Welcome to the ask Mark Pirro page. We should change this to the SAG financial core page, since it seems that lately 80% of all questions are relating to union issues. Feel free to leave any question or comment you like, even if it's NOT about going SAG financial core ---------- Mark Pirro himself will respond. ---------- Or, if you'd rather not leave a message right now, just click here to go back to our Home Page. Messages are listed from the newest to the oldest. After you've left your message, check back soon. Mark usually replies within 24 hours.. There are now 298 messages in our guestbook. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 30 >>> Viewing messages 1 to 10. Your name (required) Your message (required) Where in the world? David Warren Gibson I am a SAG member for years and am on temporary withdrawel for years now. (no work!) 2 questions, 1. If I go Fi-Core, will I still receive residuals from past films? 2. Can I go Fi-Core while I'm on temporary withdrawel? ------------------------------------- MP: Yes and yes. 8 February 2010 - Los Angeles, CA. Alex C. Hi, I have been doing some extra work and am now SAG eligible. My extra agency is pressuring me to join SAG so I can continue to work. The problem is that I have just signed with a major modeling agency in which most jobs will not be SAG jobs. Someone told me about FI-Core, so that I can continue to do both extra work and modeling work. Is this what you would recommend? Thank you for your time and info! Alex --------------------------------------- MP: Personally, I would avoid joining SAG for as long as you can, since all you're technically doing is wasting money. If your extra agency is pressuring you to join SAG, I'd leave that agency. The only time it pays to join SAG is if you are offered a role in a major film, with major stars. However, if you feel it necessary to join the union, go ahead, wait about a week or two and then go financial core. 31 January 2010 - LA Jacob W. A friend of mine and I were talking the other day and made mention of "Buford's Beach Bunnies." So I went looking for full length, un-cut copies and couldn't find any anywhere. I came to your website and notice you make mention of it, but don't sell it. What gives? If it all possible I'd like to purchase two copies of the full length, un-cut movie for my friend and I. Thanks. ------------------------------------ MP: Techinically we're not authorized to advertise it, but we can get it to you. Send us an email at pirromount@hotmail.com and we'll take care of you. 19 January 2010 - Two Rivers, WI Logan Best holiday present I received was "The God Complex" on dvd --------------------------------------- MP: I'm very happy to hear that. Tell a friend. 25 December 2009 - Santa Rosa , CA Jeremy Mr Pirro, thank you for your time. I am an Indie Filmmaker from AZ. I was writer/producer of an 1800 dollar farce comedy that we have recently distributed through a small distributor with mostly online outlets. Tell me sir about effective indie self distribution. I have had friends who have been distributed through major houses and have waited years to see any money, though their film is now everywhere. I have also seen smaller distributors who who sell by way of online stores like amazon and dvd universe, barnes and noble etc. I call these "no relationship" outlets because it seems like they are completely accessible to the new filmmaker. If you were brand new, wanted to maintain an indie, no permission system of values and have complete control, would you sell on amazon, dvd universe/planet, barnes and noble? Any others? How would you promote the film without spening a lot of potentially wasteful time and money on festivals? How have you managed to make money off of your small budget films. I would like very much to emulate you. Any advice from a man of your experience would be greatly appreciated. Go indie. Jeremy ------------------------------------ MP: Going with a distribution company might get your films in more places, but you won't get your fair share of money - if any. Self-distribution may not get your film wide coverage, but you will retain control. The internet has made it easier for independents. Any online outlet you can get your film into is worth looking in to. Amazon, Ebay, Movies Unlimited, DVD Universe, etc. are all good places for the indie filmmaker. Many of my earlier films were handled by distributors and I have gotten ripped off and/or short changed every time. A couple of times even involved my taking legal action to get earned money that the distributors refused to part with. With our newest film, "The God Complex," we are self-distributing and doing quite well. Now, how to promote? What is working for us are video websites like Youtube, Google Video, Funny or Die, etc. We run trailers, interviews, clips, etc. and generate sales that way. We upload content and put a link to our website at the bottom.' In fact, we posted the first eight minutes of The God Complex on youtube, and that too has helped generate sales. How I make money on these films? Well, it's not too difficult to make money on one's films when the budgets hover around $1000. I keep the manufacturing in house and whenever a movie of ours is ordered, we burn, package, shrink wrap, label and post without involving any middlemen. So for every film of ours that sells for $20, we receive $20. If we sell any of our films to retailers for $10-$12, we receive $10-$12. It's just that simple. You won't get that kind of return with any distributor out there. Best of luck and I'm flattered that you find me one worth emulating. 18 December 2009 - USA AZ aluk I have heard sag is going after actors doing non-union work. I became sag and aftra from doing back ground over 15 years ago. I now want to act, but the only people who will hire me are non-union. Can I go fi-core after I get the job or do I have to do it before? ----------------------------------- MP: You can go financial core whenever you want. Most non-union productions don't care what your union status is. If they're non-signatories with sag, it really shouldn't matter to them. 18 November 2009 - Living in LAX fc question I went Fi-core and the local SAG office sent me a letter saying I had to take my "SAG" status off of my Agencypro profile (a website database listing with a casting company.) I don't want to and I think that they can't make me. What can they do to me? This particular casting company likes me and does not mind that I am Fi-core. ------------------------------------- MP: Of course they can't make you. Just ignore them. 10 November 2009 James Bourke With regards to the book that you wrote about film-making, is the title of the book Mini Motion Picture Making? if not what is the title and is the book still in print? --------------------------------------- MP: No, that was the title of a documentary I made around that 1994. The book was titled Ultra Low Budget Movie Making and no, it is no longer in print. It originally came out around 1989, I believe. 7 November 2009 - United Kingdom Billy Borrelli Hello Mark, I too was in a couple of second unit scenes shot by Rick and Dan up north, and I think I did a masterful job of bludgeoning Jesus as he carried the cross, lol. Could I please have a DVD screener as well? Thanks and I look forward to doing more work with you and the guys at 4321 Films! Billy Borrelli ------------------------------------ MP: Can't do it without an address. 16 October 2009 - South San Francisco mary3 Hi, Mark. I tried to see if anyone asked the same question that I wanted to ask you, but I could not find it. My question is: once you/we become SAG financial core, are you still able to join AFTRA if you want to? I see more AFTRA work lately, and I am wondering if any problems regarding joining AFTRA with your SAG Fi-Core status (I saw AFTRA asking your SAG number on thier application form). Thank you in advance for your input.; -) ------------------------------------- MP: I couldn't find any reason why you couldn't join AFTRA once financial core with SAG. Although they can make rules up as they go along and you could wind up at the mercy of some union rep on a power trip. My suggestion to you would be to join AFTRA and then go financial core. You can go fi-core at any time and the only time it's really necessary is if you get a part in a non-union film (nobody can stop you from auditioning for non-union parts while you're still SAG). Hope that helps. 5 October 2009 - LA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 30 >>>