Pre-Production
Working with SAG-AFTRA
Hiring professional union actors can transform your film — and the union isn't the scary gatekeeper indies fear. Learn how SAG-AFTRA actually works: becoming a signatory, the low-budget agreements built for films like yours, what it costs, and how to stay compliant from casting to wrap.
What you'll learn
✓What SAG-AFTRA is, and when hiring union actors is right for your film
✓How to become a signatory and pick the low-budget agreement that fits
✓What it really costs: scale, pension & health, and Taft-Hartley
✓The paperwork, set rules, and residuals that keep you compliant
Pairs with this tool
Contract Assistant
SAG-AFTRA runs on paperwork — agreements, cast contracts, Taft-Hartley reports, time sheets. The Contract Assistant helps you generate and track the right documents so nothing gets missed and you stay compliant.
Open Contract Assistant →Course chapters
Module 1 — Foundations
I8 min
What SAG-AFTRA is, who it represents, and why it matters to filmmakers
What Is SAG-AFTRA?
II8 min
The real pros and cons of hiring union talent on an indie film
Should You Hire Union Actors?
III8 min
What "becoming a signatory" actually means, and what it obligates you to
Signatory Status Explained
IV9 min
The low-budget agreement tiers built for student, short, and indie films
SAG-AFTRA Low-Budget Agreements
Module 2 — Core Craft
V9 min
The step-by-step process of applying to become a signatory producer
How to Become a Signatory
VI9 min
Scale, day and weekly minimums, and how union pay is structured
Pay Rates & Minimums
VII8 min
Pension & health contributions and the fringes on top of every actor's wage
Pension, Health & Fringes
VIII9 min
Taft-Hartley: how to legally hire non-union actors on a union project
Taft-Hartley & Non-Union Actors
Module 3 — Putting It to Work
IX8 min
Cast contracts, Exhibit G time sheets, and the on-set paperwork you must file
Paperwork & On-Set Compliance
X9 min
Turnaround, meal penalties, overtime, and the rules for working with minors
Working Conditions & Set Rules
XI8 min
Residuals and new-media terms: what you may owe actors after release
Residuals & New Media
XII9 min
The classic SAG-AFTRA mistakes indies make, and how to stay in good standing
Mistakes & Staying Compliant