I was just asked this week from a fellow actor if I received my check for work I did. At that point I did not... Since I recently moved I knew there would be a delay in delivery of my check. So I didn't think anything about it. So let's talk about this for a minute.
If you are needing to pay your bills from acting! Look out... here is a shocker... you might not get paid when you need it. Depending on the project you are working on there are several scenarios. Here is a rough list:
- Paid cash day of work - Most of these roles are not high paying and you are in and out.
- Paid check day of work - The pay on these roles will vary based on role.
- Paid check in the future - This is probably the most common way.
- Paid direct deposit in the future - A few productions pay this way.
- Paid check / deposit deferred - This is when you work on a production that pays after it has made money.
- Paid check residual - This is for royalty work like a regional or nation commercial
- No pay - This could be for a Student Film, charity, Public Service Announcements., or you are looking to build your reel.
As you can see there are a lot of ways or reasons you could be paid. Now to complicate it even further you may or may not have taxes and dues withheld. That varies for several reasons as well. Most of the time you are a contractor and you are paid like a 1099 employee and you are responsible for you taxes. Other times you might be a considered an employee and taxes are taken out. Now I am not giving legacy or tax advice in any way.
You might want to look at the option of being a Loan-out Actor. Your corporation would loan you out to a studio for work. When this is done there are tax advantages for the corporation that an individual can not take advantage of! But, in this case talk to am entertainment related CPA for advice!
Now when will that check arrive or the deposit be made? Good question! Remember some productions are a small team and require others to do multiple tasks. While other projects like a major production company require the Production Assistant to make sure all of the paperwork is properly filled out and then submitted to their payroll department. Plus, payroll could be an outside company that processes for the production only on Friday's.
My point in all of this is check your agreement before you take the role. If you are not flexible enough for the pay arrangements then you might not want to participate in the project. But, on the other hand you have to understand this is just business for the companies. They do the best they can under the circumstances. I have had issues with missing checks or slow pays. But, I am also an entrepreneur so i understand why these delays can occur. Just take a deep breathe and relax! All is well... and when you get your next residual check you will be singing Dixie! :)
Until next week "Brake a leg!".
