What Casting Directors Want, 
What Members Need to Know

Join us for an iActor Training Session August 29
It Could Change Your Career

When: Saturday, August 29
Noon-3 p.m.

Where: University of North Carolina-Wilmington
Trask Coliseum Computer Lab, Room 119A
601 S. College Road
Wilmington, NC  28403

Parking: Available in Lot K south of Trask Coliseum. Click here for map.

RSVP Required: Please contact Jason Tomlinson at (504) 585-7324 or via e-mail at jason.tomlinson@sag.org.

iActor is a benefit of active membership in Screen Actors Guild. To participate in this event you must be a current paid-up member. Make sure that you are registered with the SAG website and that your username and password are working correctly before the training. This will save valuable time and make the process much simpler. If you are under 18, please be sure you have submitted the completed parental consent form to the Membership Department at least one business day before the planned event.

Don’t get left behind! Display your résumé, headshots, audio clips and video reels. And if you feel behind the times, or can’t tell a cut from a paste, don’t worry! SAG staff is here to walk you through this painless process. We’ll help you upload your information onto the site and navigate you through all the easy-access features.

Carolina Reflections

By Jerry Winsett
North Carolina SAG Council Member

We have had a good summer here in the Carolinas. No tropical storms (I refuse to use the “H” word), sunny days and soft summer nights…. And we have seen increased production for indies as well as various major projects in production, post production or preproduction. Tourism has seen a decline here in the South, as everywhere, but we still have many visitors to our area. When they ask about the Carolinas, I always say, “Did you know that we have had several TV shows and films produced in this area?”  After I rattle off a list, they set out looking for “locations” that they may recall.

Never pass up an opportunity to talk up our area and the importance that our union plays here and confirm how proud you are to be a member of Screen Actors Guild.

Recently, I attended an advance screening of The Red Cape, a film I was part of here in Wilmington. It is a telling of the riots of 1898, the only successful coup d'état on American soil. It is an important story to tell, and filmmaker Nelson Oliver was able to use several outstanding SAG actors, thanks to one of our new contracts specifically targeting low-budget films. Our union at work! Our union members at work!

Elsewhere in this newsletter, you will read about film incentives in North Carolina. I can’t stress how important it is to get the word out and to support the efforts to increase our incentives so we can compete with other Southern states with more attractive programs. Also, be sure to look for an e-mail about an iActor training session coming up at University of North Carolina Wilmington at the end of this month.

And take time to enjoy those mountain breezes and the sea spray of the coast; get out there and enjoy this beautiful Carolina summer! But don’t forget the sunblock!

Incentive Increase Would Do
N.C. a World of Good

By Jason Tomlinson
South Region Executive

Improved tax incentives for the film industry are closer to becoming a reality in North Carolina. According to the North Carolina Film Office, Senate Bill 943 has been referred to the House Committee on Finance after receiving a favorable report from the North Carolina House of Representative Committee on Commerce. Senate Bill 943 would expand North Carolina’s tax credit for qualifying expenses of a production company from 15 percent to 25 percent. The production must spend at least $250,000 in the state to qualify for the incentive.

Now is the time to contact your local legislators to express your approval of this bill.

Click here to find the contact information of your representative and tell him or her that you are for the passage of this legislation.  Not only would raising the tax incentives go a long way toward adding to the attractiveness of North Carolina as a filming location, it also could assist in tempting current North Carolina companies to expand their operations. According to StarNewsOnline.com, Screen Gems is considering building two sound stages in Charlotte to compliment the existing space they have in Wilmington. More stages means more projects. And more projects means more jobs for SAG members. The film incentives bill is a key ingredient in this decision. This bill, along with an overall improvement in the economy, is essential to Screen Gems’ decision as to whether an expansion would be a good move.

Increasing the tax incentive offered is now much more important considering the fact that many other non-traditional filming venues have recently sweetened their tax incentive packages. Louisiana upped its incentive from 25 percent to 30 percent, retroactive to July 1, during the latest legislative session. Georgia has raised its incentive to 30 percent as well. Alabama has increased its tax incentive to 25 percent of qualified production expenditures. An increase to 25 percent keeps North Carolina in the discussion. Add to that an improving infrastructure and an experienced and skilled crew and performer base and North Carolina can favorably reposition itself in the game of luring productions.

Contract Corner

By Jason Tomlinson
South Region Executive

One of the common mistakes that many  of our local members and non-members make when attempting to exercise their rights under the contract is that they have a valid claim but wait too long to file it. A perfect and very common example of this is a claim for an upgrade on a film. An example of an upgrade claim: a person hired as a background performer is instructed by the director to deliver a line of dialogue. If the performer does so and it is captured on film, that person is eligible for an upgrade, no matter if the scene makes it into the final version or not. However, the big catch that many performers run into is that they wait too long to file their claim. Under the provisions of the contract, a performer has three (3) months from the day he delivered the line to file a claim with the union. If this deadline is missed, the claim is barred forever. Another important point to remember is that if the line is simply volunteered by the performer without any direction from the director, an upgrade would not be granted, even if it makes it into the final version of the film. It is also important to remember that it must actually be a line of dialogue and not simple crowd noise or screaming. In summary, the three key ingredients to making a successful upgrade claim:

1. Directed by the director to deliver a line of dialogue (with some exceptions for speaking in groups.)
2. Line is recorded and audible.
3. Upgrade claim is made within three months of the line being delivered. But keep in mind that the sooner the Guild knows about a claim the better.

If you feel that your situation merits an upgrade, please contact the SAG office at (504) 585-7324.

The SAG Foundation is Ready to Help

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation enhances the lives of actors by investing in programs that help them in their professional endeavors. The foundation’s financial assistance, catastrophic health, educational and literacy programs reflect the concerns and interests of SAG members as well as their desire to “give back” to their communities.

The SAG Foundation is independent from SAG but offers substantive services to Guild members, free of charge. For details, visit SAGFoundation.org or call (323) 549-6708.

Production Update

To find out about productions scheduled to film in the Carolinas, click here to connect to the Branch page.

Remember, you must register with the SAG website to access this exclusive members-only information.