pay Scale and Actors

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

As at least some people here know, I found an investor offering us enough money to make a studio level 2 hour TV movie with twelve one hour episodes to boot.

I am looking to scale up the actors day rate to.studio SAG minimum. That will be with the understanding everyone works twelve hour days.

Also, we should be able to acquire some studio actors with the proposed scale pay.

I will make it plain to them too, bad attendance, friction on set, and laziness will result in termination. And, they will need to prioritize our series over their other productions for the pay we will offer them.

We are also making room for two name actors in the cast.

I believe we can get the name actors reps to sign NDAs and show them the scripts for the roles being offered with a copy of the letter of intent from the investor to get a contiguous LOI to show a TV network and the investor to seal a deal.

We can also get their salary requirements that way.

Getting all the pieces together may take a while.

Any thoughts or suggestions from those who walked this path?
 
Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
As at least some people here know, I found an investor offering us enough money to make a studio level 2 hour TV movie with twelve one hour episodes to boot.

I am looking to scale up the actors day rate to.studio SAG minimum. That will be with the understanding everyone works twelve hour days.

Also, we should be able to acquire some studio actors with the proposed scale pay.

I will make it plain to them too, bad attendance, friction on set, and laziness will result in termination. And, they will need to prioritize our series over their other productions for the pay we will offer them.

We are also making room for two name actors in the cast.

I believe we can get the name actors reps to sign NDAs and show them the scripts for the roles being offered with a copy of the letter of intent from the investor to get a contiguous LOI to show a TV network and the investor to seal a deal.

We can also get their salary requirements that way.

Getting all the pieces together may take a while.

Any thoughts or suggestions from those who walked this path?
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What is your budget for the pilot? Which Sag agreement are you working with, ultra low budget, low budget?

Is your current cast non-union?

I would suggest that you not make the talent nor their reps sign NDAs, as that is usually not done, and that might make you seem unprofessional to them.

Also regarding LOIs, depending on the level of names you are going after, generally speaking actors don't do LOIs anymore, at least not the bigger names, of course this depends on the actor, their reps, and the project.

Are there any specific names you are going after?
 
EuropeanDistributor said:
What is your budget for the pilot? Which Sag agreement are you working with, ultra low budget, low budget?

Is your current cast non-union?

I would suggest that you not make the talent nor their reps sign NDAs, as that is usually not done, and that might make you seem unprofessional to them.

Also regarding LOIs, depending on the level of names you are going after, generally speaking actors don't do LOIs anymore, at least not the bigger names, of course this depends on the actor, their reps, and the project.

Are there any specific names you are going after?
Click to expand...

The cast is about half and half after the SAG / AFTRA merger of last year. The best ones are SAG.

Show them the Invester's LOI without an NDA? REALLY???

My rep found the rep who represents everyone we will need. Should I say who here? or, send you a PM? My rep gets nervous when I say who in public. And, everything here is public thanks to Google. Yes, I have specific names. They have either a science fiction TV resume or action series resume.
 
Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Show them the Invester's LOI without an NDA? REALLY???
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If you have to show them the investor's LOI, then I honestly don't see a reason why they should sign an NDA, what's the worst thing that could happen?

Ideally you wouldn't even have to show such a document to them, you contact the agent or manager, ask if they are interested, they ask are you fully funded, you say yes, they say okay, here's my client's quote, you then go to your investor for the money.
If the talent is willing to sign a LOI, that's even better, no money needed yet.

Remember, when they ask you if you are fully funded, they will have to take your word for it, chances are they would never ask for any proof, since that would be out of line, and even if they did, you would not have to show them any proof, the only proof they need is the talent's fee in an escrow, or a check that doesn't bounce.

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
My rep found the rep who represents everyone we will need. Should I say who here? or, send you a PM? My rep gets nervous when I say who in public. And, everything here is public thanks to Google. Yes, I have specific names. They have either a science fiction TV resume or action series resume.
Click to expand...

Since you aren't negotiating with any talent yet, then I would say you are okay with mentioning the names here, but if you aren't comfortable with that I would be glad to offer you any info regarding the names via PM, I am currently packaging two projects, so I might have an idea on rates and such.
 
Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Also, since the minimum we can apply for is one million dollars, I hardly think we qualify for a SAG ULB Agreement anymore.
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If you have a budget of $1M to work with, you can afford some pretty decent talent in front of and behind the camera.

Where will you film it?

You would want to film it in a state that offers a healthy tax incentive, for example Louisiana offers I believe 30%, which after fees could amount to 20% of your budget.

Also, have you thought about producing the pilot in a way, where if it doesn't get picked up by a network, the pilot could still work as a stand alone movie?
I'd think that would minimise the risks, since with a million bucks you could afford some serious names that would sell the movie to distributors worldwide.

If you have an investor ready to invest $1M it would be a shame if such an opportunity would be wasted, if the TV deal doesn't work out.
 
I am hoping to get a partnership with an independent producer in Los Angeles who owns his own TV studio in Los Angeles and freelances with NBC and the Disney Channel as a Production Coordinator.

This producer can help us get picked up with the SyFy Chanel.

Signing on this guy as a partner should strengthen the package for the investor.
 
EuropeanDistributor said:
You would want to film it in a state that offers a healthy tax incentive, for example Louisiana offers I believe 30%, which after fees could amount to 20% of your budget.
Click to expand...

30% is correct. There is also a 5% bonus for payroll to Louisiana residents. The minimum qualifying expense is $300,000.00 for 2013, but with a $1M budget, it shouldn't be an issue. The tax credit is transferable, re-assignable and salable. You can even sell it back to the state for 85% of face value. It is what has made New Orleans "Hollywood South".

http://louisianaentertainment.gov/index.php/film/why-shoot-here/incentives/
 
I am now in talks with a former studio exec from the major studios.

The difference in packaging a TV series to a movie is a show runner and famous writer in the genre of the series are much more important than the director of the TV series.
 
Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
As at least some people here know, I found an investor offering us enough money to make a studio level 2 hour TV movie with twelve one hour episodes to boot.

I am looking to scale up the actors day rate to.studio SAG minimum. That will be with the understanding everyone works twelve hour days.

Also, we should be able to acquire some studio actors with the proposed scale pay.

I will make it plain to them too, bad attendance, friction on set, and laziness will result in termination. And, they will need to prioritize our series over their other productions for the pay we will offer them.

We are also making room for two name actors in the cast.

I believe we can get the name actors reps to sign NDAs and show them the scripts for the roles being offered with a copy of the letter of intent from the investor to get a contiguous LOI to show a TV network and the investor to seal a deal.

We can also get their salary requirements that way.

Getting all the pieces together may take a while.

Any thoughts or suggestions from those who walked this path?
Click to expand...


12 hour days are the norm, but the union contract I signed has an initial per hour ratio for the first 8 hours and no less than time and a half for the second.
 
That is in the SAG contracts.I am reading too.

There were all sorts of problems with independent actors in my last nonunion production. The worst ones got fired. I had three studio actors who made them look really bad with much better work ethics.
 
Okay, here is a stunner. I was advised to rework the proposal for budgets of $10,000 to $20,000 per episode for the small cable TV networks. In that case, we won't be able to afford name talent.

The small cable TV networks only pay the above amount. That will mean the script needs a rewrite to cut down on locations. And, we won't have a budget for set construction.
 
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For exclusive rights in perpetuity?

It is tough to do anything for $10-20k for tv quality episodes unless you get your workers on the slave market... is that still an option? ;)
 
I am wondering if that is what SyFy is paying The Asylum for their mockbusters and additional incomes in from DVD and VOD sales make their films profitable?

Forget about the script rewrite. I have a TV producer evaluating my characters and story bible for a TV series.

Fingers crossed.
 
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An ex studio exec said the $10,000 to $20,000 is what small cable TV networks pay to license the rights to air episodes. He did not say who by name. But, he knows I am interested in going to SyFy.

But, I may have some better in the works. My fingers are crossed that a deal for the series works out.
 
No word back from the show runner.

Another option being considered is a single movie if the show runner passes. A lawyer working with me insists on one change. We will renamed the cyborg military black ops spaceship to avoid any confusion to a past science fiction series to our production. The ship will be replaced at the end of the next film with a new series of military spacecrafts made for cyborg Special Forces soldiers anyway.

My person troubles with my home office and living conditions are pulling me more and more away from doing anything with film for some time, as you may have read in my time McKinise.



The writing on the wall is time off is the best solution for the road ahead.

I am on FaceBook, if anyone else is interested in staying closer in touch.

All the best to everyone at IT.

Mike
 
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