Deferred pay?

[Andre Trudel]

Deferred pay. How dose it work? I’m shooting a spec commercial for a friend who is well connected. I’m giving him the super low friend rate along with the "deferred pay" if he sells it.

 

DO you write a contract? Is it a percentage of what it sells for? How dose it work? Thanks for your time.

Edited October 27, 2009 by Andre Trudel

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Deferred pay. How dose it work? I’m shooting a spec commercial for a friend who is well connected. I’m giving him the super low friend rate along with the "deferred pay" if he sells it.

 

DO you write a contract? Is it a percentage of what it sells for? How dose it work? Thanks for your time.

 

 

Deferred Pay is code for no pay.

 

I don't do them

[nick franco]

Deferred Pay is code for no pay.

 

I don't do them

Truth

[Sydney Seeber]

Do it because you want to hang out with your friends and make something cool, not because you think it might pay... I wonder how many spec commercials are shot daily across the world. I myself have made several dozen... If they do pay, they don't pay much. I've probably made less than 5 grand total (Over the course of 15 years) off of creating unsolicited :30 and :60 second spots, and if you count money paid out, I'm sure I'm in the hole. How well connected your friend is will have 0 influence on how effective his project is for a particular brand. I only did them because they were a fun outlet to create mini film shorts. I know a guy who's spent 6 figures making spec spots, and hasn't made jack sh!t in return, for all the same reasons, but his Vimeo account sure looks f-in' rad! Not that it's made him a dime... maybe your friend has a serious business model, but chances are very good he'll lose money on it.

[Brant S. Fagan SOC]

Gents--

 

I received a deferred payment ONCE in 21 years in the business. Shocked and amazed when I received the phone call announcing such an event. My first thought was the call was a practical joke by the producer/UPM.

 

When the check arrived I realized that was the one time this would happen in my career so I immediately deposited it and have never taken such work again.

 

Remember, THEY get paid before you do, IF you do.

[Andre Trudel]

Thanks guys.

 

Sydney, you’re absolutely right. We’re shooting on another friends red camera. If nothing happens beyond just shooting, at least I’m getting some much needed footage for my reel. My question is so that I'm covered just incase something dose happen.

 

Brant, when you did your “deferred pay” gig, what was the agreement? Was there a contract signed? How did it work?

 

Thanks again.

[Brant S. Fagan SOC]

Andre--

 

On that lucky project, they first offered me the A-camera/Steadicam job but at a rate that would make a teenager walk away. I suggested that they just day-play me for the Steadicam portions of the show.

 

We agreed on a modest operating and gear package. At some point, the UPM mentioned there was a deferred portion as well but given my years of experience with that tactic, I simply forgot about the potential money until the phone call came in.

 

As a result of the success of the picture, I was able to double my money on the labor portion of the deal package.

 

Yes, always get it in writing and make sure the language is clear for both parties as to what constitutes the payment trigger and how the payments are to be distributed

 

Ask all the questions you can think of ahead of time and make the answers work for you!