The Cage is The Student Production Resource Center for University of Texas at Austin student film and digital-media makers. The Cage is affiliated with the department of Radio-Television-Film in the College of Communications. While offering a safe relaxing place between classes, the Cage helps students with producing needs by offering production resources such as:
- Cast & Crew Calls
- Headshot library
- Crew database
- Film Magazines library
- Grant and Funding Information
- Online Festival Information
- Legal paperwork
- Locker Rentals
- Free printing (limit 90 pages)
- Film / Television / Media Resource Books
- Consultations
- Classroom presentations and workshops
- Distribution strategies
- Festival strategies
- Fundraising strategies
- Weekly e-mail newsletter
- UT crew calls
- Job and internship opportunities
- Calls for festival entries
- Local screenings
- Cast calls
- Submit to the Cage Newsletter
The Cage is also a resource center for actors. We offer consultations for actors in hopes of helping to bridge the gap between film students and acting students.
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Frequently Asked Questions (Don’t worry, you aren’t the only one.):
Why is the Cage called the Cage?
What does the Cage actually do?
Can I rent equipment or buy tapes at the Cage?
I’m making a production, how do I get help from the Cage?
Why isn’t the Cage open all the time? What are your hours?
Can I advertise on the Cage site?
How do I join the Cage?
How do I get off the newsletter mailing list?
How do I add myself to the mailing list to get the Newsletter?
Do I have to be a student to get the Newsletter?
How do I submit myself to the headshot library?
I’ve noticed the casting calls are not in the newsletter, where are the casting calls?
How do I subscribe or unsubscribe to the casting e-mailing list?
Why is the Cage called the Cage?
It’s simple really, the Cage is called the Cage because it is literally a caged room. There are three walls and the fourth wall is a caged fence.
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What does the Cage actually do?
The Cage works as a producing hub, helping students with the areas of pre and post production that get overlooked. We hope to help students get connected with each other and other filmmakers in the city and work as an intermediary to the film community. Really, the Cage does whatever students need it to do as far as help with the production of their project. The two main ways the Cage helps students to connect with people is through the newsletter and the website. The newsletter features crew calls, jobs, internship, screenings, events, and film festivals. Through the website The Cage offers funding and festival advice as well as a growing list of Grants and Film Festivals.
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Can I rent equipment or buy tapes at the Cage?
NO! NO! The Cage is NOT Equipment Check-Out/it is not the place to check out equipment. Equipment Check-Out is located next door to the Cage. If you would like to rent equipment please go to Equipment Page
I’m making a production, how do I get help from the Cage?
You must first figure out what you need and where you are in the production process. Check out this website for assistance with getting money and finding venues to get your film screened. If you need help with casting or getting a crew together, you may send The Cage a posting for what you need. Post to the newsletter (link newsletter submission page). You do NOT have to be a student to post in the newsletter, just know that the newsletter is sent out to a mailing list made mostly of students and alumni. If you have a specific need, feel free to e-mail the Cage at cage@austin.utexas.edu and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Why isn’t the Cage open all the time? What are your hours?
The Cage has been student-run for over the last 10 years since its creation. It has always employed a part-time person, usually a Film MFA, to supervise it. Officially, it is a student organization at the University of Texas at Austin, meaning it has UT Student Organization status. The department’s finances are stretched very thin between the many facilities, equipment, talented teachers, and staff. The Cage hopes to employ a full-time director in the future. However, since there can’t be a full-time employee at this time, this website and the Cage biweekly newsletter should satisfy most needs. The hours of operation vary from semester to semester and can be located on our Contact page.
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Can I advertise on the Cage site?
Unfortunately, no you cannot advertise on this site. Being a Student Organization means the Cage is a part of the University system.
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How do I join the Cage?
The Cage is not an organization that you join necessarily. All Radio-Television-Film students will automatically get added to the newsletter list when they get accepted to the program. Everyone is welcomed to use this site as a jumping off point for his/her film production. Anyone can join the mailing list and anyone can submit a posting for the newsletter (postings will only be published based on the Newsletter editor’s approval).
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How do I get off the newsletter mailing list?
The University of Texas has adopted an opt-out policy for their e-mail list servers. The term opt-out refers to several methods by which individuals can avoid receiving unsolicited product or service information. The UT Mailing lists are forums for teaching, collaboration, discussion, announcements, and more. Messages are sent directly to subscribers through e-mail. The Cage mailing list is newsletter@utlists.utexas.edu
*To Unsubscribe yourself from the mailing list just go to this site https://utlists.utexas.edu/sympa/info/newsletter
*Click unsubscribe on the left side of the page.
*It will then tell you “You requested unsubscription from list newsletter. To confirm your identity and prevent anyone from unsubscribing you from this list against your will, a message containing a URL will be sent to you. Check your mailbox for new messages and enter below the password given in the message Sympa sent you. This will confirm your unsubscription from list newsletter.”
*An e-mail will be sent to you assigning you a password to confirm that you really do want to unsubscribe.
*Use that password in the space designated to confirm.
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How do I add myself to the mailing list to get the Newsletter?
*To Subscribe yourself to the mailing list just go to this site https://utlists.utexas.edu/sympa/info/newsletter
*Click Subscribe on the left side of the page.
*A window will pop up asking you, “Do you really want to subscribe to list newsletter?” Click OK.
*Put your e-mail in the box that says, “Your e-mail address.”
It will then tell you, “You requested a subscription to list newsletter.
To confirm your identity and prevent anyone from subscribing you to this list against your will, a message containing your password will be sent to you.
Check your mailbox for new messages and enter the password below. This will confirm your subscription to list newsletter.”
*An e-mail will be sent to you assigning you a password to confirm that you really do want to subscribe.
*Use that password in the space designated to confirm.
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Do I have to be a student to get the Newsletter?
You do NOT have to be a student to post in the newsletter or to receive the newsletter. Just know that the newsletter is sent out to a mailing list consisting mostly of students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The information in the newsletter is for anyone interested in UT crew calls, Job and internship opportunities, Calls for festival and contest entries, or Local screenings and events.
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How do I submit myself to the headshot library?
You send your headshot and acting resume to…
The Cage: The Student Production Resource Center
Department of Radio-Television-Film
1 University Station A0800
Austin, TX 78712-0108
It is recommended that you add yourself to the casting e-mailing list to receive casting calls. See Below. (possible link to How do I subscribe or unsubscribe to the casting e-mailing list?)
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I’ve noticed the casting calls are not in the newsletter, where are the casting calls?
There is a separate mailing list for actors mostly comprised of Theatre and Dance students at UT and other local actors who have submitted their headshots to the Cage’s headshot library.
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How do I subscribe or unsubscribe to the casting e-mailing list?
*To Subscribe yourself to the mailing list just go to this site https://utlists.utexas.edu/sympa/admin/casting
*Click Subscribe on the left side of the page.
*A window will pop up asking you, “Do you really want to subscribe to list newsletter?” Click OK.
*Put your e-mail in the box that says, “Your e-mail address.”
It will then tell you, “You requested a subscription to list newsletter.
To confirm your identity and prevent anyone from subscribing you to this list against your will, a message containing your password will be sent to you.
Check your mailbox for new messages and enter the password below. This will confirm your subscription to list newsletter.”
*An e-mail will be sent to you assigning you a password to confirm that you really do want to subscribe.
*Use that password in the space designated to confirm.
*To Unsubscribe yourself from the mailing list just go to this site https://utlists.utexas.edu/sympa/admin/casting
*Click unsubscribe on the left side of the page.
*It will then tell you, “You requested unsubscription from list newsletter. To confirm your identity and prevent anyone from unsubscribing you from this list against your will, a message containing a URL will be sent to you. Check your mailbox for new messages and enter below the password given in the message Sympa sent you. This will confirm your unsubscription from list newsletter.”
*An e-mail will be sent to you assigning you a password to confirm that you really do want to unsubscribe.
*Use that password in the space designated to confirm.
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History of the Cage
The University of Texas at Austin has a strong tradition of student organizations that assist in fulfilling a complete college experience. In the 1970’s, George Lellis and Ron Policy created CinemaTexas (capital C capital T), a graduate student-run film society that was part of the Department or Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. In conjunction with classes that were being taught during the semester, relevant films were shown four nights a week to students and the public at large. This was the first student organization related to the Department or Radio-Television-Film. (It should not be confused with Cinematexas (lowcase t): International Short Film and Video Festival.)
In the 1980’s and 1990’s two other major film related organizations developed: The Cage and The University Filmmakers’ Alliance (UFA). (The University Filmmakers’ Alliance aims to give students another venue to produce short films and create a film networking community. Once an academic year, UFA holds a film conference with industry professionals.) The Cage was established by Rachel Tsangari to help students find resources in order to successfully produce their films. She got funding for the Cage and made sure it operated to help students with their production needs. In 1996 Rachel Tsangari and Bryan Poyser co-founded The Cinematexas: International Short Film and Video Festival under the auspices of the Cage. The festival ran for a little over 11 years before closing because of funding problems.
The Cage name came from the caged room that was allotted to the organization in the second floor basement/ally level of the CMB. There are literally three walls and the fourth wall is caged fencing. The name often confuses people who use to refer to Equipment Checkout as “the cage” which is located immediately next door. In the past decade the department of Radio-TV-Film has tried moving the Cage to other offices in the Communication School so that they could use the caged room for storage. There was a time where the Cage was moved to the 5th floor of the CMA. When Kyle Henry ran the Cage (1996-1998), the Cage was in Studio 4D Control Room in the CMB. While there he instituted the festival database and got UT on every fest’s mailing list, as well as organizing for a few semesters a field trip to Allied Film Labs for students, chartering a bus so they could see the developing, printing and color-correction process in action. The place where the Cage made the most sense was back in the second floor of the CMB. Over the years the space has transformed with each Cage director. For example Jeanne Stern (2004-2006) painted the walls bright colors and Erin Randall (2007) added a colorful the tapestry to create a 4th wall. On top of the physical appearance changing, the Cage now offers more resources than ever.
The Cage has been run part-time by MFA Production graduate students (Rachel Tsangari, Dan Chung, Kyle Henry, Tammy Arnstein, Juliet Dervin, Diane Zander, Jeanne Stern, Autumn Leonard, and Erin Randall) for about fifteen years. In 2008 RTF undergraduate Sarah Gonzalez took over the Cage. It was overseen by Radio-Television-Film Administration Executive Susan Dirks until 2009 when she retired from her Position. Currently the Cage is still run by Sarah (who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with her Bachelor’s of Science in Radio-Television-Film production), is monitored by current undergraduate students Ashley Carter and Alyssa Varsos and overseen by Bert Herigstad and Michelle Monk. Sarah is employed part-time and is constantly seeking ways to improve the organization. She completely revamped the website and continues to make sure the newsletter goes out at least twice a month.
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More info about the Cage
The Cage is a registered student organization at the University of Texas.
The Cage has been officially a registered student organization since 1995, operating to assist Radio-TV-Film students with various informational and production needs. One of the most important benefits of being a registered student organization is access to the staff in Student Activities and Leadership Development for assistance in program planning, room reservation in the Student Union, risk management, conflict resolution, fund-raising, and other issues related to the student organization, The Cage.
The Cage is a Non-Profit organization, IRS Code Section 501 (c) (3), under the umbrella of the University of Texas at Austin. The Cage works with limited support from the Department of Radio-Television-Film but is a separate entity. If you or someone you know would like to donate to the Cage please contact us at cage@austin.utexas.edu. Contributions to The Cage are deductible for federal income tax purposes by donors under IRS Code Section 501 (c) (3). On the other hand, contributions to the University of Texas at Austin Department of Radio-Television-Film are deductible for federal income tax purposes by donors under IRS Section 170 (c) (1) which allows a deduction for contributions made to the state agencies provided such contributions are for exclusively public purposes [IRS Section 170 (c) (1) acts in a similar way to IRS Code Section 501 (c) (3)].
There are many ways to support the Department of Radio-TV-Film, some of which may even allow donors to provide more than they realize. Gifts to Radio-TV-Film may be made as unrestricted support or as support for a purpose that you designate. Private support encourages innovation and provides new opportunities. It makes possible undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships, endowed professorships, and state of the art facilities. Through major gifts our Department is able to pursue new programs and initiatives that our state-assisted funding may not make possible.
GIVE UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
Unrestricted funds present the College the greatest flexibility to meet its most imperative needs and promising opportunities.
CREATE AN ENDOWMENT
The funds are invested by the UT System, and the interest generated by that investment is used for the purpose you wish to support—financial aid, merit awards for students, supplemental salary support for faculty, program support, research and more. A portion of the income is re-invested each year, enabling the endowment to continue to grow and provide a predictable, stable stream of income over time.
Current Endowed Scholarships:
J.L. FLY ENDOWED PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP IN COMMUNICATION
PAUL PIERRE STANDIFER ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN FILM PRODUCTION
RANDY KELLEHER ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN FILM
SOL TAISHOFF MEMORIAL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN BROADCASTING
WARREN E. SKAAREN ENDOWED PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP
WRITE A CHECK
Make your check out to University of Texas at Austin with a note including the particular program you wish to give to or whether your gift is unrestricted.
Mail your check to the following address:
Department of Radio-TV-Film
University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station A0800
Austin, TX 78712
USE A CREDIT CARD ONLINE
With a credit card you can help support the Department of Radio-TV-Film by giving unrestricted donations to the Radio-TV-Film general fund, for various department scholarships, and the Annual Hollywood Showcase (student screenings for industry professionals in Los Angeles, CA).
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