SAG actors in non-SAG film

M

Mike Regent

Hello,
If you use SAG actors in a non-SAG film can the film be distributed, or can SAG block the release?
What are the ramifications?

Thanks
Mike
 
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I think the bigger risk is to your actors - a SAG actor risks getting in trouble with the union if they work in a non-union project. They could be kicked out of the union, and if they're a working actor, that could severely damage their ability to make a living.

However, if you go the SAG ultra-low budget route, you can pay your SAG actor $100/day and hire as many non-union actors as you want. If the SAG actor is a friend, they might even throw that money back in the production fund.
 
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What are the ramifications?
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If they get caught, the SAG actors might get in trouble with SAG.

Odds of them getting caught? How wildly successful do you anticipate your film to be? If it screens at a few small film-festivals, noone will ever know. If it becomes the darling of the top-tier circuit, or lands a huge distribution deal - maybe there'll be a few people asking questions.

Either way, SAG penalties for guild members working on non-signatory projects are between the actors & SAG. Not you.
 
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The SAG actors risk their status if they are in a non union film, so they won't do it (given the difficulty of getting the status for non name actors). You could come in at the micro budget level under SAG guidelines - but there are regulations as to hiring non-union actors (have to first hire a given # of SAG actors before non).
 
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Sage Pictures said:
The SAG actors risk their status if they are in a non union film, so they won't do it
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They do it all the time. It's less common, the further up the ladder - but for throngs of union actors, a gig's a gig no matter what banner it falls under. Doesn't matter where that money came from, when paying the landlord.


You could come in at the micro budget level under SAG guidelines - but there are regulations as to hiring non-union actors (have to first hire a given # of SAG actors before non).
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SAG's got some great contracts for various budget levels, and the New Media contract gets used a lot - minimum requirement of one SAG actor, and that being mostly deferred pay, too!

There's several other details that should prolly get looked at, too, before deciding to go this route, though. Not every film should be a SAG production.
 
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There you go

Better simply to go SAG if one is to hire SAG actors, and pay a decent wage. At the micro budget level, $100 a day is really nothing at all; what better a place to put production money than into the actors
 
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Mike Regent said:
Hello,
If you use SAG actors in a non-SAG film can the film be distributed, or can SAG block the release?
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No they cannot. SAG is a union that protects the working conditions
and salaries of their members. they have no control at all over distribution.
If you or you company is not a signatory to SAG-AFTRA that can do
nothing to you. You have not agreed to follow their rules so they cannot
force you to follow their rules.
 
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No union can hurt you for hiring union people on a non-union shoot, thats why you have to become a signatory the SAG // IBT // DGA // IATSE // PGA agreements to hire members.

A union can hurt its member, mostly they kick them out, and they cannot rejoin for a while, sometime for life. They forfeit their dues to date and have to pay new dues if ever allowed to join again.

However; if you become a signatory to the SAG or whatever agreement, there is a clause in there that you can only ever hire SAG or whatever workers until the agreement is terminated. This is (and funding reasons) are why most feature films have temporary production companies.
 
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So it looks like it's mandator to pay SAG at least $100 a day before you can put something up on youtube?

This is a shame, I might have to deny a couple of SAG members a chance to audition this weekend. Not in the budget
 
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sfoster said:
So it looks like it's mandator to pay SAG at least $100 a day before you can put something up on youtube?
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You are not correct. It is not mandatory to pay any SAG actor anything
before you can put the movie on YouTube. SAG has no control over you
(the filmmaker), the production or what you do with the finished product.
 
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SAG is out of touch with reality. They remind me of fast food workers who want $15 an hour. SAG likes to try to squeeze blood out of a rock. There's plenty of good non-union actors out there. Many union actors will act in non-union films, often under different names.
 
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