FULL STREAM AHEAD: Marketing Yourself

SAG Foundation Actors Center
5757 Wilshire Blvd-Mezzanine Level
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(Parking Validation Available)

This event is also available LIVE ONLINE at www.sagfoundation.org/liferaft/livestream  During the event, you can email questions to the moderator at LifeRaft@sagfoundation.org or tweet to #LRLS.  NO RSVP REQUIRED FOR ONLINE GUESTS.

Marketing yourself as an actor can sometimes be confusing and overwhelming.  Where is the line between respectable, effective promotion and ineffectual, shameless self promotion?  Are you marketing the best product possible?  How do you make objective assessments of the product your marketing when the product is YOU? What are some quick and easy marketing efforts that can help keep you on the radar of casting directors?  What about producers?  Join this stellar panel of industry professionals as they examine the ins and outs of marketing for actors!

Moderated by actress Carrie Wiita

Carrie was most recently cast as a series regular on the NBC sitcom pilot "The Strip," with Tom Lennon and Robert Ben Garant from Comedy Central's "Reno 911."  Other recent credits include a series regular role on a sketch comedy pilot for FOX, a guest star on "Community," and a recurring role on the final season of "Reno 911." Originally from Oregon and a graduate of UCLA, she is also a proud member of the Sacred Fools Theater Company.

Panelists Include

Blair Hickey-Actor-Co-Founder, CastingAbout

Blair has been a working actor for the last fifteen years. He graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts from Brown University, starting his professional career in New York with recurring roles on daytime soaps and in several "way-way-way-off" Broadway productions. Since moving to Los Angeles, Blair's worked primarily in television, appearing in such shows as HEROES, MEDIUM, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, GHOST WHISPERER, WITHOUT A TRACE, ALLY MCBEAL, THE PRACTICE and CHICAGO HOPE. In 1994, Blair used his experience and success in actor marking to co-create CastingAbout, an online casting guide able to provide actors with accurate, real-time production information on a daily basis. CastingAbout has since partnered with Breakdown Services, Ltd., and opened a second office in New York.

Brian Wold-Internet/Marketing Specialist-Co-Founder, CastingAbout

With experience in public relations, marking and business communications, Brian has served as an internet and website consultant for nearly two decades. His clients include small businesses, multi-national corporations, educational institutions, local governments and even a foreign country. As co-founder of CastingAbout, Brian has used his wide-ranging skills and knowledge of the arts and entertainment industries to develop a user-friendly, customer-focused online resource that is now the industry standard for casting information in both Los Angeles and New York. Brian is also an accomplished singer and rapidly aging volleyball player, and owns the world's coolest cat.

Tammy Lynn-Spotlight Pr Company

Tammy is the Founder and Head Publicist of Spotlight PR Company (www.SpotlightPRcompany.com), a boutique public relations firm that offers ‘a-la-carte’ services to entertainment professionals. Spotlight PR works with actors, filmmakers, musicians, comedians and other creative types to craft a public image, build name recognition and generate industry buzz.

Tammy has more than 12 years public relations experience providing her the opportunity to build long-standing relationships with a variety of media outlets. Starting her career at Medialink, the leading broadcast PR company in New York, Tammy was responsible for overseeing PR strategy and cultivating media contacts.  Taking her knowledge and skills out on her own, she has worked on a variety of projects spanning the entertainment, lifestyle, technology, medical, non-profit, consumer product, and publishing fields. Tammy has also been an actor and member of SAG since she was a child, giving her an understanding of the PR needs of the working entertainment professional.

Mr. Meade is the Principal and Founder of BigBamboo, LLC., (www.BigBambooLLC.com), a holding company formed to help bring companies from visualization to creation.

Serving as Chairman and “Resident Rainmaker”, Mr. Meade is the visionary, creator, recruiter and team builder for the companies that make up the BigBamboo family.

Mr. Meade has been involved in the creation of companies such as the following:

Cenoplex- Wireless audio advertising platform and insertion engine

MonetaPro-web-based software application for global trading

RONAStar-an enterprise solution which empowers large corporation to save money

Community Commerce Networks-ComCom- which is a closed loop and private labeled transaction system for affinity groups

OrionNation- an anti-facebook site for the entertainment industry to control their own content

GreenMeansGreen.org- a Company with a revolutionary new product for the Green Industry, as it helps the environment, and saves Money.  Green Means Green.

Isolation is  Good Thing- an almost completed sales, psychology and networking book

EZStash- consumer data back up service

Spoonmantics- a romantic gift line of jewelry, chocolates, and clothing

Mr. Meade is a life-long entrepreneur, having created 11 successful companies. He has been involved in e-commerce for the past ten years, having launched several e-commerce ventures.

This involvement has provided for an extended base of knowledge in the transaction processing and payment facilitation space.

Known as an avid and exemplary connector, he has developed a network of influencers across the globe.

As a the current Chairman of BigBamboo, a holding company which creates organizations that fill a “deep gap” in existing industries, Mr. Meade has played an integral role in creating the various portfolio companies and in developing their strategies, advisory and management board, and go to market initiatives.