Commercials
ATTENDANCE
Please please please let us know if you will make the castings we send you for. We try to follow up on our messages but sometimes we just run out of time. Often we have suggested you to the casting director and need to send attendance lists. The casting directors get very angry with us if the artists they requested do not pitch up. Remember they have sifted through thousands of pictures and believe that you may just be the PERFECT GUY/GIRL to book the job.
If you simply don’t pitch up, it looks bad on us and on you. Also, they may need to recast, and we check through our database to see who we sent to the first round, and if your name is there, we assume you attended and if you didn’t let us know that you couldn’t make it- you may lose out on another chance.
If you cannot make a casting because your car broke down/dog ate your script/you have a meeting with your financial advisor or a meditation session with Sri Rama Lahkme: let us know. We understand that you have other sides to your life and as long as we are all on the same page, we can try and get you another slot or at least tell the casting director that you won’t be there.
If we keep sending you to castings and you never respond or attend- not good. Not great. Not fair. And eventually- Not worth it.
If we give a specific time i.e. 14h10- that is the time allocated to us by the casting director. If the time given is really problematic, we will do our best to change it. Open times are when we give i.e. 3-6pm, and you can go anywhere in between.
AN ARTIST DECLARES
Unlike Oscar Wilde who had nothing to declare but his genius, you have to declare the commercials you have done in the same territory (country/continent). We generally won’t send you to a casting for a product that is competitive with one you have been featured in, but nowadays the client wants to know of EVERY commercial you’ve done!
If you are unsure, or haven’t kept a record of the commercials you have done and in which territory, just ask us and we can email you your commercial CV. Maybe keep it in your bag at all times so you can whip it out when you need to fill in the Artists Declaration Form.
Good new for those who didn't know: 2nd wardrobes are charged at R350 or 10% of the day fee.
OPTIONS
If you have been optioned for a commercial, you are on a short list because your talent and your LOOK may just work therefore you are not to change your appearance in any way while the option stands. That includes shaving any beards/moustaches, cutting/dying hair, getting tattoos or piercings.
If you are on option to a commercial and some private work comes up, phone us and we can give the clients 24 hours to confirm or release you. If you have given a 1st option, the producers assume that if you are chosen, you are completely available.
1st option means YOU ARE COMPLETELY AVAILABLE on those dates. You can't phone 2 days later and say you forgot you had your brothers barmitsva. Keep a diary. If you are unsure, we can give a 2nd option rather.
If it gets to about 3 days before the shootand you haven’t heard from us, give us a call and we can check how those options are looking for you. Often casting directors don’t send us a release list and we may be swamped with other bookings and haven’t checked the options pending.
WARDROBE
The production is given one free wardrobe. This should last no longer than 2 hours. If you have been at the wardrobe for 2 hours, phone us so that we can warn the production company that we will charge them after 2 hours. The rate is usually R350 or 10% of the day fee depending on the negotiation.
2nd wardrobes are charged for at the same above mentioned fee. If the production Company phones you directly, please call us in case they haven't informed us.
TIME ON SET
The call on South African commercials is a 10 hour day. Overtime is at 15% of the day fee per hour.
The call on International commercials is an 11 hour day. Overtime is at 10% of the day fee per hour.
Please keep a record of your times, from when you sign in until you sign out. We generally wait for time sheets to check if there is any overtime. If you know you had no overtime, let us know because then we can invoice immediately.
PAYMENTS
The general rule is that payment of the day fee is 30 days after the end of the month invoiced. Therefore if you shot a commercial on the 2nd April, the payment will only be processed at the end of April and be paid 30 days later. That means the money will only come through end May, beginning June.
USAGE
Please remember that unless we specify that usage is GUARANTEED, it is never guaranteed. You may get cut out the commercial, or the commercial ends up on the shelf. We have had a case with a car commercial where they cut out all the people.
Please do not do your budget with the usage payment in mind.
The production company has 45 days in which to let us know whether you have been featured. Once we have asked if the artist is featured, they have a week to respond. They may ask for a 30 day extension period if the edit has not been finalised. Thereafter they have 3 days in which to let us know. If the commercial is delayed for more than 6 months, we will charge 110% escalation on the fee. The client may chose to pay this immediately, or they may pay a negotiated holding fee after 6 months.
Remember, if all goes to plan, we find out 45 days after the commercial has been shot that you have been featured, and we do the invoice for the usage.
If we take the previous example of a commercial being shot on the 2nd April, the day fee should come through end May/Beginning June. The 45 day waiting period takes us to the 17th May. We do the invoice. That usage will be paid 30 days after the end of the month invoiced. So expect that payment beginning of July. Many times the money comes in sooner than that, but it could take that long.
It is in your best interest not to spend that money (i.e. on your credit card) until it is in your account.