Twilight Nation Poster

FREE and open to the public

Seating is limited: RSVP to the  AustinActorsConservatory at gmail.com

As a Reminder, parking signs at St. Edward’s are NOT enforced on the weekends.

SCREENWRITERS BIOs:

PHILIP DAAY
Based in Austin, Philip Daay learned his craft from the late Malvin Wald, the Oscar-nominated writer of the legendary noir classic The Naked City. Born to immigrants, his mother from Thailand and his father from Iraq, Philip’s first break came with the sale of his movie Left In Darkness to prolific television producer/writer Stephen J. Cannell. The movie enjoyed a release on Worldwide DVD and the Sci-Fi Channel (SyFy).

Ever since, Philip has continued his work in the entertainment industry. Past options include a Horror project to Haxan Films/White Ape; the creators of the cult hit The Blair Witch Project. He has also signed a past option on a Sci-Fi/Horror script with producer Robert Kandle and Oscar-nominated producer David Levy. He has recently concluded a Romance/Comedy assignment still in development for director Todd Cantelon and Trillenium Media Group up in Canada.

Philip’s upcoming projects include Black Salt, an Action/Martial Arts/Thriller starring Michael Jai White and Tom Sizemore to be directed by veteran stunt coordinator Nick Powell. He also wrote the upcoming Sci-Fi/Action graphic novel Scionic for Arcana Studios to be published in 2010.

CHRIS ENGEN A talented writer, musician and actor, Chris Engen has enjoyed an extensive career over the past decade. He played recurring roles on varied television shows such as CSI: New York and Felicity and main character roles for Saints & Sinners and As If. His movie career began in 2004 with DIRTY DANCING: HAVANA NIGHTS. His acting continued as one of the main characters on the movie LEFT IN DARKNESS written by Philip Daay. His latest projects include primary cast in EASY RIDER: THE RIDE BACK the official prequel to the classic EASY RIDER in 1969 starring Dennis Hopper. His collaborative relationship with Philip began on the set of LEFT IN DARKNESS which culminated with Twilight Nation.

More about Script to Screen:

The Script to Screen series is a LIVE read with professional actors of un-produced film or TV scripts before an industry audience. Our scripts are selected from professional writers and/or script festival winners. They are rehearsed, directed and performed by professionals before industry casting directors, producers, directors, potential investors and industry pros for one performance only.

The Script to Screen program began in Houston in 2007 and has grown to now include regular reads in the Austin and Dallas area. Production, financing and re-development of these projects has been the result. Script to Screen is committed to helping professional writers present their work to potential investors and provide a level of talent that can help facilitate casting. Our goal is to provide more work opportunities for industry professionals living and working in Texas.

We could use your support in attending our next script to screen this
Sunday. As an experiment this time around, we are using audio and visual
cues:

SAG Script to Screen Team presents Returning Champion Film Script

TV Writers Michele Gendelman and Ursula Ziegler test the film waters

The Austin Script to Screen Team presents a LIVE film script reading
event with Michele Gendelman and Ursula Ziegler’s Returning Champion.

The general public is invited to join actors, writers, producers,
directors, and film aficionados at 4 p.m. Sunday, August 30, at St.
Edwards University Jones Hall, 3001 S. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas.

Admission is free.

Returning Champion is an off the wall comedy about a college freshman
who is booted out of school and has to move back home to his has-been
game-show host parents. The only way out of answering relentless trivia
questions and guessing which door breakfast is behind is to get his
out-of work parents back on the air.

An ever-growing independent film market has enticed these two TV writing
pros to submit Returning Champion to area investors, directors and
producers.

Michele Gendelman has written for TV shows: Newhart and
Facts of Life and is the author of What the Other Mothers Know
published by HarperCollins and contributor to What Was I Thinking? -
Bad Boyfriend Stories from St. Martin’s Press.

Ursula Ziegler has written and produced TV’s Empty Nest and also written for Head of the
Class, Sister-Sister, and Larroquette. She has developed TV pilots
for CBS, Fox and Castle Rock when not appearing as a contestant on TV
game shows.

Where: Jones Hall in the Ragsdale Center, St. Edwards University

When: Sunday, August 30 – 4 p.m.

How Much: Free

What prompts this little rant? I received an email yesterday from an acting related blog I’m apparently subscribed to that led me to a link to a message board at backstage dot com. For those who don’t know, BACKSTAGE is trade type publication that originally was centered on NY theater and film issues and has for some years also been also covered the LA market as well. It is a legitimate publication, so what I have to say is not a criticism of Backstage.

Here’s the link: Backstage Message Board

Do me a favor and finish reading here before bolting for the message board. I’ll give you a taste of what you’ll find. Here’s the way the discussion begins:

Is anyone familiar with Peter McMahon? He wants my 14 yr. old daughter to be in his new movie. I am excited about this, is it for real? …he said I needed to send him $250. for the SAG, AFTRA, and ACT memberships. He said he could get her 150 hours in in about 3-5 days, because he owns a radio station, cable network, and so on in New York. We were in touch via telephone. He got my daughter’s resume from ***talent.biz, where she can go for casting calls, gigs, and so on for $20.00 per month. I haven’t heard from him since Friday night, and he said he’d send us a “confirmation” for our airline ticket on Sunday night, or Monday morning. It is Monday after 2pm, and he hasn’t returned my phone call. I realize that I am not high on his priority list, since she has 0 experience, but I am getting nervous. His phone number is out of Nashville, TN. Thank you for ANY info you can give me!!

How many red flags do you spot in this post? For the promise from a complete stranger, via a contact across state lines and over the internet, some well meaning but completely clueless parent is about to waste her money, at the very least, and quite possibly jeopardize the safety of her 14 year old daughter. Unbelievable. But believe it, it’s true.

Let me save you some time it will take to read the entire thread on Backstage. An frighteningly large number of other posters responded that they had already sent the scammer identified as “Peter McMahon” at least $250 to be ‘cast’ in his supposed film project called “Italian in the South”. At least one person posted that they had already purchased their tickets to NYC but were waiting for Mr. McMahon to forward their itinerary.

Uh…don’t hold your breath on getting that ‘itinerary’. But this poor person wasn’t the only one taken in by this rather transparent scam:

All of this is happening to me now I have been talking to him peter mcmahon [sic] all day and am suppose to fly out to new york tomoorow [sic] I sent him 250 through western union. I think I got taken.

Ya think?

And this:

Same thing happened to me yesterday. I had noticed this blog yesterday but thought surely that he would call you. I actually called him last night and he answered and said that he would be sending my schedule and itenerary soon. Has anyone else heard anything??

And finally someone injects a bit of good old common sense:

DO NOT FLY ANYWHERE. Obviously, we are missing some information in this situation, but this simply cannot be legit. I guess this COULD just be a money scam, in which case you will never hear from this guy again. But if he was intending to actually fly a child to NYC, it sounds like more than a scam: it sounds more like sex trafficing [sic] . I’m not kidding.

Listen up actors, wannabe actors, and parents who want their kids to be the next big thing in TV and the movies:

I don’t even know where to start listing the DON’T and NEVERs that apply but here are a few in no particular order of importance:

1. NEVER pay any agent upfront money to ‘represent’ you or your child in the entertainment business. That is NOT the way a legitimate agent / client relationship works.

Agent’s work FOR talent in a effort to secure employment. AFTER the talent books a job and is paid, the agent will receive a commission. NOT beforehand.

NOT on the promise of getting the performer work.

NOT in advance in any legitimate situation.

IF an agent requires you to pay a FEE of any kind in exchange for representation that is NOT a legitimate agent and you will be throwing away your money. PERIOD.

Agent scams are as old as show business. See my former post on Headshots for some discussion of the old ‘use my photographer’ scam where the ‘agent’ is nothing more
than a referral service for one or more photographers from whom the ‘agent’ receives a kickback.

Old scam, still going on every day in Hollywood and across the country.

2. NEVER pay a casting service that purports to cast roles in film, television or commercials. Casting directors get paid by production companies, not by actors.

I suggest you check out LEGITIMATE casting offices like casting director Beth Sepko’s where you’ll find the following statement. By the way, Beth’s company casts both principal roles and background:

There is NEVER a fee to be registered or on file with our company. There is also NEVER a fee collected from the talent or extras for any booking. We are compensated by the production companies who hire us. Which means we only book talent for projects we are casting.

Google Beth’s name and you’ll find her site. Read all the information there and you’ll get a good idea of how a legitimate, professional casting director works.

Also check out the web site for THE ALLIANCE. There you’ll find a wealth of information about legitimate conduct for actors, agents and casting directors. This information applies nationwide, not just for actors in Central Texas, so if you’re in LA or NYC or Nashville, TN check out these resources for some very solid information.

3. NEVER post your home address and/or home phone number on some internet ‘casting’ site. Most of these sites have as much chance of generating a legitimate casting opportunity as I have of beating Lance Armstrong in a bike race. Not Likely.

I understand that parents and young actors are trying in every way possible to gain entry into a very competitive business that doesn’t seem to have many open doors.

You should understand that most legitimate casting sites, sites that are actually utilized by professional casting and production people, require that talent have some credentials: an agent, legitimate credits, SAG or AFTRA or AEA membership, for instance.

Listing your home phone and address only sets you up to be more easily scammed or possibly worse.

4. NEVER allow you minor child to have a private meeting with a casting person or agent. That is particularly true if you’ve made contact via the internet or, heaven forbid, Craig’s List.

You are a parent first. Your child’s future career, if there is to be one, will not be thwarted because you exercise good parental judgement.

On the other hand, your child’s safety could definitely be compromised if you do not. Unfortunately, pedophiles and other scumbags can be very clever. Wise up.

5. NEVER post provocative photos of yourself or your children on casting forums or sites. Don’t invite trouble. Unless you’re trying to get into the porn business,
no legitimate casting site wants to publish your nude or semi nude photos. Period.

And to wrap this up:

If you get contacted about a casting call, do your homework. Google is your friend. The IMDB is your friend.

The national or regional offices of Screen Actors Guild or AFTRA are your friends. You do not have to be a union member to get lots of FREE information off the SAG dot org site, for instance.

If you have a question about a producer or production that is supposedly shooting in your area, check with SAG. See if it is a signatory production. Not all legitimate productions are SAG signatory, but the SAG office may have information that will be helpful.

Understand that every state has CHILD LABOR LAWS and legitimate casting and agent’s office go out of their way to make sure they are in compliance with all legal requirements for working with or even interviewing minor children.

Finally, don’t be so desperate to break into the film business that you break the rules of common sense. I could go on forever on this subject…and probably have but the situation that prompted this post is disturbing. To resurrect a line from Hill Street Blues (yeah I’m old enough to remember HSB), BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

The first ‘reel’ is my final edit…maybe… and one that I’m happy enough with to distribute to casting sites. I’ve always tried to keep demos to 5 minutes or so, knowing that few pepole will sit through more, if that much tape on a actor’s reel. This online version is a trim 1:43.

So, while I’d like to let scenes play longer, I’m trying to reach a ‘happy medium’ of showing enough to get the character played before having to move on to the next clip, and keeping the total reel to a manageable file size. I’ve had to leave off some clips I’d like to use for various reasons….they’re good material, but just way too old, or I couldn’t find a way to put them into the mix and still keep the time and quality combination at an acceptable level for internet distribution

The issue I faced, that everyone faces when trying to put decent looking material on the net is the issue of what settings to use for conversion and rendering of the footage so that you have the best results once YouTube gets through processing your clips. This is where YouTube itself is a big help.

A search on YouTube will result in quite a few video tutorials on how to optimize your video for YouTube. Frankly I haven’t been much of a YouTube user and I’m not up to speed with all the nuances of how to use the service. But I’m learning. If you’re like me and want to take a shot at editing and publishing your own demo, it’s definitely something that can be accomplished. But even if you take your footage to a professional editor, the best choice for most of us, you can use this information to make sure that the person who cuts your demo will give you at least a version of your reel that will play nicely on the net.

Here are the rendering settings I used in Sony Vegas 9 Platinum Pro Pack to get the results above…results with which I, at least, am happy:

File Type: MP4 – Some tutorials suggest saving as WMV, others as MP4. I had the best look with MP4. If you use WMV, try the WMv 9 setting in your software
Frame Size: 1280 x 720
Frame Rate: 29.970(NTSC) – same frame rate the source material was captured in
Field Order: None (Progressive scan)
Pixel Aspec Ratio: 1.0000
Bit Rate (bps): 10,000,000 -This may be adjustable in your software – I used as high a setting as possible and still keep the final rendered file under YouTube’s 1 gig file size limit.
Audio Sample Rate (Hz): 44,100
Audio bit rate (bps): 128,000

Below is a slightly different edit of basically the same material except for a clip from Dancer,TX Pop. 81 which is not in this version:

In case anyone is interested I’m using Vegas Video 9 Platinum Pro edition to edit. Each scene is a DVD rip using DVD Decrypter, DVD Shrink and MovAvi Converter in that order. I’m converting the rips to uncompressed .avi files, bringing those files into Vegas Video for the edit. I’m now playing with various rendering schemes in order to get the best quality for YouTube and other online distribution outlets. When I get that done to my satisfaction, I’ll cut a somewhat longer version for DVD distribution to my agent, etc.

Please join us Sunday afternoon for an informative presentation including Q&A from the audience. If you can make it Sunday please introduce yourself and let me know you saw the announcement here.

Here’s the pitch:

Indie people don’t wait for the projects to come to them . . . they create!

Join industry experts for an informative session of supporting your creative vision while using professional talent. From Shorts to Ultra Low, to Full Features, to Webisodes or New Media and Gaming . . . SAG has a contract that can help improve your creation by broadening your talent pool. Bring your ideas and your questions.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

2-4 p.m.

Picture Box Studio

701 Tillery, Suite A-7

Austin, Texas 78702

512-480-9291

Panelists:

Bryan Poyser - Producer, Writer, Director has created award winning indie films of various levels from shorts to full feature productions. Co-Founder of Cinematexas Film Festival, Bryan is recognized as a fixture in the Texas film scene and now serves as the Director of Artist Services for the Austin Film Society.

Linda Dowell - SAG Regional Branch Division Executive Director oversees a Division covering 20 regional branches across the nation (every branch between LA and New York). Linda is well versed in the details of SAG’s film agreements and has assisted hundreds of filmmakers with utilizing professional talent in their low budget projects. She also serves on the Board of TXMPA, is a member of Women in Film in Houston and Dallas, and is a member of the Dallas Producers Association.

Lori Madrid - Line Producer, UPM and now Director of Operations at Spiderwood Studios has worked on numerous features and webisodes including “A Tribute to Big Red”, “Inspector Mom” and “Prison Break”. She knows the different challenges that face features, webisodes and TV production and is dedicated to helping the media community understand the importance of raising the bar and creating more production in Texas.

Tom Booker – Actor, Producer, Director, Writer knows the art of creating work. As a performer, Tom has appeared in hundreds of commercials and television shows. His live performances include “The Real Live Brady Bunch in LA and New York and his improv skills have led him to direct and teach at The Second City Training Center in LA. Tom co-wrote “Kill The Man” starring Luke Wilson that premiered at Sundance and is the founder of The Institution Theater in Austin.

This event is free. Seating is limited. RSVP to  tavery at sag.org

Space & equipment graciously donated by Reel Women & Exec. Director, Sherry Mills.

Dear Screen Actors Guild Member,

I am very pleased to inform you that early this morning, the SAG/AFTRA Joint Commercials Negotiating Committee, under the capable leadership of John McGuire, Mathis Dunn and Ray Rodriguez, reached a proposed deal on the commercials contracts. The committee voted unanimously to recommend this agreement to the SAG/AFTRA Joint National Board for approval and membership referendum.

I would like to express my congratulations and sincere appreciation to the members of the negotiating team for their hard work and dedication during this challenging process.

Please take a moment to review the below news release which provides some details about the proposed agreement.

In unity and looking forward.

David White

AFTRA AND SAG REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH ADVERTISING INDUSTRY ON NEW COMMERCIALS CONTRACTS

NEW YORK (APRIL 1, 2009)—Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced today that the AFTRA/SAG Joint Negotiating Committee has reached a unanimous tentative agreement with the Joint Policy Committee (JPC) of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) on terms for successor agreements to the AFTRA Television and Radio Commercials Contracts and the SAG Television Commercials Contract, subject to approval by the SAG/AFTRA Joint National Board.

The new three-year agreement contains a more than $36 million increase in wage rates and other payments for all categories of performers in the first year of the contracts, approximately $21 million in increased contributions to the SAG Pension and Health Plan and the AFTRA Health and Retirement Fund, establishment of a payment structure for work made for the Internet and other New Media platforms, important new monitoring provisions, and improvements for choreographers, extras, and Spanish language performers.

The new contracts also contain an agreement in principle outlining terms for a pilot study for the purpose of testing the Gross Rating Points (GRP) model of restructuring compensation to performers as proposed by Booz & Co. The two-year study is scheduled to commence on April 15 and will be conducted by a jointly retained consultant engaged by the Unions and the Industry. The results and possible adoption of the study’s findings will be subject to negotiation by the parties not later than January 3, 2012.

The unions successfully protected the critical “Class A” payment structure and continued unchanged the editing provisions in the existing contract.

Highlights of the new agreement include:

• Three-year agreement, term effective April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2012
• 5.1% overall increase in wages and other compensation over the life of the contracts, including a 4.43% increase, effective April 1, 2009, in Class A, Wild Spot, and basic cable session fees
• For product made for the Internet or in New Media, 1.3 times the minimum session fee for 8 week’s use and 3.5 times the minimum session fee for one year’s use
• 0.5% increase in the employer contribution rate to the AFTRA H&R and SAG P&H plans bringing the total contribution rate to 15.3%. The agreement provides for a cap on P&H and H&W contributions, but the committee successfully negotiated the industry from their initial demand of $250,000 to $1,000,000 per performer, per contract, per year.
• Secured five, new covered jobs for commercial extras, up from 40 to 45
• Established new exclusivity provisions for made-for cable only commercials
• Instituted, for the first time, a contract provision to pay extras a round-trip mileage fee of $8
• Increased foreign use payments under the Spanish Language section of the contract

Here’s what I know:

The AMPTP says they can’t make any money on so called NEW MEDIA (internet delivery of new product) if they pay actors what they pay for Network TV or Cable TV, especially the residuals that actors earn for reruns.

Really? Want to see some recent residuals I got for Cable TV usage?:

CPT Holdings, Inc. 12.19.2008 $29.60 Net Amount: 19.93
Payor: CPT Holdings, Inc.

Columbia Tristar Television, Inc. 12.18.2008 $14.65 Net Amount: 9.87
Payor: Columbia Tristar Television, Inc.

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. 12.04.2008 $72.59 Net Amount: 48.89
Payor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.

These residual payments may make me blush, but it’s not from embarrassment of being over paid. These are the kind of residuals that come from taking the AMPTP at their word.

Apparently that cable TV ‘experiment’ has worked out pretty well for 20+ years but the actors have never able to significantly improve on the deal we cut with the AMPTP when the pleading from the producers was ‘don’t kill this infant technology’.

Regardless of the opinion of how SAG negotiations were handled by the now defunct team of Rosenberg and Allen, hardly anyone I’ve spoken with or read has offered the opinion that the AMPTP offer to SAG is a good deal for actors. Good? It’s not even a reasonable deal.

Universally it seems it is understood that the deal that AFTRA and WGA signed are not ones that the guilds can be happy with or proud of. Yet SAG, because of an inexplicable lack of communication skills among other reasons, has let itself and ‘the actors’ become the punching bag for the rest of the industry. Gotta hand it to AMPTP for looking like the guys in the white hats. Unlike the guilds, the producers have played their hand beautifully.

If actors give up the contracted guarantee of residual income from television and films because they are now distributed (streamed or downloaded) via the internet, then frankly I’m left to ponder: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MEMBERSHIP IN SAG?

Actors by and large simply do not work enough, even at current rates, to make a living in the profession without residual income. Even WITH residual income most actors don’t make a real living from SAG wages. Why do I continue to turn down non union work when the new contract gives producers the okay to produce non union?

Once again we’re told to accept this deal now and we’ll ‘revisit’ the issues when the technology is more mature. Uh. Sure.

Well now it seems that the IATSE folks (from whom SAG has received little public support as our own contract woes have dragged on and on) are having their own issues with their leadership and with the AMPTP.

Nikke Finke’s site has a very good piece today about the IATSE contract situation.

Here is a section of the post on today’s DHD website:

… the IATSE/AMPTP Memo Of Agreement which opponents are calling “the worst concessionary contract” that the Hollywood locals have ever seen. As one activist in the International Cinematographers Guild emailed his IATSE Local 600 members: “So far as I’m concerned, the MOA gives away employment opportunities in New Media, guts our health plan, and gives no security to those who work on a day to day, or part-time, basis. This contract gives away every reason I can think of for belonging to a union. On top of that, it sews up ‘jurisdiction’ over the Internet which means that no group can create an alternative union that might fight for realistic wages and reasonable terms and conditions of employment.”

Substitute “SAG” for “IATSE” and it just sounds like more of the same from the AMPTP. So now, IATSE members who face loss of insurance benefits and loss of a livable wage from NEW MEDIA, how does it feel to be in the position SAG members have been in for the past 8 months? It’s not that easy to ‘just accept the deal’ is it?

A couple of pull quotes from the comments on Finke’s site:

…The New Media contract issues should be a bigger focus for all IATSE members. You might have your 300 or 400 hours to get your teeth cleaned every six months but you won’t be making enough on a “Web Episode” with no real guide lines on rates or staff requirements to make your house or rent payments.

New Media is the future. It should be made under the Basic Hollywood Agreement…

…And I hope that all members can read here, the Facebook site, or 400hours.com to see that anyone who votes in favor of this contract is voting himself, or herself, out of union protection in new media, voting themselves out of a share of future earnings, and possibly voting themselves out of their health care.

This contract, in conjunction with the contracts of the last twenty years, takes a gigantic step forward in dismantling our union and union protections. VOTE NO. VOTE “AGAINST RATIFICATION”.

Furthermore, now I hope all my brothers and sisters in IA can see how foolish it is to not support our sister guilds of WGA, DGA, and SAG…

Why The Smoke & Mirrors, SAG & AMPTP?

I don’t see why the SAG National Majority and their pals, the Big Media labor lawyers, are needing to waste more than an hour in talks since all they’re doing is Xeroxing AFTRA’s TV/Theatrical Contract. These past two days have consisted of nothing more than playing at negotiations. Sure, feature players will be thrown a few bones regarding French hours and force majeure and other stuff the AMPTP was going to back off anyway. Heck, the plan by the AMPTP all along was to make a big show of only giving in to the so-called “moderates” once they came into power in order to make them look all that much better compared to the “militants”? Nice to know that the SAG National Majority is following the AMPTP’s script to perfection. So color me unimpressed when this deal is reached lickety split. And the heavy-lifting residuals issues really necessary to the continued financial security of SAG and its members will be left off the table.

Read all the DHD Coverage here

SAGWatch BLOG

From Digital Media Law:

SAG and the AMPTP ended their second day of talks at about 10:00 p.m. this evening (Weds.), but will resume tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. for a third, previously unannounced day of talks, said a source close to the negotiations. No other info was available on the progress of negotiations, but this is obviously a hopeful sign in a situation that’s been largely devoid of them until the last 30 days.

Negotiations had resumed Tuesday, accompanied by dueling protests, one from an organization of below-the-liners calling itself Back to Work, organized largely by camera operators Jon Philion and Andrew Rowlands and cinematographers Ed Gutentag and Bruce McCleery, and the other from Membership First. BtW was urging a deal, while MF was protesting the likelihood that the talks would result in what they consider an unacceptable deal. There were about 100 protesters in all, reports Variety.