working with SAG Actors

stairwaystudios

stairwaystudios

Active member
Hello everyone,


I have a question. I am casting for my latest Short Film and found an Actress who is perfect for the Lead Role; However, she is a SAG Actress and I have never worked with any SAG members before. The film is 10 minutes long and shot with 0 Budget.

Have either of you worked with a SAG Actor/Actress before?

what is your advice?


Thank you!
 
I've worked with two SAG actors. At first the paperwork appears a bit daunting, but it isn't. just go through everything slowly and you'll be fine. Also, SAG is tremendously helpful and sympathetic towards independent filmmakers. They will patiently answer all of your questions
 
HerzogisGod said:
I've worked with two SAG actors. At first the paperwork appears a bit daunting, but it isn't. just go through everything slowly and you'll be fine. Also, SAG is tremendously helpful and sympathetic towards independent filmmakers. They will patiently answer all of your questions
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Thank you Herzog!

and thanks to the rest of you:beer:
 
Sag Indie will be more than happy to help you out too. That's what they're there for, to help independent productions get SAG talent. :)
 
SAG reps have really tired my patience. I have yet to get a "good" one. they make it very, very difficult. and move very slow.

it took them a YEAR to return my 40% bond. if you don't know what that is, you put up 40% of what you will be paying the cast. we did everything by the book, were never late on anything, paid a payroll company to cut the checks each week, our second AD kept all payroll organized properly, we were never short on funds. SAG was supposed to return the $4000 bond after production.

weeeeeellllll, I just got it two months ago. we wrapped production in October of 2007. continued calls were met with "i don't know why this hasn't been processed, let me look into it." so understand if i'm a little skeptical on this idea that SAGIndie is there to HELP the indie producer and that SAG is sympathetic to indie filmmakers. they are like any other bureaucracy. the people that work there ultimately only care about one thing -- going home at 5pm and not missing the latest episode of Heroes.

the real purpose of SAG Indie is to generate more SAG signatories (once you do one SAG contract, your production company cannot do any productions without SAG for a full year). this generates more revenue for the Guild. we used a little slight of hand to avoid being locked in as a signatory by putting everything in one producer's name, rather that the production company's.

This also reminds me that two months before production we contacted SAG, were assigned a rep and submitted all our paperwork. but the 45 day turnaround they request had elapsed and our rep still hadn't given us the go ahead. My producer had to walk in there with a bribe to get the thing pushed through in time. halfway through, that rep was replaced with another and we were relieved.... until it took a year to get our bond back. f*ck SAG.
 
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I've worked with several Sag actors, and have never signed a Sag contract. I simply refuse. the actors sign my release/contract. if Sag later has a problem with it then they deal with the actor not with me.

I've found many actor join sag thinking it will validate their acting and hep them get jobs. but it infact hurts them until they reach a certain level. but for those who haven't made it yet, and lets face it thats most actors, Sag makes it harder to get good roles that will build their acting reel.

Sag is only a good deal once you're to the point that you can also find a legit agent. at least thats how i see it.
 
Zak Forsman said:
the real purpose of SAG Indie is to generate more SAG signatories (once you do one SAG contract, your production company cannot do any productions without SAG for a full year). this generates more revenue for the Guild. we used a little slight of hand to avoid being locked in as a signatory by putting everything in one producer's name, rather that the production company's.
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I never worked with SAG before but I hear it's a hassle. I talked with a SAG rep here in Chicago and just got a feeling they were kind of slimey. And they know things but pretend they don't. Like they say they've never heard of you yet say things that let you know either they have (or they're on the internet looking you up) and they're being coy. I too have thought about this and plan to divert any SAG contract over to my friend's production company and he only does shorts which no ever really sees, as that's just what he wants to do. (It's sad because he's really good).

This also reminds me that two months before production we contacted SAG, were assigned a rep and submitted all our paperwork. but the 45 day turnaround they request had elapsed and our rep still hadn't given us the go ahead. My producer had to walk in there with a bribe to get the thing pushed through in time. halfway through, that rep was replaced with another and we were relieved.... until it took a year to get our bond back. f*ck SAG.
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I only use non-SAG and SAG Core actors. There are a lot of actors out there that are SAG financial core. Plus there's a few rogue SAG actors running around who could care less about SAG rules and as long as you pay them. SAG can only shut you down if you're signed with them otherwise, to my knowledge, they have no authority. (But don't take my word on that, for all I know they could run the government :huh:).

But all in all I don't want any problems with SAG and they can make things hard on you so I stay clear. I know B-actors that are pretty popular and won't be a hassle to deal with as long as you got the cash. Now I have to get the cash. :beer:

-Nate
 
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Interesting... I was definately thinking of going SAG for my next production. In my current movie, it was a pain to get any type of named actor to do a cameo without the production being SAG. I had planned on going SAG, get the big named actors, then all my other actors would just be the actors I've used before in my projects who are not SAG. I don't see much of a point to deal with the problems with SAG unless I'm getting something (someone) major out of the deal. I'm not in LA, and most actors in Atlanta are not SAG.

But I think it's interesting to put the contract under another production company's name. So if you go SAG you have to do SAG projects for a year and deal with their bond, payments, etc. But you still can get any actor you want right, SAG or not. And with the non-SAG actors you can negotiate their pay directly with the actor right even on a SAG set? So if these are true, an dyou can correct me if I'm mistaken, what's the big deal about being stuck in SAG world for a year? If I can get access to many actors (for me Black actors who aren't doing a lot of work, but have famous faces to the Black community) and pay them their day rate (which I'm sure will be above SAG's rates). Get them for say 15 to 20% of the movie, then shoot the rest with my actors, under a non-SAG deal. Isn't that the best of both worlds? "Right to Work State!"
 
Each SAG contract has it's own specifics. If you can work without it it's a good idea, but if not it's not as complex but it's a lot of paperwork. I've seen the contract and got annoyed just flipping through it. Such a waste of paper. (Most contracts are, all my contracts are two pages max). If you can do all you're being asked to do then it's fine, if not then it's a hassle. And it used to be you couldn't advertise if there was no theatrical run in some cases, I don't know if this is still true.

-Nate
 
When I called SAG the lady said there had to be "hope" for a Theatrical release, i.e. you can't just go to AFM and try to sell. You at least have to submit to film festivals and try to get in. I just want access to some bigger names. I think if I had one large African-American name in my movie it would be an easy sell. I heard that the leadership over at Codeblack and many other Black distributors are starting to really enforce a "celebrity rule". If you don't have a face to sell, then they won't push your movie. And if you end up with one of the smaller distiburion companies many times they won't pay - so you stay stuck.

At this point, even if I can't upgrade but the camera for the next movie, I'm going to pay somebody $20K for a few days on set so I can use their face to sell the next movie. I mean it takes too long to get stuck in a financial circle.
 
Working with SAG actors is great; it's like working with a union crew. You will get professional results; but ...

you can't be an indie filmmaker working with low budgets if you're thinking of using SAG actors.

Here's the rub:

You sign a SAG contract for some kind of low budget production and you follow the rules -- so you put in a familiar face in your movie; but can you find a distributor who will advance you your budget on the basis of that face? The answer is: not likely. ... Yes, if you're film is great -- but if you're film is great you will get picked up anyway.

So you need a big name, BOX OFFICE NAME, well, if you can get a big name actor, like Denzel Washington, to be in your movie, then you don't have to worry about budget. Any major studio will give you a distribution deal and you'll be able to go to an entertainment bank and get the money to make the movie.

In other words, the money and everything will be there for you; but ...
you won't be able to direct the movie -- you'll only be ... the associate producer (without say-so).

Ok, so you're alright with that (I would be too), because next picture you can do whatever.... You're a name yourself now -- "produced movie."

THERE IS NOTHING INBETWEEN.

Feast or famine. LOL

If you can get $500,000 to do a movie on account of a few name actors, don't do it. If you get $3 to $5 million, and you want to direct, get a distribution deal so the money is paid back and then go ahead.

This sounds too ridiculous? It is.

There is no way to do a SAG movie an an indie filmmaker -- if you want to recover your money. If you want to establish yourself as a name director, yes, you can do that. And it pays off if you succeed with your movie -- the movie has to be good.

To be safe, put the extra money you get into PR and marketing. Let's say, you can make a movie for $10,000 with lots of action and special effects; and you can raise another $10,000 for talent.... Put that money instead in marketing and PR.

That's my opinion.
 
filmman said:
Working with SAG actors is great; it's like working with a union crew. You will get professional results; but ...

you can't be an indie filmmaker working with low budgets if you're thinking of using SAG actors.

...

THERE IS NOTHING INBETWEEN.

Feast or famine. LOL

If you can get $500,000 to do a movie on account of a few name actors, don't do it. If you get $3 to $5 million, and you want to direct, get a distribution deal so the money is paid back and then go ahead.

This sounds too ridiculous? It is.

There is no way to do a SAG movie an an indie filmmaker -- if you want to recover your money. If you want to establish yourself as a name director, yes, you can do that. And it pays off if you succeed with your movie -- the movie has to be good.
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Thanks filmman for your reply, but I think your concept is right, IF I were going for larger names like Denzel or Will Smith. But there are smaller names that are known in the Black Community that are not as well known in the White Community - people like Iris Elba who was in "Daddy's Little Girls" with Gabrielle Union. He's not that well known across the board, but well known among black people.

I've read several articles that encouage black filmmakers to make movies for around $500K or under, because there's a huge straight-to-video market that picks up movies from $250K to $5 mill. The Black market is not as strong in the theatres where it would have taken $12+ mill in publicity, but black people will rent and purchase almost any movie with a recognizable black face on it - and our distributors know it. So getting a few people like an Iris Elba to show up for 12 scenes that I can shoot in 4 days so here and there throughout the movie I have a face, should work for a $250K budget and still get me good results. - As long as my story and prod quality are good.

I think my group has about mastered most of what we can do with the equipment we have. Fortunately (and unfortunately) our quality surpasses about 70% of Black movies - even the ones with stars in them. So I feel like with better equipment and a little more money we should be able to get into the top 90% which would render our prod quality indistinguishable from the average major movie. That plus a few stars and I think we can make a few good sales along the black market.

It's kinda like Kirk Cameron, he's really not that importaint to a Hollywood movie, but to a Christian movie - he's the man.
 
jls4 said:
]I heard that the leadership over at Codeblack and many other Black distributors are starting to really enforce a "celebrity rule". If you don't have a face to sell, then they won't push your movie. And if you end up with one of the smaller distiburion companies many times they won't pay - so you stay stuck.
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Try Vivica Fox. If you're doing horror Monique Dupree is the first black scream queen so there's some info for you. Also try to find a throw back rapper like a Big Daddy Kane or somebody from the mid eighties. Older blackploitation actors may be available too. What about Soulja boy? Is he SAG? Are Akon or Lil Wayne SAG? Hit up all the rappers. What's Lil Kim and the Yin Yang Twins doing now? They don't seem to be too busy. What about Fergie or any of the Black Eye Pees, are they really busy now? What's Kim Coles and Kim Fields doing now? What about Morris Chestnut and Mel Jackson? What's Faune A. Chambers doing? It's a lot of people you can go after. Can you get Michael Dorn? If you're doing an "urban" film with horror or sci-fi elements that's your guy.

jls4 said:
It's kinda like Kirk Cameron, he's really not that importaint to a Hollywood movie, but to a Christian movie - he's the man.
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Indeed Cameron is the Brad Pitt of Christian films. LOL.

filmman said:
THERE IS NOTHING INBETWEEN.
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From what I hear SAG Financial Core actors can do whatever they want. People forget these actors exist but people do indeed work with them. Many of them manage themselves or have managers but have no agents. Some or well known, you just have to dig them out.

-Nate
 
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