Forum/Pay Talk
Pay Talk·Would You Take This?·@atlactorlife·8d ago

Deferred pay indie feature, SAG ultra-low, incredible script

A friend is producing an indie feature under the SAG ultra-low budget agreement. Here's the situation: - SAG ultra-low rate: $187/day (deferred) - 10 shooting days - I'd be the male lead - The script is genuinely the best thing I've read in 2 years - Director has a festival track record — last film played SXSW and got a small distribution deal - They have a sales agent attached already - Shooting in Atlanta, I'm local so no travel costs "Deferred" means I might never see that $1,870. But there's a real shot this gets into festivals and gets picked up. The opportunity cost is real though — those 10 days could be spent on paid micro drama work at $400-600/day. I keep going back and forth. The script is SO good. But "deferred pay" has burned me before.

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@nyufilmgrad7d ago

The sales agent is the key detail here. Most deferred pay indie films have NO distribution path. This one does. That doesn't mean you'll get paid — it means there's at least a mechanism for it to happen.

@microdramaburn6d ago

I've done 3 deferred pay projects. Got paid on exactly zero of them. The script was always 'incredible.' Save your time and do paid work.

@festivalchaser5d ago

Counter-take: my Tribeca short was deferred pay and it changed my career more than any $800/day micro drama. The script quality and the director's track record matter more than the payment structure. But you have to be honest about whether you can absorb the financial hit.