Posted by Dragoncub at user-11205bm.dsl.mindspring.com on June 29, 2002 at 06:29:14:
In Reply to: Question bout Acting posted by Stroker_Pace on June 28, 2002 at 21:49:53:
What Babka said ;)
Also, if you find yourself confronted with joining an actors' union, keep in mind that the competition for union jobs is fierce and ultimately, there are fewer opportunities. This is important to someone trying to build experience/resume. As a non-union player, you can work any job for which you qualify. As a union player, you can work *only* under union contract if the medium is under the union's jurisdiction--this can be EXTREMEMLY limiting to someone trying to get experience in the business, especially since it puts you in competition with several thousand other unemployed union actors (many of whom have superior experience and industry contacts). The point? Although joining the actors' unions is an important stepping stone, it's equally important to take that step only when you're truly ready for all it entails. As a non-union player, you have an enhanced opportunity to explore many different projects based on what interests or is available to you, rather than your contractual obligations
(for example, I'm a SAG member and my brother is an animator/animation director. Most of the time, I can't work for him because he typically works without a union contract--yep, I'm legally bound to reject work that falls into my lap... @#$%!)
Just fyi:
If you are offered a SAG job, you have a month from the day you work (or is it date of hire?) before you must join. This means that you can work under Guild contract without joining for that month. After that, if you choose not to join at that time (the door remains open now), you can't work any more SAG jobs until you join.
AFTRA is different--a month after your first AFTRA job, if you don't pay the initiation fee, you surrender your subsequent paychecks from any jobs you work under their jurisdiction to AFTRA until you're paid up (at least that was the case last I checked).
Feel free to email me if any of this bears further explanation (as far as I can help). I know how difficult it is to get this kind of information before you jump into the field.
: Ok i will state this first off i do Not want free rides but here it goes i need to get more indepth on this so i can do something about it so here it goes, I want to be an actor, but have no idea how to actualy get the foot in the door or even how to start, So what first should i Start by joining the Screen Actors Gild, Where do i go to actualy try and get a part in a film, I am just clueless on where to start i probably have the wrong frame of mind in packing up from missouri to go out to hollywood to try and make it, no way i have to have some type of start to get this thing rollin. In no way am i asking for any free handouts i want to make that perfictly clear so this gets kicked off the board and i look like an idiot i just want to know how to start and any places to help me along the way.
: Thanks
: Pace Johnson
: P.S. I Can't spell as notied on the News Askew board