Producers of Short Films Can Now Sign Online

Screen Actors Guild Production Center Offers Online Resources to Ease Signatory Process

Los Angeles (May 12, 2011) — Producers of short films now have a faster, easier way to become a Screen Actors Guild signatory. The new Screen Actors Guild Production Center, located at SAG.org/ProductionCenter, allows the process to be done completely online.

To work with professional-level talent, producers must become signatory to the Guild, and the new Production Center is a one-stop resource for these producers on how to do just that. Along with the online signatory application, producers can also find FAQs, sample contracts and downloadable, fillable forms.

“We are proud to offer producers of short films a new way to easily sign with SAG so that they have access to top-tier, professional talent,” said Screen Actors Guild National Executive Director David White. “And our staff members are there to help producers every step of the way.”

Producers who have used the online application have found it easy to use, but for those who want a little extra help, SAG offers personal assistance via online helpdesk or telephone.

“I think this is going to make producers very happy,” said David Wolfson, the Los Angeles-based producer of the short Nuts and Bolts, who signed his film online. Wolfson said the online process helped keep him organized and on track. “When you’re dealing with all the things that go along with a production, be they call sheets or purchase orders or any of that, the ability to have all the casting documents in one place helped make sure we weren’t missing anything. All of the sections are so clearly laid out. From a task standpoint, it certainly made it much easier,” he said.

“Producers have a lot of logistical issues to keep track of in pre-production,” said Karen Borell, SAG national director, entertainment. “The resources found in the Production Center are one way we are working to help ease that process.”

The new SCREEN ACTORS GUILD PRODUCTION CENTER offers:

• Online signatory application (public beta now available) for Short, New Media, Student, Ultra Low Budget and Industrial-Educational projects
• Step-by-step signatory process tutorials.
• Sample performer contracts and FAQs
• Videos by and for producers to assist in the signatory process
• Easy-to-locate fillable forms that can be downloaded as needed or together in one complete zipped file
• Live helpdesk assistance during normal business hours

See everything the SAG Production Center has to offer at SAG.org/ProductionCenter.

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About SAG
Screen Actors Guild is the nation's largest labor union representing working actors. Established in 1933, SAG has a rich history in the American labor movement, from standing up to studios to break long-term engagement contracts in the 1940s to fighting for artists' rights amid the digital revolution sweeping the entertainment industry in the 21st century. With 20 Branches nationwide, SAG represents more than 125,000 actors who work in film and digital motion pictures and television programs, commercials, video games, industrials, Internet and all new media formats. The Guild exists to enhance actors' working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists' rights. SAG is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Headquartered in Los Angeles, you can visit SAG online at SAG.org.

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Contact: Pamela Greenwalt                         
SAG, Communications Executive Director
(323) 549-6872                     
pgreenwalt@sag.org