Clearly.

Shooting outside union jurisdiction has always been a presumed benefit to producers, though it seldom saved any above-the-line dough. Stars will get their usual rates, directors and writers don't cut their asking price, but day players and crew members can be had cheaper, overtime is often nonexistent, and often there will be no PHW which is often 10-15% of the total salary.

There's been an opt-out rule in SAG for a long time, "honorable withdrawal," or whatever it's called. The amount of money an actor has to make in a given year to qualify for medical & dental benefits is ridculous: $20,000 or more, I think, last time I checked.  Most SAG members make less than $10,000 a year in their chosen profession, so why bother to keep paying dues?

Yhat said, it'd be a helluva lot nicer to get even SAG minimum for a day (about $750 plus a bit of residuals) instead of a take-it-or-leave-it hundred bucks and lunch.

Last Edited By: Ted Newsom Dec 27 12 7:02 PM. Edited 1 times.