What Are SAG-AFTRA Vouchers?

SAG-AFTRA Vouchers are original paystubs verifying that you worked as an actor in a union production.

Essentially, they are documents that prove your employment as an actor in a production that falls under the union’s jurisdiction. When you work on a project covered by this union, you receive these vouchers as part of your compensation.

These vouchers are more than just pieces of paper; they hold significant value for actors aspiring to join the union. They represent tangible evidence of your professional experience and eligibility for SAG-AFTRA membership. To become a member of SAG-AFTRA, actors usually need to accumulate a certain number of vouchers, typically three, by working on union productions in eligible roles.

In essence, SAG-AFTRA vouchers act as stepping stones toward union membership, indicating that you’ve met the necessary criteria and have been compensated for your work following the union’s standards. They are crucial documents for actors aiming to establish themselves within the professional acting community and gain access to the benefits and protections afforded by SAG-AFTRA membership.

[Read also: SAG Voucher Tips: How to Get 3 Vouchers!]

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Payment Vouchers or Paystubs

Your vouchers or paystubs are a great way to:

• track earnings and stay organized;
• keep records of your acting jobs;
• use them to accurately report your income on your taxes;
• trace the payments from the production company;
• filing unemployment; or
• for other income-verifying purposes.

After about two weeks of the day your acting job wrapped, you should receive a check in the mail for the job as described on your voucher. The voucher or paystub is typically a pink slip. However, electronic payments are becoming more common, and your voucher may look different in a digital version from each production. [Check the SAG-AFTRA website for more information.]

When do I get a voucher?

You will receive a voucher at wrapping if your acting work is:

• as a principal actor (speaking lines),
• or as a background actor or “extra” (no lines and not always clearly identifiable),
• as a featured background or “featured extra” (no lines but identifiable).

[Read also: SAG-AFTRA: When Should You Join?]

Taft-Hartley

The Taft-Hartley Act allows you to work under union conditions before you join a union. On a SAG-AFTRA production set, there are regular payment vouchers, and “Taft-Hartley Vouchers” (also known as “SAG-AFTRA Vouchers” or “Union Vouchers”).

An actor will receive a SAG-AFTRA voucher instead of a regular voucher at wrapping when:

• the actor is not a SAG-AFTRA member but played a speaking role;
• or the actor is identifiable on camera (featured background);
• the actor received an “upgrade” on set from background to principal.

Receiving ONE union voucher as a principal actor makes you eligible to join SAG-AFTRA. When you work a speaking role, SAG-AFTRA may send you an invitation letter to join soon after.

Receiving THREE union vouchers as a background actor also makes you eligible to join SAG-AFTRA. You don’t always receive a union invitation to join in that case, so you have to contact the union and present them with a copy of your vouchers.

Taft-Hartley is a common way non-union actors choose to try and join the union.

[Read also: Can Background Acting Ruin My Career?]

What Are SAG-AFTRA Vouchers Used For?

Having a SAG-AFTRA voucher is especially beneficial for professional actors. Being an actor is a business, and the vouchers serve as:

• record of income;
• proof of union affiliation,
• a track record of money you earned, a record of taxes you paid.

Moreover, SAG-AFTRA vouchers allow you to:

• seek healthcare,
• join a union pension plan, and
• collect residual payments.

Ultimately, a SAG-AFTRA voucher is an invaluable tool for union actors to prove they have worked as an actor and received the payments associated with the job.

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When Extras Get a SAG-AFTRA Voucher

Background work, unfortunately, is not considered “serious acting.” However, being an extra actor is not all bad. As a background, you have the opportunity to:

• meet people, which can lead to future contacts and opportunities,
• build your “on-set” experience, 
• learn about the industry and the craft of acting,
• maybe receive an upgrade and a SAG-AFTRA voucher (or 3!).

Being a background actor may not make you a superstar overnight, but with persistence and a little luck, you can transition from the background into the spotlight.

[Read also: Can Background Acting Ruin My Career?]

Receiving a SAG-AFTRA Voucher On Set

Receiving a Taft-Hartlley voucher at wrapping typically means you received an “upgraded”  role, also known as a “bump.” There is no formula for getting this kind of upgrade, although many actors chase vouchers as a way to join the union. As a rule, upgrades happen on set as production needs them. It is a matter of luck.

“I have only seen it happen a few times,” says actress Luciana Lambert. “I was working on the set of an Adam Sandler movie once when he randomly pointed at an extra among at least another three hundred others and asked them to say a line. That person received a SAG-AFTRA voucher and a standing ovation from fellow extras at wrapping. After all, it is like winning the lottery.”

Nonetheless, that actor would need to get lucky at least two other times to get enough SAG-AFTRA vouchers to join the union. “People tell me I was very lucky,” says Katia Kieling, who worked at a different big-budget film. “I got twelve vouchers from standing next to the main cast as a waitress for twelve production days.”

“It took me about two years to receive five SAG-AFTRA vouchers (when) I was doing background work in L.A.,” says actor Randy Masters on Reddit. It is important to consider that cities with an abundance of productions like Los Angeles always will have opportunities for background actors. Equally important is to keep in mind that being “extra” in productions sometimes hinders your opportunities in your long-term acting career. Being busy as a background actor means you have less time to audition for bigger roles and may also become someone productions start getting familiar with – for background work.

[Read also: Casting Websites: Which Ones To Pay For?]

Asking For a Voucher

Productions always have vouchers that they choose to give out. One way to get a union voucher is to ask a production assistant to give you one. The challenge is knowing who to ask. There are typically so many producers and assistants on set that figuring out who handles the vouchers may be a guessing game. Once you know who to ask, you still may get a negative answer. Again, it is a matter of luck – and in this case, of daring.

A more certain way to join is to be invited by the union rather than chasing SAG-AFTRA vouchers. After all, chasing vouchers means:

• an extra task when you are working on set;
• a frustrating ask with great chances of getting a no response;
• there are no guarantees of getting a voucher on set, no matter how hard you try.

[Read also: Never Ever Ever Lie On Your Acting Resume]

Are There Other Ways Of Joining SAG-AFTRA?

Yes. Auditioning for SAG-AFTRA roles before you join SAG-AFTRA means that if you get that job, you will become eligible to join the union under Taft-Hartley. That means, you already know that the voucher you will receive at wrapping is a SAG-AFTRA voucher.

But wait… Can you audition for union jobs when you are not a union member yet?

Yes, you can. The way to do that is mostly through an agent or manager. Union jobs are not always easy to find on your own, although Casting Directors sometimes use Actors Access to find a specific type of actor for a union job. Keep in mind that casting directors prefer to use agents’ client lists to find actors for union jobs. Opening self-submissions on Actors Access is their last resort, which they do when they need someone with a very specific skill like fluency in a second language, for example.

State Laws

Another thing to keep in mind is your state laws about unions. In some states, you become a “must-join” for SAG-AFTRA after you have declined the union’s invitation to join a handful of times, which you received from your “Taft-Hartley” status. That means you can only continue to work union jobs in those states once you join SAG-AFTRA. The time between when you qualify to join SAG-AFTRA and you decide to do so is known as the “SAG-Eligible” stage. Casting websites categorize it as “SAG-E.” Being eligible to join the union might make it easier to be considered for SAG-AFTRA projects even when you have not yet joined the union.

[Read also: How to Be a SAG-AFTRA Actor in a Right-to-Work State]

Is it Worth Chasing SAG-AFTRA Vouchers?

The answer is up to you. As we stated before, you would have to “get lucky” and receive an upgrade on set enough times (at least three) to get sufficient union vouchers. 

All that said, it is a perfectly valid way of becoming a union actor. 

[Read also: 7 Mind-Blowing Reasons You Will Not Find a Good Audition On Casting Websites]

Does anyone look down on actors who join the union via vouchers?

No. There is no difference whether you join the union via SAG-AFTRA vouchers or Taft-Hartley. Once you become a union actor, no one cares how you became one.
In some states like California, being a SAG-AFTRA actor adds great value to your resume and may play an important part in getting representation. In other states like Florida and Atlanta, which are considered “right-to-work” states, union status is up to the actor.

Some actors consider it important to join the union due to the protections they receive. SAG-AFTRA is always negotiating with producers. Their goal is to make film and TV sets safe and get actors fair pay for their work. Other actors prefer to wait until they must join the union to accept a specific job that may be their big break. They may also discuss with their agent when it is the best time to join the union in their case.

[Read also: Maysoon Zayid: Acting with a Disability]

Conclusion

Dedicating time and energy to pursuing SAG vouchers to join the union is a personal choice. If that pursuit overwhelms you and takes away your focus on your craft of acting, it is probably not worth it. Building solid credits and becoming a better actor with every performance betters your odds of getting a great agent who can help you join SAG-AFTRA when you are ready.

Nevertheless, if you consider the task of gathering your SAG vouchers part of the grind, go for it! Make your dream happen however you choose!

In both cases, you will eventually join, and how you join does not matter at all. 

[For more details on SAG-AFTRA Vouchers and SAG-AFTRA eligibility, check your local SAG-AFTRA website.]

[Read also: 5 Lessons From Casting Directors Workshops]

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