Actor Forum
Real experiences from real actors. Anonymous. Unfiltered.
What's a reasonable turnaround time to expect payment after wrap?
Genuine question — what do you consider an acceptable payment timeline for non-union work? I've had everything from net-10 (amazing) to 90+ days (terrible). Is net-30 the standard? Should I be pushing for faster terms in the deal memo?
Anyone done multiple Tubi projects? Does the rate go up if they rebook you?
Did one Tubi Original at $350/day. They said they liked my work and might have something else coming up. Anyone been rebooked by them? Does the rate improve or is it the same every time?
$800/day ReelShort but the company has 2 late-payment complaints
This one's testing my principles. Got offered $800/day for a supporting role on a ReelShort series. 6 shooting days. The rate is great for supporting — that's lead-level money. But I looked up the production company on StageBlind and there are 2 separate gig logs mentioning late payment. One person said they waited 60+ days. Another said they had to send multiple follow-up emails before getting paid at week 5. Neither said they didn't get paid eventually. Just that it was late and stressful. $4,800 is a lot of money for me right now. And the role is good. But I also don't want to spend 2 months chasing my paycheck. Do you factor in payment reputation when deciding whether to take a gig? Or is that just a cost of doing business in non-union?
Blumhouse micro-budget horror — $125/day but the exposure was actually real
Blumhouse's micro-budget arm (Tilt) pays almost nothing — $125/day for a 3-day shoot. Before you stop reading: the movie got a limited theatrical release and went to Peacock. My scene is in the trailer. For once, 'exposure' was a real thing. The set was run like a real union movie — proper turnaround, hot meals, safety briefings before any stunt work. Would I do it for the money alone? Absolutely not. But the IMDb credit and the footage for my reel were worth it if you can afford to take the hit.
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.
Tubi Original movie — 12 days, $350/day, surprisingly professional
Cast in a Tubi Original through a Backstage posting. $350/day for 12 shooting days as supporting cast. The production was way more organized than I expected for a streaming platform this size — real production office, actual call sheets the night before, stunt coordinator for the action scenes. Pay wasn't amazing but they paid on time within 2 weeks of wrap. Meals were catered and decent. The director was no-nonsense but respectful. Would absolutely do another Tubi project.
How I negotiated my rate up by 40% on my second booking with the same company
Sharing this because I think a lot of non-union actors don't realize you CAN negotiate, especially on re-bookings. My first gig with this production company was $500/day for 6 days on a ReelShort series. Fine rate, good experience. After wrap, the producer said "we'd love to work with you again." 3 months later they called for another series. Same role type. Same platform. They offered $500/day again. I said: "Last time was great and I'd love to come back. For this one I'm looking for $700/day." There was a pause. Then: "We can do $650." I said: "If it's $700 I can confirm today." They said yes. That's a 40% increase for the same kind of work, just by asking. They came to ME — which means they valued what I did the first time. That's leverage. Three things that made this work: 1. I delivered on the first gig (on time, prepared, no drama) 2. They reached out to me, not the other way around 3. I didn't apologize for asking — I just stated my number Not every situation has this leverage. But when a company re-books you, that's the moment your rate goes up.
ReelShort romance series — 7 days, $650/day, watch the exclusivity clause
Booked a supporting role on a ReelShort romance through a WeChat casting group. $650/day for 7 days. Hours were 10-12/day which is reasonable for micro drama. Craft services was decent — hot meals at lunch, snacks throughout. The pace was fast (15+ pages/day) but the director prepped well so we weren't just sitting around waiting. The one negative: they wanted a 2-year platform exclusivity in the contract. I negotiated it down to 6 months. Always ask about exclusivity clauses before you sign anything.
$1,500/day commercial but perpetual worldwide digital rights
Just got offered a non-union national commercial. Here's the deal: - $1,500/day (1 day shoot) - Usage: perpetual, worldwide, all digital media - No residuals - Buyout is the $1,500 — that's it forever The brand is a mid-size tech company. Not embarrassing, not prestigious. The spot will run on YouTube, social, and connected TV. My concern: "perpetual worldwide digital" means this ad could run for 10 years. They could use my face in AI-generated variations. They could put it on billboards in countries I'll never visit. For union scale with residuals, this kind of usage would pay $15K-$30K over its lifetime. They're offering me 1/10th of that. But $1,500 for one day of work is still $1,500. And if I say no, 50 other non-union actors will say yes. What's the play here?
Would you take this: $800/day but 2-year platform exclusivity?
Got offered a lead on a ReelShort series. Rate is $800/day for 8 days — great money. But the contract has a 2-year platform exclusivity clause meaning I can't work on any other vertical video platform (DramaBox, ShortTV, TopShort, FlexTV, etc.) for 2 years. Micro dramas are about 60% of my income right now. The $6,400 total is good but I'd be locked out of my main income source for 2 years. They said the clause is "standard" and non-negotiable. Is it?
Voice-over for animation — $400/session, 2 hours, easiest gig I've ever had
$400 for a 2-hour session doing voice-over for an animated web series. Recorded remotely from my home setup. No travel, no hair and makeup, no 14-hour day, no AD yelling. Just me, a microphone, and a Zoom call with the director who gave clear direction. I did about 40 lines total. Some I nailed on the first take, some took 3-4 passes. The director was patient and specific — "more playful, less sarcastic" type notes. Session was over in 1 hour 45 minutes. $400 / 2 hours = $200/hour. Compare that to a micro drama lead at $500 / 13 hours = $38/hour. I know VO is a different skill set and this kind of gig doesn't come around constantly. But it's made me seriously consider investing in my VO skills. The math is just SO much better. Anyone else doing both on-camera and VO? How did you break in?
Casting Networks is underrated for commercial work — $750/day non-union
Everyone talks about Backstage but Casting Networks is where commercial casting directors actually look. I've been on it for a year and booked 6 non-union commercials. Latest was a national digital campaign for a home goods brand — $750/day for 1 day plus a $2,000 buyout for 1 year digital usage. The interface is clunky compared to Backstage but the quality of listings is higher for commercial work specifically. Tip: invest in a good commercial headshot, not just your theatrical. Commercial CDs want to see you looking friendly and approachable, not brooding.
I tracked my gig expenses for 3 months and I'm spending way more than I thought
Started tracking every expense related to acting work. Not just big stuff — everything. Here's what 3 months looked like: - Gas/parking for auditions: $340 - Self-tape backdrop + lighting upgrade: $180 - Backstage + Casting Networks subscriptions: $150 - Headshot retouching: $75 - New wardrobe pieces for auditions: $220 - Printing resumes + headshots: $45 - Acting class (online): $200 Total: $1,210 in 3 months. $400/month. In the same period I earned about $4,200 from acting. So my actual take-home was closer to $3,000. I knew acting had overhead but I wasn't tracking it. Now I am and it changes how I evaluate rates. A $300/day gig 45 minutes away isn't really $300 — it's $300 minus gas, parking, wear on my car, and 2 hours of unpaid drive time. Is anyone else tracking expenses? What are your biggest hidden costs?
Set AITA for telling other actors on set what I was getting paid?
OK so this might be controversial. I was on a micro drama shoot, 8-day booking, supporting role. During lunch on day 3, another supporting actor mentioned she was getting $350/day. I was getting $550/day for basically the same amount of screen time and lines. I told her my rate. She was pissed — not at me, at the production. She went to the producer and apparently there was a whole thing. The producer pulled me aside the next day and said I "created an uncomfortable situation" by sharing my rate and that it was "confidential information per the deal memo." I checked my deal memo. There's no confidentiality clause about rates. And even if there was — shouldn't actors know if they're being paid less for the same work? The other actress thanked me. The producer is pissed. A few people on set think I stirred up drama for no reason. AITA?
$200/day micro drama lead, 15 shooting days, no overtime
Got offered a lead role on a micro drama. The breakdown: - $200/day flat, no overtime - 15 shooting days over 3 weeks - 12-14 hour days expected - No meal penalty if lunch is late - Platform: newer app, not ReelShort/DramaBox tier - They want a 1-year exclusivity clause The role is actually great — complex character, real arc, 60+ pages of dialogue. The director has two other micro dramas that did well on the platform. But $200/day for 15 days of lead work with no overtime? That's $3,000 total for what will basically be a month of my life. My effective hourly rate would be around $15. The footage would be good for my reel though. And it's steady work for 3 weeks which beats waiting by the phone. Would you take this?
Regional car commercial in ATL — $800/day, this is what all gigs should be
Booked a non-union regional commercial for a car dealership chain in Atlanta. $800/day for one day. 9-hour day. Real catering — like, choices, not just one option. The director rehearsed with us before rolling. Hair and makeup had their own area. The client was on set but didn't interfere. Usage: regional TV + digital, 6 months. Totally reasonable for the rate. Paid in 10 days. Ten. Days. I almost fell over. This is what non-union work should look like. Professional, respectful, fair rate, fair usage, prompt payment. It's not that hard.
Extra on a union commercial — $182/8hrs via Taft-Hartley
Got booked as an extra on a SAG-AFTRA commercial shoot. I'm non-union but they Taft-Hartley'd me for the day. Rate was the SAG minimum — $182 for 8 hours. Overtime kicked in after 8 hours and I ended up working 11, so the total was about $280. Meals were incredible (actual catering), the holding area was a real green room with AC, and everyone was professional. Night and day compared to non-union work. Made me seriously consider joining the union.
Would you take this: $0 upfront, "profit share" on a micro drama with a known director?
Got offered a lead role in a micro drama. The director has credits on two streaming platforms (real ones, I checked). But the pay structure is $0 upfront with "profit share" after distribution. They say the show is pre-sold to a platform but won't name which one until contracts are signed. The shoot is 10 days in LA. I'd have to take time off my day job. The role is great and would be amazing for my reel. What would you do?
Day player on a ShortTV series — easiest $500 I've made
Got hired as a day player for a ShortTV series. One day, 8 hours, $500. I had maybe 10 lines total. The set was well-organized, craft services was actually good (real catering, not just chips), and I was in and out. This is what non-union work should look like. The production company clearly had a budget and knew how to run a set.
TopShort lead, 6 days in NYC — $550/day, 13hr days, they paid on time though
Just wrapped a 6-day lead on a TopShort series shooting in Queens. Rate was $550/day flat. No overtime, no meal penalty. 13-hour days were the norm, sometimes pushing 14. The pace was aggressive — 18 pages/day — but the director was prepped and knew what she wanted so we weren't sitting around. Craft services was decent (real lunch, not just snacks). One bathroom for the entire cast and crew though, which got old fast. The best part: they paid net-14. Money hit my account exactly 14 days after wrap. That alone puts them above half the companies I've worked for. Would I work with them again? Yeah, if the rate was $650+. At $550 for those hours my effective hourly was barely $42.