Single ACTRA/SAG Actor? Loopholes?

Hi all, I'm new to the forum but have been involved in low/no budget filmmaking for a few years now and I've always shot (and prefered to shoot) using talented, but non-unionized actors. However, I know I'll keep hearing the need for 'star power' until I one day turn a profit, and I've recently seen some local films of similar stature and budget grab the bull by the horns and dedicate almost all of their shoestring budgets to big-name cameos.

However, at least here in Canada where we have ACTRA (instead of SAG), you're not technically allowed to employ any ACTRA actor (read: established/famous) unless ALL your actors are ACTRA. To do that would mean paying all our actors 5-6 times MORE than our crew for less hours, plus thousands of dollars in extra legal/admin/insurance/overtime fees that we can't afford. The more I research, the more I wonder 'how do they do it?' of other sub-$20k productions with name cast. Writing condensed/cheap roles for big-name actors is the easy part..the hard part is the cost of all the other (non-famous) actors...

I know there's certain exceptions and loopholes. I've worked with actors who have left/excused themselves from unions just to act on non-union shoots. I know in the US that some SAG actors have exemption from the usual rules. I know that musical performances are exempt, and then of course there are celebrities that aren't actually actors. Any other creative ideas or solutions for someone in my positions?

I would love to dedicate even 50% of my next budget to working with a name actor, but the extra ACTRA requirements would swallow any remaining dough, no matter how I calculate it. And while I respect the role of unions and understand the value of great talent, I can't bring myself to throw 100% of funding at actors who are then guaranteed post-launch profits while myself and my crew pick up any crumbs left months after release.

Last but not least, I can think of a number of Canadian films that claim to feature 'non-actors' or 'new actors' but at the same time include known celebrities (especially for native/Northern cinema where the actors are speaking regional dialects that professional actors wouldn't know). How do they get away with it?

Stories/words of wisdom greatly appreciated.
 
I can't really help you with the Canadian aspect of your problem, but union actors are the ones with the agreement with the union, not you. If the actor is willing to go against the union to be in your flick, any fallout is on them, unless your movie gets big enough for the union to call for a boycott, which could help you by giving you free publicity.
 
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