SAG-AFTRA
From ForcaWiki, the simple encyclopedia
| In one sentence | The labor union representing actors and other on screen talent in the United States, formed when two older unions merged into one. |
|---|---|
| Category | Film and Television |
| Related | Directors Guild of America (DGA), Writers Guild of America (WGA), Talent Agent |
Imagine two neighborhood lemonade stand clubs, one for kids who worked weekday stands and one for kids who worked weekend stands, eventually realizing they wanted the exact same things and decided to merge into one single, stronger club instead of staying separate.
SAG-AFTRA is a real life version of that kind of merger. It stands for the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, two separate unions that used to represent on screen talent before joining together into a single labor union. Today, SAG-AFTRA negotiates minimum pay and working conditions for actors and other on screen performers working in film and television.
Fun facts
- Before merging, the Screen Actors Guild mostly represented film actors, while the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists covered television and radio performers, so combining them made sense as those lines blurred.
- SAG-AFTRA works alongside sister unions like the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America, each representing a different part of the team that makes a movie.
- A Talent Agent representing an actor usually needs to understand SAG-AFTRA's rules closely, since they shape nearly every contract an actor signs.