Everything You Need to Know about Joining the Screen Actors Guild
By Aaron Starmer
Joining SAG (Screen Actors Guild) can seem like an intimidating process, but it's important for any actor seeking a career in television or film. Being a SAG union member is required to get most work, and SAG provides health and pension benefits, maintains industry standards, and assures that actors are treated and paid fairly. To apply for membership, there is really only one thing you can do: WORK.
SAG offers membership to anyone who has worked at least one day as a principal performer in a SAG covered film, video, TV show, or commercial. Don't worry, principal performers are not necessarily lead actors. Anyone who speaks a line qualifies. And if you don't speak a line? You can also join SAG if you have worked as a background actor (i.e. extra) on SAG productions for at least three days since March 25, 1990. This could be three consecutive days on the same production, or individual days spread out through multiple productions. Any three days will do.
What about the fact that many major productions will only hire SAG performers? In other words, "I need to work in order to be in SAG, but I need to be in SAG to get work. That sounds impossible!" Fortunately, certain contracts allow producers to hire non-SAG performers. These are the best projects to help get you into a union. If you are hired as a principal performer, you will have a grace period of 30 days to work on SAG productions before you are required to actually join the union. If you choose not to join, you will have to stop working on the project.
An easier way to join SAG is to join another union first. If you pay at least one year of dues and work as a principal performer under a contract supported by that union, you are primed for membership. SAG regularly accepts members of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), AEA (Actor's Equity), AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists) and AGVA (American Guild of Variety Artists).
Once you land a role in a SAG production, make sure to save any contracts or pay stubs, and obtain contact information for the payroll house handing paychecks. SAG requires proof of employment displaying your name, Social Security Number, name of the production, salary, and dates worked. Falsifying any of this information will only lead to your application being denied. SAG investigates all applications thoroughly.
Send your documents, along with a piece of paper detailing your full name, current address and phone number, and date of birth to:
Screen Actors Guild
Membership Services Department - Proof of Eligibility
5757 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles , CA 90036
If you are approved, you must then pay an initiation fee, currently $2,211, and the first half of your basic dues, about $116 a year. Fees may be different for actors working outside of Hollywood, and while yearly dues start at $116, members are also required to pay a percentage of their earnings to SAG.
With your application complete and your fees paid, you can work on all the high profile SAG projects. However, SAG requires that you only work in SAG productions and that you follow their rules of membership, which include mandatory participation in any SAG strikes and disassociation with any union or guild that is not approved by SAG.
The benefits far outweigh what you may be giving up. You not only receive healthcare and the chance to work on major projects, but you will also have access to acting workshops, members-only online casting directories, and a variety of deals and discounts. You can even vote for the Screen Actors Guild Awards! A career in acting may not be easy, but a membership SAG makes it easier.
For more information visit: www.sag.org
Break a Leg!
Have a question? Ask our experts!
