What does SAG-AFTRA Agreements mean?
SAG-AFTRA Agreements are the contracts and legal frameworks created by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) to protect the rights of actors, performers, and media professionals. These agreements ensure fair compensation, working conditions, residual payments, and health and pension benefits for union members in various entertainment sectors, including film, television, commercials, video games, and digital media.
Why SAG-AFTRA Agreements Are Important:
SAG-AFTRA Agreements are crucial because they guarantee that performers receive appropriate wages and benefits for their work. These agreements also safeguard actors against exploitation, unsafe working conditions, and unpaid residuals for reruns or digital distribution. Whether a performer is starring in a blockbuster film or participating in an indie web series, SAG-AFTRA Agreements provide industry-wide standards that producers must follow.
How SAG-AFTRA Agreements Are Used:
SAG-AFTRA Agreements are used in a variety of productions, from major studio films to low-budget independent projects. They provide guidelines on pay rates, residuals, and other compensation for performers. Depending on the project’s budget and distribution, producers can select the appropriate agreement to ensure compliance with union standards. These contracts are a vital part of negotiations between actors and producers, helping to establish terms before filming begins.
Key Features of SAG-AFTRA Agreements:
- Fair Pay: Ensures that actors are paid union-scale wages based on the type of production.
- Residuals: Provides residual payments for actors when projects are re-aired or distributed on new platforms, such as streaming services.
- Health and Pension Benefits: Actors receive contributions to health insurance and pension plans based on their work.
- Safety Protections: Provides protections for performers on set, especially for physically demanding roles like stunt work or motion capture.
List of SAG-AFTRA Agreement Types:
- Commercials Contract (Traditional Media)
- Corporate/Educational Agreement
- Experimental Project Agreement
- Interactive Media Agreement
- Low Budget Digital Media Agreement
- Micro-Budget Agreement
- Music Video Agreement
- New Media Agreement
- Short Project Agreement
- Student Film Agreement
- Television Pilots Agreement
- Television Series Agreement
- TV/Theatrical Agreement
- Ultra Low Budget Agreement
Learn More:
To explore the full range of SAG-AFTRA Agreements and find out which one suits your project, visit the official SAG-AFTRA Contracts and Agreements page.
