Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1325752
CONTRACTS ARE HERE FOR YOU W hether you are a creative working with a professional actor for the first time or are a member starting a first-time project, SAG-AFTRA is here to help. The union has a number of contracts that can make your first — or next — short or low-budget film, podcast or web series signatory, and your assigned business representative is available to answer questions about pay, meals, travel and much more. This means you will have the tools to hire a fellow union actor and bring your film to the digital space, film festivals and even theaters. And the new Micro-Budget Project Agreement gives even more flexibility and options of exhibiting your work on social media platforms. SAGindie, a SAG-AFTRA affiliate that helps curate relationships between indie filmmakers and union performers, is another helpful resource that helps clarify details about the preproduction process. "I think there's a lot of fear that working with our contracts is too hard, but you don't need to be a major motion picture studio," said SAG-AFTRA Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez. "There is a contract that is designed to work for you." Visit sagaftra.org/productioncenter or sagindie.org to get started. "It's a boom in entrepreneurship and [we're seeing] a lot of creators starting businesses or asking for contributions from their audience," said social media strategist and lecturer Ayanna Henderson during the SAG-AFTRA President's Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement livestream Social Media for Performers: Creating & Connecting in the Time of COVID on Sept. 10. There's no denying the financial gains, but others like members Issa Rae and Zeus co-founders Amanda Cerny and DeStorm "D-Storm" Powers have gone on to shape their careers with hit TV shows and independent media platforms in ways that seemed nearly impossible a decade ago. "For me, [creating content] was out of … a need not to complain, but channel my frustrations and make something of them," said New York Local Board member and National NextGen Performers Committee Vice Chair Sarah Seeds, whose show, Riding the D with Dr. Seeds (2017), has received Emmy consideration. It may seem as though it takes a certain type of person to create content, but in fact, performers are already equipped with the know-how to get started or take things to the next level. SAG-AFTRA has hosted numerous livestreams on the topic, including Social Media for Performers: Creating & Connecting in the Time of COVID; Social Media for Performers: Beyond the Basics; and NGP Café: NexGen Content Creation. Here's some advice from the experts.