EMERYVILLE, Calif.—Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has announced that they worked with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation to create the Meryl Streep Center for Performing Artists.
The vibrant hub for creativity and the creative community features screening rooms, voiceover labs, an on-camera studio, classrooms, and creative spaces on the same floor. Previously, the Foundation operated in isolated pockets of space scattered throughout a 10-story building.
While ASG was originally hired to update the Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Screening Room (pictured above), those plans quickly grew into a fully realized 15,000-square-foot center in Los Angeles.
One of the early goals was to rethink the screening experience. The Foundation’s screening room could no longer support modern workflows and formats, like DCP. "We wanted a screening experience that matched today’s professional standards and the ability to screen content the way studios intended,” Charlotte Wells, COO of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, explained. "That got us thinking about what else was possible."
That idea grew and kicked off a broader conversation about expanding the space to support auditions, classes, screenings, live events, and content creation, while building a larger community. “As an actor, you can feel like an island,” Wells continued. “But now, you might walk out of a screening and bump into someone heading into the on-camera lab. People are having conversations, connecting, and sharing ideas. That didn’t happen before, and that sense of connection is incredibly valuable.”
Given the Center's new reputation for professional-grade technology, casting directors recommend that SAG-AFTRA Foundation members use the facility to record auditions. "We have countless testimonials from members who came in for a free session, recorded a reading, and booked the job," said Cyd Wilson, executive director at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. "It's changing lives."
The Foundation has named several spaces in the Center to honor actors who have supported its mission, including the Nicole Kidman Green Room, the Leonardo DiCaprio On-Camera Studio, and the Don LaFontaine Voiceover Lab. At the heart of the Center is the Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Screening Room - a 100-seat screening room. The Screening Room is a multifunctional venue ideal for panels, Q&A’s, live events, masterclasses, educational screenings, and private industry gatherings.
ASG outfitted this room with a 4K production setup, including Telemetrics 4K cameras, live switching, and multi-track audio for live streaming and archival use. The centerpiece is a 225-inch LG Miraclass 4K Cinema Display (the first of its kind) paired with a Dolby IMS3-L cinema server and Storm Audio ISP to deliver a premium cinema-quality experience. ASG also engineered a Meyer Sound 7.1 surround system specifically to maintain audio fidelity while minimizing sound bleed to neighboring floors, balancing performance with strict building and acoustic constraints.
Every part of the Center is connected through a sophisticated, easy-to-use AV infrastructure, making powerful technology feel invisible so that artists and educators can stay focused on their craft, ASG explained. This includes Extron NAV for HDMI video distribution and SDI video routing, Dante / AES67 audio, and networking across the facility. A centralized control room ties everything together, with Crestron wireless interfaces enabling control from anywhere in the space.
Each room - classrooms, editing suites, voiceover booths, and performance areas - are capable of real-time routing between spaces. The pre-function area, an outdoor balcony and an expandable classroom, features two JBL audio systems (indoor/outdoor) combined to create a unified experience for events and social gatherings.
Throughout the facility, LG UHD displays create a consistent, professional look in every zone, from the lobby, classrooms, and screening room. The center is fully accessible, offering hearing impaired (HI) amplified audio, closed captions (CC), visually impaired narrative (VI-N), and stage setups suitable for Q&A sessions, panel discussions, and small performances.
In addition to its work on creating the Center, ASG continues to support the facility through its Managed Services team, keeping systems reliable and easy to use. From routine maintenance to on-call technical support, ASG takes care of the day-to-day technology so the Foundation’s staff and members can stay focused on what matters most - supporting performers and their craft.
