Laura Stahl

i’ve been hiding from socials so i only just saw this! miss you friend!!! 💕💕💕💕💕

it was great to meet you!

the union is not a gang. and it doesn’t have ANY SAY AT ALL in who is or isn’t cast in what game. it’s meant to be a resource. does it need a bit of an overhaul? yes. i 100% think it has to evolve with the times. but it isn’t the enemy and it can’t keep you from your dreams.

but the first cases are crucial, to set that standard. and if it’s one actor against a billion dollar corp? almost impossible to win. now, if you have the union legal department at your back, which is paid for by dues- that one actor now stands a chance.

~when a contract is violated, and litigation is called, it sets precedent in a legal sense. and arguments that were unfamiliar before are settled in/ out of court, which are then used as an example in future disputes. so if justice is served for one of us, it is served for us all

the thing about the union contract is, when it changes, it often sets the standard for the non-u contracts of indie projects as well. when protections improve on the union front, it raises the bar all around, which is good for everybody. there’s a reason for that:

it’s like going to college, training, buying the recording equipment, DAW subscriptions, cameras and lights- all professions, all art, requires investment in tools of the trade. we save, we do payment plans, whatever we must, because we can’t all be nepo babies.

and for a large portion of actors- the union card is a benchmark of pride. it marks a huge right of passage. it’s scary and uncertain- yes. but it’s also a chance to believe in and bank on yourself. that you’re ready for a bigger arena than you’ve ever competed in ever before.

if a project thinks you’re the one for the role and no one else can do it, they’ll get you. the only thing to stop them would be you saying no or a legal non compete, like the voice of Burger King can’t be the voice of McDonald’s. but if you’re the one, they’ll make it happen.

and yes. you’re right. not everybody wants or needs to join the union. and funny enough, often times, when someone wants to work a union job without joining, there ends up being a way for them to do so, somehow.

the need for the agent will often come with the opportunity to sign with one. the need to join the union will often show up with the means to do so. but it’s amorphous, organic, and unpredictable. there are no guarantees, even though i wish there were.

new actors often ask “how do i get an agent?” “how do i get to audition for xyz game/ anime?” and yes, “how do i join the union?” and usually any answer i give will end up being different than what happens for them because no two journeys are the same.

so you pick up each piece of equipment organically in your hero’s journey. they become available and necessary at the proper times for you. mic, daw, agent, manager, union card etc. they mark how far you’ve come, and they’re the tools to use as you make your way forward.

but the truth is you don’t *need* to access those weapons until they’re available to you, because the battles you face in the beginning are different than the ones you fight further along in your travels.

sometimes, some of the weapons in a game are locked until we reach a higher level. and it can be really frustrating, because who doesn’t want to use fireball at level 1?

pretend starting your VA career is a video game. to begin your hero’s journey, you need the tools and weapons of your trade. you start with a microphone, and recording software, so you can read your auditions. you take classes, to level up your skill set.

while joining sag isn’t imperative to having an acting career (VO or otherwise), it is a strong tool to have in your arsenal. it can lend credence to your credentials, make you marketable to agents, and offer you support when you’re backed into a corner.

i see a lot of people afraid that “the union” is an obstacle to overcome- like a predatory, evil org designed to hold creatives hostage and make work unattainable. i wanna try and untangle some of that.

Request for Information on the Development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan On behalf of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the NITRD NCO requests input from all interested parties on the Development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan ("Plan"). Th...

The government is about to give OpenAI the ability to legally steal if we do not flood this page in the next 12 hours.

OpenAI will have immunity from all lawsuits regarding copyright infringement. All other AI companies will follow.

Do you despise AI? Dissent, retweet. Do something. #furry #art

if you care about the VO strike, or are confused, or think flipping games union means NU actors will be FIRED

PLEASE READ THIS THREAD

all we want is to do our jobs safely and fairly, and to make sure those who come up after us get their shot too.

This thread has a decent explanation of when it was not. Like I said, it was a looooooooong time ago.

bsky.app/profile/thet...

Scabbing vs Undermining - Pt 1

Today, we’re chatting about undermining and its many forms, including scabbing! Stay vigilant and hold the line everyone!

Hello, it’s me! If you’ve ever wondered what “scabbing” is specifically…here you go!

These videos also talk about what it looks like to be in solidarity with or undermine other actors during the strike, recasts during a strike, etc.

most of all, i want this industry to not just continue to exist, but thrive, years after i’ve played my last role. if we can work together, i believe we can accomplish that in a way that benefits everyone involved.

i don’t think anyone should lose their jobs, not for standing up for their community, and not for whether or not they affiliate with a union.

with a union contract in place, working class artists have legal support and a fighting chance to push back if heaven forbid- whatever ai protections we get, are breached by whomever happens to be holding the keys.

the product belongs to the clients. and even if those clients have good intentions- if they happen to decide to sell their ip for one reason or another—be it for profit, or due to government mandate—the artists have no say as to who that data is sold to, or how it’s used.

and while many studios are doing their best to protect and work with actors while staying up and running- the unfortunate reality is without union backing, any ai protections in a non union contract are a pinky promise between you and the studio.

if AI is not regulated, someone, will decide to remove actors from the equation. after that, more departments will be made obsolete and more jobs will be lost. graphic design, motion capture, sound design, story boarding, writers, translators, adaptors— all gone someday.

when entertainment and art are trapped in capitalist systems, the objective is to make the largest profit possible, for the smallest investment possible, and to share as little of that profit with as few people as possible.