When I was checking the news for updates to the SAG Contract negotiations, I came across this letter to some advice columnist and could not resist sharing
Are people really this stupid?
Her advice back to her was likely what you are thinking right now:
I recently auditioned for what I thought was a low-budget independent SAG film. I drove all the way to the director's house -- which was about an hour from Los Angeles -- to read for a small role. After I did the sides, the director told me he thought I'd be great for another, bigger part in the film but that the role -- a stripper -- required nudity. There was another actor reading for the role too, and the director asked us to dance to this techno music and strip. Obviously the actor who plays the part would have to be naked in the film, so the director suggested we needed to show him we were comfortable with that. He acted like it was no big deal. The other actor did it, but I felt really funny about it so I ended up just sort of pretending to strip by taking off my coat. Was that the right thing to do?
After the dancing, the director told me he wanted to consider photographing me for a book of nude portraits he was working on. He showed me his pictures, and they were really good and very artistic, so I told him I'd think about it. He seemed pleased and then invited me to stick around and join him and some of the other actors that had auditioned for a beer. The actor that had stripped decided to stay, and there were a few other actors still hanging around, but I left, even though it probably would have been better to stay and network.
When I got home, I called SAG and found out that the project's SAG contract had expired a few years ago. A few days later, I got a call from the director offering me a callback, but when I asked about the film's SAG status, he got sort of irritated and told me it was nonunion. I checked the original casting notice and saw it requested submissions from SAG talent only but didn't say it was a SAG film.
Can nonunion films advertise for and cast SAG talent? If I took a role in the film, would I be breaking Global Rule One? Should I go to my callback or just say I can't because I got another job?
Are people really this stupid?
Her advice back to her was likely what you are thinking right now:
I recently auditioned for what I thought was a low-budget independent SAG film. I drove all the way to the director's house -- which was about an hour from Los Angeles -- to read for a small role. After I did the sides, the director told me he thought I'd be great for another, bigger part in the film but that the role -- a stripper -- required nudity. There was another actor reading for the role too, and the director asked us to dance to this techno music and strip. Obviously the actor who plays the part would have to be naked in the film, so the director suggested we needed to show him we were comfortable with that. He acted like it was no big deal. The other actor did it, but I felt really funny about it so I ended up just sort of pretending to strip by taking off my coat. Was that the right thing to do?
After the dancing, the director told me he wanted to consider photographing me for a book of nude portraits he was working on. He showed me his pictures, and they were really good and very artistic, so I told him I'd think about it. He seemed pleased and then invited me to stick around and join him and some of the other actors that had auditioned for a beer. The actor that had stripped decided to stay, and there were a few other actors still hanging around, but I left, even though it probably would have been better to stay and network.
When I got home, I called SAG and found out that the project's SAG contract had expired a few years ago. A few days later, I got a call from the director offering me a callback, but when I asked about the film's SAG status, he got sort of irritated and told me it was nonunion. I checked the original casting notice and saw it requested submissions from SAG talent only but didn't say it was a SAG film.
Can nonunion films advertise for and cast SAG talent? If I took a role in the film, would I be breaking Global Rule One? Should I go to my callback or just say I can't because I got another job?
