JOURNEY OF THE WORKING ACTOR

Screen Actors Guild Foundation and Screen Actors Guild are delighted to continue offering innovative “business of acting” seminars to Guild members across the nation at no charge, via live video stream on the Internet!

LifeRaft Live Stream allows you to participate online and submit questions to panelists every Tuesday, 6-8pm (PT) through April 27, 2010. To learn more about the program, view the current 2010 LifeRaft Live Stream schedule and to participate in these events online, simply visit the SAG Foundation LifeRaft Live Stream show page at www.sagfoundation.org All LifeRaft Live Stream events are available for later viewing here as well.

The next LifeRaft Live Stream event is:

Journey of the Working Actor
6-8 p.m. (PT), Tuesday, February 9

Join accomplished Los Angeles actor/author Michael Bofshever  www.michaelbofshever.com), along with his stellar panel of familiar-faced working actors, as he discusses a variety of questions pertaining to the many aspects of what it takes to succeed and live the life of a working actor. Topics to be addressed include the Foundation to Having a Career, Audition Know How, Life on Set, Agents and Managers, and the Art of Perseverance.

Michael has taken “Journey of the Working Actor” to over half the SAG branches across the nation and has garnered wonderful feedback – now, LifeRaft Live Stream is happy to share his professional insights with Guild members everywhere.

Guild members who wish to attend LifeRaft seminars in person may visit www.sagfoundation.org to register for seating at the events held at:

SAG Foundation Actors Center
5757 Wilshire Blvd., Mezzanine Level
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(parking will be validated)

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2010, the SAG Foundation is proud to assist, educate and inspire SAG members in their careers, lives and communities. See you online!

Please note: If you are receiving multiple SAG Foundation notices you may have indicated a preference for more than one Foundation email region list. You may review and adjust this option at any time by logging into www.sagfoundation.org and viewing the “Email Notices” setting on your User Account page.

LOS ANGELES, DECEMBER 10, 2008 — Screen Actors Guild today announced that strike authorization ballots will be mailed to paid-up SAG members on Friday January 2, 2009, and will be tabulated on Friday, January 23. A yes vote by 75% of members voting is required to pass the measure, which would authorize SAG’s national board of directors to call a strike, if and when the board determines it is necessary.

Screen Actors Guild National President Alan Rosenberg said, ”SAG members understand that their futures as professional actors are at stake and I believe that SAG members will evaluate the AMPTP’s June 30 offer, and vote to send us back to the table with the threat of a strike. A yes vote sends a strong message that we are serious about fending off rollbacks and getting what is fair for actors in new media. I am encouraged by the response of the capacity crowd at our Los Angeles town hall meeting Monday night.”

”We want SAG members to have time to focus on this critical referendum, so we have decided to mail ballots the day after New Year’s. We will continue our comprehensive education campaign and urge our members to vote yes on the strike authorization. I am confident that members around the country will empower our negotiating team with the leverage and strength of unified Screen Actors Guild members. Our objective remains to get a deal that SAG members will ratify- not to go on strike,” said SAG National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Doug Allen.

Ballots will be tabulated at Integrity Voting Systems in Everett, Washington. Passage requires 75% yes vote from those voting.

The AMPTP Response:

It’s now official: SAG members are going to be asked to bail out a failed negotiating strategy by going on strike during one of the worst economic crises in history. We hope that working actors will study our contract offer carefully and come to the conclusion that no strike can solve the problems that have been created by SAG’s own failed negotiation strategy.

SPEAKERS: A Panel of Speakers from THE ALLIANCE
* Donise Hardy, President, Talent Works-USA
* Veronica Kelly-Albiez, Vice President, DVA Talent
* Liz Atherton, TAG Talent
* Heather Collier, Collier Talent
* Gabe Folse, State Theater

Our September 24 Mixer will feature the panel of Speakers listed above from
THE ALLIANCE, a cooperative of Casting Directors, Talent Agents and Acting
Coaches that provides insights into the needs and concerns of the acting
community. SEE: http://www.theallianceaustin.com/index.h….

This is a very important Mixer and all actors, and those in the film community in general,
are encouraged to attend.

Please pass on information about our Mixers to your friends and associates
in the film/media industries, and if you have a website associated with
those fields, please post our website - www.networkaustinmixer.com

87.27% of the10,298 SAG members who responded to the poll said the union should continue bargaining in an effort to achieve a fair contract. 12.73% of those who responded said they would accept the terms presented in the AMPTP’s June 30th offer to SAG.

Postcards were mailed to 103,630 paid-up SAG members on August 28 with a return deadline of September 15, with a 9.94% return. Postcard return statistics matched almost exactly the geographic distribution of SAG members, with 56.07% of the responses from Hollywood, 20.83% from NY, and 23.10% from regional branch members.

The results of the poll indicate that members agree with the actions passed by SAG’s national board in July and August:

July 26, 2008: “It is a core principle of Screen Actors Guild— That no non-union work shall be authorized to be done under any SAG agreement and; That all work done under a Screen Actors Guild contract, regardless of budget level, shall receive fair compensation when reused.“

August 21, 2008 “To support the negotiating team to get the very best contract possible for our membership.”

Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg stated, “I am encouraged to see that members-at-large agree with the strategy of the national board and their national negotiating committee. This membership poll provides clear insight and direction concerning how actors feel about their futures. Clearly they expect Screen Actors Guild to protect them from exploitation in new media, and to preserve longstanding principles and contract provisions.”

National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen commented, “Our objective was to take the pulse of our members and I am pleased that the response reflects the resolve we have seen from SAG members around the country throughout this negotiating process. The AMPTP suggested we send their June 30 offer to our members to ratify. These poll results indicate that was wishful thinking on their part. We will now urge the AMPTP to roll up their sleeves and to put in the hard work required to bargain a fair, equitable agreement as soon as possible.”

The AMPTP issued this statement in reaction:

September 17, 2008 — The mass postcard mailing by SAG negotiators was a farce. The questions were devised to give SAG negotiators only the answer they wanted to hear. The materials accompanying the postcard were hopelessly one-sided. SAG member votes were recorded by name, exposing those who opposed SAG negotiators to possible retribution. And some SAG members reportedly received multiple ballots. In short, this mass postcard mailing was another exercise in futility by SAG’s negotiators, and the results are meaningless. We have made a fair offer, with significant gains in salary and new media. That offer remains on the table, for the time being, despite steadily deteriorating economic conditions. In the meantime, we and all of the other industry guilds have gone back to work, and SAG members continue to miss out on the benefits of a new contract.

August 15, 2008

CONTRACT 2008 UPDATE

Discussions Continue
SAG negotiators and industry representatives continue to have informal discussions regarding a successor TV/Theatrical agreement. It is not at all unusual for both parties in large negotiations like ours to meet in smaller more manageable groups to talk about remaining outstanding issues in an effort to reach accord. SAG and AMPTP full committees (which combined number over 100 people) will meet face-to-face again when we have reached a deal and shake hands across the table. We are all hopeful that will happen soon.

Your negotiating team remains committed to opposing the AMPTP’s proposals to produce original made for new media productions non-union, with no residuals.

The SAG national board of directors unanimously endorsed these core principles in its motion on July 26:

“It is a core principle of Screen Actors Guild—

That no non-union work shall be authorized to be done under any SAG agreement and;

That all work done under a Screen Actors Guild contract, regardless of budget level, shall receive fair compensation when reused.”

We believe that the majority of the other issues have been resolved. Screen Actors Guild has made significant compromises to reach tentative agreement on the resolved issues. We also believe that what we are asking for, to close the gap and make this deal, is extremely reasonable and addresses the actual needs of actors and their families in these times of technological advances and economic challenges.

Your national negotiating committee met on Wednesday, August 13 for an update from the president and national executive director regarding informal meetings and discussions with the industry, and to discuss SAG’s options and next steps.

Expired Contract Still in Effect
Despite what you may read on some blogs, the expired TV/Theatrical contract remains in effect. You should continue auditioning and accepting employment under the expired agreement. If you or your agent have any questions, or believe the terms and conditions of the contract are being violated, please call the national contract department at (323) 549-6818. We will take action to protect your rights.

Signed SAG Guaranteed Completion Contracts (GCC) Soar to over 600
To date, 658 projects have been signed by non-AMPTP producers (AMPTP producers are not eligible to sign GCCs). The GCC agreements incorporate the terms of the current SAG theatrical agreement, and terms of any agreement reached by SAG and the AMPTP retroactively, thus allowing companies not affiliated with the AMPTP to begin motion pictures without the fear of interruption by a work stoppage. The total number of SAG covered feature films in 2007, not including ultra low budget and student films, was 1,296. Using that number as a baseline, over half the potential number of films this year have the green light to continue shooting to completion under SAG GCC agreements, no matter what happens in contract negotiations. Remember, these are NOT WAIVERS, but actual contracts.

August 15 AMPTP “Deadline”
The AMPTP has stated that SAG must ratify the AMPTP’s June 30 proposal by August 15 for the deal to be retroactive, threatening not to agree to apply economic improvements in the new TV/Theatrical contract when the deal is done, retroactively to July 1, 2008. This is a standard response by management in labor negotiations. They hope this threat will stampede our membership to take a bad deal.
The risk that actors may not receive increases retroactively is more than offset by the long-term damage that would result from a premature deal that eliminates residuals for work done for new media and reused on new media, or from allowing signatory producers to produce non-union.

SAGIndie: A gentle and loving union between the hard working thespians of the world and the passionate filmmaking mavericks who buck the system.Since its
formation in 1997, SAGIndie has been traveling to film festivals, trade shows and conventions spreading the word: Just because your film isn’t produced by a studio doesn’t mean you can’t use professional talent.

Are you aware of this SAG contact? :

Ultra-Low Budget Agreement

* Total budget of less than $200,000
* Day rate of $100
* No step-up fees
* No consecutive employment (except on overnight location)
* No premiums
* Allows the use of both professional and non-professional performers
* Background performers not covered

Check out THIS PAGE for more SAG contract information.

A few weeks back I was at a callback for a good role (interesting character and situation, well written, multiple days work) in an indie film that is, right now, shooting in Colorado. I’m sitting in Austin. I was interested, the director was interested. It didn’t work out. Why? For one thing they had good SAG and non-SAG choices.

They decided not to become a SAG signatory production. I won’t lie, I would really have liked to have nailed the job…good roles are hard to find. And this, Mr./Ms. indie writer/director/producer is why you should look at the various SAG low budget agreements and at SAGIndie.

What is every actor looking for? Even more than a payday? A GREAT PART. That includes SAG actors, and that, Indie Producer, is your secret weapon. Do you have a well written script with interesting characters that will be fun, interesting, challenging to play? If so, then you can get those SAG actors for your project. Even if you’re only paying $100 a day.

When I got the audition call from my agent I was told the project ‘might go SAG’ IF the actors they ended up casting were SAG actors. Right away I knew there was a possible ‘problem’ with the SAG thing.

NO…it’s not that I couldn’t audition. As a SAG member I am encouraged to audition for anything I’m right for. IF the producer wants to cast me, at that point they have to become a signatory or I can’t do the job.

The potential problem was that the production was only 2-3 weeks from the start date…and they hadn’t decided yet if they’d go SAG or not. They weren’t really organized for a potential SAG shoot. From the SAGIndie site:

I am starting to shoot tomorrow and need to get an agreement today.

That’s funny. Do you know any others?

I can’t get anyone in the theatrical department to call me back and I’m starting production this weekend…

Did you start the process 4-6 weeks ago? If not, we probably can’t help you. If you did start the process but no one is responding that’s a problem. Please send us an email and we’ll try to resolve it.

Organize, people. No, I don’t mean Union in this case. I mean get things together well before your shoot date. And don’t discount working on a SAG contract because you don’t have a large budget or because you’ve been scared off by what somebody said to someone who told this other guy about what a big, bad motha SAG was to work with back when blah, blah, blah. Things change. SAG is trying very hard to be “Indie Friendly”.

Visit the SAGIndie site. Get in touch with the SAGIndie people. They will be straight up with you on what you need to do to navigate the waters of the SAG low budget agreements…agreements that will allow you to work with SAG actors for as low as $100/day. Is your cast ethnically diverse? If so you may be able to significantly bump your budget and still qualify for one of the low budget agreements.