When Should You Join Screen Actors Guild When You Are an Actor?

When Should You Join Screen Actors Guild? sagindie via Flickr

So many actors and parents of child actors seem to be concerned about not being in Screen Actors Guild (SAG)  (See “What is SAG?” and “What Does SAG Stand for?” for more about what SAG is).  They wonder exactly how to join SAG and whether they will be seen for SAG projects if they are not in SAG.

When we first came to Los Angeles for my daughter to become a child actor, I was told that it was almost impossible to get into SAG. I thought being in SAG was essential and that my daughter would be passed over for just about everything if she were not in SAG.  Of course, I soon  learned that this was not really true, particularly for children.

I started researching how one goes about joining SAG (see “How Do You Qualify to Join Screen Actors Guild?” for more on what needs to happen before you are allowed to join SAG). I slowly began to understand more about it, and honestly, it was not until it became the time that we had to join and after that I understood the full implications of it.

I also learned that an important question to ponder is “When Should You Join Screen Actors Guild When You Are an Actor?”

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What Is SAG? (Showbiz Term of the Day)

SAG in LA, Wikipedia

You’ve probably heard the showbiz term “SAG” with regards to actors, awards, and projects.  You probably not only wonder what SAG is but probably also wonder “What Does SAG Stand For?”

I know “SAG” was one of many terms/acronyms I often heard and wondered about when my daughter and I first came to Los Angeles.

So, “What Is SAG?”

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Has the SAG Strike Threat Finally Been Put to Rest?

We were all holding our breath as we waited to hear whether the SAG Strike has been averted.

The commercial contract was passed not too long ago. Though some were not entirely thrilled with the outcome, including Alan Rosenberg, the SAG President, most SAG members were happy about it or at least relieved by it.  That made it look much less likely that a SAG Strike would occur.

So, you may be wondering what the outcome is from the vote on whether to accept the new theatrical contract. Did SAG members vote to accept the theatrical contract and finally put the threat of a SAG Strike to rest?

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Is the Threat of a SAG Strike Over?

Is the Threat of a SAG Strike Over? L.A. Image via Wikipedia

I’ve been concerned about the possibility of a SAG Strike for a long time now, along with many of the 120,000 Screen Actors Guild members (and parents) and many of the people who live in the Los Angeles area.

A SAG Strike would be disastrous for the Los Angeles area and the entertainment industry. It would further affect the US economy, already in a terrible state.

I was happy when SAG members voted in favor of the new SAG Commercial Contract a few weeks ago.  And ballots to vote on the new SAG Theatrical Contract are due back from SAG members by June 9th.

Provided SAG members vote to accept that contract (and I hope they will), maybe life will start to get a little bit back to normal.

But many people are struggling financially because of the recession, and I think it is particularly bad here in Los Angeles. SAG is even having to cut employees due to the lack of funds due to the decline in tv and film production.

Small companies are folding or just hanging on by a thread, many people have lost their jobs, and many contractors don’t have enough work to make their mortgage payments. And many of these companies in L.A. depend in part or entirely  on the entertainment industry for their business, and the threat of a SAG Strike has just been making matters worse.

So, is the threat of a SAG Strike really over?

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What Does SAG Stand For?

I remember how much I hated all the acronyms when we were first getting started in show business.  I didn’t want to ask what they meant for fear of looking stupid and being embarrassed. For one thing, I wondered “What Does SAG Stand For?”

Of course, now with the internet, you can get online and find out exactly what something is. Isn’t the internet wonderful?

At that time, I was just starting to use the internet and used it mostly for email. I used aol on my very inexpensive laptop that was almost unusable because it had so little memory. I don’t know how I survived.

Since the SAG strike issue has been on my mind a lot lately (see So What Is the Status of the SAG Strike?, Is the SAG Strike Still Really Up in the Air?, and What Will a SAG Strike Mean to the Entertainment Industry?), it seems like a good time to answer the question, “What does SAG Stand For?”

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So What Is the Status on the SAG Strike?

What is the Status on the SAG Strike?

The SAG strike has been looming on the horizon for many months now.  There has mostly been a stream of bad news and failed negotiations concerning coming to an agreement.

There has also been a lot of disagreement within the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) on whether to call for a SAG vote on whether to allow a strike or not (See Is The SAG Strike Still Really Up in the Air? and What Will a SAG Strike Mean to the Entertainment Industry? for additional details.)

Things have not looked good for the entertainment industry on this front. But spring is in the air, and I, for one, am feeling happy that things are really beginning to look up.

So, “What is the status on the SAG Strike?”

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