After 10 years, I think they've earned a raise.
SAG is still out of touch with reality. So for a 201,000 budget film I have to pay $335 for a SAG actor? I just won't do a SAG movie.New Rates:
Ultra Low Budget: Under $200,000
Day Rate: $125
Modified Low Budget: Under $625,000
Day Rate: $335
Weekly Rate: $1,166
here.
I'd go with whatever I wanted to go with because I wouldn't want to be constrained to SAG's rules and minimum rates. Nobody likes bureaucracy. SAG has consistently failed to understand that most indie filmmakers are losing lots of money. And actors can negotiate on their own on indie films. At the end of the day SAG scares off most filmmakers and there's lots of SAG actors who work secretly on non-union films under alias names. I never had a problem finding good non-union actors. There's a zillion actors in LA. That's why they call it a cattle call. Over supply and tiny demand dictates low rates -- not $335 a day on films over $200K.Why would you go $201k?
H44, I think that'd fall under fraud. You can go to jail for fraud. You tell me if that's bad or not.
Well hell h44, after you've written this in a public forum, I wouldn't be surprised if you get audited until the cows come home. Do you really want to risk a possible jail sentence on the chance you aren't caught?
@sfoster, if you lie about your budget in order to get a rate you're not entitled to, it's fraud. I believe fraud has to do with the intent to defraud.
If the budget goes over the threshold, don't you need to pay the higher rate.
I can imagine the following conversations:
Sag to your PM. "How much did the budget end up coming to? "Oh, $205k"
SAG to H44, "You owe us money"
H44 to PM "Why didn't you lie for me? "I'm not risking jail for you"
if you lied about your budget, to get an actor for a lower price?
Sure if you lie with an intend to defraud yada yada ..
Isn't that what we were talking about? H44's idea of lying about the budget to get actors cheaper? An intentional act that defrauds out of what they're rightfully entitled to.
I'm all for being creative and working out the best way to keep it within the means of the production, though committing fraud isn't a tool in my toolbelt.
Two big rules for film making that I live by. No film is worth risking someone getting killed and no film is worth going to jail over.