Micro Brings Big Changes to Indie Filmmaking and Content Creation

The Micro-Budget Project Agreement, or “Micro,” is SAG-AFTRA’s latest contract designed to streamline the signatory process for live-action projects with a budget of $20,000 or less per picture or per episode.

To talk more about Micro’s features and benefits, the SAG-AFTRA President’s Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement hosted Creating Entertainment Content on a Micro Budget on March 16. 

The livestream, which was emceed by SAG-AFTRA Low-Budget Committee Chair Stacey Travis, began with a presentation from SAG-AFTRA Entertainment Contracts Director Jessica Johnson and Senior Manager Lorna Badeo, who spoke about how Micro makes it easier for performers and filmmakers to create low budget content under a union contract. 

“It's a very quick process to use the Micro Agreement, so if you want to sign a micro project, you know you could do it minutes before you begin recording,” said Johnson.

Following that was a discussion with Johnson, Badeo and early testers from the agreement’s soft launch, New England Local President Andrea Lyman (The Donor), New York Local NextGen Performers subcommittee and New York Local Board member Evan Bass (How You Are To Me), and Chicago Local member and Cypher Foundation founder and president Troy Pryor. Each spoke about Micro’s easy use and the potential opportunities it presents for creatives. 

“[Filmmakers and members] can use the Micro-Budget Agreement as a stepping stone, and for the performer, this allows you to have a leg up when that project makes it big,” said Bass. “It gives you the opportunity to be in on all those projects on the ground level.”

To watch the event, scroll below. Visit sagaftra.org/video for more PTEOE panels and webinars.