A well-crafted union agreement can make or break your indie production, and no one knows that better than Jessica Johnson and Olga Rodriguez-Aguirre of SAG-AFTRA. 

John Cooke sits down with Jessica and Olga to demystify the SAG-AFTRA contracts that apply to independent films with budgets of $2 million and up. From common pitfalls to budgeting for residuals, they share the advice every indie creator needs before hiring union talent. 

Key insights from this episode: 

• When and how to engage with SAG-AFTRA (and why earlier is better) 
• Which contracts apply to films over $2 million 
• Why transparency with the union can save your production 

Chapters: 

(00:00) Meet Olga Rodriguez-Aguirre and Jessica Johnson 

(00:37) Why hiring union talent gives films a competitive edge 

(01:27) Common missteps filmmakers make with SAG-AFTRA 

(03:48) Which contracts apply when your indie budget hits $2 million 

(05:04) What to do when your film’s distribution plans change 

(06:55) Updating contracts mid-production 

(08:27) What SAG-AFTRA looks for in a producer 

(13:52) How to find top-tier talent in smaller markets 

Read our blog about this topic at https://www.mediaservices.com/blog/sag-aftra-explained-budgeting-for-union-talent/
 
Follow us on our socials:
Learn more on https://castandcrew.com/ 

Contact us at http://info.mediaservices.com/inside-indies   

Facebook: https://facebook.com/CastCrew 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/castandcrewllc/ 

LinkedIn: https:/linkedin.com/company/castcrew/ 

X: https://x.com/CastAndCrewNews