being human is big, bigger than we usually think it is Too Human by David August There is a lot of talk about artificial intelligence (AI) doing as well or better than humans at things. Machines have long out-performed people at a lot of stuff. And this doesn't just apply to complicated machines like cars, but simple machines, like a lever, have long amplified or done better than us. A pry bar is better at prying things than our bare hands. But humans have not, ever since the first person used a rock to make their efforts easier, been made obsolete by the machines we've made. Sure, some thing ..read more

Hollywood Producers' negotiating style threatens the industry Fiery Filmset by David August Hollywood producers are facing mounting pressure to reach a deal with striking writers, as more recognizable faces in the industry prepare to join picket lines once directors' and actors' contracts run out as well. Producers have only weeks to avoid a potentially disastrous situation, as audience backlash against intransigence could escalate. Economic uncertainty, compounded by a recent interest rate hike, adds to the urgency for producers to resolve the issue and maintain market stability. Industry ex ..read more

ephemeral nature of our work Cabaret by David August I imagine these same questions are what the Twitter alums are dealing with right now. It will be difficult for them, too. But this [company closing and turning off all the servers] is a necessary step in the career for anyone who wants to arrange electrons for a living. Because the things we make, the ways we express our creativity, none of it is tangible. It can all go away with the press of a button. And we have to face that part of the bargain with our eyes open. Making something lasting of our lives is difficult, and very few of us will ..read more

automatically have your Twitter post to your Mastodon Mastodon by David August So maybe like me you're thinking of diversifying your social media presence beyond Twitter and onto Mastodon. I don't want to have to manually post on both right now, and it is too early to focus just on Mastodon since most of the people I connect with not there yet, they're still on Twitter. I want to build for the future now by posting my tweets on Mastodon. One way to build a presence on any new site is to have what you post on an old site get posted to the new one automatically. That's where a tool that posts y ..read more

Back in about 2015, the SEC started to allow small investors to invest in public offerings (regulation crowdfunding), to invest in and own small pieces of things. The possibility for individuals who had not previously invested in films began to change, and now it seems to be getting people's attention more broadly: The Fresh Kills offering is structured so that Upstream investors will be at the front of the line should the movie make money and receive a 110 percent payout on their investment before other shareholders in the film receive any dividends or returns. After the payout, the investors ..read more

A guest post from my friend and colleague Thomai Hatsios: It was 2015, I was on set and I waited for it. I waited and waited ...and it didn't happen. 2015 was the first time I was on set and I did not hear, You're the first woman _____(fill in my position on the job) I've ever worked with! I was the only woman in the crew, but I was not their first woman in that position that is more often filled by a man. For the longest time, if you were a woman in the crew, it was assumed you were there to work in makeup, hair, wardrobe, as scripty, coordinator, or production office assistant. Thank you Wen ..read more

The board acted on charges initiated by National Executive Director David White at the request of President Gabrielle Carteris. The charges specifically cite Trump's role in inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and in sustaining a reckless campaign of misinformation aimed at discrediting and ultimately threatening the safety of journalists, many of whom are SAG-AFTRA members. The charges request the imposition of the most severe penalty available to SAG-AFTRA: expulsion from membership. Our most important role as a union is the protection of our members. The unfortunate truth ..read more

Take note of who is doing what. There are some producers and directors who would rather get you and everyone you come in contact with sick then spend any more time and money to make their projects safe. We all want to work. And we all want to say yes whenever work is offered that makes sense to take. We each have to decide what sort of actor we want to be and what sort of life we want to live. It is not necessary to give up basic safety in order to work, get paid and make things worth making. I know it can feel like it is something we must surrender. We don't have to. Most protective measures ..read more

how productive is enough pine watt/Unsplash Let that sink in. Everyday you aren't sick is a good day. In a fairly objective sense we know this is true. I know it hasn't felt like that to me, but I suspect it is still true. How could that not be true during a global catastrophe. Whatever the specifics of our individual situation, we are facing a world that's different than it was in 2019. As you may be acutely aware, our industry, both on camera and on stage, has been largely hollowed out. This isn't new, Shakespeare faced this too when the plague came to London. But what do we do? I mean what ..read more

Thank you for indulging the short stories I posted earlier; I was seeking a creative outlet and hope they entertained. I did not write these (they seem to be least 10 years old and I can't find the original author), but they still feel relevant today: HOW TO FEEL MISERABLE AS AN ARTIST (OR, WHAT NOT TO DO, UNDERLINE ANY THAT CURRENTLY APPLY) CONSTANTLY COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER ARTISTS. TALK TO YOUR FAMILY ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AND EXPECT THEM TO CHEER YOU ON. BASE THE SUCCESS OF YOUR ENTIRE CAREER ON ONE PROJECT. STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW. UNDERVALUE YOUR EXPERTISE. LET MONEY DICTATE WHAT YOU DO ..read more