There have been several threads on here lately discussing getting a SAG card. I stumbled upon this old piece tonight and thought it might be of help to some of you.
How Do I Get My SAG Card? By jackie apodaca Publication: BackStage Date: Thursday, October 27 2005
Guild membership can be one of the most important and pertinent steps an actor will take on the road to becoming a professional performer. But at the beginning of a career, getting into SAG can seem impossible. So how do you go about getting that coveted card?
There are three ways to join SAG. The most direct path is to land a SAG job. The 1947 Taft-Hartley Act prohibits "closed shops," or agreements that require employers to hire only union members. A union, such as the Screen Actors Guild, may require workers in its jurisdiction to join up, after a 30-day grace period, but it cannot demand that all applicants come from within its ranks. This means a nonunion actor can book a job as a SAG principal performer, which makes the actor eligible to join the union. The catch is that getting an audition for—much less landing—a role in a SAG project can be extremely difficult. Many actors take advantage of the Taft-Hartley waiver through employment in commercial projects, for which CDs typically draw from a wider pool.
The second route is through membership in an affiliated union. These include the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Actors' Equity Association (AEA), the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), and the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). An actor must demonstrate not only that he or she has held membership for one full year and is currently in good standing, but also that he or she has worked as a principal performer within that union's jurisdiction.
The third and most common way to join SAG is through background work. Actors must acquire three vouchers for work on signatory projects at full SAG rates and conditions, which can be a feat in itself. Getting vouchers is largely a matter of luck and chutzpah. According to SAG: Occasionally, there will be an immediate need for a certain look or ability on the set, and if you are in the right place at the right time, you will be offered a SAG voucher. Sporadically a casting director will offer you a SAG voucher if he or she is unable to locate a SAG member who fits the requirements of the production company.
Many in the acting community have complained that the voucher system is corrupt: Vouchers are sometimes sold, offered to friends, or given in return for favors. This led to SAG's revision of its background entry program. A new point system, which takes nonunion work and education into account, should soon be in place. Check out the SAG website, www.sag.org, for more information and updates.
Originally posted by Jackie: Many in the acting community have complained that the voucher system is corrupt: Vouchers are sometimes sold, offered to friends, or given in return for favors. This led to SAG's revision of its background entry program. A new point system, which takes nonunion work and education into account, should soon be in place. Check out the SAG website, www.sag.org, for more information and updates.
Going on three years later, I believe it is safe to assume this won't be happening anytime in the near future. SAG no longer even mentions on the website that the voucher system is being phased out or anything like that. Such a point system would be far too tough to put in place and calculate/maintain; SAG would never "recognize" non-union work as any part of a requirement for entry.
Posts: 183 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: January 15, 2008
i did it via industrial video! I took it for granted that I got it, b/c I didn't maximize it's potential for income. It's gold, baby! Now, I'm realizing that it's giving me the power to draw income out of something I enjoy.
Good luck!
Posts: 25 | Location: NJ | Registered: September 20, 2005
Originally posted by Iceman: I agree LA Delight... not going to happen anytime soon. Back when I got into SAG eight years ago they were talking about it.
Yeah, I actually mention this in an upcoming column. It's pretty depressing that they wouldn't follow through. The path into AEA via the EMC program is so much more logical.
every time i think about SAG and their membership eligibility, it makes me so annoyed. the whole voucher system is ridiculous.. essentially you just have to be in the right place at the right time, and your talent level isnt taken into consideration in the least.
i wish there was some way to determine membership based on talent and ability and not "who you know" and being in the right place at the right time. but yeah, its a business, i know...
Posts: 103 | Location: NYC | Registered: May 14, 2008
I am teaching an acting class to non-actor film students (most want to write or direct) right now and yesterday I tried to explain how people "get into SAG." Their heads about exploded with confusion.
i think the one silver lining to the fact that Actor's Unions are so difficult to get into is the rise in independent theatre and film. a ton of my friends have started their own production companies and theatre groups, and are having a great time working together for the sake of producing something great to showcase themselves.
Posts: 103 | Location: NYC | Registered: May 14, 2008
