SAG-AFTRA

Not every commercial is a big-budget ad for a national brand. Local restaurants, car dealerships, state lotteries, to name a few, all need commercials too. But the terms of our national commercial contract don't always make sense for these regional advertisers. That's where Regional Commercial Codes come in. These agreements create opportunities for working actors in small to mid-size markets across the country by making it easier for local businesses to hire union talent. SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Mid-Size Locals, Nikki Izanec joins the show to walk us through what Regional Commercial Codes are, how they work and why they matter. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

Finneas O'Connell is a two-time Academy Award winner, an 11-time Grammy winner, and the creative force behind some of the biggest music of the last decade. He's also a lifelong SAG-AFTRA member who grew up watching his family navigate the industry. In this episode, Finneas talks about his path from child actor to multi-hyphenate creative, the craft behind his music, and why union membership has meant something to him his whole life. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

Earlier this year, SAG-AFTRA ratified a new TV/Theatrical Agreement, and a previous episode covered the big wins: the pension merger, AI protections, scale increases, and more. But it's a 148-page contract, and some of the most meaningful gains for working performers may have flown under the radar. This episode goes deeper into the provisions that really add up on set and in members' paychecks. Deputy Chief Contracts Officer Jessica Johnson joins the show to discuss recurring performer escalators, series regular protections, meal penalties, per diems, and even a new pay provision for corsets. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

SAG-AFTRA member Harrison Ford has spent nearly seven decades as one of Hollywood's most beloved actors, but he'd still rather be called a working actor than an icon. This year, Ford was honored with the union's 61st Life Achievement Award at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA on March 1. In this episode, we listen back to an Actor to Actor conversation with Ford and SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin. The two talk about Ford's early studio contract years at Columbia and Universal, his quiet standoff with Ridley Scott while shooting Blade Runner, and what's kept him showing up for the work all these years later. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

Performance capture has evolved from an experimental filmmaking technique to a fundamental part of modern entertainment. But despite how common it's become, there's still a lot of misunderstanding about what performance capture actually is and what it means for actors who work in this space. To break it all down, we're joined by Woody Schultz, a SAG-AFTRA National Board Member and Vice Chair of the National AI and Technology Committee. Schultz has been at the forefront of performance capture since its early days, working on groundbreaking films like The Polar Express, Avatar and Monster House. He talks about how the technology works, why "motion capture" misses the point, the long fight to win union protections and what new AI technologies could mean for the future. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.