The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is deep into negotiations with the entertainment industry's film and television producers over a new contract, making it's membership's middle-income actors the focus for better contract terms - especially given today's economy. The Guild is seeking increases for items such as reimbursement rates for car mileage to residual payments, and more.
SAG has about 122,000 actor members, and the contract expires at midnight on Monday 6/30. Much like the recent writer's strike the Hollywood community has been on edge about a SAG strike, which in reality cannot take place until around Aug. 1st. The Guild leaders haven't called for a strike authorization vote yet. This is when 75 percent of the entire membership must vote for the strike in order for it to happen.
Most film schools, including the Entertainment Career Connection's courses on how to become a director cover the guilds like SAG. The Film/Television/Video production course curriculum qualifies graduates for positions in the film, television and video production fields. This experience is invaluable when it comes to learning about strikes, and the rights of guild members
In this June 25, 2008 photo, SAG President Alan Rosenberg says the union remains committed to negotiating a new deal with Hollywood producers as the contract expiration looms. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas, File)
At the Film Connection, industry experts who are already producers or directors pass their knowledge and experience on to the students that they mentor. The Film Connection, a fully accredited academic institution certified by the National Private Schools Accreditation Alliance, provides educational apprentice programs for the film, radio, television and the music recording industries in more than 100 U.S. cities in all 50 states. The program provides training the practical way under real life working conditions - so if a strike is going to happen, then the students learn how it will affect them so they too can make decisions once they are out in the real world.
