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  • All Blogs/ Entertainment Industry Insights: Mar. 01 2022 | Up-To-Date Actor

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New Projects Casting - Industry Boycotts Russia - SAG Awards - Opportunity for Writers

By Abigail Hardin, March 01, 2022

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Are you feeling as neck-deep as I feel this busy pilot and production season? Between the onslaught of the project news & announcements, the current global state of affairs, awards chatter, and just plain ol' life, I'm running thin these days. So, if you are like me, maybe take a moment this week for your own wellness. When I start to feel overwhelmed I try to check in and list all of the things I am grateful for. Now more than ever I am reminded of how fortunate I am to be safe, healthy, and happy. I hope the same for you.

If your year has gotten off to a slow start or you just need a kick in the pants we have two workshops scheduled this spring. More to come TBA. We'd love for you to join Annie and me for some free tips on how to move your career to the next level with BOLD, specific, action.

Also, read below for a new way to work with Annie. She is offering a great new online class to help hold you accountable and stay focused on your career path. There's a lot of 2022 left, make the most of it!

Alright, there is a lot to cover this week, so we're giving you a slightly abbreviated format today.

Have a great week and remember, when the going gets tough.... 🧘‍♀️ Ommmmm!

Accountability with Annie

For the first time since pre-pandemic, Up-To-Date Theatricals founder Annie Chadwick is offering an ongoing monthly accountability career building class starting in March/April. This opportunity is available for actors who have previously worked with Annie ONLY. Starting in March/April, the accountability class builds upon the prior ideas worked on with Annie, giving focus and commitment that will accelerate your individual career goals.

The class outline will consist of the following:

  • Work once a week with career coach Annie Chadwick in a Q&A zoom class. In this class, you will work with a group of committed actors to stay accountable for your homework and weekly activities to achieve your goals. This creates a Mastermind vortex energy greater than your individual energy. Annie will answer your specific questions about your homework, career goal progress and give empowering next steps.
  • Homework consists of: Creating a year-end major career goal, Defining weekly accountability goals that advance your year-end goal, Identifying marketing tools that need to be updated, Research projects that are a fit for your unique talent, and Reading assignments for building a success consciousness including visualization techniques.
  • Work with Abigail Hardin once a month in an additional one-hour zoom Q&A on how to use the Up-To-Date Actor site to advance your career goals, target industry contacts, research projects that you are a fit for, and answer any personal questions on your profile.
  • Receive two-months of complimentary access to the Up-To-Date Actor whether you have an account or not.
  • Access to a new "Clients Only" resources section on the Up-To-Date Actor including sample Agent and Casting Director submission cover letters, Resumes, and Follow up Notes as well as Resources Referral Lists, Recommended Coaches, and Acting Studios.

The following qualities consistently create success: daily targeted work, professional guidance & training, a clear plan for smart use of one's time and money, and finally, a committed belief in one's unique creative potential and place in the Entertainment Industry. With these disciplines, you can successfully move your career forward in this very competitive entertainment industry.

Contact Annie for more info on this class or for career consultations: annie@uptodatetheatricals.com

Entertainment Industry Stands in Solidarity with Ukraine 🇺🇦

Pressure is mounting around the world as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to escalate military operations against neighboring Ukraine, which has set off a slew of sanctions and backlash from companies and organizations, including many in our industry. SAG-AFTRA issued a statement over the weekend, telling their colleagues in Ukraine that they "stand in solidarity" with the citizens of the embattled nation, urging members to support international groups like UNICEF that can provide aid to families in need.

Boycotts have been swift and far-reaching as tensions rise in Europe - Netflix opted out of adding content from Russian propaganda networks to its platform in the country, joining a growing list of companies and events that are banning Russian content in support of Ukraine:

There has also been a growing call to support works from Ukrainian artists, particularly for the stories being told by filmmakers in the country of the already-strained relationship with Russia - read more from IndieWire.

SAG Awards: SUCCESSION, TED LASSO Win Big; Other Surprise Winners Announced

The Screen Actors Guild hosted its 28th annual award show last Sunday evening, crowning some of the biggest names in film and TV from 2021 with its top prizes. CODA, SUCCESSION, and TED LASSO all took home top prizes during the night, staking claims for what is sure to be exciting Emmys and Oscars races later this year.

More coverage from this year's SAG Awards:

NAACP Awards Celebrate BLACK-ISH, POWER BOOK II; César Awards & More

While the SAG Awards got most of the hype for the awards season circuit this past week, there were also a handful of other ceremonies that celebrated achievements both in front of and behind the camera in 2021. The César Awards, France's renowned rival to the Oscars, played host to a mix of French and American talent, while the NAACP Awards highlighted the performances and achievement by people of color in film and TV.

Other updates from the Awards Season landscape so far this year 🏆

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

A new partnership between J.J. Abram's production company Bad Robot and The Black List will create a path for writers from underrepresented communities to have their work reviewed via the Black List website. 500 writers will receive a free evaluation of their original work, along with the opportunity to have their screenplays hosted on the site for one month.

Any fans of the BLACK-ISH in the audience? Members of the highly-successful show's producing team sat down with TV Line to discuss the show's lasting impact on diversity in network comedies 📺

Earlier this Monday, actor Brittney Johnson made history as Broadway's first full-time Glinda in WICKED - check out the video of her warm welcome at the Gershwin! 👏

More Articles:

Industry Intel: Production, UpFronts on the Rise, Entertainment Vets Share Stories

California has picked out its most recent crop of films to receive the state's robust tax incentive, which is expected to bring in over $1.7 billion in production spending in the coming years. Set to compete with other production hubs like Atlanta and New York, California is making good on its promise to dole out every bit of its $330 million tax credit program to attract companies over its borders.

More production and network updates:

Streaming is, without a doubt, the way of the future. And with the advent of so many platforms and original content coming out seemingly every day, I have to wonder how it will affect the format of what we watch in the years ahead. TV shows and movies have always been the standard rubrics for projects, but with the creation and popularity of limited series growing in recent years, many in the industry are wondering how the hybrid long-form story arcs of these projects will continue to resonate with viewers. Do we like them? Are they here to stay? It's anyone's guess 🤷‍♀️

In any case, we know one thing is for sure: Learning more about your craft is never going out of style 😎 some experts weigh in on their advice for cherishing your career as an actor:

Opportunities for New Writers

Living in this new renaissance of content has its many perks for those in our industry, especially for those looking to be in 🎶 the (writers) room where it happens 🎶 A recent panel hosted by SCAD TVFest surveyed some top network execs on what they are currently looking for when making programming decisions for today's market. "In our business right now, we're looking for people, aggressively and actively, to enter the business because it's growing at an exponential rate and I think the opportunity is tremendous and exists," NBCUniversal's JoAnn Alfano said.

Now is as good a time as any to truly start honing in on what makes you and your work so unique - take time to jot down some goals and aspirations for the rest of the year, and see how those fit in with everything you're currently working on. Particularly if you are a writer, there are so many amazing opportunities to have your works evaluated, developed, and grow into their next phase.

Check out some of these writing programs, and keep them on your radar for the next time submissions come around. Having a shortlist of target organizations is a great way to set deadlines and ensure you have your next great project ready to be taken to the next level!

Are you an artist living in New York? Creatives Rebuild New York has opened up an incredible opportunity for 2,400 individuals living throughout the state to receive $1,000 a month for the next 18 months, as a way of getting the industry back on its feet from the last two years. We encourage everyone living in New York to take a look and see if you qualify - applications close March 25th!

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