Casting Director Renee Godbout on whether joining SAG is the right career move for you

Once you have been lucky enough to get all 3 of your SAG waivers, the question is now: Should you join? With SAG still not having signed a new contract, it may be a good idea to wait until that happens. And even once the new contract is signed, there are still many factors to consider before joining. Here are a few things to think about.

1. It’s expensive. Currently, membership fees are around $2400 to join SAG. After your initial fee, dues are based on how much you work. If you only worked once every other month then your dues would be less than those who work 4 times a week. To earn back the money spent on joining, you have to be serious about your acting career and ready to work.

2. You cannot work as a non-union actor. There is a lot of non-union work out there, especially for those who are just starting out in the industry. You need to think about how much SAG work you are getting in comparison to how much non-union work and if the difference is large enough. Non-union projects often give new actors more opportunity to actually act.

3. Health insurance. One of the positives of joining is becoming eligible for health insurance. You do have to work a certain amount of hours to remain eligible, so please take that into consideration.

4. The union will protect you. For those that are serious about acting, it’s nice to have a union who has your best interests at heart. If there are problems on set and you are not being treated appropriately, you have a union to step up on your behalf. There is less opportunity for people to take advantage of you.

5. SAG privileges. You can now vote for the SAG awards and really feel like you are a part of the industry. They also offer advice to new members and opportunities to learn more about your craft. All of the above are small perks that come with your membership.

6. More money. You pay a lot to join but you do earn more when you work on set as a SAG member. The extra money can go toward paying off your membership fee but that’s why you have to be dedicated to your career and working enough to make up the difference.

It is the goal of actors, as a whole, to become members of SAG. It’s a big step in your acting career but you need to decide if you are ready to really jump head first into it. It’s a lot of money to pay for a hobby. If you are ready to pursue acting fully, then joining SAG could be your next step.

Renee Godbout - Freelance Casting Director. Renee Godbout recently worked on the first season of The CW's popular teen show Gossip Girl at Grant Wilfey Casting. Some past projects include 2 seasons of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, the pilot for Dirty Sexy Money, and the upcoming Jonathan Demme-directed Dancing with Shiva.

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