SAF Financial Core - Coal Mine Canary Films

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SAG FINANCIAL CORE

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE SCREEN ACTOR'S GUILD

There have always been non union films, they have always used union actors. It was never that important before when we were in the minority. Well, welcome to the new millennium where the little guys are taking over (you would have never seen a "Blair Witch" go theatrical and make $100 million ten years ago, and this is only the beginning, my friends). We have been making non union films for over 20 years and today the floodgates are beginning to open for other filmmakers. DV is making it possible for people to produce movies who wouldn't have been able to in the past . As of this writing, there are over 400 DV movies in some phase of production, many using SAG and non SAG talent. How do we know this? Because they've been contacting us, wondering about the problems involved and the solutions we've known about for two decades. In the early 80's, we had such a low profile that it wasn't important for anyone to care, but today, with the internet, streaming video, direct sales and DVD, the little guys are being taken more seriously. Many films are being shot in Canada and Mexico to avoid the restrictions of unions and these numbers will get bigger as the number of filmmakers increase. SAG is trying to stop this, but what they don't seem to realize is that scare tactics won't work anymore.

You want to act and if the opportunities are slim, you can either wait tables, wait for Martin Scorsese to call, or work in a non union film. Now, if you are an actor who has appeared in any of our films and are being hassled by your union, I'd like to inform you of your rights as an actor and a worker. There is something out there called "Financial Core," which SAG would rather you not know about (in fact, you won't see it in any of their propaganda). But this is a legal way for you to work in both SAG and Non SAG films without any hassles from the unions (of course, you may get some dirty looks at the annual Christmas parties). Financial Core is made possible through a Supreme Court decision which would forbid SAG from taking disciplinary action against any member who works in a non union film. This is how you can continue to work in your chosen craft regularly and not have to turn down jobs that you may desperately want.

HOW TO GO FINANCIAL CORE

If you decide that you want to go financial core, all you simply have to do is this:

Send a certified letter to the SAG legal department, stating your wish to "enable your financial core status."

Their Los Angeles address is: 5757 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca. 90036

They will probably try to talk you out of it, but don't let that stop you. You will still have to pay SAG dues, you will still get all your health and welfare benefits, in essence, you are still like anyone else in the union. What you won't be able to do is run for SAG office, vote in any SAG elections, or participate in many SAG related functions (like the SAG film society, for one).

So you have a tough decision to make. Do you want to vote for the next SAG president or increase your opportunities to work more steadily? Tough decision. Sure, non union films mostly don't pay anywhere near the SAG day rates, but you're playing Bingo with more cards now. The payoff may not be as big, but the payoff will be steady and the bonus is that you can STILL take those high paying SAG gigs when they come along. You're not giving up much, you're just enhancing what you have. Many SAG actors have done it (it's just a well kept secret), Charlton Heston endorses it, and it's your legal right to enact it.

We are doing this because we are grateful for the many talented people who put their time and efforts into our projects and want to show them how they are within their rights to work on non union films, ours and others.

We know that as actors you want to act. Believe me, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to do so. But you'll want to be able to do so without the threat of trouble. Making movies and appearing in them is not a crime and people who do them outside of the rules of the system are not criminals and should not be treated as such.