As promised, here's what I came up with in my questioning on this to SAG. Not much, I realize.

Here 'tis and below is the link.

Dear Jackie:

I recently did a day of stand-in for a lead actor in a huge movie. Is my voucher good for one of the three vouchers I need to join SAG?

As I understood it, stand-ins are automatically given a SAG voucher, but under "type of call," my voucher says, "Stand in." Of the three boxes on my voucher -- "union," "waiver/Taft-Hartley" and "nonunion" -- the nonunion box is checked.

-- Stand-In
via the Internet

Dear Stand-in:

SAG rules pertaining to vouchers are somewhat mysterious, in that there are so many variables -- from the location of the shoot to the exact specifications of your work on set. I asked SAG for general guidelines on this issue. Here's the response I received from Terri Ann Becherer, the director of the Background Actors Department.

"Depending on the location of the shoot and the terms of initial hire, it is possible that this actor should have been on a SAG voucher. However, in situations like this we really need to speak to the performer to be certain we have all of the facts. It would be best if the actor called the SAG Background Department, at (323) 549-6811, so that we can gather the necessary information and provide a full response. We are happy to talk to anyone working on a SAG production, whether they are union or nonunion, and often we can help them with issues like these. If they should have been on a SAG voucher, there is a very narrow time frame within which we can take action, so we encourage this actor to call us as soon as possible."

Many actors are hesitant to call performers' unions directly, especially if they're nonunion, but in this case it looks as if that's your best and only option. Theoretically, the three-voucher system, often called corrupt and flawed by members and nonmembers alike, is on its way out. SAG has been promising reform for years. The plan has been to switch to a point system that would take education and nonunion work experience into account. Although the proposed changes sound promising, I don't suggest you hold your breath waiting for them. I have been writing about this "forthcoming" point system since 2005. And, as you've probably noticed, SAG leadership has more than a little on its plate just now.

http://www.backstage.com/bso/advice-columns/working-act...ontent_id=1003816984