A recent agreement with the Screen Actors Guild that allows professional actors who are guild members to appear in Church-produced, "in-house" motion pictures was hailed recently as a "win-win" situation.

Guild representatives were hosted at a private luncheon in Salt Lake City by President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency.

Immediately after the March 5 luncheon, Elder Neil L. Anderson of the Seventy and Richard Masur, guild president and himself a veteran television and motion picture actor, answered questions from news reporters.

"We think this will be a great benefit both to the Church and hopefully to [Latter-day Saints who are] both members of the Church and members of the Screen Actors Guild," Elder Anderson said regarding the agreement that was announced in January.

"This is one of those unusual circumstances that really does seem to be a win-win situation," Mr. Masur said. "It's true that many Screen Actors Guild members here in Utah are also LDS members and so that's a natural fit. Also, the Church creates a tremendous amount of work, and we think that this will bring more people into our organization, just as the films they make will bring more into their [the Church's] organization."

He added: "This means that not only can Church members work on projects which they were not able to before if they were our members, but also the Church has access to all the professionals who are here in Utah [and elsewhere] and can utilize them as they see fit."

Guild members previously could appear in Church motion pictures that were produced for broadcast or theatrical presentation, but up to now, could not act in productions intended for instructional or visitors-center use because of the lack of a contract agreement.

The new accord, made between the guild and the Church affiliate, Deseret Media Productions, governs compensation rates and working conditions in such non-theatrical projects.

An earlier announcement by the Church indicated that preference will be given to Church members in good standing, but that if worthy, talented Church members cannot be found to fill certain roles, then other guild members who are not members of the Church will be considered through open auditions.

The pact allows the Church to require guild performers, while at work, to adhere to behavior standards similar to those required of all Church employees.

Mr. Masur said he believes guild members, whether LDS or not, will have no trouble honoring the requirements.

"These [behavior requirements] are things which are relatively unimportant to actors," he said. "Actors are much more interested in having available work and being able to do it in a quality way. . . . I don't think anybody is looking to impose any beliefs on anybody else. I think it's just simply a matter of respecting certain behavior standards which are reasonable."

Elder Anderson, who is executive administrator of the Church's Audiovisual Department, expressed appreciation for guild officers' understanding of the needs and intents of a non-profit organization such as the Church.

Mr. Masur said the Church did not come to the guild, but rather, the guild approached Church leaders in an effort to make them aware of a wider talent pool that could be accessed for the Church's in-house productions if a contract agreement could be reached.

"I don't mean to say that everyone who is not a member of the guild can't do the work," he said. "But we do tend to have a concentration of the most experienced, most professional people, and I think that's a great resource for the Church to have."

Elder Anderson acknowledged, "A person in the Screen Actors Guild is someone who many times makes his living full time as an actor, and we want to be able to use those kinds of people in our top productions."

The Screen Actors Guild was founded in Hollywood, Calif., in 1933 and currently represents more than 95,000 professional actors and performing artists nationwide in theatrical features and television films, prime-time television programs, television commercials, interactive multi-media productions, "infomercials," industrial and educational films, student and experimental films and music videos. The guild has 23 branch offices located across the United States, including one in Utah.