Sam vs. SAG

Greetings, Benanarthurites. Cardinal Caudle has brought to my attention an article Sam wrote for Backstage, entitled Forget the Unions, Make a Film. Just in case Backstage pulls the article, I have posted it here:


I want to share ideas about movies in an economy that has failed us all. The unions may find my ideas controversial; but with a weak economy, something has to give. First, I'd like to talk about motivation. Why are you making a movie? If you want to make a movie for personal gratification, out of passion and love—then great! You will find the rewards you are looking for. Doing it for profit may be a disappointment.

Assuming you have a great screenplay, some actors who will work free, locations, and a great digital camera (forget film; it's too expensive), you're ready to begin. There are great books on directing, which are excellent in steering you in the right direction on how to set up shots, etc.

How does the Screen Actors Guild fit into this? If you are lucky enough to find a star—from today or from yesteryear—and you're working together and you do not have to pay the star, in my opinion you should set up your film as a two-project vehicle. Because a project has to have signatory status to use union actors (forget using union actors if they are not stars or "names"), cut your screenplay into two parts. One "project" will be signed to union agreements; the other pages of the screenplay, those that don't pertain to the union actors, will be another "project." Then combine them in the editing process.

Of course, SAG will say you can't do this, but they will never know which parts of the movie are what. If they require a script, then only turn in what needs to be union and go from there. There are plenty of stock-footage shots not covered by the union that get added into union-covered movies all the time, and no one gets reprimanded. So why is it a big deal to do two projects and combine them later as one?

Here's an example: You've lucked out and gotten a star. You only need him or her for a cameo—like, 10 pages. You set up these 10 pages as a SAG production, and the rest separately as a nonunion production. Then in editing, you combine all and you save lots of money on workers' compensation insurance, etc. You just eliminated making the whole production a union film. If SAG says anything, say the shot with the star was a stock "scene" and you put it in your film.

As for distribution, a copy of your movie on DVD costs less than a dollar. If you fail to get a distributor for your film, it doesn't hurt to take about $1,000 of your own money, or even just 500 bucks, and make them yourself. Many distributors out there will take your "retail-ready" DVDs and market them.

To compete with foreign markets so production stays in America, we all may need to take a pay cut. All entertainment unions need to help producers keep costs down. State lawmakers need to pass laws making California an easy and affordable place to do business in. Cutting the costs of workers' compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, and taxes; stopping permit fees for filming; and lowering the sales tax are a few good starting points.

I've always believed in making things happen for yourself. My motto is "If it's meant to be, it's up to me." Good luck to all first-time moviemakers!



Sam, who is himself a SAG member, is basically telling neophyte filmmakers how to circumvent union rules. Hey, if going behind the union's back was good enough for Ed Wood...

Well, it didn't take long for the guild to fire back. SAG official Ray Rodriguez posted a rebuttal to Backstage a few days later, charging that Sam's article was "Replete with Misinformation":


I write in response to Back Stage's April 1 opinion piece by Sam Mraovich entitled "Forget the Unions, Make a Film."

This article is replete with dangerous misinformation that, if taken seriously, will lead aspiring filmmakers down a short path to failure and serious legal problems. Even worse, this article completely ignores the fact that the Screen Actors Guild's low-budget theatrical contracts allow aspiring filmmakers with even the smallest budgets to use professional actors under a SAG contract.

Mr. Mraovich advises filmmakers fortunate enough to have found a "star" to submit the portion of the script containing the star's performance as a "separate" production, to be combined in editing with another "separate" production made entirely nonunion. I will limit myself to highlighting four of the most salient problems with this scheme.

First, the guild simply will not sign a film that does not have a clear beginning, middle, and end. We have been reviewing scripts and ferreting out would-be schemers for far longer than most aspiring filmmakers have been alive. Mr. Mraovich seems to think that it's a simple matter to fool the long-serving and knowledgeable staff that works here. Don't believe it.

Second, if the filmmaker is unfortunate enough to succeed at signing the partial script to a SAG contract, the guild will obtain an arbitration award after the fact, requiring the filmmaker to pay all of the actors in the combined production under the applicable collective bargaining agreement in addition to a host of penalties. If the filmmaker cannot satisfy the arbitrator's award, the guild will foreclose on the film, sell it, and use the proceeds to pay the actors. Pursuing Mr. Mraovich's strategy is a good way for filmmakers to lose everything they worked for.

Third, any aspiring filmmakers who pursue this scheme will face legal consequences for their failure to make pension and health contributions on behalf of the "nonunion" performers, including a possible ERISA lawsuit that will add to their burgeoning legal and financial woes.

Fourth, and most importantly, aspiring filmmakers need to remember that it is the actors' performances that will make their films come alive. Using the experienced, professional actors that a SAG contract provides access to will give aspiring filmmakers their best chance to make a quality film that stands out and showcases their talent in an environment where nearly anyone can buy a digital camera and produce mediocre content.

The fact is that aspiring filmmakers do not need to choose between using SAG actors and making a low-budget film. SAG offers low-budget agreements to independent producers that allow them to pay as little as $100 per day on a production with a budget of $200,000 or less. For films less than 35 minutes long with budgets less than $50,000, actors' salaries can be deferred entirely.

We hope that any aspiring filmmaker inclined to consider Mr. Mraovich's foolish advice will first visit www.sagindie.com to learn more about how to produce low-budget union films legitimately. We also hope that in the future, Back Stage will contact SAG and do some fact-checking before printing anything like Mr. Mraovich's unfortunate article, in order to avoid creating a trap for the unwary filmmaker.


As a commenter noted, "Bad enough that certain politicians and corporate interests are trying to bust the unions. We have to put up with ham handed, el cheapo filmmakers like Mraovich who try to circumvent union policies."

Happy Holidays

Wow, 11 months since the last post? Contrary to popular belief, I've got a life, and a day job, and they've kind of kept me away from our little congregation here.
I wonder if Sam's other projects will see the light of day, like Steve's Hollywood Story, Sparring or The Attorney? One can only hope.
Anyway, hope you have a great 2011.

First post of 2010

Today’s latest news. It’s been a long
battle here in Hawaii. The public has
long awaited the decision of the court
of Hawaii and the courts have voted yes.
Homosexuals do have the right to get
married. Judge Kevin Chang’s ruling has
made history in this country.

Of course, that's from the first 5 minutes of the movie, where Arthur turns on the radio (to the ever popular Plot Exposition station) and happens to catch the above news report Ben told him about.
And as you recall, Ben and Arthur's plans to "fucking go to Hawaii" are thwarted when they learn that the court's decision was overturned - leading to Arthur's hissy-fit ("This country fucking sucks, it just fucking sucks! Ooooooohhh!") and their going instead to that alternate Vermont where palm trees flourish.

Well, the Hawaiian Senate has passed a civil union bill. Perhaps Ben and Arthur could have waited, oh, seven years?

Anyway, I haven't posted here in a while, and I just thought I'd add that.

As you might know, Part 1 of the movie was taken down from YouTube. The distributor, Ariztical (which owns CultureQ Connection), made a copyright claim, which they have every right to do, and YT pulled Part 1. So far, the other parts are still online, and Part 1 has been re-posted, but all the comments that originally accompanied Part 1 are lost.
A couple of years ago YT user "erectushomo" was the first to post B&A in its entirety. YT took down all parts, acting on a copyright claim by some German company that had nothing whatever to do with the film, not Ariztical or CQC.


Here's Part 1 reposted:


And look, there's the tripod!

Quotes

Here are actual bits of dialogue from Ben & Arthur:

Arthur: Fuck in another two years, Ben! This is ignorance and completely unfair! This country fucking sucks! It just fucking sucks! (Arthur leaves the room to try and cool down. It doesn’t work.) And you know what! If we ever get into a war and they draft my ass the first thing I’m gonna tell them is if I’m not good enough to get married in this country, then I sure as hell ain't dying for it.

Ben: Tammy - I'm gay! I've already told you that!
Tammy: Ben - I'll be gay too, and then that'll make it all right for us to get married again, huh?
Ben: You are not making any sense!
Tammy: Hey! I don't make sense? You don't make sense! I make sense, that's who makes sense!

Ben: Arthur! Our bike is gone!
Arthur: What? You locked it up, didn't you?
Ben: I asked you to lock it up for me last time, remember?
Arthur: Well - I thought I locked it up.
Ben: Damn it, Arthur! I need to know that I can count on you!

Arthur: We don’t need prayed for. You need prayed for.

Victor (to Stan on the phone): Yeah, yeah, it’s Victor. The potion didn‘t work! Do you believe it? Yeah. Okay. I’m gonna have to resort to the final plan!

Mildre(a)d

"There's a whole two inches left."

It would seem that a character in the film that Benandarthurists have taken to their hearts is Mildred (or "Mildread" as Sam spells it), played by Loretta Altman (any relation to Robert?). In the screenplay, Sam describes her thus: "Mildread is Arthur and Ben’s neighbor. She is mean and hates Ben and Arthur because they’re gay. Arthur feels the same but tries to be polite." Yet this is not quite how the scene is played as filmed. Mildred comes off as bored, impatient, and apparently gay herself, but not "mean."
Also, after Mildred tells Arthur about the break-in at the parking garage, Arthur, according to the script, "turns around smiling. He feels good slamming the door in Mildread’s face." Again, it is not played that way in the film.

If anyone wants to give some love to Ms. Altman, she can be reached at flute1861[at]hotmail.com. (She provided that address herself in Sam's guestbook.)

Favorite YouTube comments, part 1

These are among my faves:

"This movie is evil. As soon as it ended my DVD player broke. The day after I saw it I lost my job that I had for 5 years. My girlfriend that I was planning to propose to cheated on me with my brother. My house burned down and now police suspect me of doing it for insurance money. I am now wanted in my state.
Everything was destroyed by the fire. All.. except Ben & Arthur DVD. I am now cursed. Pray for my soul."
-discoverist

"This pile of horse shit had more errors and mistakes in it than George W Bush's presidency; and I was just as relieved when it finally ended." - drc1981

"You know, when I started this film, I didn't think it was THAT bad. Amateurish, sure, but it seemed easygoing enough. I could laugh at it.
But in the second half, all pretense of fun went out the window, and the film became a spout of incest, violence, and bigotry, all fueled by Mraovich's personal hatred.
That's why this is the worst movie of all time. It's not just bad, its unpredictably bad. It's awful in a way that hurts the soul."
-craterspike

"Wow, this is getting as intense as The Godfather. Remember when Don Corleone brought out the dildo for Bonasera and said, 'If only you'd come to me in friendship. Now take some lube and shove this up your ass'" -Kimbahley

"Actually one thing strange about this movie, it seems to not attract the usual youtube comments.
Normally the comments section of youtube videos is just an incoherent mass of babbling idiots, but on all the segments for this, all the comments are the height of wit, and easily as funny as the film (with SMraovic09 the only exception)
I guess it's because this film sucks all the talent out of the air around it, some must be leaking out onto us. Good times." - Abazigal

"I have just shown this first part to my 11 year old cousin. He wants to know about film making... so I bought him a few books and DVDs on film making and then I showed him some of the worst in history. Well, all I can say is thank you Sam he actually cried, I thought he was joking at first, your film is bad and you should feel bad. All you are is an overgrown piece of shit that was left out in the sun that sprouted arms and legs and very little hair." - the0real0fozzy

"Absolutely none of these characters are likeable in the least bit! The production value of this movie is so utterly wretched, it looks like a mini-series made for youtube or something! GOD WHAT A HORRIBLE MOVIE AND I'M NOT EVEN A QUARTER OF THE WAY THROUGH!" - Nummysammich

"There are awesome and memorable movie quotes like, 'This is Sparta!' and 'I am Beowulf!'

Then there are quotes like
'Oh my Goooooooooooooood' from Troll 2
Garbage Day and....

YOU FUCK"
-sarumanstrength

Every church has an altar

And we are no exception. Only a devout Benandarthurist will understand the significance of the items placed thereon.



Yes, that is a folding card table.

First, the trailer.

If you are not yet familiar with Ben & Arthur, by all means watch this trailer: