So, what’s it take to join SAG? Do you have to be an actor/actress, or are all of the producers, diectors, writers, and crew eligible? Just curious.
I suppose you could join SAG and create a film company, an S-Corporation, and make a short video of yourself. Lend your corporation $20,000, pay yourself a salary of $18,000 for acting in the film, for which the corporation would also pay $1,377 in payroll taxes, and you’d also pay FICA and Med tax of that amount. You’re out of pocket $2754, which isn’t really gone, it’s going into your eventual social security benefit.
The loss from the corporation offsets your wage income, so there’s no income tax.
You would then be able to apply for the SAG health insurance benefit.
So, what’s it take to join SAG?
Answer: You apply on a producers couch.... : )