Industrial/Educational Signatory Instructions

Producer’s Guide to Working with
SAG-AFTRA on a Corporate/Educational
& Non-Broadcast Production

Download Producer's Guide Here

The SAG-AFTRA Corporate/Educational & Non-Broadcast Contract covers public relations, instructional, or training films made for initial use in the workplace, schools, conventions, seminars, internet, or in retail stores.

SAG-AFTRA Signatory Producers have access to the world’s most talented and professional performers for their projects, but becoming signatory does require completing a small amount of paperwork. We understand that dealing with paperwork isn’t as much fun as shooting your project, so to ease this burden we’ve created this simple guide to completing the signatory process.

Documents

The Signatory Package Zip Files that are posted on the Production Center at sagaftra.org are provided so that producers may review and consider them before beginning the signatory process. They are for demonstration purposes only---documents with signature lines are watermarked “SAMPLE” and cannot be executed.

For your reference, the Signatory Package Zip Files are divided into 2 folders: Signatory Documents and Production Documents. You will use the Signatory Documents to sign with SAG-AFTRA, and the Production Documents to manage the production and post-production phases of your project.

Once you have decided to begin the signatory process, start by following the steps outlined in the Pre-Production section below.

Pre-Production

Prior to auditions, casting or production, in order to use a SAG-AFTRA member in a Corporate/Educational & Non-Broadcast program, there must be a SAG-AFTRA Signatory attached to the project.   

Many payroll companies are already signed to the Corporate/Educational & Non-Broadcast Contract, and therefore may handle the necessary production paperwork, performer payments, and SAG-Producers Pension and Health contributions.

The other option is to have your company sign the signatory documents for this Contract. If you would like your company to become a signatory, complete and return a Preliminary Information Sheet Corporate Educational 4.27 (attached at the end of this Guide).

In New York (and east of the Mississippi), e-mail the completed form to angelica.criscuolo@sagaftra.org or fax to (212) 944-6774. In Los Angeles (and west of the Mississippi), e-mail completed form to kendra.day@sagaftra.org or fax to (323) 549-6860.

A SAG-AFTRA Business Representative will contact you within two business days to discuss your interest in becoming a signatory and send you a packet of information and documents, including all the materials you will need to become a signatory. The documents in that packet are not samples and can be fully executed.

Complete and return the following five forms from your packet:

1. Adherence Letter Corporate Educational Agreement 2.13, or Adherence Letter Corporate Educational Agreement OPO 2.14, as applicable (Return two signed originals)
2. Information Sheet Commercials Infomercials Corporate Educational 4.18
3. Corporate Resolution Corporate Educational 3.13, or Limited Liability Company Resolution Corporate Educational 3.21, or Limited Partnership Agreement Acknowledgement Corporate Educational 3.17, as applicable.
4. Credit Check Letter 3.22
5. Adherence Letter Pension And Health Plans 2.3 (Return two signed originals)

Important Notice Regarding Signatory Documents

Who may sign?  Signatory documents must be executed by an authorized person or persons.

• Corporations – Any person who is authorized by the President or Secretary of the Corporation on the Corporate Resolution. The Corporate Resolution may be signed only by the President or Secretary of the Corporation.
• Limited Liability Corporations – The Manager or Managing Member as indicated by the Articles of Organization, the Operating Agreement and authorized by the Limited Liability Company Resolution.
• Limited Partnerships – The General Partner as identified in the Partnership Agreement.
• Sole Proprietorships – The Individual Owner.
• D/B/A (“Doing Business As”) – The Individual.

Once your SAG-AFTRA Business Representative has reviewed your documents and approved your signatory status, you may begin the audition and hiring process. You must clear your cast with SAG-AFTRA to verify that the performers you have hired are in good standing. This is referred to as the Station 12 clearance process. If you are hiring a principal or background actor who is not a SAG-AFTRA member, you will need to complete a Taft-Hartley Report Commercials Infomercials Corporate Educational 6.3, for each such performer, and submit it to SAG-AFTRA, along with a head shot and resume, within 15 days of the employment date.

Production

All performers engaged in a Corporate/Educational & Non-Broadcast production must be provided with a Performer Contract Corporate Educational 6.47 prior to the commencement of principal photography.

Post-Production

Payment must be made to the performer within 30 calendar days of the session. The Pension & Health payment is made directly to SAG-Producers Pension & Health. Specific information regarding this payment can be found on the Pension And Health Report Of Contributions Corporate Educational 6.10.

And that’s it!
 
Remember, at any point in your production process, please feel free to contact the Commercials/Co-Ed Department with any questions. We have extended hours in both the Los Angeles and New York offices to better assist you in ensuring that your experience with producing a Co-Ed program under a SAG-AFTRA contract is a smooth and easy process.

We may be reached at (323) 549-6858 in Los Angeles and (212) 827-1454 in New York. Thank you for working with SAG-AFTRA.