THR's Next Gen of 2011: Hollywood's 35 Under 35

In November, The Hollywood Reporter released their 35 under 35, a list of Hollywood’s fastest rising stars.  This list, which includes such honorees as Ari Emanuel, Stacey Snider, and Mike DeLuca, pays tribute to some of the industry’s brightest talent and high-profile projects.  This is the 18^th year the list has been compiled, and for sure is a major honor, as anyone who is anyone in Hollywood reads and respects The Hollywood Reporter.

The list is broken down into categories which include Actors, Actresses, Agents, Digital, Film, Legal, Management, Publicity, TV, and Writers and Directors, in alphabetical order.  For anyone who is interested in working in Hollywood, studying the accomplishments of these young professionals is an excellent way to learn from the best of the best and to see what it takes to make it big.  According to THR, “for some, it may be their ability to see potential before anyone else does.  For others, it’s a knack for negotiating a deal through complex industry channels.”  The co-chairman of Fox Jim Gianopulos, it’s "coming up with the right answer. More often, it's coming up with the right questions. … And if you're smart enough to already have the answer, that's talent."

As a manager myself, of course I was immediately drawn to the managers THR chose as members of this renowned list.  I was interested to see what the most successful young managers were doing and what they have accomplished thus far in their careers which have secured them as a coveted Next Gen of 2011 inductee.  Three individuals were highlighted. 

Scott “Scooter” Braun, 30, is the founder of Silent Media Group.  Getting his start as an Atlanta party promoter, he graduated to marketing executive at Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Records.  By age 26, he was looking for something more.  Motivated to find the next big thing, he did just that.  He scoured YouTube and discovered Justin Bieber.  Partnering with Usher, he signed Bieber, and the rest is history.  Braun has steered the young Bieber’s career to superstardom, largely in part to Never Say Never, the hugely successful film documenting Bieber’s rise to fame which was Braun’s creation and co-production.

Adam Kossack, is a manager at Anonymous Content.  After graduating from college, Kossack’s first job was as production coordinator for N’Sync.  He decided to forego his plans to attend law school and decided to answer phones for Next Gen’s Class of 2006 Michael Sugar.  He followed Sugar to Anonymous and has been building a roster of writer-director clients ever since his promotion in 2007.  

Last but not least, Tucker Voorhees is a manager at Principato Young Management.  After stints at several companies including Robert Redford’s Wildwood Enterprises and 3 Arts Entertainment, Voorhees moved from Los Angeles to New York City where he was told to “go out and sign funny people”, and he has done just that.  He has scouted such talent as Zach Galifanakis and Stephen Colbert.  In 2007, he returned to Los Angeles and joined Principato where he reps actor-writers, directors, and some of the original comedy talent he scouted in New York.

My suggestion to anyone looking to break into the industry is to read and reread the mini biographies of each of the 35 people THR has chosen as this year’s best young professionals in Hollywood.  Something can be learned from each and every one of these individuals whether it be from their decisions and work history, their philosophy, or their work ethic.  All of these people came from different backgrounds and have made their way to the top doing different things in different niches in the industry.  However, one thing remains constant, these people are among the most dedicated and hard-working of them all, which should be motivation for everyone that if you put forth the effort, it is possible to break into the business and make a name for yourself.

Tattoo Artists: The Next Big Catch for Managers?

Last week I went to get a new tattoo, and as I was sitting in the chair talking to the artist, it came to me.  Tattoos have increased in popularity considerably over the years.  According to U.S. News and World Report, tattooing is one of the fastest growing retail businesses in the country, with a new shop opening every day, adding to the 20,000 plus parlors already in existence.  For those of you who have tattoos, you well know that most people are extremely particular about who tattoos them.  You admire others’ work and ask who did their work.  Most artists say they gain most of their clientele from word of mouth and referrals. 

“Famous” tattoo artists are so sought-after that they oftentimes have a waiting list months long.  Several of these artists currently appear on the hit TLC reality shows LA Ink , NY Ink, and the former show Miami Ink, as themselves.  These artists are now TV personalities in their own right.  I’m not sure there’s anyone who’s living in this country who hasn’t heard anything about Kat Von D for instance.  Despite largely being known as the woman who had an affair with, and is now engaged to Sandra Bullock’s husband, well, former husband, Jesse James, she is an extremely talented tattoo artist, who has captured the attention of many.  Von D has appeared in music videos, launched a makeup line, and released several fragrances.  Her book, High Voltage Tattoo, became a best seller.

London boasts a show called London Ink, which mirrors the Ink series here in the States.   One of the featured tattoo artists on that series is Molloy, the artist responsible for many of the tattoos of the Beckhams’.  Simply by tattooing a superstar like David Beckham landed his work in almost every magazine and newspaper instantaneously.  Molloy recalls, “It was a bit scary to be honest.  The problem with a lot of press, especially the tabloids, is that they write what they want to write. The word that kept cropping up was ‘outraged’; that people were outraged at this tattoo, as if they were rioting in the street. It’s absolutely rubbish but they were just trying to stir people up. You could argue that any PR is good PR, which to an extent it is, but sometimes there’s a negative side to it as well.”  Molloy understands that his six month long waiting list is due to the fact that he tattooed Britain’s other royal couple.  He adds, “It’s like an endorsement, isn’t it?”

When casting for London Ink, producers were convinced they wanted Molloy as a participant.  Victoria Noble, the show’s executive producer, says “And if you’re putting a studio together, you want people to be recognizable as well as having recognizable work and he’s worked with so many footballers and rock stars.”  Several considerable business offers have now come his way.  I could continue with examples, but let me get to my point.

As a manager, one should keep an open mind and look outside of the box of musicians and actors.  We know that more musicians are starring in films and more athletes are pursuing music and acting.  Everyone wants a piece of everything and they are being offered the opportunity to do it.  The last time I was at a department store, browsing in the perfume section, I noticed how many stars have released their own fragrance.  I mean, Justin Beiber perfume?  I guess so.  And obviously people are buying these things up, because otherwise more and more celebrities wouldn’t be creating their own.
 

So, I’ll leave you now with some food for thought.  Why not manage the unexpected? Why not manage these artists who have the potential to make it big, receiving offers of all kinds, but without guidance, would have no idea how to handle it all and steer their career down the right path? Dennis Dwyer, who heads up the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, says body art has become more mainstream during his 30-year career as a tattoo artist.  With the growth of the tattoo industry, I have to imagine more tattoo artists are going to go mainstream and be offered endorsement deals and the opportunity to launch their own products.  Why not cash in on that too?  I know I am going to definitely do some searching for the next big thing.  Who said it has to be an actor or athlete or musician?  Watch out because tattoo artists may very well be the newest competition, and an excellent opportunity for managers like myself.

Negotiation Techniques: Insight from a Trail Lawyer

 As a manager, one of my main duties is to negotiate.  I have to negotiate terms of contracts, payments, appearances, sponsorships, travel, transportation, advertising… you name it.  Negotiating is a never-ending part of my job.  The key is to know how to negotiate, what tools or strategies to use and when, and how to deal with the opposition in order to get what you want without upsetting the other party.

I figured a good way to learn the keys to successful negotiating would be to pick the brain of a trial lawyer.  Although this person deals more with federal litigation and white collar crimes, his 15 years of experience in the field in addition to his schooling allow him to offer great insight and advice, because let’s face it: Negotiating is negotiating, whether it’s for an actor, a criminal, or yourself. 

So, without further ado, when I asked Moe Fodeman, an attorney for Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich, & Rosati in New York City, what his strategies are for successful negotiating, here is what he had to say:

“From my perspective, the key to successful negotiations is leverage.  Without leverage, you really have no shot at all shifting the negotiations in your favor because the other side can say just say "no" to you without losing anything.  You have to identify the other side’s weakness(es), make them understand those weaknesses are real and that they pose a significant risk.  So, for example, in my line of work, the key to negotiating to favorable plea agreements for criminal defendants is to make the government understand the shortcomings of their case (if there are any) and make them believe they could lose.
Beyond leverage, (since in the world of federal criminal defense, we very rarely have much leverage!), I find that the most important tool in successful negotiations, is to maintain credibility.  People know when you're trying to sell them a bill of goods.  And if they don't feel they can trust you, they're unlikely to move your way in a negotiation because they'll be too afraid that you're trying to get over on them.  The other side has to believe you when you tell them their case is weak, or that your position is strong, or that you are prepared to walk away from the negotiations.”

Moe Fodeman is currently representing me and one of my entertainment clients.  I have seen him at work and in the line of duty, and on top of what he has to say here, I think another key to successful negotiating is being personable.  Moe is outgoing and likeable.  He makes it difficult to say no. 

So, in summary, I recommend going into a negotiation with confidence, but not too much that you ruin the rapport you have built with the opposition.  Listen, respect the other party, and work together to come to an agreement.  And if all else fails, hire a lawyer!

How the government influences a film’s location

What are they and how do they work?

I guess the first question to tackle is if the government influences such a decision.  Coming across an interview about state tax stimulus packages, stimulated me enough to do a little digging.    Basically, states are now in competition to lure productions their direction by offering tax incentives.  According to the Film Tax Incentives website, tax incentives are the new backbone of film financing equations and can be offered as tradable tax credits, refundable tax credits, film tax rebates and reductions in state taxes.  To put it more simply, if producers find it economically beneficial to film in a particular state because they have to pay less money to the government and therefore have more money to put towards their project, chances are, they’re going to take the state up on its offer.   In 2008, productions that were shot in Michigan could be reimbursed by the state for up to 42% of their expenses.  That’s like making a movie for half price.  All of a sudden, filming in Detroit versus Los Angeles doesn’t seem so bad.

How they started

These tax incentives originally came about in order to lessen the number of “runaway productions”- projects that went overseas to film because it was cheaper.  Although not overseas, Canada was the most successful, which built Vancouver and Toronto into major North American Production Centers.  The States started coming up with tax based incentive programs in order to keep the jobs at home.  What ended up happening was states like Louisiana, Michigan, and New Mexico began making it seem so appealing to bring a project to their state that they saw an influx of applications by producers desperately trying to get ahold of some of these tax credits.  Although the state governments were offering hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives, the benefit and effect of luring these productions their way began paying off dramatically in the long run, at least for the most part, but we’ll get to that later.   

The benefits of local production

The rapid influx of millions of dollars into local economies served as lucrative economic stimulants that the governments, film industry, and local beneficiaries of the tax incentive found highly desirable.  For instance, Louisiana has established themselves as a top competitor and has landed tons of deals, third only behind Los Angeles and New York City.  And because of the experience they are gaining from having so many films produced in their state, more than 50% of projects are local productions, using Louisiana film crews and facilities, which shows what kind of impact the tax breaks can actually have.  Nick Paleologos, former head of Massachusetts’ Film Office until December of last year, pointed to the $452 million spent by movie productions in the state in 2008, but says that’s not even close to capturing their full impact.  In addition to the jobs they generate, he talks about the “multiplier effect”- the money spent by film crews on hotels and restaurants and other services that keeps cycling through the local economy.  He also talks about the interest generated for a particular location if a film is produced there.  The trailers and lights and cameras and “movie stars”… it’s all very exciting, especially if you’ve never experienced it before.

Poor California

So, as states wave incentives under the noses of producers, we can’t forget about the people being left behind- the original film crew- those in California.  Although Hollywood and cinema go hand-in-hand, 40 other states are after the industry due to the economic gain it brings.  Ironically, California had to follow suit and offer tax incentives so films would stay.  The program in California began three years ago and is up for renewal this month.  The Motion Picture Association of America commissioned a study that determined that California’s tax breaks generated 20,000 jobs and contributed $200 million in state tax revenue.  With the state’s deficit however, some people wonder if it’s worth it to set aside $100 million in tax breaks.  

Are they worth it?

Several other states have scaled back on their packages as well because facing unprecedented fiscal pressures, some lawmakers question whether handing out dollars to Hollywood is the best use of increasingly limited public funds.  According to the Associated Press, all totaled, states issued $1.8 billion in incentives and tax credits from 2006-2008.  That’s a lot of money on the table, especially since there have been some issues about how the money actually was spent.  For instance, currently, Tom Wheeler, once head of the Iowa Film Office, is on trial for allowing the misuse of funding.  He inadvertently cost the state millions in legal liability and lost economic development.  And remember Nick Paleologos?  He is now the former head of the Massachusetts’ Film Office after being booted due to controversy and abusing his position.  Some people just can't seem to handle all of the money and subsequent power that comes with it, which has proven to have devastating effects on certain states.

The downside

But there’s a major downside to pulling the funding.  After creating all of these jobs, if a state stops offering incentives to production companies, causing movies go to cities that are offering incentives, all of the local people relying on working on those projects will be jobless.  And here's the irony:  You'll have these people standing in line at the unemployment office, collecting government dollars, instead of paying taxes and working on a project that could be generating significant money for the government instead.

Where do we go from here?

So, as our country continues to battle the impending doom of the national deficit, each state’s decision as to whether or not to offer generous tax breaks, and if so, for how much, remains a debate.  Although I personally think it’s exciting and healthy to see productions spread throughout the nation, there is still just something that makes movies and Hollywood seem right.  But, these tax incentives seem to be too enticing for many states and most producers to pass up.  I’m going to have to fit my clients with radio tracking devices just so I can locate them while they’re working.  Either way, I’d like to think it’s safe to say that Hollywood will always remain the entertainment hub of the world, which means managers like myself will still have a home base.  With technology these days, all communication can be done remotely, but I’d much rather have a reason to live by the beach than to bare a Midwestern winter.

Technology's Effect on Entertainment Stocks

In an earlier post , I talked about Netflix and how the company was branching out and taking a different approach on things, having decided to release its own television series- the first of its kind.  I must have inadvertently kept their concept in mind, because whether it was subconscious or not, since then I've found myself continuously drawn to news stories about companies using Netflix and other new distribution platforms, stirring up traditional media and discovering original avenues of generating revenue through new forms of media.  

Because I am currently studying entertainment business finance in graduate school, I'm trying to make a dedicated effort to incorporate finance into my daily life and routine, hence the mentions in this blog entry.  I'm constantly looking for correlations between the subject and the entertainment industry, particularly my field of interest as an artist/talent manager, considering a vital responsibility of many managers is to advise their clients as to how to invest their money.  Establishing a solid financial background myself can and will definitely benefit me personally as well, so the more knowledgeable I become, the better .  

I began researching different entertainment and media companies after learning second quarter earnings were released earlier this week, and kept coming across articles mentioning CBS Corporation because their reported earnings were more than double that of last year.  Most analysts attributed this significant increase to the fact that CBS has decided to release many of its older hit shows such as Frasier and Cheers to Netflix.  Now internet users and Netflix subscribers can watch and enjoy CBS owned content at their leisure, where it was simply not available to them before.

Utilizing new methods of distribution not only offers more opportunities and freedom for the networks and studios, but it also offers more opportunities for actors, since with new media platforms, there is more room for additional projects, and more projects ultimately means more roles (and therefore more work for managers like myself).  The key is to think outside of the box because the opportunities are there, and with time and some patience and recognition, the opportunities are going to keep coming.  As a manager with clients just breaking onto the scene, harnessing the potential from these new media platforms can serve as a goldmine in securing my actors work.

In an August 2^nd article in Reuters, author Paul Thomasch writes that Les Moonves, the Chief Executive of CBS Corp., announced that deals could also soon be in the works with Apple Inc., Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., and Dish Network Corp.  Sam Schechner of the Wall Street Journal  writes that media executives hope that CBS’ bold and forward thinking moves “will be an arms race among technology companies to buy content to feed a new array of tablet computers and Internet-connected televisions”, mentioning that Amazon.com Inc. has already positioned itself to begin to compete with Netflix and has struck deals with both CBS and Comcast Corp’s NBC Universal as of late.  It seems as if everyone is beginning to realize that utilizing new forms of media can be advantageous to all parties involved.  This day and age, with all of the new developments in media distribution, has the opportunity to revolutionize the way consumers access and view programming.  The pioneers of these new avenues are at a major advantage, as can be seen by the significant increase in profits for companies such as CBS.

As I read through countless articles commending CBS for their non-conformist strategies, I became convinced that by taking chances and utilizing the not-so-traditional forms of distribution, they would continue to flourish, no matter what happened with the stock market and other outside influences.  And as quickly as I came to that conclusion, all of my beliefs were turned upside down.

As we all know, the stock market took a serious nose dive on Thursday, August 4^th, 2011, plummeting over 500 points.  Whereas many analysts were convinced (or at least trying to convince their readers and more likely than not, themselves as well) that the well-being of the entertainment and media companies was independent and not affected by the financial market, all of their theories were refuted in an instant.  Ironically, out of all of the entertainment stocks, CBS was hit the hardest, dropping over 9% over the course of that one day.  I guess when investors panic and want to get out, it doesn’t matter who they are or where they have their money.  If they think they may lose it, they are going to pull it and head for the hills, groundbreaking new distribution methods or not.

I want to come clean and confess that my knowledge of the stock market, investing, and finances at this point is probably comparable to that of a goldfish.  Actually, I probably shouldn’t even give myself that much credit.  Trying to wrap my head around the ups and downs of the market reminds me why I content as a biology major in college.  But, I am hopelessly optimistic that with a little guidance (okay, with a lot of guidance), that soon I’ll understand what is going on and why.  In my defense, from what I’ve read, which has been a considerable amount lately, even the most educated and experienced analysts seem to get as blindsided as the rest of us.  If I have learned anything so far, it’s that our economy and everyone who invests in it, is as fickle as they come.  Of course, if I had my life savings relying entirely on the fate the stock market, I have to assume I would be pretty fickle myself.

But, back to CBS and to Netflix and to these new forms of media and distribution.  Despite the major hiccup everyone experienced the other day, I am confident that the entertainment and media companies looking to take chances and utilize new technology and advancements in order to produce and distribute their programs are going to prevail.  It’s a well-known wives tale to not put all of your eggs in one basket.  CBS and Netflix are definitely following that advice.  The more avenues they pursue, the less affected they’ll be if an avenue fails and the greater chance of success they’ll have if an avenue is proven effective.

Personally, until I get a better handle on stocks and finances and investing in general, I’m going to look solely at the facts.  And the facts are, that technology is changing.  Everything we do and how we go about doing it is changing at lightning speeds.  Ironically, the only portion of CBS that did not see an increase in profits was their book publishing division, which simply proves that digital distribution is the way of the future for books as well as television and movies. I can say with great confidence that with such advancements as streaming online content and video on demand, there is endless potential for entertainment and media companies- what they produce and how they choose to distribute it.  And with this endless potential comes new and exciting opportunities for actors, their managers, investors, and viewers alike.  Stay tuned though, because it may be a bumpy ride.

Taking a Chance on Personal Branding

I was recently introduced to a website called TED: Ideas Worth Spreading.  The idea of TED, which began as a conference in 1984 to bring people together from the worlds of Technology, Entertainment, and Design, hence the name, is that great information, great ideas, and great innovation, should be shared with as many people as possible in order to enlighten and inspire everyone who is subjected to it.  In a lecture by Chris Anderson, the founder of TED, he explains the concept of crowd accelerated innovation.  The basis of this concept is quite simple, yet if utilized properly, can be extremely revolutionary.  People introduced to new information, anything from a science experiment to a dance move, get inspired to either recreate, adapt, or improve whatever they see and learn.  Therefore, more people exposed to this information will result in more inspiration, and ultimately more innovation.  With more people involved, there is greater opportunity to create bigger and better change, and at much faster speeds. 

Anderson adapted crowd accelerated innovation into internet accelerated innovation, discussing how with the internet and online videos, it is now possible to share one’s knowledge and talent (and anything and everything else for that matter) with millions and millions of people worldwide instantaneously.  People who would have never had the opportunity to be exposed to certain things due to their geographic location or any reason whatsoever can now watch and learn from whoever they want, whenever they want.  When a video goes viral on Facebook or You Tube for instance, within a matter of hours, not only will an astronomical number of people have watched it, but a huge number of people will have most likely begun trying to imitate what they have seen, leading to more sharing, more inspiration, and more advancements.  Everyone tries to outdo the person before.  And once again, the cycle continues.

You can learn a lot from the TED website, not only about the ideas of the world’s most inspired thinkers, but also just from the speakers’ passion and they way they convey their stories to the audience.  Don’t panic, if you have flashbacks of the most boring lectures you can remember back from your days in school, these lectures are nothing of the sort.  These speeches last less than 20 minutes each and are actually interesting and entertaining.  The time goes by in an instant.  And speaking of passion, one of the highlighted “Best of the Web” talks (watch video below) is given by an entrepreneur named Gary Vaynerchuk.  He’s an inspirational speaker and encourages listeners to do what they love; and passion is literally oozing out of this guy’s pores.  He insists it’s the only way to succeed in one’s career.  He says that in order to do well, it is essential to hustle- to work as hard as possible every chance you get.  There are no excuses.  They key is to stay up-to-date on everything and to take advantage of every opportunity possible.  You have to figure out what you really love and carve a niche for yourself in the market, work to build brand equity, network, and just go for it.  In order to position yourself to succeed, you have to use all of the social media tools out there in order to connect to your user base anywhere and everywhere you can.  You have to get people to talk about you.  If you are doing something noteworthy, then you are going to get recognized.  And the more people you expose yourself to, the more people who will talk about you, which is a variation of Chris Anderson’s crowd accelerated innovation.

Vaynerchuk also discusses that they only way to truly succeed is to be completely transparent.  You have to be authentic and be true to yourself.  In order to make people believe in your product or your services, first they have to believe in you.  He stresses that there is only one chance at life, so we better take advantage of it.  We are going through the gold rush of branding and there is an infinite amount of potential for success.  As long as you work for it and want it bad enough, you’ll achieve it.  Just absolutely love what you do and working so hard won’t be so hard at all.

I came across a second video dedicated to the topic of personal branding, which also stresses the importance of transparency.  In this video , found on the BNET website, the CBS Interactive Business Network, host Robert Gerrish interviews Australian author Ben Angel.  Ben says that it’s okay to tell your own stories and that you can’t be afraid of hiding anything in the fear of not fitting in.  You should put things you may normally have the tendency and desire to hide in the forefront.  It’s okay to be controversial, mind you, as long as it’s in context.  There is nothing that is better to educate your clients about how you utilize your services than if your personal stories are able to stimulate debate.  Being more seductive and vulnerable to clients is going to take you a long way.  And since this information is coming from an expert a half a world away, just as it is coming from Vaynerchuk, a New Yorker, it’s obviously a worldwide, accepted principle.  Just be yourself.

Hopefully this simple information will be a motivating factor to get you to open up about yourself, to take a leap of faith, and to decide to take a chance to not only do what you love, but to put yourself out there while doing so.  It may sound scary, but after opening up, you will feel completely liberated.  The personal and professional rewards you reap for taking that chance will be more than worth it.

SAG, New Media, and iActor- The Way of the Future

I have chosen to dedicate this post to the Screen Actors Guild, which for those of you who don’t know, is a trade association consisting of over 125,000 members.  Despite its large numbers, I am not a member, mainly because I am neither qualified nor eligible to join.  There are various prerequisites of membership, such as having played a principal role in a SAG affiliated and approved project.  Although I’m not a member, my clients and prospective clients are, so I admire their exclusive club from the outside looking in, as it’s known as the most distinguished performers union in the world.  

Having recently completed some in-depth market analysis on entertainment industry trends, I found a common thread among all sources and a main topic of interest concerning advancements in technology and in what ways technological breakthroughs are affecting the business.  Probably the most influential innovation of all time, or at least of recent history, is of course the Internet.  With every passing day, it offers more and more capabilities, providing the entire world’s worth of knowledge instantaneously at our fingertips.  In addition, the Internet is now serving as an additional platform for the distribution of shows, news, and movies alike.  With Video on Demand, consumers can now watch what they want, when they want, and even where they want, with access to media on their mobile phones, which is changing both the mindsets and behaviors of the public and the advertisers trying to reach them.

The Screen Actors Guild, otherwise known as SAG, is the largest labor union representing working actors.  According to its website, “The Guild exists to enhance actors’ working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists’ rights.”  SAG not only strives to protect its members, but to also help find them work.  It has developed a New Media Department which “provides valuable insights into the implications of emerging technology”.  In other words, SAG formed this department because as technology and new platforms evolve, so too must actors’ contracts.  Just as downloading songs has had major repercussions on the livelihood of musicians, downloading television shows and movies will have the same effect on actors.  Therefore, their work must be protected over these new distribution channels before its too late.  SAG is focused on making sure that happens.

In addition, SAG now offers a free service to its members called iActor, which I feel truly speaks to the times.  iActor is an innovative online casting agency featuring only members of the Guild.  Each member has the opportunity to create an online profile and can upload multiple resumes and headshots onto the platform that target different varieties of work, such as commercials or features, as well as video and voice reels.  These profiles can be modified and updated at any time.  When a producer or casting director is in need of talent, he or she simply can access the iActor database and sort through all of the profiles, narrowing each search by any combination of categories and terms such as skills, physical characteristics, and credits.  Once any prospective performers are found, agents are able to contact the actors’ representatives through direct email.  And then that’s where I come in.  If actors want to solicit a particular casting agent, director, or producer directly, for example, they can email their profile to any of their contacts and a properly formatted version of their resume will automatically be attached (although running that by your manager might not be a bad idea).

iActor is groundbreaking in the fact that now casting agents too have all of the information they need right at their fingertips.  And every actor on the platform has an opportunity to be ‘seen’ by every casting agent searching the site.  Actors with less connected representation for example, who may not have been looked at before, are in the running for parts alongside everyone else.  It makes for a fair and unbiased playing field- a field much bigger and broader than ever before.  Now actors who don’t live in the heart of Los Angeles or New York have the same exposure and opportunities as those who do.  SAG has even gone so far as to put together a team of individuals to personally assist members who are not computer saavy, as well has holding regular workshops for those needing additional assistance or helpful tips so that no one gets left behind.  Finally, iActor features automated Station 12 cast clearance, which means that producers will know right from the start that an actor is cleared to work, rather than spending the necessary time, money, and resources trying to determine an actor’s eligibility.  That’s additional time, money, and resources they can save and rather dedicate to their production.

Overall, I am emtremely impressed with the Screen Actors Guild and its attempts to stay current in order to both protect and showcase its members.  In this day and age, it is essential to continuously adapt and evolve, as technology is radically changing how everything is done. The union is making every attempt to help procure work for its members while looking after each and everyone’s best interest.  And for all of those SAG members out there that haven’t yet taken advantage of the iActor casting directory, hopefully this article will give you the incentive to do so, because if it hasn’t been necessary to join thus far, judging from industry trends, it is definitely the way of the future.