New Media Agreements: SAG or AFTRA?

[Sci-Fi_Filmster]

Which union agreement do you think is better to sign a web series
production under, especially if it has a shoestring budget? Which is
more flexible and gives more freedom to producers?

[vdawg71]

I would love to know the answer to this question.

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[David Nett]

Honestly, I think the agreements are very similar right now. AFTRA
used to have an upper-hand with flexibility, but the current SAG
agreement is really very similar in terms. Off the top of my head I
can't think of any substantial differences for the low, low budget New
Media producer.

A lot of shows go with AFTRA (the Guild is one, as far as I know),
others with SAG (GOLD is one of those). But the current versions of
each are very similar. I suspect that, if your show does well and you
have the opportunity to distribute it into traditional media, your
residual rates for AFTRA will be slightly lower, but I don't know for
certain.

Sorry there's no hard and fast answer, at least not one that I know. A
lot depends upon your rep. Call SAG and AFTRA. Tell them about your
project. See who is more helpful. That's the way you should go, IMO.

-D

[Marti Resteghini]

AFTRA is the least bothersome guild if you need to go that route.  If you can follow the guidelines for indie film microbudget (meaning releasing at least once in a theater), then SAG isn't too bad.

[Rick Rey]

Yeah, they're both very negotiable and the actual cost difference from a producer point of view is minimal. If you already have a cast lined up, find out which guild(s) they belong to, because non-union actors who work on AFTRA projects may become "must-joins" -- which can complicate things for them down the road.

Definitely get in touch with both. Describe your project and what you want to do with it (now and in the future). If you have DVD sales in mind, or a pre-existing distribution deal, lay it all out.

Here's one of my contacts at SAG, if you want to reach out:
Maria Timpani <mtim...@sag.org>

-Rick

[Sci-Fi_Filmster]

Thanks for the responses everyone. How you handle the AFTRA Health &
Retirement when performers agree to work for free? Will producers then
need to pay out of pocket?

On Apr 1, 4:45 pm, Rick Rey <viva...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yeah, they're both very negotiable and the actual cost difference from a producer point of view is minimal. If you already have a cast lined up, find out which guild(s) they belong to, because non-union actors who work on AFTRA projects may become "must-joins" -- which can complicate things for them down the road.
>
> Definitely get in touch with both. Describe your project and what you want to do with it (now and in the future). If you have DVD sales in mind, or a pre-existing distribution deal, lay it all out.
>
> Here's one of my contacts at SAG, if you want to reach out:

> Maria Timpani <mtimp...@sag.org>