VSM - it's the fundamental battle . . .
If something is voluntary . . . that is an actor chooses to do it or not . . . do they have to be paid - and - an extension of that . . . if they volunteer to do something and it puts them in overtime/meal penalty, does it require the producers to pay overtime.
Time and time again, I have AEA side on the case that Volunteering to participate does not mean the producers don't have to pay any payment due to them in the contract - an actor can waive anything in the rule book - but time and time again I have producers saying, "well, they volunteered . . .".
In some cases, AEA has stepped in, in some cases AEA has backed down . . . even though they did point out I was correct.
It's frustrating.
(Even more so, when the producers do this all behind the SM's back . . . )