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Real experiences from real actors. Anonymous. Unfiltered.
Blumhouse micro-budget horror — $125/day but the exposure was actually real
Blumhouse's micro-budget arm (Tilt) pays almost nothing — $125/day for a 3-day shoot. Before you stop reading: the movie got a limited theatrical release and went to Peacock. My scene is in the trailer. For once, 'exposure' was a real thing. The set was run like a real union movie — proper turnaround, hot meals, safety briefings before any stunt work. Would I do it for the money alone? Absolutely not. But the IMDb credit and the footage for my reel were worth it if you can afford to take the hit.
Tubi Original movie — 12 days, $350/day, surprisingly professional
Cast in a Tubi Original through a Backstage posting. $350/day for 12 shooting days as supporting cast. The production was way more organized than I expected for a streaming platform this size — real production office, actual call sheets the night before, stunt coordinator for the action scenes. Pay wasn't amazing but they paid on time within 2 weeks of wrap. Meals were catered and decent. The director was no-nonsense but respectful. Would absolutely do another Tubi project.
ReelShort romance series — 7 days, $650/day, watch the exclusivity clause
Booked a supporting role on a ReelShort romance through a WeChat casting group. $650/day for 7 days. Hours were 10-12/day which is reasonable for micro drama. Craft services was decent — hot meals at lunch, snacks throughout. The pace was fast (15+ pages/day) but the director prepped well so we weren't just sitting around waiting. The one negative: they wanted a 2-year platform exclusivity in the contract. I negotiated it down to 6 months. Always ask about exclusivity clauses before you sign anything.
Extra on a union commercial — $182/8hrs via Taft-Hartley
Got booked as an extra on a SAG-AFTRA commercial shoot. I'm non-union but they Taft-Hartley'd me for the day. Rate was the SAG minimum — $182 for 8 hours. Overtime kicked in after 8 hours and I ended up working 11, so the total was about $280. Meals were incredible (actual catering), the holding area was a real green room with AC, and everyone was professional. Night and day compared to non-union work. Made me seriously consider joining the union.
Day player on a ShortTV series — easiest $500 I've made
Got hired as a day player for a ShortTV series. One day, 8 hours, $500. I had maybe 10 lines total. The set was well-organized, craft services was actually good (real catering, not just chips), and I was in and out. This is what non-union work should look like. The production company clearly had a budget and knew how to run a set.
Non-union commercial: $1,200/day but the buy-out clause was buried
Booked a non-union commercial for a regional auto dealer chain. Rate was $1,200/day which seemed great. What they didn't mention upfront was the buy-out clause in the contract — they could use my likeness in perpetuity across all media for that one payment. No residuals. I found out when I got the contract the night before the shoot. Felt trapped but signed it anyway. Lesson learned: always ask about usage rights before you get attached to the gig.
$150/day for a student film — 16 hour day, no meal break
Took a student film gig because I wanted footage for my reel. Big mistake. They said it would be an 8-hour day. We started at 7am and didn't wrap until 11pm. No meal break — they ordered pizza at 4pm and expected us to eat between takes. The rate was $150 flat for the day. Never again.
Lead on a 10-day ReelShort shoot — here's what I actually made
Got cast as the female lead for a ReelShort micro drama. 10 shooting days, 12-14 hours each. Rate was $800/day flat, no overtime. Meals were provided but craft services was basically snacks. The director was professional but the schedule was brutal — we shot 15-20 pages per day. Would I do it again? For the money, yes. For the conditions, I'd negotiate harder on hours.