The Actors Corner -

The Benefits of Joining SAG

The Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG) is a labor union for actors and actresses started in 1933 to combat poor working conditions, oppressive multi-year contracts, and low wages. Today the SAG boasts over 120,000 members consisting of both principal and background actors. There are currently twenty branches of SAG including branches in Hollywood, Phoenix, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Dallas.

To become eligible to join the Screen Actor’s Guild a performer must have worked on a project where the producer has signed a SAG agreement and must have been compensated at a daily, three day, or weekly SAG rate. Once the performer becomes eligible they have up to thirty days in which to join the guild. The initial fee to join is $2277.00 plus a minimum bi-annual due of $58.00. Dues are paid every six months and are calculated on a graduated scale. For earnings less than 200K the fee is 1.85% of the performer’s earnings. 200K-500K the fee is .5% of the performer’s earnings and .25% for earnings between 500k and one million. There is a cap at one million dollars.

The benefits of joining the SAG include higher standards on SAG contracted productions such as adequate working conditions, high safety standards, affirmative action in auditions and hiring, and minimum pay rates. Other benefits include two health plans which include vision and dental and pension plans. Joining the SAG also gives the actors professional status in the industry as well as camaraderie within a membership which usually includes those actors who have a stable career in their chosen field.

The SAG also hosts an annual awards show to present awards for outstanding performances among their membership in film and TV. 4200 random members are chosen to nominate the actors in categories which include “Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role”, “Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role”, Outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role”, and “Outstanding performance by female actor in a supporting role”. There is also the prestigious “Lifetime achievement award”. The full membership has an opportunity to vote for the nominees. Previous winners include Russell Crowe, Halle Berry, Martin Sheen, Johnny Depp, and Meryl Streep.

Joining the SAG is a worthwhile goal for actors and is a necessity if that actor intends to work in TV and with major motion picture companies. The benefit to actors in aligning themselves with such a prestigious organization as well as the benefit derived from such an impressive membership makes joining the SAG a smart career move for every actor.

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