Pay Rates
You will be paid a minimum payment of $123.44 for a 4 hour call if you are an Extra in Film and TV
There are minimum pay rates supported by the Media and Arts Alliance that extras onTV series get paid a minimum of $123.44* (more for Films and commercials) for a 4 hour call. In practice, TV and film shoots rarely go to schedule and our extras get paid far more than that for each day they spend on set. See Equity Minimums for more information about minimum pay rates.
* Children working in Film and TV Production are guaranteed a minimum of 50% of the minimum rates for adults or $61.72
Featured Extras get paid about 40% more
If you are selected as a featured extra, the rates can go up substantially. As you can see from the minimum pay rates a bit player with not more than 2 lines gets 40% more pay than a normal extra.
Loadings can add 25% - 50% more
Performers can be paid even more if loadings are applied. The Actors Feature Film Agreement shows examples of 25% loading for international rights. Additional loadings for movies with foreign actors and a range of other categories that increase pay rates further.
Overtime, Holiday and Other Allowances Add Up
The Actors Feature Film Agreement shows examples of allowances for annual leave, cancellation, wardrobe and overtime.
Residuals pay you while you sleep
If a production is successful and is shown overseas or ends up reaching certain box office targets, the performers receive a share of that success. See the Actors Feature Film Agreement for some examples of the residuals that are paid and under what circumstances they are paid. Note: Extras do not receive residual payments.
TV Commercials and Print Campaigns Pay up to $10K for a day
When a performer is featured on a commercial, they may be prevented from working on competitor’s commercials for a period of time. This is when MCTV negotiates an exclusive fee on your behalf.
TV Commercial residuals pay big time while you sleep
When a commercial goes past it’s original run. All performers other than extras are paid a rollover fee. The minimum rate of pay for this is the original rate paid for the commercial.
Commission and Fees
Adults pay just $290 for 2 years - includes free photo updates
Everything you need to get started is included in this fee
- A great head-shot and body-shot that captures your personality.
- Photo editing and touchup to combine your head-shot and body-shot into a single composite image
- Online profiles with the major industry casting networks.
- Updates to your photos, composite and profiles if your look changes.
We are determined to do the best job we can for each and every person who joins our agency. That’s why we include free updates to your photographs and online profiles. If for some reason, your initial photographs aren’t working for you, you can come in for a reshoot.
You can choose to pay upfront or pay by the month (More Info Below)
- $290 for 2 years – pay by cash, debit or credit
- Pay by the month – $20 per month
If you are not satisfied at the end of your time with MCTV with the amount of work you received, you can apply for a free extension of our services.
Children under 18 receive a substantial discount
There is far less work available for Children than there is for Adults in this industry. To even the playing field a little we have reduced the price for photographs and extended the time from 1 year to 2 years. Over that time, there is no additional charge for updating the photographs as the child’s look changes.
If you are under the age of 18 you are entitled to a discount on the fees for photography and your online profile. You can pay $15 per month or $180 for 24 months in advance.
Performers under the age of 18 will need a legal guardian to sign our management agreement on their behalf.
Performers under the age of 16 are protected by the office of the Children’s Guardian. For more information see the following fact sheets.
Established Actors and Models should enquire with our head booker
If you are an established actor with paid credits or an established model you may be entitled to alternative arrangements. Please contact paul@mctv.com.au for more information.
Commission for most jobs is only 10%
When you work on a production, the money for you and the other performers from MCTV is paid into our trust account. Within 14 days of receiving those funds we pay you. Your payment will have tax deducted and our commission which for most jobs is only 10%. You will receive a full breakdown of the commission rates that apply as part of the additional fee acknowledgment within your management agreement.
Optional Workshops are available for a minimal charge
We run workshops on a regular basis to help our up and coming extras get more roles and win bigger roles. We offer these workshops for a minimal fee that is also disclosed in the Additional Fee Acknowledgement within your Management Agreement.
Payment can take some time.
In your agreement with MCTV we guarantee to pay you within 14 days of receiving funds from the Entertainment Industry Hirer. However it can take some time for us to get paid by the Entertainment Industry Hirer.
Entertainment Industry Hirers are required by law to pay within 30 days or otherwise as agreed with you. In our experience TV Series and Films usually pay us within 2 weeks however commercials and print often take longer.
In theory it should never be more than 44 days (30 days from Entertainment Industry Hirer and 14 days from us) between working and getting paid for the job. In the overwhelming majority of cases, this is true. A small number of Entertainment Industry do take longer even though it is a violation of The Entertainment Industry Act 2013.