Starting Things off Right and other New Years Sounding things

So I've officially neglected my poor little blog here over the past few weeks.  The new year is off to a crazy start, so I've been a little distracted.  As all you people whom I follow know, I just now finished reading all the posts I've missed over the past few weeks.  But now I know all about your lives.  Soo...here is mine.

2011 has been amazing. I don't really go for resolutions.  I prefer to make afirmations? State "I'm going to do this, or that will happen."  I also believe in the power of writing things down.  Makes it feel more important if you write down, "I'm going to land a commercial agent."  Its there. Looming at you.  Taunting you.  Forcing you to mail out those lovely little packages.  And off they go!

So I have my personal list, one of which is repeated every year.  Basically, I will build off what I've done this year and step up from there to the next level.  Well...I think I've already done so.

First off, 2011...I'm booked through May.  Yeah...sounds good, right?  Probably make room for some small projects here and there, like that skills reel...damn you time stop slipping away from me!!!  But I'm booked for almost half the year.  Currently, thanks to my "friendanager" Samantha Mason I landed a role in a new piece at Theater for the New City.  Damn spiffy credit.  And not much of a time suck either.  I'm on stage for 15 minutes.  I timed it.  It's great, in and out.  It's about waiters.  So most of us can related to the dialogue.  And so this is my month of January.  In a basement decorated like a bar at TNC.  I don't mind.  It's fun so far.  We opened last night and will run through the month's end.  If you get a chance, come check it out..Age Out is the name of the show. INFO!!!!

After that, as I think I've written before, I head into rehearsals with the American Globe!  Woohoo.  Playing Macduff and Duncan in..you guessed it..Macbeth.  I get to chop of the bastard's head.  Who wouldn't want that?  I'm itching to get to our first readthrough/rehearsal/orientation next Saturday.  You can bet I'll be telling you how it went.  I freakin' love Shakespeare.  I really do.  And the man's been good to me.  I can't think of a better way to spend 3 months this spring.

Speaking of Shakespeare...send some good vibes my way this weekend.  After the MTA trying its hardest to make me miss my audition for Virginia Shakes yesterday....CALLBACK!  For Guildenstern.  Seriously, better and better as the year unfolds.  Sunday I have an audition for Texas Shakes, so just roll over those good vibes, k? Thanks.

Last huge thing..I'm not officially hovering around all three unions.  I've been EMC for quite a while with Equity.  Which suits me just fine.  This time of year it's slow for stage.  Most things are cast...(see my year through May)  At the end of last year I joined AFTRA thanks to a project I was in going union.  Gotta love that.  And this past Wednesday...remember that whole thing about waivers for sag and all that good stuff?

Number 3 in the can!  That's right.  I'm now SAG-Eligible.  Not 100% yet, the paperwork is being filled out now.  But this past wednesday I earned my last one.  Being an over the top studio audience member for a web series.  Thank you Webseries.  Thank you!  So what's that mean for me?  I can join SAG.  Whenever I want.  And it means that I can now submit to everything and anything.  SAG and NON-SAG.  Cause I can basically join if need be.  So rock on!  Happy 2011..I see good things for not only me, but all my friends.

SAG, Waivers, Vouchers and Union joys..

I in no way claim to be an expert on any of this.  Afterall, survival job/creative income/web design..all that stuff.

There, that was my disclaimer.  So this post is inspired by numerous conversations with friends, colleagues, anyone and everyone about joining a union.   If something is wrong, please let me know and I'll adjust the info.

So SAG.
There are so many questions surrounding this union.  And all unions.  I'm hoping to use this as a way to clarify.

How do I join sag?

There are a few ways to join the union.  Its not like AFTRA where you can just buy in. Nor is it like other workers unions where you have to be nominated by a member.  No no no. SAG makes you earn your member ship.  The first way, and way most people join is buy earning vouchers.
What's a voucher?  Well..here we go.

There are Vouchers and Waivers.  

This is a VOUCHER:

For every SAG production, there must be a certain number of union background members before they can use non-union.  Lets say the number is 20 for "imaginary Epic Film Project."  Now, if only 19 of those union members show up, the production crew HAVE to make a non union person union for the day.  How is this accomplished?  They give you a voucher.  This DOES NOT MEAN YOU'RE SAG.  It means for that day you were given SAG status.  Just for that day.  Yes it includes SAG wages as well.

You may see on notices that are seeing SAG and NON SAG that it will say..SAG RATE/WAGES for non-union.  This does not mean you'll be getting paid the SAG rate as a NON SAG member.  This means you'll be getting paid SAG's NON UNION rate.  Which is about $70 something a day.  79?  Something like that.  This came up on the last project I worked.  If you're hired as NON UNION, they're not going to throw money at you.  So be aware of that.

Now, this has to happen 3 times in order to make you eligible.  THREE!!  Again, you need three WAIVERS, and they're cumulative.  It could take a few months, weeks, or years.  It's completely random.  The ones I have I was called in specifically because of a certain look I have.  So I knew going in I was getting a voucher.  Makes it easy.  But that's not how it always works, obviously.

Now whats that WAIVER thing I mentioned before?: 

This is for all you SAG members who are looking to work on student films or indies.  Almost all student films allow SAG members to work for them penalty free.  Not all.  But most.  And some independent films.  Since they're so low budget they can't afford the union's day rate, so you get a waiver that does what it says...waives all the perks of being SAG.  But you're not going against your union.  It's just like an Equity Showcase code for stage actors.

So thats the first way.  And the main way most people join the Union.  It's tedious and takes a long time and a lot of patience, but SAG here you come.

Hey brother can you spare a TAFT HARTLEY?

You've probably heard this term bandied around a bit, it comes from the 1940's when labor unions were up in arms trying to right the many wrongs that were being done to the workers.  No one was safe, not even we actors.  What does it mean for an actor?  It means that if you, as a NON UNION actor are cast as a performer in a main role, supporting, anything with a line, and are paid for that work, you are considered  SAG ELIGIBLE.  Look at that.  Easy peasy.  Sure it doesn't happen that often, but it happens.  There are numerous anecdotes about how this act has been played out.  I know I read an article once where the lead actress came into a room and said good morning to a NON UNION BG actor.  Of course being NON, didn't have any lines.  Well after doing multiple takes all day, the Actress finally said, he needs to say good morning back.  A person would say good morning, they wouldn't ignore you.  At this point it was too late to switch in a union BG actor since they'd been filming all day.  Mr Lucky duck NON UNION?  Tafted.  Bam. Now after 30 day's he would have to either join, or stop working on UNION films.  This way forces your hand a little.  The VOUCHER method gives you the option to get as many as you like and stay NON as long as you like.  Taft Hartley rarely happens, but is another way to become a member of SAG.  There is a fine that the production has to pay for this to happen, which isn't too hefty, but still something to be avoided,  hence why it rarely happens.

I wanna Join too, here's some money!!!

The third way, which is probably the second most common, is the buy in method.  Some Unions, like AFTRA will happily take your money and BAM...union.  Not SAG, but AFTRA.  What does this mean for you, you potential SAG or even EQUITY member?  Well after a year, as long as you're a member in good standing and have filled that particular UNION's criteria, you can just buy in to the other UNIONS.  You're now eligible.  The criteria, i believe is 3 background credits, or one principle credit. My AFTRA credit is principle, so you know where I'll be in a year.  It's pretty simple.  But also takes time.  It's because they all consider themselves sister unions.  Sometime long ago, they were all sitting around drinking, crochetting on the train, something, and decided, they should join forces to help eachother out.  Join 1, in a year you can join em all.  it's a win win for the unions and for you.

I'm going to add to this as more info comes in and is made clearer.  I'm sure I missed some aspects, or potentially got something wrong.  But these are the basic ways people become union.

good luck!

SAG please..

So here it is 2010 and I'm putting this out there into the universe. I hold in my happy hand 2 SAG waivers. All I need is my third and I'll be happy I tell ya. Happy. So Universe..to you I say:

I want my third Wavier SOON!

That is all.