To ask about child filming

[sawseesaw]

Anyone have any experience of child filming.
DD (9) is taking part in a couple of months.
I'm wondering if she should be paid something.
It's 8 hours filming over a few days. It's improvised, so no preparation is needed.
I wouldn't expect her to get lots, but maybe something like I'd give her a bit of pocket money for lots of extra chores. The company filming is making the programme for a major network.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

You will be issued a contract. Read it carefully ( obvs)
Not filming, but my friends gd appears in theatre things ( think big group of kids dancing, or being a small crowd onstage) and gets paid a tiny amount of pocket money. It probably costs her parent more for the carpark.
As long as your dc is keen to do it look at it as a good experience, it’s interesting seeing filming from the inside, though there is a lot of waiting around.

This, and if she is doing it because it will be fun or an interesting experience then you wouldn't even think about paying her. I don't pay my dd to play football on a Saturday morning.

Then again, I don't pay them for chores either. We all contribute to doing the jobs.

My DS got €100 for half a days work. He'd have paid them to let him be in it. They let him keep his costume which was the best part according to him, think green lurex leggings😂

Is this job through an agency or something you have done on your own? Asking as only this morning saw a very dodgy casting call on Facebook. My kids all performed throughout childhood and I worked as a chaperone. All the work we did film,TV and theatre we knew exactly what we were getting into before agreeing to anything.

This, and if she is doing it because it will be fun or an interesting experience then you wouldn't even think about paying her. Confused I don't pay my dd to play football on a Saturday morning

The OP isn't asking if she should pay her daughter, she's asking if her daughter should expect to be paid for it. Things can be a job worth being paid for and an interesting and fun time too. I mean, I don't think actors go into that business because they hate it, nor do they do it for fun and just refuse to be paid.

As in, paid by the company. She hasn't got a contract yet

Sounds like your child is some sort of extra - is that right?
I’d expect at minimum expenses covered and food provided. Adults will be paid so kids should be too…

Ok, to answer questions.
It is not an extra, it's a speaking part.
It's direct with the production company, not through an agency.
It is being made by the production company who have been commissioned by a major network.
The contract suggests no pay.
I want to contact them to discuss this.
She would probably be happy to pay to do it.
I think she (not me) should get something for her time, even though it will be a fun thing to do.

This sounds VERY dodgy given your update OP. How was your child approached for this job in the first place?

I did some acting and extra work as a kid. Yes, it should be paid. There are laws about on-set supervision, tutoring and chaperoning. Pay is at set rates for the skills on display.

Hope this is a legit agency.

Rules differ if she's just in the background on the news or something. But if it's a real job, yes it should be paid.

Yeah, I didn't get that either. Op is asking if her dc should get a small amount of money-the equivalent of what they get when they do extra chores.

An advert shared by her drama club then an audition. DD and a couple of others were contacted.

If it's a speaking part then she should be paid way more than just the extra fee. So yeah, this is sounding weird.

I got my bedroom decorated with my fees. It's a few hundred for, say, a few scenes but it goes up the more you do.

Thank you, I was beginning to worry about my communication skills...

The very least she should be paid is expenses (and that is usually only for student films). Anything else she should be paid a fee.

You also need to check that licensing is in place.

It depends. My friends kids have been in prime time BBC one stuff and a Hollywood movie as babies and got paid almost nothing. An old next door neighbour's was in a telly advert and got paid £10k (about 15 years ago)

Agree that speaking parts are paid a lot more than extras. PACT rates are a standard of £96.70 for a day's work - however long you work on that day. Plus holiday pay. Plus £26.53 for "minimal dialogue" or £53.59 for "dialogue". Plus more for a costume change, or a haircut, or whatever. It's all VERY regulated.

DS did a voiceover for a local radio charity campaign, he had literally 5 words to say and was in the booth to do the recording for 20 minutes tops. He got £60 for it.

No pay really does sound exceptionally unusual, especially for a "talent" part and especially as it's for a networked production and not a student film. Definitely go back to them and query, OP.

Is she? Why is she talking about comparing it to chores then?

Come on Cabbage it's OBVIOUS what the OP meant. To rephrase:

"I wasn't expecting DD to get paid thousands of pounds, but maybe to earn some pocket-money, similar to the level I'd perhaps pay her to put the laundry away or clean the car".

Extremely helpful. Thank you!

My daughter recently shot one line in a TV drama. She was paid for the whole day at Equity rates which were about £600 off the top of my head. She also had a 1-2-1 professional chaperone with her at all times.

I think they are trying it on because you are not represented by an agent.

those are the extra rates - "talent" is paid more usually. But that's a decent starting point. www.castingcollective.co.uk/production/pay-rates

A good idea OP might be to contact them and ask whether they were using PACT or BBC rates as you've been looking through the paperwork and can't see where it's mentioned...

Why on earth do you expect MN to know rather than just asking whoever gave you the contract?

Something feels a little off about this. OP you say you think it’s something she would enjoy doing but have you actually asked her if she wants to do it?