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What’s the fastest way to get into SAG?
Answer: Getting into the Screen Actor’s Guild used to involve working hard as an extra, and eventually acquiring 3 vouchers from stingy ADs. Now, it’s as simple as … (continued in David’s answer below)
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Answer: Getting into the Screen Actor’s Guild used to involve working hard as an extra, and eventually acquiring 3 vouchers from stingy ADs. Now, it’s as simple as creating your own web series and using the Taft-Hartley Act to get you (and your SAG-interested non-union castmates) into the Guild. Here’s how to do it.
It’s super official legal name is The Labor–Management Relations Act, 80 Pub.L. 101; 61 Stat. 136, but most people are familiar with it’s commonly used shorter label, the Taft-Hartley Act. It was created by Senator Robert Taft and Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr. and although President Harry S. Truman vetoed the legislation, that veto was overridden. It’s actually been around since it was finally passed on June 23, 1947.
The Taft-Hartley Act applies to all unions, not just SAG (and AFTRA, by the way). The way it affects other unions and the companies their members work for varies, but the most common way it affects us as potential Guild members is that Taft-Hartley prevented the practice of what are called closed shops – situations where employers were forced to hire only union members.
You can see the never ending cycle that would develop: how do you get in the union, if the only way to get into the union was to get cast in a union show, only to discover that that show could only hire union workers. The Taft-Hartley Act breaks this cycle, requiring unions to allow workers to join the union to be able to work union jobs, at the pleasure of the company hiring the workers. The union has the right to require certain standards to join the union – one of which has been working a number of productions as an extra with the potential to be upgraded to featured performer and acquiring a voucher. 3 vouchers, and you’re in.
The voucher program has been used effectively by some of the biggest stars in our industry to advance to union status: Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis are two well-known examples. Pick up a copy of the fantastic legal thriller The Verdict, starring Paul Newman, and see if you’re not taken aback by some of the court scenes when you notice Willis sitting in the gallery.
But the voucher program is difficult to navigate, it’s at the whim of the production company as to who gets the vouchers, if any, and in many cases, the life of an extra can be debilitating. Other ways of getting into the unions are simply via a casting and production office using Taft-Hartley to tell SAG that they’re hiring you by sending a letter explaining why. It used to be that Taft-Hartley was only possible if the casting person exhausted their search of available union talent before requesting permission from SAG to document the use of non-union talent on a union shoot. That non-union talent was then placed on “must join” status. It was a big deal for that to be granted, and for casting directors who abused the practice, there was the potential for a fine levied against the production company.
Those days are long gone, and a new path has emerged.
Without a doubt, using a web series you’ve written for yourself, and produce as a SAG project, is the most direct path. While you’re at it, you can write in parts for your union-hungry fellow actors, and Taft-Hartley them in as well.
Why?
Because of one simple thing: money. See, over the last couple of years, since the former leadership of SAG insisted on an ill-advised refusal to bargain on the TV Theatrical contract, mostly over new media issues (irony, anyone?), a frustrated AFTRA broke away from the Phase 1 talks, bargained separately, came to an agreement almost immediately and took the lion’s share of 2009′s pilots that went to network air. Oddly enough, the same thing happened this year, despite a SAG contract being in place. Sadly, it’s clear that the producers would rather play with AFTRA than SAG.
The unintended side consequence to this dramatic shift in contract concentration means a huge shortfall in dues and producer contributions to SAG, while AFTRA is enjoying an enrichment they’ve never seen. That shortfall at SAG has caused them to relax certain rules, and Taft Hartley restrictions are amongst those relaxations.
So – if you want to get into SAG real bad, do this:
That’s it. And, there’s no charge. Enjoy. Be advised that this is a temporary window. Believe me, should the contract placement shift back to SAG, that window will slam shut as soon as the financial shortfall has been met.
What’s your answer to this acting question? Let me know in the comments below.
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LikeDislikeI’ve read about this “loophole” once or twice before, but wrote it off as “too good to be true.”
However, I am starting to realize the actual opportunity here. Especially being a college theatre major! I have tons of incredibly talented friends who, like myself, need to get eligible for SAG to stop running into the bevy of brick walls non-union talent faces in this town.
I think I may give some serious consideration into doing this soon!
Thanks David!
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LikeDislikeHi David,
This is an interesting approach to get SAGe. Some of my own friends wanted to try it but were hesitant after they read “XFASTLANE’s” forum post on the matter: http://bbs.backstage.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9131061/m/716102482
What do you think about his post?
Thanks,
Andy
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LikeDislikeSo many things about xfastlatex’s post don’t ring true and are second hand – having watched the crew of Leaving Bliss do exactly this, and helping several other actors do the same thing, and knowing what a horrid state of affairs SAG’s finances are in, I don’t believe he got the facts right. There is no requirement whatsoever to produce paystubs or documentation of any kind for Taft-Hartley – and there’s no document to fill out that requires any sort of network sign off. I’m sorry that that post has given you pause. It shouldn’t.
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LikeDislikeI think getting your SAG card is one of the most common mistakes new rookie actors worry about. What is the rush? If I was just starting out as an actor in 2010, I would be more concerned out booking work, building my reel, honing my skills, and then finally getting my SAG card, not the other way around.
Doing a half-assed web production just so you can scam your way into the guild doesn’t do your career, the web video community, or the union a service.
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LikeDislikeDavid – you said “And, there’s no charge”. For clarity do you mean there’s no charge for that process, filling in and submitting the form? Isn’t there still a couple thousand dollars fee to join SAG?
There are plenty of talented folks out there wanting to produce quality projects. I think this would be great for people with that mindset. Trying to get SAG waivers seems to be like a popularity contest or who are the beautiful people.
Thanks – Kevin F.
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LikeDislikeThat fee, your initiation, is due no matter how you get in with vouchers, working a SAG project, sidegrading from AFTRA, or via Taft-Hartley. What I meant is that there is no fee to Taft-Hartley an actor.
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LikeDislikeDavid – Thank you for the great information. I just discovered your site and I think it is Fantastic!
Thanks again,
Kevin
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LikeDislikeThank you for the informative information!
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LikeDislikeThank you for this article.
I recently gained my SAG eligibility through the New Media contract, and in my opinion, it was well worth the work and time. Some say that it’s too good to be true, but it really is. Many actors have to suffer through the crap shoot of gaining 3 vouchers doing extra work, but with the New Media contract, if you are producing your own work, you are gaining the knowledge that SAG wants you to have. As an extra, there is only so much you can learn about a union set – if you are involved in the production side of your webisode, you learn what it means to operate under union standards – a far better advantage. I was involved in every step of the process, giving me a better appreciation for what was developing – not just lucking out with a voucher because I was in the right place, at the right time.
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LikeDislikeHey David, great site!
Quick question for you regarding this topic:
Once your web series has become SAG signatory and you have filed the documents required to Taft-Hartley yourself, does that technically make you SAG-E? I guess what I’m asking is do you need to immediately pay your initiation fee to become full-fledged SAG, or can you hold off on writing that check, and just float along enjoying the benefits of SAG-E status until you book your next SAG job, at which point you must pay initiation? Thanks for any clarification you can give!
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LikeDislikeYes, you are SAG-E, just as you would be when you qualify for Guild membership any other way. You can join whenever you want to, or have to, should you get another SAG job.
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LikeDislikeThe only thing that I have ever read on the subject was that post on the backstage.com message board.
I was recently approched by a producer whom I have never worked with. He is producing a no-budget webisode pilot under a SAG contract and offered me the Taft-Hartley paperwork. I am worried that this will “Red Flag” me and prevent me from being able to join the union in the future.
From what your post here says, this is legit. He seriously has NO budget, he’s paying me $40 for one days work, but he has all of the SAG signatory paperwork done. There are no SAG actors on this project, just me and one other guy who is not union and, from what I understand, the other actor is not being Taft-Hartleyed…
Do you feel that my fears and concerns are valid, or do you think that the Taft-Hartley paperwork will go through without an issue?
Thanks so much for your thoughts!
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LikeDislikeIf your paperwork, and his paperwork, are both filled out correctly, then you should be just fine. There’s no red-flagging of anyone who joins the Guild this way. And he’s paying you to work in a webisode? Not deferred? That’s more than I made, or any other cast member made, in most of the webseries I’ve been in. Congrats!
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LikeDislikeDavid, i agree with everything, but I know of some people who haven’t been able to do this. That they’d be fined for hiring non union actors. Please explain?
Jr.
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LikeDislikeFined by whom? Not SAG. The New Media contract doesn’t require that all cast be union. Those people WERE able to do it, they just didn’t do it because they assumed something that wasn’t true.
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LikeDislikeWell guys, we’ve all had a lot of questions (Thanks David!), what do you say we do something about it? I’m a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts with credits in film, theatre and commercials (all legit and sadly non-union). I’d love to go ahead and develop a webisode and have already contacted some fellow actors.If you’re a writer/actor/producer and have the slightest interest in becoming a part of the project, you can contact me at mattgot@yahoo.com.
P.S- nothing has been set yet. we won’t be able to shoot tomorrow or even next week. But we are very dedicated and motivated to make it work.
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LikeDislikeGood luck, Matt! Break a leg!
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LikeDislikeFantastic blog post! I will be directing actors to this post in the future when I get asked this question.
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LikeDislikeThank you for this helpful site! I have heard there is a limit to how many people you can Taft-Hartley in for your project. Someone told me you can only do 1 or 2 a day. We have a cast of three so far. Do you know if we can Taft-Hartley everyone? Do we have to hire some SAG people too? Thanks again for all the info!!
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LikeDislikeI am not aware of any daily limit – that sounds incorrect. And no, you don’t have to hire SAG actors as a requirement to T-H the rest of your cast, but you’re welcome to do so.
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LikeDislikeThanks for all the great info! Here’s a post I did on how to go about filling out the New Media forms, etc.: http://playbillsvspayingbills.com/2010/03/01/sag-whats-the-deal-and-how-to-actually-join-no-really/
And I really hope people stop calling this a “loophole.” You are producing legitimate content through SAG. How is that a loophole?
Thanks again for all the great info!!!
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LikeDislikeAnd here is the scene from: The Verdict, starring Paul Newman
“..and see if you’re not taken aback by some of the court scenes when you notice Bruce Willis sitting in the gallery.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBD6FxrtJN0&feature=player_embedded#!
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LikeDislikeHey David. I am already in the Union and have many Union friends to call on to work for free if I produce my own series. I have one friend who is NON-UNION and would be the principal peformer in the project. Honestly my goal is to help the non-union friend gain membership eligability. Can I just do one 15 minute video and post it somwhere and qualify? It wouldnt be crap, it would be good footage…..and any recommendtaions of where I could post it for legitimacy? Sorry uneducated about this. Just a dumb actor trying to help a friend. :)
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LikeDislikePost Script…. I would surround the principal with only Union talent.
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LikeDislikeYour script will be vetted by SAG before papers are issued, and anything of obvious non- or low-quality will be tagged as such. But a sincere effort is exactly what this is all about. And you don’t have to surround your lead with union talent, if there are others you want to Taft Hartley.
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LikeDislikeIf a non-union actor was contracted for a speaking role in a SAG New Media Project (that was a paid role and was a Short Film which used SAG member actors as well as other non-union actors), can the non-union actor get SAG eligibility under Taft-Hartley OR does it only apply for web series and not short films? And, if the non-union actor can get SAG eligiblity from this short, how does he go about making that happen?)
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LikeDislikeYour project was produced under EITHER the New Media contract or the Short Film contract. The fact that it’s a short film is fine. You can be Taft Hartley’d under either contract, and that is up to the producer to do for you. Talk with them and they can file the paperwork with SAG.
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LikeDislikeHello David,
First I would like to say THANK YOU for the info you have posted on your website. My sister who is interested in producing wants to do a webisode and hire both SAG and non-union actors. I woould be directing the espsoides, but I was wondering:
1. Does production have to pay the union dues of the people they TH?
2. Don’t you have to join SAG immediately after being TH? Like in 30 days? Or can you just be SAG-E and join whenever you have the money and still do union jobs that pay more?
Thanks again!
T
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LikeDislikeNo, the actors pay their own initiation and dues – it costs producers nothing to TH. And no, the actor doesn’t have to join immediately – they have to join if they are cast in another SAG production. They are SAG-E in the meantime. Hope that helps.
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LikeDislikeHey David, actually you cannot Taft-Hartley anyone under the Short Film Contract. Neither can you Taft-Hartley anyone under the SAG Ultra-Low Budget Contract. Those contracts DO allow for the hiring of SAG and non-union talent, but just DO NOT allow for Taft-Hartley’ing the non-union talent. The only “low budget” type contract that SAG has that allows for Taft-Hartley’ing non-union talent is the SAG New Media contract.
Just wanted to clear that up in case someone was reading the post above and decided to produce a short film in order to Taft-Hartley themselves or someone else.
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LikeDislikeJust called and talk to the Contracts department to confirm that you actually can TH under both the Short Film and ULB contracts. This has been in effect for, oh, about as long as AFTRA has had the preponderance of prime-time TV shows, and I TH’d an actor when I shot my short film under the Short contract. This may change in the future (as might the New Media option), but for now, that’s the case.
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LikeDislikeI’ve been working on finding all the definitive answers to these questions for the past few months. It’s no wonder there’s so much confusion. Sometimes the same question asked by calling different departments (or even different people in the same department) will get you different answers. I’m trying to find what’s written in stone (or at least in contract) whenever possible.
A case in point: Here’s a quote from the Ultra Low budget agreement. Section 5. Performers Covered:
“nor shall the Union Security provision of the Basic Agreement be applicable to the employment of non-professionals or qualify a non-professional for membership in the Guild.”
The New Media Agreement is the ONLY contract that SPECIFICALLY includes the Basic Agreement’s Section 2 (“Union Security,” the bit that says SAG must allow you into the union if you’ve been hired by a Signatory producer) and EXCLUDES Section 14 (Preference Of Employment, the bit that says producers must give preference to hiring professional actors or be fined).
Might it work with the other contracts? Maybe? Probably?
In the New Media Agreement it’s there in black and white.
So in that respect I have to agree with Ben. It’s not a Loophole.
I prefer to call it a:
“Super Secret Black-Ops Ninja Get Your SAG Card Now New Media Window Of Opportunity™”
Dave
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LikeDislikeHi,
I’m going to be producing a web series. Some of my actors are union and a lot are non-union. We want to Taft-Hartley the non-union actors. A filmmaker I know told me that the window of opportunity to do this with the new media contract is ending soon, probably in May. After that, you won’t be able to TH anyone through the new media contract unless SAG extends it. Has anyone else heard anything about this?
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LikeDislikeAs the national committee chairman of SAG’s New Tech Committee, I’d love it if filmmakers like your friend would check his facts before making statements like that. There are no plans to change this policy. The policy is a casual one, not something that has a sunset clause or is “extendable.” It simply reflects the current state of affairs. There’s no deadline. Ask your filmmaker friend to get in touch with me if he has any questions. I’d like to set him straight to this misinformation is nipped in the bud. I hope this is clear.
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LikeDislikeHi David,
I am so confused! I thought in order to qualify to join SAG, all you had to do was have a principal role in a SAG project. I did a SAG short film, and then I did a SAG student film recently. And I’m still not qualified to join. Please help!
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LikeDislikeThere are certain contracts that do not currently allow the producer to Taft Hartley you – and student films are actually covered under a waiver, not a contract. You don’t sign any paperwork for a student film (unless they happen to be doing it under a short or internet contract), because usually, film schools have been granted waivers, not signatory status. Hope that makes sense.
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LikeDislikeThanks, David. One more question. I’m in no rush to join SAG because honestly I don’t have enough credits yet…but the short film that I did, it was also SAG and I had to fill out my address and social and such. I’d never had to do that before. does that mean it was under a contract?
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LikeDislikeYou did say it was SAG, so that leads me to think that it was under a contract. Did you sign in and out each day? If so, then yes. It might have been under a waiver, but that’s rare for a short film, unless a film school production (they are, technically, short films).
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LikeDislikeIf you work a SAG new media contract and the producer submits the info. If you still havent heard about being officially Eligible, how does the actor go about making that happen quickly? Because when you work a paid gig, you get a stub eventually that you can take to them. In this sag new media project, there was no pay.
Advice?
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LikeDislikeHi David
I’ve been having trouble getting a straight answer on this, do you have to have at least one SAG actor in your New Media Project for non union actors to recive Taft Hartley?
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LikeDislikeNo, you don’t. You have to be a producer with a SAG contract. No union actor requirements.
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LikeDislikeDo you have to have a Sag actor attached to the project to get a signatory and/or sag contract?
Several other blogs state you need one Sag actor when submitting for your signatory contract and for non union to recieve TH.
1. http://www.toactors.com/welcometola/2010/11/19/the-loop-hole/
“While the production does not need a “covered performer,” it does need at least ONE SAG MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING. Basically, you need someone who is paid up and hasn’t gotten in trouble for doing non-union work, etc.”
2. http://blogs.essence.com/im_an_actor_they_dont_get_it/2010/09/the-truth-behind-sags-new-media-contract.php
“There is no minimum amount of money that needs to be spent on the production or paying the actors. The only requirement is the involvement of 1 SAG actor. SAG actors are a dime a dozen in LA!”
3. (comments) http://blog.christacannon.com/index.php/2010/05/sag-new-media-the-new-but-not-necessarily-final-frontier/
To become SAG signatory, you DO have to have at least one SAG actor attached to the project–the T-H forms have nothing to do with this part.
Are these incorrect?
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LikeDislikeYou do have to Station 12 any SAG actors you DO have in the cast, but there is nothing in the paperwork that asks you to identify any that you MUST have. Certainly as a policy, SAG would love for you to use as many SAG actors as you can, but although I’ve heard and seen a million sites and actors repeat that same “requirement”, I’ve not seen that as a signatory rule.
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LikeDislikeI am more confused than ever! I called SAG reps a month ago and was told that I had to have at least one SAG actor that is paid $100 per day for my SAG Media project AND that all non-union actors in the project MUST get their SAG card within 30 days!
So for FINAL clarification (I hope) do you:
a) have to have a SAG actor and b) MUST you get the SAG card in 30 days, or c) you become SAGe and can wait until the next SAG project?
Thanks!
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LikeDislikeThis is a moving target, and I have new information. The requirement to have at least one SAG actor is not a written policy, but is a “strong suggestion” according to my staff liaison at SAG – so there is no hard and fast rule (prima facie evidence is all of the web series that began with no SAG actors and ended with the entire cast being Taft Hartley’d. It’s happened, so it can happen), but SAG is now requesting that there be at least one SAG actor in your project. There is absolutely no requirement that you actually pay anyone immediately, so that phrasing of “…that is paid $100 per day…” should actually include the words “(can be deferred)” in the sentence. And no, there is no demand that you get the SAG card within 30 days, as you would not have control over what your actors do. They certainly can join within 30 days, or remain must-join.
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LikeDislikeHi David,
First off thanks for the info – I also enjoyed your appearance on Albert and Trevor’s “Inside Acting”
So I had a small part in a friend’s webseries, the producer sent out the taft-hartleys – I called the SAG office and they said it takes about 2 months to process. When will I know that I am SAGe? I would like to do an aggressive agent-hunt the second I know, since most agencies I’ve seen will not represent non-union.
Thanks,
Matt Harbert
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LikeDislikeI’d start my search now, and tell your prospective representatives exactly what you told me here. If they’re interested, they’ll take that into consideration.
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LikeDislikeHi David, I have submitted my application to SAG New Media and am waiting for the business rep to call me. At first, they returned my application because they said I needed a SAG member to be in the project. So, I added to the scene and am using a SAG member in the webisode. I re-submitted and just realized that I said that I wouldn’t be doing more than one episode. Will this be an issue when I apply for the two actors (one being myself) to be Taft-Hartleyed?
Gil
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LikeDislikeAS long as that’s the truth, I wouldn’t think that would be a problem.
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LikeDislikeI guess what I was getting at is I only planned on doing one episode. Do I need to do multiple episodes to qualify?
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LikeDislikeThere is no requirement to do multiple episodes that I’m aware of.
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LikeDislikeThanks, David!
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LikeDislikeDavid, I want to thank you for all of your help. My project just got approved for a SAG New Media Contract. I asked about getting myself and another cast member Taft-Hartleyed and they said they would send the paperwork out to me. I had to email a couple of items, but I did everything else on the online site (https://osa.sag.org/). This is truly a great opportunity for actors wanting to become SAG-E. My other non-union actor is ecstatic. Thanks again!
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LikeDislikeYou’re welcome!
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