SAG Amends Member Rule For Extras - By Claude BrodesserSeeking 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 rulesPassing 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, 28Follow me on Twitter or subscribe to the feed