After working some BG in spare time, I've been urged to submit to a couple of specific shows that have characters I could do stand-in work for.

for people who do stand-in work, how does it work? if it's for a series lead, are you basically expected to be there every day, or do they have to call you for specific days/weeks throughout the entire season?

is the work steady enough to make it worth it to join SAG knowing that you are still auditioning for your own stuff on the side and can't work stand-in FT?

i've met career stand-ins (who make great money) and i've met stand-ins who work only when they don't have other things filming or auditions (who still make good money but have time for other things).

does SAG have a payment plan like AEA? yeesh, sooo expensive?

if you joined SAG through BG work, have you found it helped or hindered the rest of your career?

my thinking... i'm trying not to get a regular job, so i am happy to do extra work between catering gigs and auditions and jobs, but non-SAG doesn't pay anything, just good for learning and networking. so at least i would be doing better than minimum wage if i worked BG.

it might make getting an agent that much easier (being SAG and AEA), would make doing BG work worth the time, etc.

but i felt i joined AEA too soon. theatrework is harder to come by, though, so i don't think it would be as hindering as joining AEA before i was ready was.

any insight?

Have someone waiting, I'll be right back...

I did stand-in work "back in the day."

Like everything else, it has its benefits and drawbacks. First, the drawbacks.

It will prevent you from auditioning for other, higher paying roles. On occasion, I have made arrangements to have someone cover for me when I was unavailable (can you imagine, a stand-in with his own stand-in?) but this is frowned upon by most production companies, for obvious reasons. If you're undependable, you'll be replaced in a heartbeat.

The good part is, it's steady, dependable work. You will be required to be there whenever your significant other is working. And if it's a union film, naturally you'll be SAG-eligible as a result. Some extras mistakenly believe that if they do stand-in work that they may be in line for an upgrade, but if that occurs, they must pay you at a day player rate for the remainder of your service. That won't happen. Stand-ins never become stars.

So, is stand-in work a benefit to your future acting career? Absolutely not. Other than the inevitable business contacts you will make, you have already established yourself as a film extra, and instantly unattractive to any reputable casting director. In fact, I have seen deserving, well-qualified extras be excluded for principal roles because of their former extra status. Never mention it.

SAG has no payment plan that I'm aware of. You'll need a generous friend, or simply credit card it.

I've said it's a good idea to join if you know you are in a position to get SAG work-and that includes stand-in work.

If you are a regular stand-in for the lead on a TV show you will be working most days; it will be like a regular job. You won't work every day, and there are hiatuses. There will be long(and high-paying) days. But you'll be eligible for insurance before too long, and the pay is good as you can make like $300 for a long day.

I'd say it depends on your financial situation. If you need the money(sounds like you do), I would do the regular gig if you can get it for a while to build up cash. When you are more financially stable I would try to do spot stand-in work and pursue real acting more capably.

As to the initiation fee there is no payment plan like AFTRA but you can put it on a credit card. Make sure the work you will get if you join is guaranteed!

It depends on what you want to do, jactress.

If you want to be a stand-in, by all means join. If you want to act, I always advise people to wait until they HAVE to join. That's how you know you're ready. When you have booked enough PRINCIPLE work that you have to join. If you're not booking principle work, joining SAG won't make that happen any faster. IF, however, you want to work BG/stand-in (both honorable and very necessary professions), then go for it!

it's certainly not my career choice, but i have no issues doing it between other things, such as when i know i have no auditions (without agent representation, things don't always "pop up" last minute for me). if i were a SAG member, i'd have no problems doing BG/SI to help get those extra days towards insurance or just the paycheck.

but as darbi suggests, i wanted to wait until i had to join for a job. but without an agent, i'm not going on the kind of auditions that would garner a SAG card at the end anyway.

so while all of my other PT jobs are losing work, much thanks to the economy, i've never seen so much extra work available, ever! but most of it is SAG, so i'm thinking of joining for the PT work, you know?