Equity Foundation Podcast

A chance to hear from Equity's Screen Lawyer, Miles Hunt, about usage payments and residuals. This discussion will cover the following topics: Usage – upfront buyouts and the curse of in perpetuity; Residuals – backend payments and where they come from; Agreements – how usage and residuals work in film, TV and Streaming; MEAA negotiations and payments for performers; The Difficulty with Streamers; International Perspective – SAG and other jurisdictions; and TVC Rollovers. Miles Hunt is a Senior Industrial Officer working within Equity at MEAA. He deals with industrial issues for members (individually and collectively) and negotiates agreements (for film and TV) on behalf of members.

Award-winning voice actor Dianne Weller will introduce you to the world of voicing for video games during this one-hour livestream. This is a chance to see how it differs from animation and how to approach character development and auditions.

A chance for Equity member Sara Cooper to talk to first assistant director, Noni Roy (Carmen, Total Control 2, Wellmania) about the actor and first assistant director (first AD) relationship. First AD’s manage the schedule and coordinate cast and crew to ensure that shoots run smoothly. Their work includes considering the project’s budget, the time required, cast and crew availability and location limitations. This conversation will be an opportunity to discuss the things that actors may not have had the opportunity to talk about before. It may be particularly useful for actors with a theatre background who are not as familiar with the complexities of screen acting.

In this livestreamed in conversation Equity member Monica Sayers interviewed producer Ian Collie (The Twelve, Rake, Jack Irish) and director Daniel Nettheim (Broadchurch, Line of Duty) about what goes on behind the scenes of a screen production before actors are cast, what is involved in the producing and directing side of things on a day to day basis, what are some of the differences between how shows are made in Australia and overseas, how they work with actors, the best ways to navigate the actor/producer and actor/director relationships, self taping, zoom auditions, rehearsing, protocols on set and much more.

Award-winning actor Shuang Hu creates comedy skits online for her 4.2 million followers on TikTok, 3.6 million subscribers on Youtube and 91k followers on Instagram. With so many actors under pressure to create their own work, this is an opportunity to hear from Shuang and interviewer Sophia Emberson-Bain and get some hints and advice about how to develop your creative and online skills.

In this workshop, photographer Deanna Cooney will shared the advice and direction she shares with all the actors she works with, so you can take it with you into any shoot and know you’ll come away with killer images. This is an edited version of an Equity Foundation Livestream event.

This is a chance to work on your US accent with Paige Walker. Paige Walker specialises in the American dialect for the performer. This is an edited version on an Equity Foundation Livestream event.

What skills do you need for voiceover in commercial, non-commercial, animation/character work and audiobook narration? This session with Abbe Holmes will give you information to assist you taking the next step. Abbe is one of Australia's most recognised mainstream voice actors. This is an edited version on an Equity Foundation Livestream event.

How do creative professionals use the media and social media to market themselves? What PR management strategies do you need to promote yourself and ultimately get more work? And what about when you DO get work…how do you manage PR and the media then? And what are the pitfalls to avoid? For the early to mid career actor. Catherine Lavelle, CLPR, is one of Australia's leading film and television public relations consultant. This is an edited version on an Equity Foundation Livestream event.

In this livestream Shortland Street Casting Director Matt Dwyer discusses the casting process and his advice for actors with Equity member Jessi Williams.

To survive as a performer in the long-term you will need to know how to utilise your creative talents in many ways to earn a living and sustain your career. WA-based slashies Monica Main and Libby Klysz will discuss the practical ways you can be a successful slashie; a multidisciplinary artist working successfully in many areas of the creative industries.

Join casting director Danny Long and actor Helen Kim as they discuss the essentials of self testing and answer any questions you may have. This workshop will be suitable to those new to self testing who are looking for advice on how to set up their equipment, lighting, sound, editing and uploading and the major dos and don'ts. The Equity Foundation's explainer video can be found here: www.equityfoundation.org.au/self-testing/

You are an actor looking to pitch your project to a producer, but where do you start? Who do you talk to and are producers interested in hearing from you? Actor Fayssal Bazzi will talk to Jungle Entertainment's Partner/Chief Operating Officer/Executive Producer, Chloe Rickard and Head of Drama's Shay Spencer about how the pitching process works at Jungle Entertainment.

Alexandra is the CEO of Alexandra Lopez Studios - a creative company specialising in voice strategy work for brands and coaching beginners in the voice industry. "An Introduction to the Voice Over Industry" is her signature course. It is designed to give you a solid foundation to begin your career as a voice artist. This session will be suitable for anyone who is new to the industry and looking for actionable steps to get them on their way.

The Australian screen industry has made huge progress in recent years in becoming a more inclusive and culturally secure place for historically underrepresented communities. Despite this progress some of the industry's most structural barriers remain intact, preventing us from achieving equal representation on screens. What is the current state of diversity in today's industry, and where do we go next? Why are diverse stories so important for our society, culture and economy? Please join moderator Pearl Tan and guest speakers Lena Nahlous, Michelle Law and Kate Hood for our first 2021 Screen Diversity Showcase panel discussion about how diverse stories are changing the game for the screen industry.

This is the third Screen Diversity Showcase panel discussion on health and wellbeing, moderated by actor and activist, Saroni Roy. We discuss the biggest mental health challenges facing creatives in the Australian screen industry, and how these challenges have evolved since the pandemic. Ben Steel, Bayley Turner, Pip Edwards and Chris Cheers share practical resources and techniques to assist performers and other artists in securing their wellbeing in such a demanding workplace, and how the field of intimacy is playing such a crucial role in this process.

So many actors create their own online work and in this increasingly difficult Covid world there is even more need for information and resources to assist with this. Screen Australia's Investment Manager for Online Production, Lee Naimo, will discuss all this and more with actor Jane Watt. Topics for discussion include: What are the different streams of funding for entry level creatives and with a special focus on Lee’s speciality of online funding. Is it about the idea? Is it about the application? Is it about the team attached? Is it all 3? The pros and cons of making content for online? Why make online content? How to maximize your use of online platform for storytelling

The advent of the intimacy co-ordinator has changed the dynamics of intimacy on set and stage. So what should we expect with intimate scenes and what are the practical realities; what can you ask and how do you navigate a space if there isn’t an intimacy co-ordinator? Intimacy co-ordinator Chloe Dallimore (trained by and under Mentorship to Ita O’Brien) will discuss this and more with actor Michelle Lim Davidson.

The Screen Diversity Showcase is bringing together the top industrial representatives from Equity, the Australian Directors' Guild and the Australian Writers' Guild to discuss how we, as artists, can best safeguard our work. This panel discussion and Q&A is about all matters industrial and legal including; contracts, rates, bargaining and intellectual property. Please join our host Jonathan Chan with Alaric McAusland, Miles Hunt, Bryant Apolonio and Greg Duffy, to find out more about how your union and guilds operate, and how you can get the most out of your membership.

Editors Julie-Anne De Ruvo and Nick Holmes will join performer Nicole Nabout for a discussion about the elements of craft and the technical skills an actor must execute to avoid the cutting room floor and the decisions directors, producers and editors make based on an actor's performance. Audience members will leave with a better understanding of the process of editing a one-hour dramatic episode and how the actor can best serve that process.