New England Local President's Message

Winter in New England was busy with filming, broadcasting and voice recording work. Local members also worked in commercials, corporate/educational, television, audiobooks, radio and, of course, lots of new media. Our actor/performer members are getting accustomed to self-taping and some members have been successful in branching out to create and produce their own stories on film and through podcasts. Members have been reaching their goals or working toward new goals. And thanks to the elimination of the sunset on the Massachusetts film tax incentive, there are more and more projects coming to New England.  
 
Congratulations to CODA on winning the Academy Award for Best Picture and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in Motion Picture. Congratulations to all our New England Local members who worked on this fabulous film. Once again, films made in New England are receiving national recognition, nominations and awards. Congratulations go out as well to our local members who worked on the Academy Award- and SAG Award-nominated film Don’t Look Up. Go, New England!
 
Our Local Board continues to meet virtually. This spring, many of our local committees have started to meet again (virtually) and make plans. Thank you to all the members who have volunteered to work on our local committees. 
 
Local Executive Director Jessica Maher and local staff members Ellen Stoolmacher and Benjamin Shallop continue the gargantuan work of making certain our members are safe in their jobs and paid on time for their work. Continuous production equals lots of set visits, follow-up and calls to productions. On our broadcast side, we continue to renegotiate contracts, and we are bargaining for a first contract for the content creators at New Hampshire Public Radio.
 
Since 2020, many New England members have been using the SAG-AFTRA Micro-Budget Project Agreement to create their own projects. The Micro Agreement is for dramatic projects with budgets under $20,000 which will be exhibited at film festivals and free-to-consumer internet platforms. The rates are entirely negotiable and the signatory process takes a matter of minutes. Several local members shared their thoughts with me about making content under the Micro Agreement. 

• Lyralen Kaye: “The Micro Agreement allowed me to do remote, social justice filmmaking during the pandemic for the web series Assigned Female at Birth. As a triple minority without access to major funding and representing the underrepresented, such as nonbinary, trans, intersectional queer people and people living with disabilities, the idea of completing three seasons was pie in the sky. The web series won the Best New Media Award in 10 festivals and the 2021 New England Film Star Award. Our union protects us and the Micro Agreement enables us to reach outside the canon to innovate!”
• Rob DiNinni: “Navigating the union contract process can feel overwhelming, but in actuality, the resourcefulness and closed-loop communication from SAG-AFTRA has been incredibly gratifying, which has emboldened my conviction in showcasing our union and actor talent. I feel like SAG-AFTRA has my back and I have theirs. [It’s] what a union relationship should feel like.”
• Emma Jayne MacKenzie: “My actors felt confident knowing they were part of a SAG-AFTRA-contracted film. The Micro Agreement paperwork was minimal. There are no time logs to complete and submit. For a low budget, minimal crew production like mine, that was a huge time saver and I could focus more on filming and the actors. Our film was nominated for Best of Fest Short Film at the Chicago Irish Film Festival! The Micro Budget Agreement is awesome. It is so easy and simple. There is no excuse to not use it.”
• Michele Proude: “Introducing the Micro Agreement to a producer created the opportunity to turn a non-union project into a union project. I explained that the Micro Agreement is simple to use, and I sent him to the Micro Agreement page on the union website for information. He had additional questions, so I connected him to Benjamin Shallop at the local office. In the end, the director agreed that it was a simple process, and the cast included nearly 10 union performers who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to work.”

In addition to the SAG-AFTRA website, please remember to check out the SAG-AFTRA YouTube channel and specifically the PTEOE educational webinars, and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation website for free training sessions, education, information and interviews.
 
Please also share information regarding non-union commercial auditions to AdsGoUnion@sagaftra.org. Inform the union if a producer or casting director reaches out to you about a non-union commercial. Sharing information helps the union’s staff try to turn non-union jobs into union work for SAG-AFTRA members. Share the hashtag #AdsGoUnion on all your social media platforms. 
 
I wish spring, summer and beyond are filled with glorious gigs for all our New England Local members. May you all be well.
 
Sincerely,
 
Andrea Lyman
New England Local President