How much do you reckon talking heads get paid?

[PlasticGreenDinosaur]

Watching some programme about being British on C4 and unusually for a talking heads programme there's quite a few people I've heard of before on it

Which got me thinking - how much do you think celebrities get paid for going on these programmes? And how long are they filmed for?

Ooh. Good question.

Sadly I have no idea Sorry.

Bumpin for ya'.

My money is on 'sod all' or 'equity minimum rates'.

I always thought that talking head stuff was done by people who wanted to be more famous than they were. So they'd probably just do it for exposure?

I've been a talking head. Not as a celeb, but as someone who knew something about the subject. I got my travel expenses. I was filmed for a lot longer than was shown; they actually gave most of what I said to the mini-celeb presenter to say. I only met the researcher, producer and cameraman.

I did it for the experience, not fame or fortune. But after it was shown, someone I met said 'weren' t you on xxx?' So I was famous in a small way

Like Harriet, I have done a bit, but as an academic not a celeb. No money. Will sometimes pay for a taxi to get me to a studio. Only been paid the once, possibly because I had to get up at stupid o'clock for a breakfast show. They tend to come to me so they have the whole 'academic in her office' thing. Last time, one of the cameramen remarked that I was the only person who never bothered to tidy up before they came, which was a bit embarrassing.

Andrew Collins the TV writer/journalist wrote a blog piece about this a couple of years ago. He then said most people got paid, but I wonder if this was actually the moment when things started to turn. This is the piece - it's very good:

wherediditallgorightblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/keeping-up-appearance-fees/

Ooh, I'm always intrigued by this sort of thing. I'm also interested to know things like how much Caitlin Moran gets paid for the piece she writes for the Times magazines on Saturdays.

Sadly, except for the stars, and probably those with good contracts for technical roles for the likes of the BBC (camera operator etc) I expect that there are a lot of interns, zero hours contracts, minimum wage work etc, because people will be queuing up to work on TV.

DP works in the music industry (backstage) and while he can get paid reasonably well for some projects, there are plenty that is just above minimum wage and of course there is no security and often very little notice of the next job (sometimes a day or two). A lot of what should be paid work is done by volunteers or by people who will put in a few shifts work for a ticket to the festival.