Purpose of Screen Actors Guild The main goal of SAG is to provide competitive wages and safe, excellent working conditions for our members. Our members, like all principal and background performers, must take their own steps towards developing their professional skills, and then getting agents, auditions, and roles. Through a variety of programs and activities and industry outreach, we do everything possible to create an environment in which our members will be hired and look after their welfare once they are hired. The best thing we can do for you at the beginning of your career is to point you towards other sources of information.
Teens, Children, and Babies: There are two very important sources of information about young people in the acting profession. One is our Child Actor Hotline at (323) 549-6030. The other is our "Young Performers Handbook" which is available on our website athttp://www.sag.com/youngpersons.html. It isn’t easy to succeed in the entertainment business and, unfortunately, if you aren't careful, there are scam artists who will take your money and promise you acting jobs -- but deliver nothing. Use the same common sense you would use in making other major purchases: i.e., network, check with the Better Business Bureau, don't pre-pay full amounts, compare prices.
The Professional Actor: To most people in the entertainment world, "professional" actor means "Union" actor. The basic minimum standards in wages and working conditions that Union actors today take for granted, are the results of hard-won battles fought by earlier generations of performers, bringing the profession from the first minimum wage of the 1930's to today's digital age. Because of the struggles and commitment of these pioneers, as well as the ongoing vigilance of today's performers' unions, professional, union actors can expect fair and equitable treatment in auditions, wages, working conditions and benefits.
Other Unions: Most people who attempt to pursue a performing career full-time are usually not only members of SAG, but also members of other unions, depending on the medium and venue. Film and television performers are represented by the Screen Actors Guild or SAG and/or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists or AFTRA. Theatre performers, as well as stage managers, are represented by Actors Equity Association or AEA. Live music and variety performers find their representation in the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), and theAmerican Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). All these unions, under the umbrella of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (sometimes referred to as the Four A's), are all affiliated with the AFL-CIO.
Joining the Screen Actors Guild: Generally, new members earn entrance into the Screen Actors Guild by meeting one of the following eligibility requirements: 1) cast and hired to work in a principal or speaking role for a SAG signatory producer, 2) a minimum of one-years' membership and principal work in an affiliated performers' union, or 3) cast and hired to work in an extra role for a SAG signatory producer at full SAG rates and conditions for a minimum of three work days. In addition, at the time of joining, a performer must pay an initiation fee plus the first half of his/her annual dues for that year.
That First Union Job According to the federal Taft-Hartley law which applies to California, New York, and most other states, a non-SAG actor may be cast and permitted to work for a SAG signatory, under a union contract, for thirty days. After that time he/she needs to join the appropriate union in order to accept any additional union work. It is at this point that many would-be professional actors find themselves facing a hard decision. Why? Once you become a SAG member, you may not accept ANY non-Union work.
A discerning casting person will be able to tell from your resume whether you have merely purcharsed that union card or have earned it. If you are really new to The Business, have not had a great deal of experience in any area, and have few contacts among professional people, you should question whether it is essential or even advisable for you to attempt to join any of the unions at this time. As a union member you will be prohibited from working with nonprofessionals, just when amateur groups, community theaters, or school groups may be the very places you should be looking to for the experience you need."
If, on the other hand, you have already gained significant acting training and/or theatre or film experience, possess an understanding of the art and craft of acting, have met the requirements for entrance into the Screen Actors Guild, and are committed to the life of a professional actor , then you are precisely that person who should consider joining the ranks of the 90,000 performers across the country who have accepted the privileges and responsibilities of being a professional, Screen Actors Guild actor. As Tom Hanks declared jubilantly, upon receipt in 1995 of the first annual Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Performance for his work inForrest Gump:
"This statuette is holding the masks of comedy and tragedy ... Both of them will make you lose sleep, question your motives, wonder why you're there, wonder why you're doing this in the first place. But if you're crazy enough to want to do this --- then you can get one of these: a Screen Actors Guild card."
Getting an Agent: Agents tend to be are more receptive when someone they know introduces you to them. Network with your friends who are in the business and with casting personnel you meet. Ask about agents; ask for referrals to agents. Here’s a marketing tip from one of our franchised agents about your picture: "It's best if the picture looks like you on a good day, rather than a bad day, but be sure the picture represents you."
When the time comes to sign with an agent, we recommend signing with an agent who is franchised by the Screen Actors Guild. The SAG Franchised Talent Agents list is located on the SAG website. The direct URL is http://www.sag.com/department.html. Please note that most Ohio Talent Agencies are franchised with AFTRA: http://www.tristateaftra.com/
There are some important guidelines you should follow when deciding whether to sign with a particular agent:
Legitimate talent agencies do not charge a fee payable in advance for registering you, for resumes, for public relations services, for screen tests, for photographs, for acting lessons, or for many other services used to separate you from your money. If you are signed as a client by a legitimate talent agency, you will pay such agency nothing until you work and then 10 percent of your earnings as a performer -- but nothing in advance. Legitimate talent agencies normally do not advertise for clients in newspaper classified columns nor do they solicit through the mail.
Learning More about the Acting Profession Exploring our website, is a good way to learn more about this business. Take a look at "Publication Archives" in "Hot Off the Press" in the "Guild Member Area", which you can get to from the "Main Menu". Check out "Links" from the Main Menu, http://www.sag.com/saglinks.html.
Another helpful area on our website is "Resources", which is found in the "Guild Member Area." At the bottom of the resources page, there is a short list of books. You will find other helpful books at libraries and bookstores. For information about qualifying for membership in the Guild, and taking the steps to join, look athttp://www.sag.com/newmembers.html.
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Helpful Resources:
Young Performers Handbook - Not only children and young adults, but early-career actors of all ages will find a storehouse of information in this joint AFTRA-SAG publication, The Young Performers Handbook, available here online. Explanations of union and union jurisdictions, rules and regulations for minors working in the industry, guidelines for safety and behavior on the set, and many other topics are covered.
Terminology of the Craft - A useful glossary of terms every professional actor should know, available here online.
Links - Our links section can connect you to other internet resources, from the home pages of our affiliated unions to entertainment industry online magazines.
