Appearance Fees

[Suze]

Does anyone know where stage management stand with apperance fee's? If you are on a buy-out should you still get them if you have to wear costume, make up and wig? Does anyone know where I can find information about this that I can quote to my producers. Have tried the equity and bectu websites but found nothing.

[mac.calder]

I don't know the numbers, because I am not a member of the unions, however if you call them, they will be able to tell you. It is not an unprecedented occurance and they are probably able to advise. A lot will depend on what contract you are under

[erroneousblack]

I've done this on numerous occasions and BECTU should be able to give you an idea. If it's any help the last time one of my staff did it a few years back we negotiated £6 per performance on top of regular show rate.

[gareth]

Normally, any appearance in costume for scene changes, etc., or if you have to take any sort of direction, would entail an extra fee. However, if you've signed a buy-out contract, you might find that you've 'waived' your right to appearance fees.

 

I'm surprised Equity couldn't help you. Have you tried the Stage Management Association?

[dbuckley]

This is why I love the blue room. I learn stuff I'd never have guessed. The thought of crew getting paid extra to look the part in the context of a show. Well I never. Do FOH crew (ushers etc) also qualify for payments?

[gareth]

Do FOH crew (ushers etc) also qualify for payments?

Only if they're required to wear costume, I imagine! :D

[dbuckley]

Yeah, thats the thing. Here in the world of AmDram for so many years I cant remember, I've always encouraged (through director or club / production committee) the FOH staff to dress appropriately for the show, (ie sometimes we'll get costumes for them) never thinking that if we were all gettting paid for this I'd have just upped the show's running expenses :D

[paulears]

With my company manager hat on, it's one of the most annoying things I hear. Depending on where you are the response to this varies enormously - I do panto. The best places have a really pleasant few weeks - fair enough, no TMA getouts for a while, but in most shows, not everybody is busy for an entire show - people get days off if they want, people do a bit of rotation. This year - SM wants a show on the book, he spends 30 seconds on stage dressed up in a silly cloak, mask etc pulling the queens chariot with the ASM. DSM is far too weedy to pull it, so we ask a spare bod from Stage LX - rubs hands together and says "ah, appearance money". So I do it. I really couldn't justify spending money on that. In other places, the crew plague to be able to get on and do this. Just depends, I guess.

 

My pet hate is all these extra fees that people 'want'. Worse ones are musos who claim doubling money! Then they wonder why the band size gets cut down!

[sideshowmark]

I appeared on stage once - a long time ago - I don't think anyone present ever really recovered.

 

Not sure would I agree with blanket enforcement of this. I've always been happy to do whatever it takes to get the show done - do people use this to try to get out of something they just don't want to do?

 

Do we think blacks could count as costume in some circumstances? I've done many a panto UV scene in full Ninja gear :) - a bit warm so the exta £6 a night would help pay for extra beer for rehydration.

 

I'm not trying to undermine an important thread - of course crew should be renumerated for all the work we do - however I have witnessed first hand the 'that's not my job' line and how embarrassing that is to the rest of a team when a tech reherarsal is held up while one person gets in a fret about something trivial.

 

As long as these things are sorted out well in advance I find most crews are willing to help out provided they do not feel as though they are being taken advantage of - There's always one that will volunteer to dress up. I agree with paulears on the venue front - it varies from place to place depending on the prevailing culture in each venue - but it's very difficult to find out in advance how it works without talking to other visitors. At my last residency a member of crew even volunteered to have a speaking part (although he then refused to move any scenery and demanded dressing room space!) - the lowest-paid actor in panto land?

[andy_s]

Do we think blacks could count as costume in some circumstances? I've done many a panto UV scene in full Ninja gear :) - a bit warm so the exta £6 a night would help pay for extra beer for rehydration.

 

bectu rules exclude the wearing of blacks from the appearance in costume clause. The equity rate for appearing in costume is relatively affordable - less than a fiver extra a week last time I looked. and I need to look it up again as we have an ASM dressed as a "Wakikata" in the current show. Bectu is much more expensive. I think the rate should be based on how good you look in them - after all that's how Kate Moss makes her money, and why should we be treated any differently?

 

to be honest, when I've had to do scene changes in costume, I haven't bothered with extra money. I get more agitated by the concept of "acting ASMs," as I think this is a much less clearcut area and potentially frought with misunderstanding and the opportunity to overwork people.....putting a "frock" (I speak figuratively, not literally) on to change a prop or a bit of set seems like no big deal to me, but of course if we ask stage management or technical staff to do it we pay the agreed rate as per equity / bectu

(but as I said before, bectu have (perhaps intentionally) priced themselves out of the market.....

[lucy_ironside]

Buyouts:

 

A buy out is exactly what is says on the tin - and they usually expect the works for a flat rate. If there is an extra payment for appearance in costume it will be mentioned in the contract. Some buyouts still have extras like sunday travel, bank holidays etc, but these will be specifically mentioned. If the buy out is based on a standard Equity contact (i.e. it is an actual Equity contract with crossings out for overtime) then you may have a case if appearance fees have not been crossed out.

 

A reasonable buy out offers a rate that is over the minimum so as to include all the little extras and overtime that crop up. Unfortunately there are also producers who offer a "buy out" rate of, guess what? The Equity minimum. This is not really a buy out but just a way of not paying you what they should if on an Equity contract!

 

BUT, if you are dabbling in non Equity contracts the responsibility is on you when you accept the contract. If it is not a standard contract then you must ask the questions before yoiu accept. Ask about appearance fees, sunday travel, sunday shows, overtime, holiday pay, pension contributions, bank holiday payments, extra duties... We all work on buy outs from time to time but it's important to make an informed decision. Most of us only get stung once or twice!

 

Apperance Fees

 

As for the general issue of appearance money, I certainly don't think it's unreasonable or the sign of a jobsworth to expect it. I pay Equity to negotiate fair terms and conditions on my behalf. I certainly won't be appearing in a costume without a fee anymore than many actors will be pushing scenery without push and pull (unless they're on the Provincial Commercial contract, of course, in which case that's a thorny issue...)

[andy_s]

As for the general issue of appearance money, I certainly don't think it's unreasonable or the sign of a jobsworth to expect it. I pay Equity to negotiate fair terms and conditions on my behalf. I certainly won't be appearing in a costume without a fee anymore than many actors will be pushing scenery without push and pull (unless they're on the Provincial Commercial contract, of course, in which case that's a thorny issue...)

 

 

I should like to say I haven't got any problem with the extra payments we make to stage management in costume, just that the difference between what Bectu have arranged and what Equity have is considerable. So it's clearly much better value for money to the management to use equity members for this function....cos they're cheaper.