Industry jargon not your thing? Our glossary will enlighten you!
In the creative sector, the term "fee" refers to the payment of actors, models or musicians. The term comes from the French and used to refer to pay in the army and navy. However, it is no longer used in this way today, but refers exclusively to the salary of artists. Etymologically, the term goes back to the Germanic legal language and the word "wadja" for "pledge".
The client and artist must agree on the amount of the fee in advance of their collaboration. The respective modeling or casting agency usually takes over the negotiations with the client.
Although there are no industry-standard fees, clients must adhere to statutory minimum wages, which are regulated in collective agreements.
If you are unsure about negotiating fees, Jobwork can help you by putting you in touch with experienced agencies with a good reputation in the industry.
The fee is usually charged by the hour, half-day or day. However, a daily fee does not mean that the client secures a flat rate and the artist has to work as long as the client likes. A day on set is usually nine hours, a half day five. If overtime is required, this is billed at a daily rate.
How high the fee is in a specific case depends on numerous factors.
The most important are time on stage, experience and status:
Time: The longer an actor is in front of the camera, a model in front of the lens or a musician on stage, the higher the fee. However, this is not the only variable to consider. The amount of pay actually also depends on when the performance or assignment takes place. Work at night, on public holidays or at weekends is better paid.
Experience: The longer actors, models or musicians have been in the industry, the higher their pay is usually. With experienced artists, however, the client can be more certain that they know the processes and will complete their jobs quickly.
Status: The level of recognition of an artist has a major influence on the amount of the fee. Their status usually plays a special role in salary negotiations with the agency. Actors, models and musicians not only lend their skills to a production, but also their name. And this has a particularly high advertising value, which brings significant financial benefits for the client.
There are fixed fees, flat-rate fees, daily fees and profit shares, depending on the agreement between the artist and the client.