Friday, November 23, 2007

How to Gauge if You’re Getting a Reasonable Acting Fee

Yes! Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts are the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, and their accountants and lawyers might be the ones managing their money for them. But as a simple starting actor/actress, you should be the one to know if you are getting a fair acting fee. Acting fees can be your sole source of income and you don’t want to suffer from unfair agents. What composed acting fees? Here are some reminders:

1. If you have plans of having an agent, you can have background and principal agents. The background agents are working for those who perform extras in shows or movies. 15% commission on the gross earning is charged.

Principal agents on the other hand are the ones working for actors with speaking roles. He will charge 10% for stage plays and 15% for television or movie appearances. He may also ask you to shoulder smaller expenses such as courier fees and other registration fees. Look for agents who are charging a reasonable percent on your acting fee.

2. If you will be booked for a show, you can collect certain fees; these fees are charged yearly or hourly. If there is a need for overtime, it will be applicable before 9 am and after 6 pm on bookings over 8 hours. Special rates should be negotiated for night work.

3. If your photographs and clips are to be reproduced and used by certain companies in certain purposes such as for tickets, posters, packs, show cards, etc., you can charge additional fees. The terms of usage and its extension can be negotiated and can be used for a required location and span of time.

4. If you decide to run your own acting school, there are also certain fees to follow. The Screen Actors Workshop as an example, charges professional acting fees amounting to $185 for teen-agers (ages 13-17 years old) for a ten week term class and $300 for adults. The fees vary depending on the individuals age and acting capability.

All the above acting fees are negotiable. Agents, actors/ actresses and companies hiring them can arrive at reasonable acting fees. The acting fee can also vary from one country to another.

Acting corresponds to money. Many good actors and actresses nowadays are exposing themselves on stage, television and wide screens to earn money. Though beginners aren’t assured of bringing home large sums of money, he or she must be aware of the acting fees he/she can collect.

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