Finding Lost Money: An Actor’s Guide

As an actor, you are the CEO of “YOU, Inc” and there is no one that will work as hard as you to make sure you are getting paid.

Often, actors believe that once they get a reputable agent, that the agent will make it their sole mission in life to make the actor successful. Even the best agents can’t offer that. Over time, you come to realize that if this company (again, we’re talking about your career) is going to be successful, there’s only one person that can make that happen.

With that in mind, I want to make sure that you are staying on top of your business and making sure that you are not leaving any money on the table when it comes to jobs you’ve booked. I’ll cover a few different topics, and give some anecdotes for each.

COMMERCIALS

When you book a commercial, there are negotiated terms that limit the usage of the commercial. There will be a buyout length (13 weeks, 6 months, 2 years, etc), a number of edits or lifts allowed (you might shoot a 30-second spot, and they have the right to create a 10-second and 15-second spot from that footage), geographical limits (local, regional, national, etc.), and specified media that it can air on (network, cable, internet, etc.).

It is super important that you understand these terms before you accept ANY job, because the booking…