In landing a job as a stand-in on a television show or film, you may be excited by the opportunity. Add some high-profile actors to the work environment, and you may end up starstruck.

That said, as a stand-in on a TV show or film, you are a worker. If you are a union stand-in — namely, a stand-in who is represented by SAG-AFTRA — then you are likely working under a SAG-AFTRA contract. In most cases, that contract will be what is called a “collective bargaining agreement,” or “CBA.” A CBA sets the minimum terms under which you work.

Contractually, a production that is signed to a SAG-AFTRA contract (i.e., a SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement) must guarantee minimum terms for your work. In general, that production must pay you at least what is guaranteed to you in the contract, and it must also provide you with work conditions that are no less than what is guaranteed in the contract.

Recently, it has become painfully aware to me that even long-time members of SAG-AFTRA are ignorant that they work under collective bargaining agreements, are uninformed about the terms of these contracts, and don’t know how to go about ensuring those contract terms are enforced. This post aims to help stand-ins working under SAG-AFTRA contracts to better understand those contracts.

While I can’t go into all of the details about SAG-AFTRA contracts and situations, this should serve as a helpful guide to bookmark for future reference. I defer to SAG-AFTRA business representatives for authoritative insight into their contracts — even though in the past I have received bad information from business reps about their contracts. That said, when you Know Your Contracts!, should a SAG-AFTRA business rep give you bad information, you can follow up with them with contract language to sort through any confusion.

Why Stand-Ins Work under Different Contracts

Part of the problem many stand-ins face is that they don’t realize that there are a number of different contracts they may work under, rather than there just being one single contract that governs all of their stand-in work.

For the most part, why there are different contracts is historic in nature. SAG-AFTRA used to be two separate unions — SAG and AFTRA — with each union having its own contracts covering its own areas of production.

When the unions merged in 2012, all of those separate contracts didn’t simply merge into one single contract governing work in all areas. Instead, they were largely preserved. So different areas of SAG-AFTRA’s work jurisdiction are covered by different contracts that usually date back to before SAG-AFTRA formed in 2012.

That said, most stand-ins will encounter only a handful of different contracts in their work. For now, I will focus on union stand-ins in the New York Zone and the Los Angeles Zone, since most SAG-AFTRA stand-in work lies in these zones and stand-ins working outside these zones may not be covered by SAG-AFTRA contracts. (This, of course, is a very general statement and there may be exceptions.)

In case you are looking for SAG-AFTRA contracts on the SAG-AFTRA website, you can click here to find a range of SAG-AFTRA contracts. For any particular contract, you will want to click on its Agreement tab to find the contract language. (You may need to click on a left sidebar to find your particular contract.)

I recommend that SAG-AFTRA members download the contracts to their smartphones so that they can refer to them and cite the language in case of any controversy on set. Most SAG-AFTRA contracts are PDF-searchable. Links to contracts are below (the links may expire over time).

The Main Contracts Stand-Ins Work Under

Most stand-ins work under the following SAG-AFTRA contracts:

• The Theatrical Agreement
• The Television Agreement (aka “TV Agreement”)
• The Network Television Code (aka “Netcode”)
• The Commercials Contract

Occasionally, a stand-in will work under the following contracts as well:

• Basic Cable Agreement
• New Media Agreement

Clicking on any of the above links will jump you down the page to discussion on details of that contract.

The Jurisdictions Each Contract Covers

At times, it will be clear what contract is in play when working as a stand-in. At other times, it will be confusing what contract is in play.

In this large section, I will go into some general distinctions when it comes to the various SAG-AFTRA contracts.

The Theatrical Agreement

The Theatrical Agreement covers work in feature films. Most major movies a stand-in works on are signed to this contract.

This contract is over 700 pages long. However, there are two sections of the contract that cover stand-in work, and they are relatively brief. They are found near the very end of the contract. Each section can be easily read and PDF-searched for information about stand-in work and rates.

• If you are working in the Los Angeles Zone, stand-ins are discussed in Schedule X, Part 1.
• If you are working in the New York Zone, stand-ins are discussed in Schedule X, Part 2.

When reading the contract, a few things should be noted. Stand-ins are classified fundamentally as “background actors.” So, nearly all of the terms and working conditions that apply to background actors extend to stand-ins, since stand-ins are fundamentally background actors. In the New York Zone in particular, stand-ins are classified as “special ability background actors.”

Also, it should be noted that the contract uses the word “performers.” However, as clarified toward the beginning of the contract, background actors are not classified as “performers” within the contract. Therefore, stand-ins are not classified as “performers” either.

I mention this because when reading this contract, one may incorrectly assume that what is guaranteed to performers also applies to background actors and thereby stand-ins. Since background actors and stand-ins are not classified as “performers” in the contract, they do not get the same terms that performers get.

Additionally, when a stand-in also works as a photo double under the Theatrical Agreement, that stand-in earns a $10 adjustment to the stand-in’s base rate. With respect to stand-ins in the New York Zone, there is some controversy about whether that $10 adjustment should be higher, which Stand-In Central has covered in this post.

Depending on where you are working, know Schedule X, Part 1, or Schedule X, Part 2, of the Theatrical Agreement for insights into your minimum terms as a stand-in on feature films.

The Television Agreement (aka “TV Agreement”)

The Television Agreement covers work in most dramatic television. For example, most fictional television series are produced under the Television Agreement.

The Television Agreement is negotiated at the same time as the Theatrical Agreement, so sometimes it is referred to as the “Television/Theatrical Agreement” or the “TV/Theatrical Agreement.”

As a result, the terms of Television Agreement are almost completely the same as those of the Theatrical Agreement. That is, there is no known difference between these two contracts when it comes to stand-in work. If a stand-in is working on most fictional television series, that stand-in will likely have the same terms and working conditions as a stand-in working on a feature film.

As with the Theatrical Agreement, depending on where you are working, Schedule X, Part 1, and Schedule X, Part 2, are two relatively brief sections of the contract that cover your stand-in work.

• If you are working in the Los Angeles Zone, stand-ins are discussed in Schedule X, Part 1.
• If you are working in the New York Zone, stand-ins are discussed in Schedule X, Part 2.

Note: The above link to the Television Agreement does not include any Schedule X sections. See the Theatrical Agreement above to read Schedule X, Part 1, or Schedule X, Part 2.

As with the Theatrical Agreement, when reading the Television Agreement contract, a few things should be noted. Stand-ins are classified fundamentally as “background actors,” so most of the terms that apply to background actors extend to stand-ins. In the New York Zone in particular, stand-ins are classified as “special ability background actors.”

Also, the Television Agreement uses the word “performers,” but as clarified toward the beginning of the contract, background actors are not classified as “performers.” Therefore, stand-ins are not classified as “performers” either.

Additionally, when a stand-in also works as a photo double under the Television Agreement, that stand-in earns a $10 adjustment to the stand-in’s base rate. With respect to stand-ins in the New York Zone, there is some controversy about whether that $10 adjustment should be higher, which Stand-In Central has covered in this post.

Depending on where you are working, know Schedule X, Part 1, or Schedule X, Part 2, of the Television Agreement for insights into your minimum terms as a stand-in on most fictional television productions.

The Network Television Code (aka “Netcode”)

The Network Television Code covers work in non-dramatic television. For example, non-fiction television series are produced under the Network Television Code.

This contract covers a range of other television work as well. Historically, AFTRA contracts covered most of this work, which is why it doesn’t fall under the Television Agreement, which was usually SAG’s jurisdiction.

Of note to stand-ins, the other types of television work the Network Television Code covers are promotional announcements (also known as “promos”), soap operas (also known as “serials”), game shows, variety shows, awards shows, late-night shows, as well as daytime talk shows. This contract occasionally covers some fictional dramatic television series, but that seems to be relatively rare.

While this contract is not as long as the Television Agreement, it is arguably more complex and more difficult to interpret given the wide range of productions the Network Television Code covers.

That said, the sections about stand-ins are brief, and stand-ins should read them. Despite their brevity, it may require a SAG-AFTRA business representative to authoritatively interpret them as they can be somewhat confusing to read. The information pertinent to stand-ins in the Network Television Code can be found in the following sections via a PDF search:

• Paragraph 35: Understudies
• Paragraph 36: Stand-Ins and Dance-Ins
• Paragraph 46: Doubling
• Sideletter 56: On Credentials for Stand-Ins

Note: At publication, the 2018 update to the Network Television Code was not available. The SAG-AFTRA website may eventually host the 2018-2021 Network Television Code here.

In contrast to the Television Agreement, stand-ins are not classified fundamentally as “background actors” in the Network Television Code. Instead, the Network Television Code refers to stand-ins as “performers.” In other words, “stand-in” appears to be its own unique job class in the Network Television Code.

Stand-ins under the Network Television Code usually work at hourly rates rather than daily rates. On top of that, the contract determines the minimum number of hours of employment stand-ins can work. On some jobs, stand-ins may have a one-hour minimum, while on arguably most jobs stand-ins have a two-hour minimum. Stand-ins on other jobs have three- to five-hour minima. If the stand-in is working on the rare dramatic television series under this contract, the stand-in may be hired at a daily rate.

Of particular interest to stand-ins when working under the Network Television Code is when a stand-in also works as a photo double and when a stand-in is asked to memorize lines or choreography.

Netcode Stand-Ins Who Photo Double

Photo doubles under the Network Television Code are principal performers, not background actors. When a stand-in also works as a photo double under the Network Television Code, that stand-in is working as a principal performer.

In other words, while stand-ins under the Television Agreement earn only a $10 adjustment on their base when they also photo double, stand-ins under the Network Television Code earn principal rate.

Netcode Stand-Ins Who Learn or Memorize Lines or Choreography

When stand-ins are asked to memorize or learn any material — such as lines, choreography, etc. — they are then reclassified under the Network Television Code as “understudies.”

Understudies under the Network Television Code earn the minimum program fee for the performer being understudied.

Typically this means that when a stand-in is asked to memorize lines or material for a principal performer, that stand-in will earn the Network Television Code minimum principal rate for that class of principal performer.

Know the few short paragraphs in the Network Television Code about stand-ins, understudies, and doubles for insights into your minimum terms as a stand-in on non-fictional television productions, promos, variety shows, daytime talk shows, game shows, late-night shows, and some fictional television series.

The Commercials Contract

The Commercials Contract covers work in commercials — roughly speaking, promotional announcements for a product or service that are produced by an advertiser or ad agency.

The main difference between a commercial and a promo (“promotional announcement”) is that commercials are produced for advertisers and ad agencies (and thus fall under the Commercials Contract) and promos are produced for television networks (and thus fall under the Network Television Code).

The Commercials Contract is over 200 pages long. While it is hard to find references to stand-ins in the contract (the PDF is not totally searchable), stand-ins, hand models, and background actors are included under the category of “extra performers.” Stand-ins earn a higher wage than background actors, who are also known as “commercial extra performers” in this contract.

Starting on page 113, the section of the Commercials Contract that pertains to extra performers is approximately 30 pages long and is fairly easy to read. Stand-ins should be familiar with the section and several of its subsections, as they outline many of the terms and working conditions that apply to them. Important parts to read include:

• Schedule D: Extra Performers
• Section 6(B): Stand-in or Photographic Double

Stand-in work under the Commercials Contract can be lucrative. Working on a weekend or holiday can double your daily rate. Working on more than one commercial in a single day may also increase your wage substantially. Also, when you work as a commercial extra performer in addition to working as a stand-in, you earn that wage on top of your stand-in wage. On the whole, working at night and in smoke or wet conditions are more lucrative than if you did the same work on under a Theatrical or Television Agreement job.

However, in recent years, in light of falling commercials budgets and a subsequent increase in non-union commercial work, SAG-AFTRA — presumably with the aim of expanding the union’s work jurisdiction — has created waivers that provide ad agencies and advertisers the ability to ignore particular terms of the Commercials Contract, reduce terms of that contract, or make those terms negotiable, especially if the commercial has a sufficiently lower budget.

For the stand-in on a SAG-AFTRA commercial, this means that the union may have made some of the terms and working conditions guaranteed to you under the Commercials Contract negotiable or in some way different than what is written explicitly in the Commercials Contract. In short, SAG-AFTRA may have “waived” certain contract guarantees for stand-ins in the aim of capturing commercial work for its union members and their benefit plans.

The Experimental Social Media Waiver

Stand-ins should watch out to see whether their union commercial is being produced under the Experimental Social Media Waiver. This waiver is Sideletter #9, appearing toward the end of the Commercials Contract. It is simply a one-page letter with a few points listed on it, so it is easy to read.

Among several other things, this waiver allows commercials to pay only one session fee to stand-ins if they work on multiple commercials on the same day.

The Low Budget Digital Waiver

Stand-ins should also watch out for the Low Budget Digital Waiver, which makes many of the fees guaranteed under the Commercials Contract negotiable.

The Low Budget Digital Waiver is also a short and easy read.  It potentially means that as a stand-in, you can earn less than what is guaranteed to you in the Commercials Contract because your rate is “negotiable.” Practically speaking, this probably does not mean that you are negotiating your rate as a stand-in (which, of course, you may attempt). Instead, in effect it means that the commercial production can pay its stand-ins less than what is guaranteed in the Commercials Contract.  In other words, the rate for stand-ins is not mandated by the Commercials Contract, but rather, “negotiable.”

While the Low Budget Digital Waiver explains that session fees are negotiable, and that “All other terms and conditions of the 2016 SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract apply except as modified [in the waiver],” what the waiver does not say is that additional compensation like smoke pay, wardrobe fees, etc., are also negotiable (per email correspondence with a business representative in SAG-AFTRA’s Commercials Department).

In other words, the Low Budget Digital Waiver does not say that smoke pay, wardrobe fees, etc., are negotiable, and the waiver implies that they still apply as a term of the Commercials Contract — but, behind the scenes, SAG-AFTRA is saying that that additional compensation is also negotiable, without the union making a public statement to that effect or putting it in writing in the waiver.

This is to say that stand-ins working under the Low Budget Digital Waiver may see not just lower rates for their stand-in work, but also the additional compensation the Commercial Contract guarantees them may also be lower or possibly given away by SAG-AFTRA.

Know the section in the Commercials Contract about extra performers for insights into your minimum terms as a stand-in on commercials, but also be aware of the language of the Experimental Social Media Waiver and the Low Budget Digital Waiver, which waive some of the Commercials Contracts’ terms and compensation for stand-ins.

Basic Cable Agreement

A Basic Cable Agreement seems to cover television productions that appear on cable channels like TBS, truTV, and others. Less is known about this contract as it tends to be an overarching contract that generally abides by — but also modifies — terms of either the Television Agreement or the Network Television Code.

In other words, a Basic Cable Agreement may explain that a television production is abiding by either the Television Agreement’s terms or the Network Television Code’s terms. However, the language of the Basic Cable Agreement will also modify parts of the terms of the respective agreements. (Click here to read a sample of this contract, based in the TV Agreement.)

The net effect of Basic Cable Agreements seems to be that SAG-AFTRA is granting concessions to these cable productions, which may diminish some workers’ compensation and/or work conditions.

Basic Cable Agreements seem to be tailored to particular productions rather than being collectively bargained agreements on which SAG-AFTRA members vote to ratify. Therefore, because of being tailored to productions, they are not online on SAG-AFTRA’s website. Union members and employees have a right under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 to see a copy of all collective bargaining agreements that affect their work, so should you need to see a copy of a Basic Cable Agreement under which you may be working, you can request it from SAG-AFTRA.

In general, when you are standing in on a Basic Cable Agreement job, you will be paid under Television Agreement terms or under Network Television Code terms. See the above contract sections for understandings of the perks and problems of working as a stand-in under these particular contracts.

Keep in mind that if you do not know the language of the overarching Basic Cable Agreement, it may modify some of the terms of these two television contracts.

When standing in on a Basic Cable Agreement job, know whether it is abiding by Television Agreement terms or Network Television Code terms. Know those contracts to know your terms and compensation. Also, seek a copy of the Basic Cable Agreement from the appropriate SAG-AFTRA business representative handling the production so that you know whether any of your terms as a stand-in have been modified, reduced, given away, etc.

New Media Agreement

Like a Basic Cable Agreement, a New Media Agreement seems to be tailored to particular productions rather than being collectively bargained agreements on which SAG-AFTRA members vote to ratify. Little is also known about the terms of many New Media Agreements as they are not made available on the SAG-AFTRA website. (See this page for samples.)

New Media is characterized by the union as productions made for “Internet, mobile devices, or any other exhibition platform now known or which hereafter may be devised or adopted and excludes those media covered by a different SAG-AFTRA Agreements.”

New Media (HBSVOD)

In such a case, stand-ins can expect the same terms and conditions as those in the Television Agreement when working on a “New Media (HBSVOD)” job. However, as with a Basic Cable Agreement, the overarching New Media Agreement may alter some of those terms. Only by knowing the terms of the particular production’s New Media Agreement will a stand-in know whether stand-ins are affected or their terms and/or working conditions have been modified.

However, not all New Media Agreement productions are “HBSVOD.” Some are listed alternately as “Negotiable,” which presumably means they are not sufficiently high in budget, so SAG-AFTRA is granting the production concessions.

New Media (Negotiable)

When working on “New Media (Negotiable)” jobs, stand-ins may find they are working at unfamiliar or strange rates. They may also find they have fewer opportunities for additional compensation, such as from smoke pay, wet pay, meal penalties, etc.

Knowing the terms of that production’s New Media Agreement will be most helpful in finding out your terms and conditions, and also in being able to self-enforce those contract terms in case of controversy.

Union members and employees have a right under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 to see a copy of all collective bargaining agreements that affect their work, so should you need to see a copy of a New Media Agreement under which you may be working, you can request it from SAG-AFTRA.

When standing in on a New Media Agreement job, know whether it is HBSVOD or Negotiable. If it’s HBSVOD, know the terms of the Television Agreement, though be on the lookout for concessions that may affect your stand-in work. If it’s Negotiable, know that you may have lower wages and/or more concessions for production than if you were working a stand-in job under the Television Agreement.

No matter the type of New Media Agreement, seek a copy of the particular New Media Agreement from the appropriate SAG-AFTRA business representative handling this production so that you know whether any of your terms as a stand-in have been modified, reduced, given away, etc.

Other Contracts Stand-Ins May Work On

Left off this list is the Comedy Central Agreement, the CW Supplement, any special agreements SAG-AFTRA may have made with particular producers or networks, and any contracts that local branches of SAG-AFTRA may have bargained.

For questions about those contracts and how they may affect your stand-in terms and conditions, contact your local SAG-AFTRA branch.

On SAG-AFTRA’s “Background Actors Contracts Digest”

To help background actors and stand-ins have a rough sense of what they are guaranteed by the various SAG-AFTRA contracts, the union publishes a document called the Background Actors Contracts Digest.

This publication summarizes the contract language so as to make it “digestible.” The publication exists so that background actors and stand-ins do not have to comb through tons of information about principal performers in different contracts to find the contract language pertaining to them. They can look in the Digest to have a good sense of the working conditions for their job.

The publication makes for a “handy” resource if downloaded to your smartphone. However, I regularly say:

• The Digest is not the contracts, and
• What matters most is the contract language!

The language of the Digest is not enforceable — the contract language is. Furthermore, in places, the Digest does not accurately or completely represent what the contracts say.

When it comes to knowing your contracts, the Digest is of little help. It only provides superficial knowledge. If you want to know more in-depth information about your contracts, look at the language of your SAG-AFTRA contract and/or ask a SAG-AFTRA business representative for a copy of the collective bargaining agreement under which you are working.

Know MORE than Just Contract Language for Stand-Ins!

The more you know about your work as a stand-in, the more empowered you will feel on the job, especially in the face of problems with production that inevitably will impact your work and compensation. Not only will you feel empowered when you have that knowledge, you will likely be able to fix issues more quickly than a stand-in who has to do lots of research before getting an issue fixed.

That said, when you know more than just what is guaranteed to stand-ins under the contracts, you will be even more prepared to deal with controversies that stand-in work will present you!

Stand-ins are frequently asked to also photo double for actors. Knowing the terms under which photo doubles work will help you to protect yourself in the face of low or no additional compensation for photo doubling. Depending on the contract, you could be entitled to a small adjustment in your stand-in rate — or maybe hundreds of dollars more for the work.

Also, stand-ins occasionally get upgrades to stunt performers or principal performers. Knowing the terms under which stunt and principal performers work will aid you in the chance that you are given a line, do a stunt, etc. — an event which could seriously improve your compensation and work conditions.

If you do not know of what should contractually happen when you are in an upgrade situation, you may find yourself taken advantage of on the job and denied appropriate and hefty compensation. But if you are prepared, you can ensure you are properly compensated by day’s end.

In the event you are not compensated properly, you will know the contract language in filing a claim inquiry to receive the compensation you believe your particular collective bargaining agreement guarantees you.

Conclusion

It is alarming to me how little SAG-AFTRA members know about the contract language under which they are working.

Simply put, Know Your Contracts!

Refer to the above information when you need help in finding how different SAG-AFTRA contracts affect your stand-in work.

Also, share the above post with others who are trying to understand their particular contract terms when standing in.

Did you find this information helpful? Are there details that were left out? Do you have a correction? Post your thoughts below!