New Projects - Virtual Audition Debate - WGA Strike - Awards
By Abigail Hardin, March 07, 2023
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Happy Tuesday, UTD!
How is it already March?! I don't know about you, but this year is flying by. Pilot season is in full swing with most shows going into production later this month. And with the WGA and AMPTP negotiations beginning on March 20th, Hollywood is barreling toward the current May 1st contract expiration date and preparing for what seems like an inevitable writer's strike.
The Oscars and daylight savings are this Sunday, March 12th. Make sure to set your clocks back an hour! Look for tons of Oscar coverage in next week's email. 🏆
A heated debate was initiated last week over virtual "self-tape" auditions in response to an ad by Betty Mae Casting offering paid self-taping services for non-Betty Mae projects. SAG-AFTRA chimed in saying casting directors charging for audition tapes is "an optical and ethical disaster" and several prominent casting directors took to social media saying they would never take money from actors. Until studios and the Casting Society of America set uniform self-tape standards that make filming at home the norm, I don't think we've heard the last of this. Read more below for all of the details.
If you haven't already, don't forget to sign up for our free workshop tomorrow on SEEKING REPRESENTATION 101. After pilot season is a perfect time to start a new campaign for representation. Annie and I will discuss how you can find agents and managers looking for your talent and type, how to craft a cover letter to stand out in the crowd, and so much more. We hope you can join us!
- March 08, 2023 @ 3:00 PM EST — SEEKING REPRESENTATION 101 with Actors Connection
There are a ton of important articles this week, so grab a cup of coffee and dig in!
Create a great week!
Awards
- 2023 WGA Awards Full Winners List
- Spirit Awards: Pachinko, The Rehearsal, The Bear Among TV Winners — Full List
- 'Women Talking,' 'Slow Horses' Win at Scripter Awards
- ‘Everything Everywhere’ Is Unbeatable; So Was ‘Brokeback Mountain’
- Peter Bart: Academy Reminds Voters Oscars Still Matter Amid Corporate Upheaval
- The Olivier Awards to Review Gendered Categories
Virtual Audition Debate
- Actresses Lament Cost Of Audition Tapes, End of In-Person tryouts
- SAG-AFTRA Scolds Casting Offices For Charging For Audition Tapes
- Casting Directors Sound Off On Self-Tape Controversy
- January Jones Calls for Casting Directors to Come Back Into the Office
Business
Movie Theatres
- Marcus CEO “Not Ready To Throw The Towel In Yet” On Box Office Returning To Pre-Pandemic Levels
- Billions Hang In The Balance As Studios Juggle Streaming With Rental
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Tyler Perry, Byron Allen Vying to Buy BET From Paramount
- Warner Bros. Discovery, Grappling With Debt, Has Room for Bonuses
- CW Acquisition Has Already Paid For Itself, Nexstar CEO Perry Sook Says
NYC: Brick & Mortar
Advertising & Ratings Measurement
- Media Buyers, Roku, Join Media Giants in Bid to Certify Measurement
- The Trade Desk Aims to Influence TV's Old-School Upfront
Production
- California Film Tax Credits: 24 Selected Expected to Generate $662M In Spending
- Struggling To Sell Pilot Script? New ‘Table Read’ Podcast Offers Hope
- Netflix Spending on Asian Content in 2023, Revenue Growth Accelerates
- Reed Hastings: Netflix Is “Biggest Builder Of Cross-European Culture”
WGA Strike
- WGA West President Meredith Stiehm: 'It Could Get a Little Rough'
- Former WGA President Patric Verrone: Writers “Serious About Demands”
- WGA Negotiations: Viewership Data From Streamers Might Be Dealbreaker
- ‘Abbott Elementary’, ‘Yellowjackets’ & ‘Andor’ Writers On WGA Talks
- Endeavor Is “Well-Positioned” For A Potential Writers Strike, CEO Ari Emanuel Says
- DGA & Hollywood Producer Set Date For Start Of Film & TV Contract Talks
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Film & TV
- Fox Writers Incubator Names 2023 Fellows
- NALIP Latino Lens Reveals 2022 Short Film Incubator Participants
- AAFCA And BAFTA Launch Monthly Conversation Series
- Cate Blanchett, Angela Bassett Among Time’s 2023 Women Of The Year
Theatre
- All-Black, Women Company and Creative Team to Bring New Play The Cotillion Off-Broadway
- The BIPOC Critics Lab Will Launch First Cohort at The Public Theater
- Online Petition Calls Out School For Cancelling Play With LGBTQ+ Characters
Actors on Acting
- Why Michelle Yeoh Worried About Being Recast in 'Wicked' Movies
- Ke Huy Quan Lost Health Insurance After Filming ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’
- Paul Schrader Told Willem Dafoe Great Actors Are ‘Like Farm Animals’
- Chris Pine: Patty Jenkins Told Me to Try Directing
- Jamie Lee Curtis Interview: She Can’t Fake It
- 'Daisy Jones & the Six': Riley Keough, Sam Claflin Bring Band to Life
- Daisy Jones & The Six Cast & EPs On Turning The Rock Band Into Reality
Quick Bites
- Why Sundance Sales Are Slow in 2023
- Steven Spielberg Talks Filmmaking And Names His ‘Pretty Perfect’ Movie
- Kerry Washington: I’d Waitress Instead of Starring in ‘Bad’ Movie
- Jenna Ortega Is Tired of ‘Unintelligent Teens’ in Movies and TV
- Eugene Levy: Mockumentary Genre Destroyed by Television Shows
- Everything Old is New Again: How Big Orchestras Are Making a Broadway Comeback
- 11 Must-Read Theatre Books for March