Is it better to join the union* and lose the option to book non-union jobs OR not join just to maintain that option of working as many non-union jobs as possible?
Shakespeare may have said this differently however the message is the same.
Every year actors (denotes male and female) by the thousands arrive in Los Angeles seeking fame and fortune. The path to that end goal will be different for each having many twists and turns but at some point on that journey every actor who is serious about his/her career will join the union. The question is when. It seems here in Tinseltown many eligible-to-join actors would prefer to wait to join SAG-AFTRA until the very last minute meaning until they can no longer work on union jobs unless they join.**They maintain waiting as long as possible allows them to work on any number of non-union projects as a strategy to building their resume and acting reel. However on the flip side of the coin there are those actors who believe it is best to join as soon as they become eligible. It’s their belief that doing so will enable them to grow their career that much quicker achieving greater success and that they will be viewed by others in the industry (namely the decision makers) as serious about their career and a true professional. They make two valid points. First is that there is plenty of time to work on non-union projects prior to joining for the simple reason that becoming eligible to join is very difficult and and can take a very long time, sometimes years. It’s important to note you don’t just pay your money and your in. It’s much more complicated than that with many hoops to jump through thus it can take a while. As you review the link please know that actually achieving the steps outlined is not as easy as it appears.( http://www.sagaftra.org/content/steps-join ) The other point is that there are plenty of union roles available to them once they do join. A cursory look on Actor’s Access provides pages and pages of union roles that would be available to them as a union actor so the thought is why not build your resume and acting reel with these union jobs? As of this writing there are 9 pages of union roles from Web Series to Theatre to Feature Films and everything in between. Certainly a union actor could book some work from some of these union jobs.
Delving a little further into the mindset that it is better to wait to join I have come to understand a possible explanation as to why some eligible-to-join actors tend to believe this to be true. Upon arriving in LA many actors will start their career by doing background work. The easiest and most basic work for an actor, union and non-union alike is that of the background actor. There is no audition required, no lines to speak and typically you are paid within a week. While doing background work or extra work as it is also known is in no way a career builder it is a respectable way to immerse yourself in the industry quickly and begin networking and making friends. Plus it’s an excellent way to “get your feet wet” and learn “the lay of the land” as you figure out your path to stardom. Some notable actors who have started this way include…Brad Pitt, Eva Longoria, Ben Affleck, Megan Fox, Bruce Willis to name just a few so if you’re currently doing background work or thinking about it you’ll be in excellent company. Obviously these actors as well as countless others, myself included used background work as a spring board into launching their career. Unfortunately what ends up happening to a good many, well meaning actors is they get locked into a vicious cycle of doing this extra work and find they are always chasing the pay check, as one union actor friend put it. It’s very easy to get comfortable in the routine of constantly booking non-union work because you’re almost always working and for some it becomes a cycle they can’t seem to break and as well somewhat frightening to make a change even if it is for the better long-term.
The lament I’ve heard time and again from many of these eligible-to-join actors I’ve met on set (doing background work) is that if they join they will work less. While it is true that there are more non-union roles available than union thus a non-union actor could potentially be working most days of the week it’s important to put this into perspective. As a background actor the money made as a union actor is almost 2.5x more than a non-union actor. For a day’s work a union actor will make $148/day and the non-union actor will make $64/day. And it only goes up from there. (http://www.sagaftra.org/files/sag/Digest_Background_Actors_LA_Zones_8_4_0.pdf)
That said a non-union background actor would need to work approximately 1.5 days more to make what the union actor made in 1 day. Hmmm…an extra 1.5 days now available to pursue more work? Seems like a no brainer to me. That’s 1.5 days more to put their attention to booking speaking parts and actually growing their career.
One of my union actor friends said every actor knows there will be a transition phase upon initially joining but it’s usually only temporary and in many ways works in their favor as it gives the newly joined union actor time now to really grow their career.
Much more could be said about this hotly debated issue and both sides of the argument have merit but what’s most important is for every actor to follow their gut and determine what is best for them, their goals and personal circumstances. I’ve said many times before there are many right ways to get to the same end result so for one actor waiting to join is the way to go and for another actor like myself joining the minute I’m eligible is how I will approach it. For me personally I know doing so protects me while working, gives me access to a pension and healthcare as well as many other benefits such as a variety of workshops taught by industry professionals which will serve to provide me with as many tools as possible as to pursue and grow my career. This is my right way. Figure out what’s best for you and go for it. Don’t worry what others might have to say about it.
Til next time…Victoria xox
SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild) or rather SAG-AFTRA after the merger last year is the most distinguished performers union in the world. It represents more than 160,000 actors, broadcasters, journalists, dancers, DJ’s singers, stunt performers voiceover artists and many other media professionals. (http://www.sagaftra.org/history)
*There are at least a half a dozen different unions if not more that one could join in the entertainment industry however for the purposes of this article I’m referring only to SAG-AFTRA.
**SAG-AFTRA rules allows for an actor who is eligible to join to work both union and non-union jobs for a period of time before they actually must join if they wish to keep working on union projects.