Self-Tape Audition Survey Results and the 2022 Commercials Contracts Auditions Provisions

The SAG-AFTRA President’s Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement continued its conversation on self-taping auditions with Spotlight on Self-Tapes II on Sept. 1. SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Ben Whitehair was joined by SAG-AFTRA Vice President, New York and New York Local President Ezra Knight, Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez, Chief Economist David Viviano, and National Director, Commercials Contracts Claudette Singh. 

The webinar opened with a special presentation of the union’s findings from its most recent survey from members about their experiences with self-taping. The survey, which received responses from 9,300 active members, highlighted the increase in self-tape audition requests from casting directors. Also covered were common issues members faced when self-taping, including difficulties obtaining and using equipment on their own, having a short turnaround time for recording auditions and dangerous requests from casting such as auditioning while driving. 

Following the survey presentation, the panel then discussed ways the union can effectively enforce the new audition provisions of the SAG-AFTRA 2022 Commercials Contracts. Some early initiatives include meetings with the Casting Society of America and the Commercial Casting Directors Association, and direct outreach from union staff to members and other industry professionals.

“Members have been very engaged and proactive in approaching the union and coming to us with questions and teaching themselves about these new provisions,” said Singh. “As far as the industry goes, I would say the same thing. They want to learn about these new provisions and we routinely have been fielding calls from casting directors [who] want to do the right thing and put out a correct breakdown.”

At the conversation’s conclusion, Rodriguez encouraged members to continue openly communicating with their union about their experiences and contract violations.

“With every new iteration and change in how business gets done, challenges surface as a result. It's our responsibility to be diligent as individuals and collectively as a union and address those challenges,” said Rodriguez. “If members have examples of self-tape audition requirements that are not in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement, they can bring that to us and we will intercede directly to make sure that [the project] is indeed brought into compliance with the rules of the Commercials Contract.”

Click here to watch Spotlight on Self-Tapes I. Other PTEOE panels and interviews are available for replay at sagaftra.org/videos.