SAG Negotiations for People with Film Careers

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is deep into negotiations with the entertainment industry's film and television producers over a new contract, making it's membership's middle-income actors the focus for better contract terms - especially given today's economy. The Guild is seeking increases for items such as reimbursement rates for car mileage to residual payments, and more.

SAG has about 122,000 actor members, and the contract expires at midnight on Monday 6/30. Much like the recent writer's strike the Hollywood community has been on edge about a SAG strike, which in reality cannot take place until around Aug. 1st. The Guild leaders haven't called for a strike authorization vote yet. This is when 75 percent of the entire membership must vote for the strike in order for it to happen.

Most film schools, including the Entertainment Career Connection's courses on how to become a director cover the guilds like SAG. The Film/Television/Video production course curriculum qualifies graduates for positions in the film, television and video production fields. This experience is invaluable when it comes to learning about strikes, and the rights of guild members

In this June 25, 2008 photo, SAG President Alan Rosenberg says the union remains committed to negotiating a new deal with Hollywood producers as the contract expiration looms. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas, File)

At the Film Connection, industry experts who are already producers or directors pass their knowledge and experience on to the students that they mentor. The Film Connection, a fully accredited academic institution certified by the National Private Schools Accreditation Alliance, provides educational apprentice programs for the film, radio, television and the music recording industries in more than 100 U.S. cities in all 50 states. The program provides training the practical way under real life working conditions - so if a strike is going to happen, then the students learn how it will affect them so they too can make decisions once they are out in the real world.

Myths About Mentoring and Careers in Entertainment

The Entertainment Career Connection has about 25 years of experience in the topic of “mentoring.” And we get a lot of questions about how our mentors do their jobs. There are many thoughts on the topic. Webster’s dictionary defines a mentor as:

Main Entry:
1men·tor
Pronunciation:
\ˈmen-ˌtȯr, -tər\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Latin, from Greek Mentōr
Date:
1616
1capitalized : a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus' son Telemachus2 a: a trusted counselor or guide b: tutor, coach — men·tor·ship \-ˌship\ noun

Here are ten myths and some of our observations about today’s contemporary trends in mentoring. Wether you want to learn to be a film producer, or need to learn how to be a recording artist, or arte interested in a career in radio, learning from an entertainment Connection mentor is the way to really learn.

1) You do not need to be a Yogi to be a mentor. It is possibly the most frequent method of sharing knowledge in our global society, and anyone with the experience to be a powerful learning influence can be a mentor today.

2) Effective mentoring means that both parties perceive benefits. The best mentors are not necessarily people who set out to be mentors. One-on-one, face-to-face mentoring is now easier today thanks to modern technology - it can can even be via telephone, fax or email.
3) Mentoring requires commitment of time that few professionals can afford. NOT TRUE> Mentoring is simply helping someone learn while you are on the job. The reality is that it can increase on-the-job performance for the mentor along with learning, and gives career opportunities for the person being trained.
4) If someone is mentoring a student, there is no loss of productivity because mentoring actually improves productivity -- through better communication, clarity of goals, commitment, and planning, not to mention attention to the student.
5) Age is not a factor for mentors, because technology, innovation, and other learned skills (such as the Internet marketing) happen so fast today that sometimes mentors end up being the young mentoring older folks.
6) Young people who have bad attitudes can't learn by a mentor. NOT TRUE. Most young people often view an older mentor guide with respect, so they listen to them and learn.
7) Today’s changing economy and globalization means that learning increases job stability during crisis and change management.
8) When provided with a vision and purpose combined with skill training and support, adults were more likely to volunteer as a mentor.

9) Students do not learn as much in a classroom - they learn more while experiencing the job.

10) Mentoring is becomming the most economical, productive and successful form of teaching today.

At the Entertainment Career Connection mentors share their experiences. The Film Connection's Film School takes you out of the classroom and onto real film sets where you'll learn by doing stuff while you learn, one-on-one with your mentor, who is a working professional in the area of film you want to study. No other film school comes close to succeeding like this.

Listen to how to break into the entertainment business.

Is an Entertainment Career Right for You?

It may seem overwhelming if you are trying to figure out the best career in the music industry, especially if you don't really know what you want to do. But the reality is that there are so many options and ways to help you make the decision.

You will first have to make a commitment to the time and energy this is going to take to make your decision. Before you can make a career choice you have to analyze yourself -- interests, skills, values, your personality, etc. There are some pretty cool free career tests that you can take to help evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Then once you have gone though the list of possible occupations you'll need to narrow that down to a short list. You are gonna narrow it down to the one career you want to pursue

Let's say you want to learn how to be a music producer. Well, the reality is that there are many more jobs in the music industry, and the reality is that it maybe a better choice to become an audio engineer or a mixer. Learning how to explore careers like this is much easier today thanks to all the information available on the Internet. Sites like http://www.therecordingconnection.com/, for example, have live interviews from both students and teachers who are mentors in the business, and a wealth of inside information.

At this point you should only have a few occupations left and now you need to get in-depth information. Your best source of this information are people who have first hand knowledge of the your chosen occupation. Identify who they are and try to get meetings or telephone time with them to ask questions - or sometimes even email will do. Next, hone the list of possible occupations down to what seems realistic.

Now you need a plan and some goals. This career action plan may or may not require getting some extra schooling in your preferred field, or to train for your new career. There are several ways to accomplish this - you can earn a degree, do an internship or take courses to learn the required new skills. But here's the very best way - a mentorship program like the Entertainment Career Connection schools, which are fully accredited, and for a reasonable cost, can get you both trained AND working with a music or recording professional who is already working in the business. At Recording Connection you will always learn from a working professional in the recording or music business, and your classroom will be a real recording studio in the town or city where you live.

What's even better is that this mentor will probably help get you your first job after you graduate. 72 percent of the students who graduate are placed at jobs within the music industry.

Are you Dreaming of Working in the Radio Business?

Do you know who is the most famous sports announcers of all times? Do you find yourself commentating along with the high school football game - play by play? Knowledge of sports along with a conversational delivery style is important for success as a sports anchor person. You can report live from the dugouts and benches as the coaches and players develop strategy that often determines the vital lose or win situation. You may interview famous professional athletes when you do in-depth interviews as part of your sportscast.

Or, do you want to learn to be a DJ because you like the idea of having your own radio show -- making jokes, playing the hit songs, announcing titles and artists, and using your personality to communicate with an audience? As a DJ, you may also interview recording artists and movie stars. As a radio personality you get paid for public appearances to help promote your station. You might even become famous!

Or, you might have a fascination with delivering the news in an informative manner. As a news person you will also be involved in on the spot news bulletins, often at the actual scene. You will also be viewed as a respected prominent member of your community, and attend civic and special meetings where important issues are resolved.

To learn how to be a sportscaster, DJ or a news announcer, isn't all that easy. Radio jobs are in high demand so it is easier to get a job at a smaller radio station, and just one more reason to look for a radio school like Entertainment Career Connection where mentors can help get you a job after you graduate. Keep in mind that earnings are higher in larger cities than in smaller towns.

According to statistics from the 2006 US Bureau of Labor Statistics, half of all radio and television announcers—some of whom were disc jockeys—earned between $8.10 and $18.62 an hour in 2004. 10 percent of the lowest paid earned less than $6.55. The highest-paid 10 percent made more than $32.98 an hour. Announcers held about 71,000 jobs.

Almost 30 percent of these workers are in broadcasting, mainly in radio and television stations, with 17 percent working in the motion picture, video, and sound recording industries.
Evening, weekend, and holiday work is very common.

There are plenty of other jobs behind the scenes at a station too -- digital recording, editing, and broadcasting has changed the work of broadcast and sound engineering technicians and radio operators. Today’s technicians must learn computer networking and software skills.

The important thing is that if radio is your passion, you need to learn from a working professional - a mentor who can teach you all the inside tips and tricks. We have been really successful at this - keep in mind more than 70 percent of our students get placed in jobs after (and often before) they graduate. So go for it. Check out our mentors and listen to what the Entertainment Career Connection's radio connection students and their mentors are saying about this program.

The Truth about Learning How to Be a Film Director

Directing films is a job that despite some stories about lucky people, requires an education. Yes, Quentin Tarantino dropped out of high school and never went to film school. But that is rare.
There are many college programs available that offer access to the latest lights, cameras, and film making technology -- but the truth is, the best education for a film career is on the job training. Education requirements for learning the techniques means you can get certification for the technical aspects of film making. The work as a director can be challenging, yet flexible and very rewarding. Courses of study often focus on the elements of a successful film plot, characters, and style.

Directors need to know every aspect of a film's production, from editing to cinematography to digital and sound effects. Many of you probably already have inexpensive modern digital cameras and editing software at home. This just means that film making and directing has never been more accessible to the average person, so there is lots of competition out there. Very few first time directors get to work on million dollar budget summer blockbusters. Directors usually have to work their way up, sometimes by directing commercials or music videos. And salaries for film and movie directors are unpredictable at best.

There are plenty of websites including our own, that can help serious filmmakers, such as imbd.com, dv.com, or indietalk.com. There are forums where independent movie makers gather to discuss tips and tricks. Like our own at the Film Connection, which hosts videos of our mentor teachers helping anyone who wants to learn how to be a film director. The Film Connection Directing School is accredited and will prepare you for all the steps to make your own feature film, music video or commercial. You get to work under the direct supervision of a professional director in the film industry. Usually within six months, you'll have all the experience, knowledge and connections you need to direct your first feature. The Entertainment Film Connection (http://www.film-connection.com/) will find a mentor professional --a film, commercial or music video director -- that's about 90 minutes or less from where you live.

If you get accepted into our film program, this professional filmmaker will become your personal tutor, or a private mentor, and will teach you just about all you need to know get into the film business, In addition to that, your mentor will introduce you to his or her connections in the film business. You will get to work on real movie, TV, commercial or music video projects.

This method is proven to work, and it sure beats sitting in some overcrowded, overpriced college classroom. Check out what our students and mentors are saying about a career in film directing on YouTube.

Are You Mad as Hell? The Epitome of Survival Guides

We couldn't help but notice this new website known as http://www.endoftheworldsurvivalguide.com/ or
The End of the World as we Know it... This could be really fun, and talk about the ultimate Entertainment Career Connection! The website is seeking bloggers and writers who are "mad as hell" and want to contribute to the site about the following topics:

• The War on the Middle Class
• Civil Liberties Abuses
• The Patriot Act
• The U.S. Constitution
• American Inperialis Meconomic Amageddon
• The Patriot Act
• Financial Collapse
• Debt
• The Failing Economy
• The two Way Party System
• Democrat and Republican Corruption
• Martial Lawgun Right
• Bib Brother
• The Police State
• Surveillance
• Media Propoganda
• Media Consolidation
• Mergers
• Border Atrocities
• False Flag Terrorism
• State sponsored Terrorism
• 9/11 Conspiracy Aleternatives
• Alternative Investments (GOLD, SILVER, MINING STOCKS)

The company is willing to advertise to its viewers for free, promoting their books, videos, movies, or whatever. You just need to promise to do a blog post of original content only to their site once every ten days or so.

If you are "Mad as Hell" and can commit to writing at least one article per every 10 days then email us at: mailto:thelastsurvivor@endoftheworldsurvivalguide.com and tell us how you see your very own blog here on our site, how often you would post and what your general topic of discussion would be.

If you don't want to make a long term commitment to writing a blog for us, you can still get active and stay involved by posting mentions of any and all rallies, protests, talks and lectures, book readings, book releases, shows to watch, movies to see, letters to write, petitions to sign, and alerts to government abuses on our message board.

Check it out.

So you Want a Career in the Film Business?

You may be interested to know that if you want a career in the film industry, you are looking at a pretty competitive business. But the good news is that many people are getting jobs in this area. The thing is that even when the economy is suffering from a slump, entertainment is the one thing people still spend money on. Following are some statistics that you may find of interest.

It seems as if theater admissions have declined in recent years, and the year 2006 ended a three year downward trend as admissions increased 3.3 percent over 2005. However, ticket sales revenues increased by 5.5 percent, making 2006 a $9.49 billion year. Pretty big numbers! And the total number of movies released in 2006 (607) marked an 11 percent increase over the number of 2005 releases.

As for career in film, or if you want to learn how to be a director or a producer the latest published data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the film industry provided 157,000 jobs for actors, directors and producers in 2004, and this number is expected to grow between 9-17 percent by 2014.

As of the year 2002, there were about 360,000 jobs in the motion picture and video industries. Most of these workers are involved in the production end of film making. There are many companies in the industry employ 10 workers or less. The good news for you is that a 31.1 percent increase in jobs is expected industry-wide between 2002 and 2012. Plus, this growth is roughly twice the 16 percent growth expected across all industries combined in that period.

And if you are wondering how much money you can make by getting a job in the film business, it appears that median annual earnings for producers and directors, who are on salary, were $46,240 in 2002. And if you are really good, and lucky, the top ten percent earned over $119,760.

If you are really serious about a career in the film business, then you really should take a listen to all the students, and mentors, at the Entertainment Film Connection. You will find a Los Angeles film school, a New York film school, and actually, one in just about any major city in the U.S.

How do you get a job in a radio station?

If you want to know how to get a job in a radio station, then you really need to learn more about the Radio Connection, where you will be trained in a studio, with a mentor teacher. Classrooms in a college or broadcast school won't do it. You need to get a teacher who is a real radio professional working in the business, as opposed to a college teacher who is not or never has been in the business. What is cool is that you can train around your job.

This accredited program is where you get trained by a working pro who could help you get a job after you graduate, one-on-one in a real radio station, learning the professionals AT the station -- whether you want to learn how to be a DJ, or get a job as a program director, or be an audio engineer. After 23 years, the Radio Connection has worked with over 5,000 stations in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, teaching students from 17 to 60 years old. It is like a job placement goldmine.

This isn't a traditional internship - it is an apprenticeship. By the time you are done you will have audition demo tapes and your instructor, typically the program director, is the one who will help you produce the demos. The biggest difference is that you get trained with equipment you need nowadays, not out of date equipment in a college. You get a feel for what is going on. Plus you can train around your job, slowly easing into the radio environment as you learn the curriculum.

Most of the students, and mentors agree -- mentorship programs for broadcasting school is the way it will be done in the future, because it is the best way to learn the radio business one-on one with a working professional.

The program is virtually everywhere. The way it works is that we get you an interview for your mentor in your home town. Our students usually get a job where they train. There are structured assignments and tests, but it is easy and fun when you get to learn the real job at a real radio station. Here's what one Radio Career Connection mentor - Chuck Dogg who is teaching at our New York radio DJ school - has to say.

People don't get hired in a college. If a job becomes available at the station where you are learning, nine times out of ten you will get it. You are in a structured radio connection course written by broadcast professionals, there are supplies and equipment at the station for you to use as you learn to be a music engineer, or a radio announcer, for example, hands on.

Work with Hot Music Recording Artists

Part of the fun of working in the music recording industry is the chance to work with top recording artists and musicians. And there are lots of different careers in the industry. You could be a music producer, or a technical-audio or sound engineer. One quick way to look at it is that a music producer will guide and shape the sound, while an audio engineer captures it.

The music business is trending towards moving online, so it is really important to learn as much about the music recording side of the business as you can. Digital music distribution over the Internet has really changed the landscape of the music business. Music technology has also grown quite a bit. Professional musicians today have to have a good knowledge of it all as well. Much of this technology is software based, and the virtual world means having to be famaliar with software, plus there is still some hardware based technologies. It is both.

Donny Baker is a Recording Connection mentor, music producer and studio engineer at Elephant Symphony in Glendale, California. He likes teaching this school's curriculum, because once his students graduate, they are engineers. Donny is giving input as to the courses because he helps refine the program, and it keeps getting better. Technology is constantly changing but in this industry it is changing backwards. As he says - "we wanna use the oldest best piece of equipment. But then there's ProTools software to learn too."

The Entertainment Connection schools with the mentor approach works, and the best part is that the courses are available in most major cities nationwide - so you'll get a real world learning experience in a New York music recording school or one in Los Angeles.