sagaftra.org/node to log into the website and RSVP.

 

New headshots on your 2020 to-do list? Anxious about on-camera makeup – how much is too much? What about auditions? To makeup or not to makeup? Guys, we’re talking to you, too.

Meet L.A. turned Bay Area-based photographer Kirsten Lara Getchell and her longtime hair and makeup collaborator Rachel Rockwood. They will share their unique approach to bringing out the best YOU on camera. Moderated by SAG-AFTRA Local Board member Anthony Cistaro.

Learn about:

• What makes for a terrific headshot
• How to best prepare for your headshot session
• How to evaluate your photos
• Hair and makeup do's and don'ts for auditions
• An essential kit for auditions

Feedback will be offered on current headshots as time allows.

Kirsten Lara Getchell’s career as a headshot photographer spans 25 years, starting out in the entertainment business in Los Angeles photographing then fellow aspiring and countless working actors, including notable talents such as Sandra Bullock, Rainn Wilson, Josh Jackson, Jessica Alba, Nia Vardalos and Chris “Sully” Sullivan, among others. Her recent headshot of Rita Wilson ended up on the Greek stamp! She relocated to Berkeley in 2009 to be with her husband and stepdaughter, where she continues her mission to empower actors, models, and professionals by collaborating with them to capture winning headshots and lifestyle imagery. She currently shoots in and around her beautiful natural light studio located in the historic Berkeley Kitchens Building, and still travels back to Los Angeles for shoots a few times each year. You can view her work online at: klgphotography.com

Hair and makeup artist Rachel Rockwood has been grooming actors and models for eight years in the Bay Area. Skilled in on-camera technique, she makes sure that viewers see you and are not distracted by your hair and makeup. Rockwood brings a grounding energy to shoots, helping clients feel comfortable and confident so their best selves come through the camera lens. Connect with her on Instagram at @Rachel.Rockwood.mua

Anthony Cistaro began his career as a Bay Area actor and was a series regular on TNT’s Witchblade as Kenneth Irons. He’s played recurring roles on Sense8, Cheers (as “Henri” the lecherous Frenchman) and Charmed. Other guest appearances include Seinfeld and Friends. Upcoming projects include a role in the locally-shot Netflix original All Day and a Night. Cistaro currently serves on the Northern California SAG-AFTRA Local Board. He also chairs the Local’s Conservatory Committee and the Voiceover/Commercial/Corporate Educational (VOCCO) Committee.

ADVANCED REGISTRATION REQUIRED

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete form below to RSVP. Please note that you must be logged in to RSVP.
Seeing this on your app? Please click here to log into the website and RSVP.

To serve the breadth of our membership, registration priority will be given to members who have not attended a class within the previous three months. Please do not assume you are registered for the class until you have received a confirmation email from our office.

We honor a strict cancellation policy. Barring any major emergency, such as an accident, illness, or death in the family, if you fail to adequately cancel your registration at least two full business days in advance, your Conservatory privileges will be suspended for six months after the date of your cancellation policy violation.

YOUR COOPERATION HELPS MAKE OUR LOCAL CONSERVATORY A SUCCESS!
Questions? Call Lea Hausherr (415) 874-4951 or email lea.hausherr@sagaftra.org

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing — no guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome. SAG-AFTRA members, please bring your membership card or digital card from the app (paid through April 30, 2020) for admittance

The SAG-AFTRA MOVE New York WNY/CNY/Upstate Subcommittee invites you to a discussion with Stephen McKinley Henderson in Buffalo, NY. The interview will be followed by a Q&A. 

STEPHEN MCKINLEY HENDERSON has appeared in five Oscar Nominated films: Greta Gerwig’s, Lady Bird; Denzel Washington’s, Fences, for which Stephen received a Virtuoso Award from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival; Steven Spielberg’s, LINCOLN; Kenneth Lonergan’s, Manchester by the Sea; and Stephen Daldry’s, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
  
Henderson’s OBIE and LUCILLE LORTEL awards are for outstanding lead actor in Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adley Guirgis, which received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2015.  Considered among the celebrated interpreters of playwright August Wilson’s work, Henderson received a Tony nomination and the Richard Seff Award for his performance as Bono in the 2010 revival of FENCES with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. His last Broadway appearance was in 2017 as Torvald in the heralded replacement cast of Lucas Hnath’s, A Doll’s House Part 2 led by Julie White.

Noteworthy television work includes Alex Garland’s FX series, DEVS, premiering in spring of 2020; Wu Tang: An American Saga on HULU; Aaron Sorkin’s HBO series, THE NEWSROOM; HBO Films’ Everyday People, directed by Jim McKay; and Bill Duke’s PBS American Playhouse film of A Raisin in the Sun, starring Danny Glover and Esther Rolle.  

Henderson is Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance for the State University of New York at Buffalo.  He is a member of the LAByrinth Theater Company, a Fox Foundation Fellow, a Master Teacher for The Lunt-Fontanne Ten Chimneys Fellowship Program and a recipient of the Woodie King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award from The St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre.  In 2016 he was the Denzel Washington Endowed Chair at Fordham University.  Stephen has taught master classes for Juilliard Drama Division where he delivered the commencement address and received Juilliard’s Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, May 19, 2017.

Parking options:

• Front parking lot on Main Street for approximately 30 vehicles 
• Rear parking lot for approximately 50 vehicles. The rear parking lot must be accessed from Leroy Avenue. 
• Street Parking

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete form below to RSVP. Please note that you must be logged in to RSVP. 
Seeing this on your app? Please click here to log into the website and RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing — no guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome. SAG-AFTRA members, please bring your membership card or digital card from the app (paid through April 30, 2020) for admittance.

Learn how to create highly competitive self tapes from SAG-AFTRA member, Actor and Audio visual producer Dennis Grimes.

Members will learn some do's and don'ts on the technical side of setting up self tapes. Discover what you need to make your video, lighting and sound pop in self tapes that will match or exceed the quality of your agent or CD's studio.

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete form below to RSVP. Please note that you must be logged in to RSVP. 
Seeing this on your app? Please click here to log into the website and RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing — no guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome. SAG-AFTRA members, please bring your membership card or digital card from the app (paid through April 30, 2020) for admittance.