The Chicago Activator - August 22, 2016

Official E-Newsletter of the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local

IN THIS ISSUE Navigating the Casting Websites

August 22, 2016

SAG-AFTRA Conservatory Presents

Navigating the Casting Websites

Walk to End Alzheimer's Local News

Monday, Sept. 26

Independent Film Initiative WIFC 48 Hour Film Project

Details below.

Labor in the Pulpit

SAG-AFTRA Conservatory: Navigating the Casting Websites Learn how to post and what to post to increase your career opportunities. Representatives from Actors Access (Jason Teresi) and Casting Networks (Carinne Uslar) will be on hand to discuss the sites.

Also, get the perspective of what casting directors (Lauren Welke) and talent agents (Susan Sherman) think you should be posting to maximize your brand.

When: 6 - 8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 26 Where: Kauffher Members Resources Center (KMRC) 1 E. Erie, Suite 660 Chicago, IL 60611 RSVP to kathy.byrne@sagaftra.org Park at 10 East Ontario. Enter on the north side of Ontario between Wabash and State, and then take a ticket. When you sign in, you may purchase a four-hour ticket for $13 cash, $14 Visa, MasterCard or American Express payment. You will need both tickets to exit the parking structure.

After working in commercial casting in Los Angeles for several years, Carinne relocated to Chicago to be the Midwest manager for Casting Networks and is committed to making the online casting process a helpful tool for talent, agents and casting directors.

Teresi was employed by Showfax and Breakdown Services for over eight years, which gave him a unique look at many aspects of the entertainment industry and a better working knowledge of how talent agents and casting directors operate. In 2006, Jason became the director of regional services for Breakdown Services in Chicago.

This meeting is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing. Unfortunately, no guests allowed. Parents/guardians of younger performers under 18 years old are welcome.

SAG-AFTRA members, please bring your membership card (paid through Oct. 31, 2016) for admittance.

Actors & Artists Unite at Chicago Walk to End Alzheimer's Come join the Actors and Artists (AA) Unite Chicago Team with your fellow SAG-AFTRA members, colleagues, friends and family on Sept. 25 at the 2016 Chicago Walk to End Alzheimer's. This year, the team will be dedicating its walk in honor of President Ken Howard for his tireless support, faith and dedication to the AA Unite team and the National Alzheimer's Association. Click here to view the AA Unite Chicago Team's page.

When: Sunday, Sept. 25 Registration begins at 8 a.m.

Ceremony at 9:30 a.m.

5K (3.2 miles) walk at 10 a.m.

Where: Montrose Harbor Montrose Avenue and Simonds Drive Chicago, IL 60613 AA Unite was founded in 2011 by Nancy Daly in honor of her mom who died from Alzheimer's. AA Unite is the only non-corporate national friends and family team participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer's.

There are 35 teams and counting this year, and more join every week.

Anyone can join or start an AA Unite team in any city that has a Walk to End Alzheimer's. Teams are located nationwide in Alabama, Vermont, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Missouri, Arizona, Ohio, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, Florida, California and Washington, D.C.. Actors, artists, and their friends and families are all welcome to join nationwide, as we walk for a cure. When actors and artists unite, the world can shift, and it has.

For information on the national team and to join, click here.

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

Local News SAVE THE DATE: Coming Monday, Oct. 24 - The SAG-AFTRA Blood Drive Want the opportunity to be a superhero? Stay tuned for details.

Keep Your Agent in the Know If you book a project through your agent, please let them know when production contacts you directly. For example: If you book one of the nighttime dramas shooting here, your agent calls to say you got the part. Then production calls you to arrange a fitting, change your shooting date, ask you to do something that may resemble a stunt or other training. If production contacts you directly, chances are your agent is not aware of the changes and therefore cannot negotiate further provisions or pay in some circumstances, and he or she can't make sure you are being paid properly when your check comes in.

The Independent Film Initiative The Independent Film Initiative is a program of the Chicago Film Office and the city of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events designed to retain, promote and provide careerenhancing opportunities for local film industry professionals and media makers. Its goal is to create a more sustainable and robust independent film industry in Chicago.

The Independent Film Initiative promotes Chicago's independent film community. It is composed of three branches: a filmmaker-in-residence program, a production apprenticeship and screenings of short films made in Chicago.

Click here for more details on this program.

Women In Film Chicago 48-Hour Film Project On Aug. 26, filmmakers from all over the Chicago area will compete to see who can make the best short film in only 48 hours. At 7:30 p.m. they will be assigned a genre, character, prop and line of dialogue that they must work into their film. All will deliver a finished four-to-seven-minute film by 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 28.

Any team, regardless of skill level, is eligible to participate in this competition.

Submitted films, judged by local industry pros, will be screened for the public at the Music Box Theater on Sept. 11 and 12. Winners will receive special prizes and will be eligible for top honors consideration at Filmapalooza, the 48 Hour Film Project's annual awards and and the film will screen at a Chicago "Best of Festival" on Sept. 15.

Through special arrangement, WIFC members can save $20 on registration at this link! After going to the link, begin your registration by either: 1. Logging in with your email and password if you have participated in the 48 Hour Film Project before and have an account; or 2. If you are a new user, click on the "click here to continue registration" link on that page. Fill in the registration form and then, when you reach the payment page, find the "discount" line and click on "enter and apply." At the prompt, enter this code: 16CHICREG2.

By special arrangement with SAG-AFTRA, these productions are considered signatory and members are encouraged to participate. There is a SAG-AFTRA Short Film Agreement specifically for this competition. If you work on a team, please make sure your team captain does the proper SAG-AFTRA paperwork.

Labor in the Pulpit On Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3-5), the Chicago Federation of Labor and Arise Chicago will once again team up for Labor in the Pulpit/On the Bimah/In the Minbar. This is a unique opportunity to highlight the shared values of the labor and faith communities.

Chicago Federation of Labor and Arise Chicago are currently recruiting volunteers to speak to congregations throughout the area. You can register to speak to your own congregation, if available, or speak at another place of worship.

To volunteer, email Andrea Kluger at akluger@chicagolabor.org. You can also feel free to call Andrea at (312) 906-2434 with any questions or to sign up over the phone.

The Chicago Federation of Labor with Arise Chicago launched the first Labor in the Pulpit/On the Bimah/In the Minbar program in 1996, which has since been replicated throughout the United States. For the past seven years, they've placed speakers in more than 100 services throughout the city and suburbs each Labor Day weekend, consistently making Chicago's program the largest in the country.

In response to members' requests to stay informed, The Activator may include notice of rallies, pickets and other actions by unions and the labor movement that have not been sanctioned by the National or Chicago Board of Directors of SAG-AFTRA. This information is provided as a convenience.

The information contained herein regarding workshops, vendors, special offers and the like is provided for informational purposes and is not intended to imply endorsement by SAG-AFTRA of them or the information, material, products or services provided. SAG-AFTRA makes no warranties or representations regarding the use of the material or the quality of the services or service providers.

SAG-AFTRA Chicago: (312) 573-8081 Email: chicago@sagaftra.org Website: SAGAFTRA.org