Paddy and Daniel; Everything can be in order as long as the distributor takes care of the leftovers, but the small distributors will try to burn you every hour of ignition. The big problem is that they simply changed the model agreement for the ULB agreement. I see SAG`s problems with the studios. Given their “accounting methods,” a film can make 300 million profits, but studios say they`re still in the red. So saga said you`d fuck that. We take residues based on crude oil. A very understandable position. It`s a lot of trouble with THE POO AND THE POV PRODUCER. You don`t understand this new paradigm. They are used to television and large feature film productions.
And for these things, the treaty works largely. The same goes for the WGA. Most of the members are writers of television programs. And for them, the WGA contract works well. It doesn`t work out well for feature film writers. Daniel, you`re right. Even if you distribute the movie yourself and pour a load of crap into P and A, that`s not taken into account. They always have to pay on the basis of crude oil. But the good news is that you don`t have to pay for the leftovers for the first operation. It means if you do it in a theater, you`re fine.
On the other hand, if you sell your movie to HBO, you pay a dollar. Anything that is not a theatre. Every download, every DVD sale, etc., residuen occur. I worked a lot for a distributor called International Releasing Corporation. The guy who ran it had an excellent reputation for executing the distribution contract (IRC concluded when Sandy retired). Think about it after a second. He rewarded the agreement you made. This means that distributors are notorious for not complying with the agreement you have made. Everyone I know who has produced a feature has a distributor horror story. Especially if you`re a one-off.
You don`t have to produce 3 films a year, but you managed to make a movie. The merchants know that. They screw you up and say, “Yes, we screwed you. Then sue us. You know you don`t have the money to sue them, so they have no incentive to do good. That`s why SAG is so ruthless. A merchant can accept leftovers, but taking them at the checkout is another story. SAG doesn`t tell the difference between Nena and a distributor who screwed it before. But knowing why SAG acts the way they do doesn`t make it any easier for us.
I have no problem paying for leftovers. It is an important part of making a living as an actor or writer. But there are things in the ULB agreement that do not complicate anyone in the budget. For example, it is $100 a day for an 8-hour day. If you shoot at 12, you pay overtime. That`s $175 for those four hours. More than 12 hours of gold. It`s expensive. I think it`s best to go with the low-budget SAG Modified agreement.
Its daily rate is higher ($268), but it allows you to pay for a plan without overtime. For example, if an actor works 10 days, you can pay them a flat fee of 2,680. (I do it from memory, so the rates can now be from or over). The amended agreement will also allow you to obtain better or, at the very least, more experienced players. Agents tend to avoid the ULB agreement. I WANT AN “OUT” FOR BELOW STATEMENTS. I READ ULB IN 2005. I go through the memory and my impressions of the treaty at that time, so do not take my statements as absolute. Talk to a lawyer! Some other pitfalls of the ULB agreement: An actor can leave your project for better pay. That`s right! You must pay 15 per cent more than the SAG salary for retirement and health care.
Like all businesses in the United States, there are deductions like Social Security. Nothing to do with SAG, but young filmmakers don`t think about that kind of thing. It is best to hire a subcontractor. If you are posted on the internet, a 3.6 per cent fee will be charged to SAG. You should really have in your film a person dealing with all the WEEKLY requirements of the SAG (hours of work, taxes, etc.).