How To Do SAG-AFTA Paperwork (Part 1) - Preproduction
You’re ready to cast your film and want to hire the best you possibly can, so you’re thinking of hiring union actors! Union actors, or SAG actors, are usually more experienced and thus can offer more polished performances, which is a major up side. Plus by going union, you might have the chance to attach some known actors to your film.
But on the downside, there’s lots of steps involved in hiring SAG actors, and on top of all your normal paperwork, there’s lots and lots and lots more paperwork to do. So let’s go over the various pre-production steps and paperwork you’ll need to do to hire SAG actors.
Before you cast your film, you need to decide if you plan to use union or nonunion actors. This is critical, because you don’t want to go through the casting process, pick your cast, and then be surprised when you discover one or more of them are union.
Also note that if you plan to use a mixed cast of SAG and non SAG actors, this might kick the non SAG actors into the union.
So have a conversation with your non SAG actors and make sure they are ok with that possibility, as this will require them to pay union fees and might limit the type of work they can accept in the future.
Also, pro tip, make sure you absolutely file your SAG paperwork because if a distributor wants to buy or distribute your film, if you don’t have the paperwork done it’s a deal breaker. So make sure you cover yourself for the future and file that paperwork ahead of time!
Ok, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get onto the steps you need to take inorder to work with SAG actors!
First up is pre-production! In pre-production, you’ll need to first submit to SAG a Preliminary Information Form, which you can access on the SAG website by going to the Contract & Industry Resources drop down at the top of the page and selecting the correct category for your type of project.
If you’re creating a short film, an ultra low budget film, or project that will be released only on the internet, then select the New Media option. If you’re creating a feature film with a budget over $300,000 and/or planning a theatrical release, then select the Theatrical option.
Once there, you’ll be given a complete step by step guide on how to submit your film to SAG, including a link to the Preliminary Information Form. You’ll also need to submit a pre-production cast list, script or treatment, budget, and provide appropriate details for your business type.
Still with me? Good, because you’ll also need to hire a payroll company that can distribute checks to your actors as well as take care of all the tax forms you’ll need them to fill out.
You’ll want to look for a payroll company that specializes in filmmaker cast and crew payroll, such as ABS Payroll, or Greenslate Payroll.
Now if you’re actors are working for free and you’re filing a New Media contract type, then you can apply for SAG deferred and defer paying your actors till your production has recouped a production cost of $5,000.
For more information on SAG deferred, check out SAG’s website here. Next, you’ll need to submit all your paperwork to SAG, who will then review and contact you within 2 to 3 days to let you know if your project qualifies for the specific category you submitted it under.
If it qualifies, you will then be connected with your very own SAG Business Representative, who will then send you even more paperwork to fill out.
Once you’ve submitted all that paperwork, SAG will then notify you if your project is cleared and ready to start production.
Phew! That was a lot right? Bet you’re glad all that paperwork headache is over, right? Well… it’s not quite over yet so join me in my next video where we cover all the paperwork and rules you’ll need to follow during production and post production.
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