SAG-AFTRA Can Bar Non-Member Social Media Influencers From Guild Admission If They Promote For Studios During Strike
If you’re a social media influencer and want to take work promoting a film or TV series for a studio, but you’re not a SAG-AFTRA member — you might want to think twice.
SAG-AFTRA has issued rules during the strike for social media influencers, and even if you’re not a member of the guild, but one day want to join, you’ll be barred from doing so if you take on promotional work for the studios and streamers during the strike.
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Explicitly written under strikes Dos and Don’ts on the SAG-AFTRA Strike website for social media influencers, it reads, “Any non-member seeking future membership in SAG-AFTRA who performs covered work or services for a struck company during the strike will not be admitted into membership in SAG-AFTRA.”
Already, the news of this ruling is creating headaches for major studio and streaming companies as they rely on TikTokers to create electricity for their tentpoles. Recently, Sony/Blumhouse-propelled Insidious: The Red Door to a franchise-second-best domestic opening of $33M with the “What’s Behind the Red Prank” stunt. Sony’s marketing team created outdoor locations across the country whereby they lured people and tourists off the street, through a red door where they’re met, and freaked out by, the pic’s infamous lipstick demon. Key to this stunt were social media influencers Brent Rivera and Ben Azelart, who shot their own custom prank videos at the Hollywood location and posted to their combined 90 million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
Now what about those social media influencers who were guests at Disney’s world premiere Saturday for the Haunted Mansion? We understand they were already in the clear to work the red carpet.
For as the SAG-AFTRA site also states, “If an influencer is already under contract to promote struck work, then the influencer should fulfill their work obligation.”
And even if a social media influencer isn’t getting paid to push on social media for a studio/streamer, it’s best not to do so, even as a fan. “Influencers should refrain from posting on social media about any struck work regardless of whether they are posting organically or in a paid capacity,” reads Sagaftrastrike.org.
That also goes for Comic-Con, which attracts several social media influencers. They can’t promote for companies that SAG-AFTRA is striking against including “appearances, panels, fan meet and greets, etc. involving struck work.”
However, the good news is that social media influencers can still pursue and hold brand-partnership jobs.
“Influencers may still pursue commercial work including influencer-generated brand deals covered by the SAG-AFTRA Influencer Agreement and/or Influencer Waiver,” adds the site.
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