SAG - FishbowlLA

Alec Baldwin Named Screen Actors Guild Ambassador

Marcus Vanderberg — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:00:22 +0000

In a slightly unusual move, the Screen Actors Guild Foundation has named 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin as its first Ambassador.

As part of this new position, Baldwin will work with SAG in bringing attention to the organization and its work within the acting community.

Yes, the same man who was kicked off an American Airlines flight because he couldn’t quit his game of “Words with Friends,” will now represent the SAG.

“The SAG Foundation is extremely fortunate to have Alec Baldwin on board as our first SAG Ambassador,” says SAG Foundation president JoBeth Williams in a statement.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

SAG Member Pleads Guilty to Leaking Feature Films

Marcus Vanderberg — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:19:58 +0000

Screen Actors Guild member Wes DeSoto reached a plea agreement to a single criminal copyright-infringement charge after leaking Black Swan and other feature films on the Internet.

Wired.com broke the story earlier this week that DeSoto, who had a small cameo in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, violated the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005. SAG provided the films to members through the iTunes store. DeSoto’s apartment was raided earlier this year by the FBI after authorities were able to narrow down their suspects through the digital watermarks in the movies.

According to court documents, the government is seeking three years probation and restitution. DeSoto is due back in federal court next month.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

No SAG Deal Until January? Hear For Yourself.

Greg — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:39:19 +0000

Jonathan Handel does “the math” — which is good, because math is hard — and determines that Hollywood won’t see a contract until 2009.

A sample:

1. If Membership First wins the election overwhelmingly, and if SAG members overwhelmingly vote in the SAG survey (a push-poll, designed to influence people’s votes) to have the Guild continue pushing hard for a better deal (i.e., 85% or more affirmative, and a good turnout), then MF will be emboldened to call for a strike authorization vote. If that vote achieves the requisite 75% approval level (a high level, which is why it might take as much as 85% affirmative on the poll, particularly given SAG’s embarrassing failure to defeat the AFTRA deal), then SAG will have gained significant leverage against the studios. All of these conditions have to apply.

QED

In the wake of his online video interviews with reps from Membership First and United for Strength, Jonathan tells us he’ll be interviewing independent candidates this week:

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

SAG Roundup

Greg — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:57:26 +0000

Deadline Hollywood Daily says the SAG talks are on hold until the results of the AFTRA ratification comes in tomorrow.

The Hollywood Reporter says is trying to get dual members to vote the AFTRA contract down.

Robert DeNiro thinks a strike is a bad idea.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

LAT In 90 Seconds

Greg — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:30:16 +0000

An Item That Will Make To-Be Brides Wish They Were Famous: Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz have sold the exclusive rights to their wedding photos to People magazine for over $1 million. That’ll buy you a lot of Jordan almonds.

Better Than Bad: Forget the best of Cannes, John Horn delights in bringing you the worst. Horn horns in on B-movies debuting in France that star bold faced names in shame-faced productions.

Hot On A Cold Trail: Lynn Smith showcases the casualties of the possible SAG strike with the tale of Austin Highsmith, an unknown actress whose Big Breaks have been big letdowns thanks to the changing climate in Hollywood.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

LAT In 90 Seconds

Greg — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:28:32 +0000

More Juno Music: A second Juno soundtrack is due April 8. The songs, all ultimately deleted from the film, make up an album called Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs. Cute, no?

Casanova Singer Dies: Singer Sean Levert died after an “emergency” in jail, though no one is saying what happened yet. He was 39.

AFTRA Talks Could Begin This Week: Breaking with SAG after 27 years of collective bargaining, AFTRA says it could begin talks as early as this week with the studios. Actors backstabbing each other? Who wudda thunk it?

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

LAT In 90 Seconds

Greg — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:54:18 +0000

Defending Spitzer: Evolutionary biologist David P. Barash writes that all animals, we monkeys included, simply lack the ability to be faithful. We’re sure Mrs. Barash is thrilled to hear that.

Horton Hears An Opportunity: Pixar has so few director slots that animator Jimmy Hayward had to leave the company to realize his childhood dream of directing. Now he’s got Horton Hears a Who! under his belt. We’re guessing he’s happy with his decision.

Making Nice: SAG and AFTRA are trying to air kiss and make up before their upcoming contract negotiations with the studios. Actors agree to stop backstabbing each other? Good luck.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Sundown on Sunset: And One More for the Road

Kate — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:54:18 +0000

SAG members won’t cross picket lines for the Golden Globes, no matter how big the goodie bags.

Why don’t the Gawker writers join the WGA? Then they can all threaten to go fi-core.

RIP, Ed LaDou. Too bad his obit didn’t mention how he got screwed over by California Pizza Kitchen. Pizza Therapy has an interview.

Lower your BMI and fight off zombies in 2008!

2008 trend watch: Sleevefaces

Reality show watch: Why Would Satan Want You?

(photo by Patrick Cates)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Trade Round-Up: September 21, 2007

Guest Blogger — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:33:26 +0000

Pitt to Punch on Film, Again
Brad Pitt is going back to work again, this time opposite Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter for Paramount Pictures. Variety reports that it’s a drama about Boston boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward and his path to becoming world lightweight champion. Darren Aronofsky will direct.

Bening Bows Out of Species
Variety is also reporting that Annette Bening has dropped out of the Geffen Playhouse and Broadway runs of The Female of the Species. The trade cites “personal reasons” for Bening’s bow out of the project, which is based on Joanna Murray-Smith’s script and is being directed by Michael Mayer. The project would’ve been her first Broadway outing in 20 years.

Rosenberg Wins SAG’s Top Seat
THR reports that Alan Rosenberg has won a second two-year term as SAG president, topping Seymour Cassel. Rosenberg landed 11,631 of the votes to Cassel’s 10,921. In addition to election results, Carl Diorio’s story also gives the election backstory on the campaign battle, one that saw the two opponents tangling “less over policy or priorities than their personal styles and backgrounds.”

- CHRIS GARDNER

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Kid Nation: Parental Revenge?

Kate — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:06:50 +0000

CBS’s Kid Nation has attracted the white-hot glare, or at least the 15 watt glare, of the Writer’s Guild. Seems it wasn’t just the little darlings who were abused. SAG jumped in, because only actors should be abused on television.

And don’t forget that CBS and the production entities own the life rights to the children’s stories. Maybe CBS will get really lucky next season and a tragic accident will occur, like a mine cave-in. Or maybe Jack McClellan will appear as special guest star. We smell MOW.

FBLA can’t help but wonder if the people who came up with this idea secretly hate their own spoiled, Crossroads-attending, Beemer-driving, Kitson-shopping offspring.

And as an aside, Wally Ann Wharton heard a caller on talk radio yacketing about how this show was

just like Lord of the Rings

and when the host suggested Lord of the Flies, she cackled “Him, too”.

Lordy, lordy.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Mirren, Mirren In the Hall, Mirren, Mirren Takes Them All–Murphy, Whitaker, Hudson WIn SAG Awards

Kate — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 08:04:26 +0000

The SAG awards, which are not known as the Saggies, are usually predictable, but last night’s show found Little Miss Sunshine winning the ensemble category. Back to business as usual, Helen Mirren repeated her Golden Globes win for The Queen, and for another queen in a TV movie or miniseries. Steve Carell also won two, but we don’t think of them together.

Forest Whitaker, also a Globe winner, won again for his performace as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Both Mirren and Whitaker are also nominated for Oscars and they both play real people. Odd, isn’t it?

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.