Non-SAG New York

I have had three conversations in recent days, with some of the most talented actors I know. Each one asked me what I was doing to sustain my business - they were struggling.

The answer is, I stayed non-union.

New York - and this is a paradigm shift - is a non-union city. By that I mean that over 50% of the paying work seems to be non-union. Once you get your SAG card, you may find your options drastically diminished. If you don't have the connections and relationships with agents and casting director to sustain a career - you're unlikely to get them at that point.

Many people get their SAG card, and never get paid to work again.

A few thoughts:
•You don't need to be SAG to work on episodic tv
•You don't need to be SAG to work on feature films
•Non-SAG actors audition way more - they are eligible for all jobs
•More auditions means more booking, which means more money
•More bookings means better/stronger relationships with casting directors
•Non-SAG actors booking non-SAG work are building relationships with the SAME casting directors as the SAG work.
•There is less pressure for non-SAG actors - much more allowance for growth
•There are way fewer non-SAG actors the older you get. Age means less competition in the non-union world.

Conclusion:
•Don't join SAG until you HAVE TO.

I don't mean this to overly glib. I understand that celebrities are SAG. I know that most of the people you regularly see on TV and in film are SAG. Being SAG has prestige. Once you have momentum - GREAT! Join SAG. But if you don't - there's no need - in New York.

And there's a giant loophole: Financial Core Status (fi-core) which allows actors to join SAG, withdraw, and be covered to work SAG jobs and non-SAG jobs.****This will be the topic of next week's blog.