Acting Contracts?

Question:When signing on to be an actress or actor for a television show, theatre or movies, what type of Contracts do you sign? What usual amount of money do they receive that's stated in the contract? All information is greatly appreciated.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: When signing on to be an actress or actor for a television show, theatre or movies, what type of Contracts do you sign? What usual amount of money do they receive that's stated in the contract? All information is greatly appreciated.

It's all negociated by your agent. There are no set contracts except for entry level day players with no agents and those contract must meet SAG minimums.

Base pay is about $600 a day or $1600 for 3 days or $2,400 for a week covering the first 8 hours. After 8 hours it's over time. After 10 hours it's duble time. After 12 hours it's double time and a half.

All speaking actors get a trailer or dressing room.

Residuals for other uses are automatic but based on straght time only, thus it would be based on the minimum rates.

Agents get yu your credit lines. They attemp to improve your credit lines.

There are
Stars
Co-stars
Guest Stars
Special Appearance
Also
With
And
And As

These are all negociated

So are above scale rates based on your experience and public awareness

Series contracts can vary, but typically they are term contracts for 3, 5, 7 or 10 years in which the studio has options at various points in time, such as after 8 episodes to renew or drop, then after 21 episdoes to renew or drop

If they drop you sooner than your specified run they have to pay you for the run. The pick you up after episode 8 but decided after episode 11 yu're not working out they have to pay you for 10 episodes to let you go, but you get no residuals for those 10.

There are clauses covering things like this writers strike. Depending on what the studio or company calls your status you might be free to do commercials or work local stage, but when recalled you must report back to work.

With large contracts comes committments. If you are a star you may not be allowed to do other work outside the show, then again if you have clout you might get a clause they allows you to leave the show to do outside work.

If you are just a with or and in a series you can probably do commericlas, features and stage over summer hiatus

there is a morals clause they can fire you for naked pictures, making defamtory statements or holding extreme poltical views in a public forum.

There are studio contracts in which you are owned by the studio and can only work for them

Network contracts, ditto

Production company contracts aren't as binding.

Even without contracts there are union rules

On you're third call back they have to pay you union minimum for a days work.

on broadway if they make you sing a song from the production, even on a first call back, they have to pay you

that's why you can't audition with Tomorrow for an Equity production of Annie

If it's in the play they have to pay you

There are union rules on meals. If set call is before 7 am they must have breakfast and break for lunch by noon

If production runs over 6 pm that day they must provide dinner or pay you for dinner.

That's a meal penalty

There is extra pay for stage smoke, blood and prothesis

These days the stars of a series, even if they are unknown, generally go in at flat rates per episode and are under at least 5 year contracts

Typical rate is $10,000+ per episode which amounts to over $200,000 a year, but residuals are still based on the $2,400 a week minimum unless you own a piece of the show.

The network pays a fixed fee per episode for the first 3 years and after that they pay all costs.

During the first 3 years the production company or studio picks up excess salaries.

If the network is paying $2 millioin an episode and the stars they get end up jacking that to 2.2 milloin an episode then the studio or production company picks up the missing 2 million a year out of their own profits or bank loans.

If the network wants a show like Friends back for a 10th season and each actor wants $10 million a year and there are 5 actors the network has to pay the entire amount.

Of course the network is also charging 50 times more for a commercial on that show

Each contract is different it usually just states the time frame you will be working, how much you will get paid, and whether or not your allowed to do work outside of the people your signing with , usually you can't. The money ranges from the part your doing, movies, acting, and theater are all very different. Extras have to sign contracts saying they will not release info about the movie or show, and they get paid very little its usually around $100