Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1251534
sagaftra.org | Spring 2020 | SAG-AFTRA 80 Members Learn the Art of Filmmaking R ecently, more than 25 SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local members participated in the Take Two: The Do-It-Yourself Short Film series, a six-week intensive course to create their own short film. A committee of 10 local members was placed in charge of planning the weekly agenda, dedicated to different elements of the filmmaking process, complete with weekly homework assignments. Each three-hour session was packed full of valuable information about scriptwriting, budgeting, equipment rental, cast and crew hiring, editing and signing the film to the SAG-AFTRA Short Project Agreement. The attendees broke into teams and collaborated on making their short film. A couple of weeks after the completion of class, when everyone had a chance to edit their projects, the class reconnected to showcase their work and share stories from their experiences. ● Workshop Gets a Positive Reaction T he San Diego Local held its first conservatory workshop of the year, Reaction Shots on Camera, on Jan. 8, hosted by award-winning director, producer and writer Fred Ashman ( Just an American). Ashman stressed the importance of reacting facially to your acting partner's dialogue to heighten the reality of the scene. He also discussed how interpreting lines differently influences reactions and how facial expressions can range from obvious to subtle. Ashman showed clips from some of his industrial projects as examples. Members then paired off to perform sides on camera to practice this technique, and each pair received feedback. ● San Diego Chicago LOU SLOCUM San Diego Local members at the Reaction Shots on Camera workshop on Jan. 8. Co/Ed Contracts + Texas = the Future M ember leaders from the Dallas-Fort Worth Local met at the office in late February for a think-tank discussion of the new Corporate/Educational Contract and the digital advertising landscape. They created new contract ideas and targeted organizing efforts to grow union work in Texas. Participants agreed that the session was a great opportunity to increase knowledge about the contract and reach out to industry professionals. "Everyone in the country shares a desire to get more work under this contract," said Local President Brent Anderson. "There has never been a better time to come to the table with out-of-the-box ideas." ● The Dallas-Fort Worth Local's Ada Lynn Boardroom is ready! Dallas- Fort Worth Graduates of the Chicago Local's Do-It-Yourself Short Film series program.