Frequently Asked Questions
Filmmaker Questions
What do filmmakers need to know about the SAG-AFTRA strike?
How long does the signatory process take? When should I start? Is there any way to expedite the process?
How do I get started?
This all sounds great! Send me the contract right away! I can’t wait to get started!
I am starting to shoot tomorrow and need to get an agreement today.
I can’t get anyone in the theatrical department to call me back and I’m starting production this weekend…
I’m a SAG-AFTRA Member and I want to produce my own film. If I’m the only SAG-AFTRA member out of the cast, do I have to get a signatory contract?
I have a related question. Is it true that if I am a producer on the film I can act in it without signing a SAG-AFTRA contract?
Can non-union actors and SAG-AFTRA members work in a production together?
What is Taft-Hartley?
Do I have to use union extras?
What is a Background Zone?
What do I need to do if I have child actors in my movie?
How about animal actors?
Do I need to take any extra precautions if I'm filming a nude scene with my actors?
Can I ask my actors to submit self-tape auditions?
Does SAGindie still do free workshops?
If I use SAG-AFTRA actors without an agreement will anything really happen to me?
I'm a documentary filmmaker and want to use SAG-AFTRA actors for narration or reenactments. Can I hire them under a low-budget contract?
I need to find an audition space/DP/caterer/editing equipment/payroll company/etc. Do you have a list of resources for filmmakers?
If I live outside of NY/LA, whom do I call to become a signatory?
What does “No Consecutive Employment” mean?
What's considered an “overnight” location?
Do I need to feed my actors?
I don't have to pay overtime, right? Come on, be cool about it, this is an indie film!
What does P&H mean and do I have to pay it?
Can I pay my actors as self-employed freelancers with a 1099 tax form?
Do I need insurance?
I already shot my film non-union with several SAG-AFTRA actors in it. Now I have a distribution deal and I don’t want the actors to get in trouble. Can I sign the film after the fact?
I'm making a short film, but I can't decide if I'll take it to festivals or put it online. Do I have to make a choice?
I want to shoot a commercial/industrial/PSA under a Low Budget contract. Can I?
I'm outraged by the lack of diversity in movies and want to change things! Can you help me with this noble effort?
I shot a film under the Experimental Agreement a couple of years ago, but could never afford the upgrade. Now I see that you have the Ultra Low Budget agreement in place – I likes! Please, please, please tell me that I can grandfather my creaky Experimental Agreement into the super-sleek ULB!
I’m producing a NO budget movie. Really. I’m paying $20 for food. That’s it. I can’t afford to pay actors anything. Can’t I defer the pay? The cast is all my friends and they’re willing to do it for no money. Why is SAG-AFTRA ruining the chance for their members to get work?
You’re making a short, right? I mean, you wouldn’t try to make a feature for $20 – would you? Because if you’re making a short, the pay is negotiable. If you’re making a feature, I hope you have a Costco card to help you stretch that $20 into meals for an entire crew for the length of your shooting schedule. Grips get grumpy when they’re not fed. Even the tiniest-budget features can still qualify for a SAG-AFTRA agreement – the Micro-Budget Project Agreement, where salaries and most terms are negotiable between the producer and performer. But you still have to follow all local and federal labor laws (which probably adds up to more than $20). Keep in mind, while the Short Project Agreement and Micro-Budget Project Agreement have negotiable rates, they also have specific exhibition platforms that are allowed (film festivals, free-to-consumer new media platforms, public access TV, private screenings, etc.) – if you screen outside of those platforms, you could be bumped over to a higher-threshold (and less forgiving) contract.
Don’t get us wrong, we salute your independent spirit, but we hope you’ll hear us out: At some point you have to ask yourself, “What kind of movie am I making? Something with zero production value and a slim chance of distribution, or something that Sundance is gonna screen at the Egyptian Theater?” If it’s the latter, spending a couple of hundred bucks now is going to pay off in the end.