I recently got a phone call from a production company that wants to put together a pilot for a TV series. They are aiming for a midsize cable network. There’s a pretty good chance they’ll want me to work with them. I’m not sure if they want me to be on screen or just serve as a consultant, but from what they said so far, I think they’ll want me on screen for a few minutes per show.
The question is: How much should I charge? I’d like to keep my identity anonymous on the internet, but I can tell you that I’m at about the level of a full professor or succesful lawyer or physician. I’m not a celebrity by any means, not even that well known in my field.
I generally bill out my time at about $200 an hour after expenses, but for special events I’ve occasionally been paid a lot more.
Seriously? Get an agent. It is far easier for an agent to negotiate a deal than you. Don’t worry about the 15%. It’s worth it, as I discovered when my daughter’s manager negotiated a whole bunch more money for her to compensate for us being unable to take the bus to the studio. (Long story, we came out way ahead.)
If you’re that far along, any decent agent would jump at the chance to represent you. If it’s good enough for baseball players, it’s good enough for you.
I’ll ask around. I have enough friends who are actors and writers to get some info. My only concern is that if this is for a pilot, they may only want one or two days of work, and that it’s not worth it for an agent. But I’ll check.
BTW I had an interesting experience a few years ago. A friend called and asked if I’d do a one shot presentation, through her company. I said fine since it was of interest to me. My friend gave me the number to call and said to work out what I would talk about and all that, but DO NOT DISCUSS PRICE. I followed her advice, and told Ms. Plan B that I’d be happy to get $1500. My friend did the negotiating and I got $4900 and she got her cut.
I take it that you’re an expert in some field. I’d definitely talk to an agent. You’ll want to cover a reasonable fee plus any expenses (e.g. wardrobe, travel).
If they want him as a consultant, they should offer a lot more than SAG scale. Get the money while you can. None of the pilots my daughter auditioned for (she didn’t get any) became series. I don’t know how many even got made. But good luck anyhow.
