This information went out of date after June 30, 2014. For updated rates, see this posting.
– The Editor
A common question for people visiting Stand-In Central is how much stand-ins in film and television are paid.
Usually stand-ins are members of SAG-AFTRA, the labor union merged in 2012 from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). As union members, stand-ins are entitled to union wages, which are determined by negotiated contracts. To date, contracts are not SAG-AFTRA contracts but instead SAG contracts and AFTRA contracts (depending on the set), and with these contracts come different rates for stand-ins.
In recent years, union wages have gone up for stand-ins on July 1st. As of July 1st, 2013, stand-ins for television and film make $163 for 8 hours on most SAG projects, and $169 for 8 hours on most AFTRA projects. There definitely are exceptions to these base rates (such as when standing in on a commercial, standing in on a CW project, personally negotiating a higher rate, etc.), but these are standard rates as of July 1st, 2013.
As union members, stand-ins also make additional money in overtime hours, meal penalties (when crew does not break for a meal after 6 hours of work), night premiums (when working during particular times), and photo-doubling (when a stand-in is on camera in place of another actor). Given the overtime many stand-ins put in, stand-ins may regularly gross $300/day or more. Of course, some stand-ins regularly work “straight 8s,” meaning they gross only their base rate because of the lack of overtime they work.
While the pay may be attractive, the amount of commitment involved when standing in may make standing in unappealing to the average person. Oftentimes a stand-in must be fully available for a day, with absolutely no outside conflicts. These long hours can impede on family and social life, not to mention health and happiness.
Standing in is not a “day job” in the typical sense; usually, a stand-in cannot leave for an appointment and come back as one might at a typical desk job. This is to say that although the pay may be a consideration for someone looking for work, the sacrifice involved in working as a stand-in may make the job impractical or even wholly undesirable.
It kind of depends, too, on the production. I’ve worked on sets where the stand-ins do take off for auditions and have a substitute for the day. But I must admit that’s why I left my first tv show after a little less than a season. – I remember asking another stand-in who was there daily if he ever took off for auditions. He told me that yes indeed he did, but tried not to do it so often, cautioning me that sometimes you do and the production ends up liking your substitute better. For me, I find that if you stand-in for a recurring part or guest stars or simply for movies, it’s a nice way to pull down a wad of money to carry you through tighter times and still allow for auditions. Plus, it’s union money. In these days, though, with the economy in California still being tight (why do the local news channels act as if it’s somehow improved??) and the more recent merge of our unions, getting those beefier stand-in gigs seems to be a thing of the past, unless of course one has about 5 different 1st A.D.’s on speed dial. So at least for me, right now, being locked down on a show doing crew work is a non-issue, as I think it is for so many stand-ins.
As far as the increases are concerned, while I am happy that at least we still have a union setting those wages, to live in Los Angeles where mortgages and rents are pricey, these wages could still stand to be increased. More and more tv shows are doing straight 8’s and those that aren’t are barely crossing into time and half, let alone double time. Commercials and film, that never seems to be a problem. But ah, the runaway productions have taken their toll. Pretty soon you’ll be penning an article on the day jobs to support your stand-in jobs. How times are a’changing!
Happy belated Independence Day, btw!
As I understood it, the author was saying that you could not typically leave for an appointment or audition at say 10:00AM and return at 12:00PM within the same day if you were working as a stand-in. You would have to take off the entire day, which some stand-ins do. In my experience, the more established you are as a stand-in on a particular production, the less likely it is that you will be replaced permanently if you take off a day here and there.
That’s unfortunate to hear how things are in LA right now, Carina. I don’t find there has been any change here in NYC. Television shows are still consistent and shoot for just as long in a day as they used to. I also have not seen a change in the ability for people to get steady stand-in gigs since the merger. Maybe we will see better wage increases with the new TV/Theatrical contracts when they are negotiated next year.
Sara,
I forgot that you are in NYC. It seems many things are different there. Here, there are lots of changes going on, sadly. And as I understand it, the union itself has closed at least 9 different regional offices so far in other cities, and laid off nearly 40 people at the union headquarters offices (give or take). Also, though there’s always been some competition for these stand-in gigs, I have seen steady change in this industry, in marketing & promotions, and in events staffing since 2009. More people and less work. Los Angeles has taken quite a blow from all the financial roller coasters. A lot of it has to do with California’s economy in general and the runaway productions and the fact that it took us so long to finally get filming incentives. I must check up on deadline.com, but has NY gone through their ’13 & ’14 filming incentives? California’s got a lottery system. I know someone on the wait list. But lots of producers don’t like waiting and have decided to produce out-of-state. I can’t really say that I blame them, but it’s hard to gauge what work is coming when, even as a stand-in. So much out there is resting in the unknown. But that’s how it is even as an actress. We do what we can in the meantime. But where one door closes, another opens. If it’s not a stand-in gig, maybe it’s a stunt gig or a commercial booking or a guest star. Sometimes it’s a b*tch, sometimes it’s a breeze, as Stevie Nicks would say!
I know that this year the NY State Film Tax Credit Program was extended through 2019 and production has been steady here. I have also seen the decline in marketing and promotional work like you mentioned beginning around 2009. I used to do a lot of that kind of work, but companies have cut their budgets in those areas. That work is scarce now and pays so much less. As far as film and TV jobs go, we just have to keep our eyes open and see what comes up, one day at a time. Good luck to you, Carina!
Thank you, Sara! Sadly I am fighting a few contracts right now – ones I never thought I’d even have to. Not enough people left at SAG to stick their necks out for the rank and file. I guess it seems the days are coming that we’d be better off representing ourselves through entertainment attorneys. I can’t say that thought hasn’t crossed my mind many times in the past, though I don’t exactly have a dire need for one. Sometimes I think that I was just born in the wrong era. Had I been late teens/early 20’s in the ’80’s, I think I would have been flabbergasted by the amount of work & auditions this town used to see back then. Or maybe if I had born in the ’20’s. The Hollywood of the ’40’s and ’50’s was pretty glamorous!
I used to do tons of promotions, too! So many companies have shuttered and others paying literally 50% what they used to. What’s up with that?? I miss all the freebies and clothes and awesome gigs that never seemed like work at all. 😉