Hey Stage 32 gang, as someone who's new to screenwriting and doesn't have any professional credits, how do I enter the WGA? I'm worried about applying for screenwriting opportunities that require you to be a WGA member without being one first. The WGA website describes a credit system to be eligible, but I'm not sure what I need to do to get those credits without doing anything professional- but I can't do anything professional unless I'm in the WGA? I feel like I'm missing something here.
Screenwriting : WGA Questions by Tyler Koford
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Rule of thumb is to not worry about the WGA until you have to worry about the WGA. Being in the union has its pluses and minuses. The pluses would the be the union protections when dealing with Guild signatory Companies. Minuses would be the limitations put on you when you have potential opportunities early in your career that are non-union gigs in independent film.
The guild works on a credit system to gain membership. If you sell a script to a signatory company, you gain 24 credits it takes to join the guild. There are opportunities for smaller gigs to build up to the requirements. Credit system: https://www.wga.org/the-guild/going-guild/join-the-guild
If you have questions about potential gigs, you can still call them up even when not a member as you build credits. https://www.wga.org/contracts/know-your-rights/writers-need-to-know
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Really helpful, thank you.
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The first thing to know is that it's a guild, not strictly a union. They are different things, mainly because the nature of our work is contractual rather than full time employment and it's highly specialised. In many cases, you can join a union the moment you get a job within that industry. A guild isn't quite like that.
The catch-22 of needing credits without being able to get credits is infamous throughout the guilds (SAG/AFRA, DGA, PGA etc), and that, to a degree, is a symptom of the economics at play. Pretty much all the money is tied up in a tiny percentile of the industry, and that means opportunities are rare (and getting rarer). Even within the WGA, only something like 50% of those paying their dues get work within the same given year. The good thing for those who are fortunate enough is that, if they need you in, you'll get in, credits or otherwise.
For all the people fawning to get into their respective guild, there are members frustrated within them. I know plenty of people with parked memberships, who've gone ficore, or even looked at loopholes that will allow them to stay members while taking on work they desperately need. It's not the perfect world it's often portrayed as by those who are looking for a magic bullet. It is something worth aiming for though, and those who are lucky enough to find stable, fulfilling work, all with the benefits of being in a guild are truly blessed. It also sets a benchmark all other areas of the industry are aware of.
For many, Hollywood and the WGA are everything. When they talk about the movie business, that is all they see it as, and that's not surprising given where all the attention and glamour lies. The reality however is that the film industry is so much more in terms of activity, if not in box office releases. Becoming hyper-focused on the WGA, when you're not even in the US, never mind LA, is in my opinion incredibly limiting, especially in the early stages of trying to break in and build a career.
Do your research, listen to the people who've lived it, try to stay pragmatic, and be wary of elitism. This is a tough business at any level.
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Though I have not checked WGA eligibility rules in quite some time, as a long time WGA member I don't think they've changed. The Catch-22 does indeed exist..so.essentially what happens is that you have to secure employment from a Guild Signatory at which time you'll receive a pending membership status until you have enough credits to qualify for full membership. You're basically being invited into the club through your employment with Guild approved producers. Neither your pending membership or membership is optional as long as your working for a Guild signatory. There might be some very restricted and rare waivers to this. As for whether or not you want to be a Guild member, it really depends on what level you want to play this game and how often you expect to work with Guild signatories. Obviously, all the the major players in the industry are signatories. It really isn't something you need to think about until you start working with Guild signatories, after which it will just happen. Producers and reps will make sure it happens because they have to and you and your reps will not be paid otherwise.
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Hey, really appreciate these responses. I've been looking in from the outside for a while so it's refreshing to hear these clarifications. Thank you!