SPAA Log 4

How do you join?

Money for starters.

Criteria: Membership is open to Australian individuals and companies engaged in the production of film and television or provide services and facilities related to production.

All members pay an annual subscription fee which varies depending on the category of membership. Producer members also pay a levy on their productions; so SPAA expect you to give them some cash for helping you out on your movie that you’re making. It does only say “Producer members” though, so you could get away with it if you’re something other than a Producer. Then they give you a form to fill out.

There are several member categories with their own fees and all memberships comprise of 1 (One) Financial Year. So if you apply for membership early January you’ll have to wait 6 months before actually being on their cast of super Producers.

The website claims that “SPAA membership is always good value” and “SPAA demonstrates its responsiveness to the needs of the industry.” (Due to its incentives for new and existing members)

So membership type is broken up into 4 categories, or two categories with a benefit of the latter for each type plus the Existing Cost is displayed, and a Priority Offer with how much you’re saving when going with the priority offer, then the pay conditions:

Existing Producer:
---Existing Cost: $429
---Priority Offer: $275
New Producer:
---Existing Cost: $429
---Priority Offer: $275
Existing Associate:
---Existing Cost: $275
---Priority Offer: $175
New Associate:
---Existing Cost: $275
---Priority Offer: $175

Then the pay conditions only change between the ‘New’ and ‘Existing’ member genres, New meaning you pay between the start and end of the financial year, and Existing meaning you pay by the start of the financial year. So really there is no difference.

What the 'Priority' part is goes beyond me, does it mean that you need to join SPAA top priority? If that's the case then claim it's of the utmost importance to join them so you get a 40% membership discount.

And what’s this funny asterisk doing between each member category?... Oh, it says ‘*Producer Members’; so earlier before when I suggested joining as something other than a Producer, there isn’t really much you can do about that, you more or less need to be a Producer to join this fan club. Well duh, it is the Screen Producers Association of Australia, why would I think anybody else other than Producers can join? Mind you, why would they place on their site that ‘Producer Members do this, this and this’ when all members are Producers.

Okay, bear with me, ‘Associate Members are those who do not have Producer credit and who are not employers or who are not engaged professionally in the industry, Associate Members do not pay levies-’ yet they’re classed as Producer Members (Either way, masquerade as an Associate so you don’t have to pay levies [If you’re discovered, you don’t know me and you didn’t read this]), ‘-and do not have access to SPAA Industrial Relations and Commercial Agreements. Associate members do not vote in SPAA elections.’

Companies Membership (This is like purchasing the family deal over a single ticket)
Category A: Freelance TV Producer/Other Catefory - $550
- No Offices or employees – Up to 2 Active members SPAA
- Member of Film or TV division who would like to be included in TVC (Television Commercials Producers) activity (no additional voting rights)

Category B: Small/New Production Companies - $1650
- Small, 1-3 Directors – Up to 2 Active members
- Facilitation Company – 1-2 Producers
- Established more than 12 months

Category C: Big/Established Companies - $3300
- Big: More than 3 Directors – Up to 4 active members
- Facilitation Company more than 3 Producers
- Established more than 12 months

Corporate, Facilities, Service and Student Members
Corporate Members - $2200
- Companies with more than five permanent full time employees qualify (excluding principals and directors). May nominate across all six divisions, but only vote in one: Animation, Doco, Feature, TV, Commercials, and Services.

Facility Members - $1100
- From the post production editing, effects, film distribution and processing sectors. May vote in Services and Facilities Division only.

Service Members - $1650
- Includes lawyers, accountants, agents, completion guarantor, insurance companies. May vote in Services and Facilities Division only.

Student Members - $44
- Do not have a Producer credit and are not engaged in the professional industry.

So there you go. Want to join SPAA? Well now you know.

And knowing is half the battle.