Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/48976
email address. One of the Guild's most significant recent efforts has been the online Screen Actors Guild Production Center (SAG.org/ProductionCenter). In order to attract more productions to sign SAG — and therefore create more opportunities for work for members — the Guild has made it possible for producers of some productions to bypass the tedious paperwork. The Production Center is the first service of its kind in the entertainment industry, and has the potential to revolutionize how contracts are signed. With the Production Center, producers of new media, student, short, ultra low budget and corporate/educational projects can sign online. The site offers a variety of videos by and for producers to guide users through the process. Officially unveiled June 4, the response has been huge — more than 2,600 producers have signed through the online SAG Production Center. That's important for members because it means more union productions, more union SOCIAL NETWORKING with JANINA GAVANKAR Janina Gavankar of HBO's True Blood is a self-described geek who has been using technology to advance her career for years. She offers some tips for fellow actors. jobs and, with this quicker process, the administrative business is finished quicker and filmmakers can start shooting sooner. Phil Snyder, a student filmmaker at California State University, Los Angeles, said signing online through the Production Center went smoothly. "I was afraid that there might be a lot of red tape, but I found it really quite easy," Snyder said. "I will use the process again definitely." The Production Center also offers rate sheets, fillable forms, sample performer contracts and direct access to Station 12 clearance, to ensure members are in good standing with the Guild. Even this publication is going wired. Issues of Screen Actor magazine are also posted online as members-only digital issues featuring bonus content and videos. In January, look for a special digital- only Screen Actor preview of the SAG Awards®. Make sure the Guild has your correct email address so you'll receive a direct link to be able to read this issue in your browser. Screen Actors Guild member Janina Gavankar, who plays the shapeshiſting Luna on Showtime's True Blood, understands the importance of using technology to promote her career. She claims to be the first actor to use Twitter, signing up immediately aſter learning about it from one of the company's investors in 2006. Gavankar considers technology a useful tool — but only if it's used properly. To do that, she set up a template on Posterous Spaces, a blogging site, to help her fellow actors get started. Check it out at posterous.com/actortheme. As technology continues to advance, we can expect an increasing amount of actors' business to take place online — but keep in mind, where there's change, there's opportunity. Successful actors have to be good salespeople, and with the Internet and related technology, the toolbox for packaging and promoting yourself and reaching potential employees just got a whole lot bigger. So use it. Online isn't just the future of the entertainment industry, it's the present. 1 If you choose to engage in social media, be authentic. People can tell if you're not being genuine or if someone else is writing your tweets for you. 2 Find out what works for you, play with it all until it feels right. 3 Set up multiple websites. For instance, you may have one that's publically accessible for people in the industry not familiar with your work. Another might be tailored SAG.org to highlight different facets of your talent, and access may be granted on a per-project basis. 4 Casting directors don't care about Flash animation and special effects. Keep your websites simple and make access to the important information easy and intuitive. 5 Art first, technology second. Tweeting isn't going to make you a better actor, so don't feel you have to do it. Follow Janina on Twitter at @Janina Fall 2011 - SCREEN ACTOR 39 Art Streiber/HBO