Saturday, September 06, 2003

 
SAG Amends Member Rule For Extras - By Claude Brodesser
Seeking to quash the corruption that's become epidemic among extras wanting membership in the Screen Actors Guild, the union's national executive committee has passed a resolution to end the "3-voucher" background actor membership eligibility rule.
Under such a rule, any "background performer" who obtained vouchers for working three days in guild-signatory productions and paid a $1,310 initiation fee was a SAG member.
But guild and casting insiders contend that significant numbers of new members cheat by obtaining vouchers without actually working.
New admittance rules
Passing unanimously, the motion was introduced at a Aug. 26 meeting and modifies the current SAG entrance requirement for extras. The guild's national background actor committee was instructed to come up with a list of alternatives for admittance for the next board meeting in October.
The current 3-voucher rule will be suspended no later than directly after the first national board meeting in 2004, and a board-approved alternative "reasonable work test" for background performers will be made effective directly after the first national board meeting next year.
Hollywood Reporter - August 28, 2003 pp. 4, 28

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