SAG-AFTRA Issues Formal Strike Guidelines: No On-Camera Singing, Dancing or Stunts

In a memo to its 160,000+ members, SAG-AFTRA outlined formal rules for the TV/Theatrical strike, which will at 12:01 AM PT on Friday.

At that time, SAG-AFTRA members are forbidden from all principal on-camera work for film and television productions produced by Hollywood studios. This includes singing, dancing, stunt work and puppetry.

Also off-limits is off-camera work such as voiceovers and narration, as well as background and stand-in work and any promotional work for a struck film or television production. This includes fan events like San Diego Comic-Con, film festivals like the upcoming Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, and awards ceremonies like the Primetime Emmy Awards, which are expected to be postponed following news of this strike.

The memos were sent after an intense press conference at SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles headquarters announcing the strike, highlighted by a fiery speech by guild president Fran Drescher accusing the AMPTP of not negotiating in good faith on a fair deal for actors.

“I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting. Shame on them,” she said.

Read the full memo sent to SAG-AFTRA members below:

Also Read:
DGA Weighs In on Strike: ‘Extremely Disappointed’ in AMPTP, ‘Strongly Supports’ Actors and Writers

To All Members of SAG-AFTRA

The National Board has declared a strike of all covered services under the Producer – SAG-AFTRA Codified Basic Agreement and SAG-AFTRA Television Agreements and their related agreements (“TV/Theatrical Contracts”) and instructs all SAG-AFTRA members to cease rendering all services and performing all work covered by the TV/Theatrical Contracts. The strike extends to productions covered by any of the following agreements, effective at 12:01 AM Pacific Time, July 14, 2023:

• Producer-SAG-AFTRA Codified Basic Agreement

• SAG-AFTRA Television Agreement (includes New Media)

• SAG-AFTRA New Media Agreement for High Budget Original or Derivative Programs

• Special New Media Agreements

• Low Budget Theatrical Agreement (LBA)

• Moderate Low Budget Project Agreement (MPA)

• Ultra Low Budget Project Agreement (UPA)

Members may be able to work on projects produced by non-AMPTP-related production companies under these agreements if such projects qualify for an Interim Agreement. A list of projects adhered to an Interim Agreement will be posted at sagaftrastrike.org.

Except as set forth in the Notice to Members Regarding Non-Struck Work, ALL COVERED SERVICES AND PERFORMING WORK UNDER THE TV/THEATRICAL CONTRACTS MUST BE WITHHELD, including, but not limited to:

• Principal on camera work, such as:

• Acting

• Singing

• Dancing

• Performing stunts

• Piloting on-camera aircraft

• Puppeteering

• Performance capture or motion capture work;

• Principal off camera work, such as:

• ADR/Looping

• TV Trailers (promos) and Theatrical Trailers

• Voice Acting

• Singing

• Narration, including audio descriptive services except as the services may be covered by another collective bargaining agreement referred in the Notice to Members Regarding Non-Struck Work

• Stunt coordinating and related services

• Background work

• Stand-in work

• Photo and/or body doubles

• Fittings, wardrobe tests, and makeup tests

• Rehearsals and camera tests

• Scanning

• Interviews and auditions (including via self-tape)
  

• Promotion of/publicity services for work under the TV/Theatrical Contracts, such as:

• Tours

• Personal appearances

• Interviews

• Conventions

• Fan expos

• Festivals

• For your consideration events

• Panels

• Premieres/screenings

• Award shows

• Junkets

• Podcast appearances

• Social media

• Studio showcases
  

• Negotiating and/or entering into and/or consenting to:

• An agreement to perform covered services in the future

• Any new agreement related to merchandising connected to a covered project

• The creation and use of digital replicas, including through the reuse of prior work

• Performing on a trailer for a struck production or other ancillary content connected to a struck production

*To ensure compliance with the rule to withhold all covered services, members who are also employed in non-performing capacities should consult with SAG-AFTRA by emailing SAGAFTRAstrike@sagaftra.org. To the extent prohibited under applicable law, SAG-AFTRA will not discipline members for purely non-covered work done in other non-performing capacities.

In addition to the withholding of all covered services, the following rules shall apply for the duration of the strike:

1. Members must not cross SAG-AFTRA picket lines, subject to the exceptions outlined in SAG-AFTRA’s Notice Regarding Non-Struck Work.

2. Members must instruct their agent and/or other representatives to discontinue conducting negotiations on their behalf with the studios, streamers and networks for covered services.

3. Members must inform SAG-AFTRA of all strikebreaking activity by emailing SAGAFTRAstrike@sagaftra.org.

4. Members are also bound by any rules or interpretations set forth in the FAQs relating to this Strike Notice and Order. FAQs will be available shortly at https://www.sagaftrastrike.org/member-faqs.