Last week European Production Company that is trying to develop a script reaches out to me and sends me the script they are developing. During the conversation, they say they will reach out to one film director and one actor – Mel Gibson and asked me if I know their manager’s contact information. I offer to help on Mel Gibson part as I know he is a member of SAG and I am a member of SAG. I figured calling SAG to get managers information from another union member is not a big deal and explain people from Europe I will get them this information.

Turns out, SAG doesn’t provide other actors managers information. You have to apply for it and there is application they will send out via e-mail…they say.  So, if someone was to contact SAG for my contact information, would they have to apply for it as well?  All these loops in the time when IMDBPro lists all of this information as part of their subscription?

This silliness and bureaucracy at SAG got me thinking…why is the value add of SAG. I never had to call them in years about anything and now when I do…to obtain representative information of another SAG member I am told I have to fill out a special application (which I have not yet received).

Is the role of SAG to keep higher wages for actors through their skillful negotiations? I am not seeing that as in the past 20 years, SAG jobs appear to pay less and less…many of these jobs my agent and manager send me that are categorized as SAG Low Budget or Ultra Low Budget are just waste of time to go to auditions because one can make more money skipping audition and working his day job.

SAG is useless as a marketing tool for actors for sure. Production companies cannot even obtain your actor’s contact information if they call SAG and iActor.com is poorly developed compared to the competition out there and poorly visited the website.