Recently I was upgraded from stand-in to principal on a television pilot. The experience was thrilling, but it also brought up a number of questions.

My upgrade happened after business hours and on location, when a union representative was not available to answer questions. This article aims to answer some basic questions about being upgraded from stand-in to principal on a union project, especially if a union representative is not immediately available to you.

Ben’s Note:

This article is not intended to cover all circumstances when upgraded from stand-in to principal. There may be room for negotiation of your terms when you are upgraded from stand-in to principal. However, all contract questions should ultimately be directed to a union representative for an authoritative answer.

My Story

My journey from stand-in to principal was a somewhat circuitous route. I was standing in for the duration of a pilot, and about halfway through the shooting schedule there were not enough background actors for a scene so they dressed me to do background work — sometimes referred to by stand-ins as “doing double duty.”

From there evolved a fortunate series of events. I was placed near a principal actor in a scene. Then the director instructed me to speak to this actor during the scene. Then, while the cameras rolled, a microphone recorded our dialogue in the scene. It was likely at that point my upgrade was secured. Moments later the 2nd 2nd AD was asking for my Social Security Number to get the contract paperwork started.

“Do You Get Two Checks?”

Upon getting the upgrade, the question became whether I would get paid as a stand-in and as a principal actor. The inevitable answer was “Yes, I would be paid for both jobs,” though it wasn’t entirely clear to production at the time and I was almost only paid as a principal actor.

In general, if you are upgraded on a union project, you are signed out on your original voucher at the moment your principal contract begins. For example, if you worked two hours as a stand-in then were pulled to do principal work, your stand-in voucher would reflect the two hours of work you did, and your out time would reflect the time your principal contract began. Your principal contract then governs your work for the rest of the day.

For my upgrade, because of confusion about proper protocol, production originally thought that my stand-in voucher should be torn up once I was upgraded. After talking with the 2nd AD on the project, this confusion was straightened out by explaining I should receive both the voucher and the contract and that my out time on the voucher would be the moment my upgrade began. So, I would be receiving a check for my short day of standing in, and for my work as a principal actor the rest of the day.

“Then How Much Am I Paid?”

According to Section 26(C) in the 2005 Basic Agreement which governs films as well as dramatic television, you will get your full pay as a stand-in for the hours you worked.  You will also get your full pay as a principal actor for your work.

However, as clarified in Section 26(C), you may not actually end up getting full pay for both jobs! The producer is allowed to deduct the money it would pay for unworked hours as a stand-in from your principal paycheck.

For example, if you worked 3 hours as a stand-in and then was upgraded to a principal, you would get your stand-in rate for 8 hours of work.  But since you didn’t work 5 of those 8 hours, the pay for those 5 hours may be deducted from your principal paycheck!

It may also help to clarify that Schedule X (the two parts that cover background actors, which stand-ins fundamentally are) talks about work in a higher classification.  It reads that if you work at a higher rate in the day, that rate governs your entire day. That seems to suggest that if you stand in but then are upgraded to principal, you are working at a higher classification and thereby should get principal rate all day. This is not so.

It would seem that the term “higher classification” refers to “higher classifications of background actors,” of which “stand-in” is one such higher classification. A principal actor is an entirely different classification altogether, not a “higher” classification than stand-in. So, Section 26(C) governs the situation of when a stand-in is upgraded to principal.

“Do I Continue Standing in When My Scene Is Done That Day?”

Since I was originally hired to stand in all day, the next question was whether after my scene was done that day I should go back to standing in. I asked production if they wanted me to continue to stand in. They said “Yes,” so I continued standing in that day.

I eventually asked a union representative if it was proper for me to stand in that day after my principal upgrade. I was told that because actors are able to stand in for themselves, in theory it was proper for me to continue to stand in that day (even though I was not standing in for myself).

While you’re not going to see many principal actors sticking around to stand in for other principal actors, it may mean that you are wrapped after your scene is done for the day. However, be prepared to go back to standing in after your scene is complete on a day you are upgraded.

“Will I Have to Be Paid a Principal Rate When I Stand in on the Project Again?”

Since the pilot was going to continue to shoot for a number of days more, I was concerned that my upgrade would mean I would have to be paid a principal rate for my remaining days working on the pilot.

My concern was not to be paid at that higher rate; rather, my concern was that the production would be let me go after my upgrade because it would be too expensive to employ me as a stand-in for the remaining days of the shoot.

After later talking to a union representative, I learned that I could stand in again on the project at a stand-in rate, not at a principal rate. Sure enough, I was back on the job the next day and for the remaining days on the project working at a stand-in rate.

However, there were notable exceptions:

  • Say that my character was to appear on camera on a later day in the pilot. Whether speaking or non-speaking (as in playing in the background), I would have to be paid at a principal rate for that day.
  • Say that the pilot were picked up to series and I worked on a future episode as a stand-in. If they used my character again in the background, and if my character didn’t speak, I would not be paid at a principal rate. A new episode on camera would be at the stand-in rate — unless of course my character spoke, which would trigger a principal contract.

Essentially, once you are given a principal contract for your character, every day you work as that character on the remaining days of that episode you work at a principal rate. You may return to stand in and work at the stand-in rate insofar as you are not playing that character that day.

“What about Film?”

After talking to a different union representative, the same policy seems to apply: If you play your character on a later day in a film production, whether you are speaking or non-speaking, you would receive a principal rate for that day. But on the days you are standing in only, you would work at a stand-in rate.

Some film productions may feel discouraged to upgrade stand-ins until late in the production schedule for fear of having to pay stand-ins principal rates every day after their upgrade. This appears to be a misnomer; stand-ins may work at a stand-in rate on future days on a project as long as they are not playing their character on those days.

“What about My Agent and Manager?”

When it comes to filling out your contract, keep in mind that you may have contracts with an agent and/or a manager that govern their payment when booking a role. Be sure to put their address(es) in the contract if that is what is arranged with your representation.

In Conclusion

If you’ve been upgraded as a stand-in to a principal, congratulations! Most assuredly your experience as a stand-in has boosted your ability to handle the pressure of acting on set. You will be paid as a stand-in and as a principal for that day, and you should be able to keep your stand-in job from then on. If you have questions, feel free to use the above to guide you in the moment, but check with your union representative for expert guidance on handling the work.

Have you been upgraded from stand-in to principal? What was the experience like for you? Do you have any additional insights into the process? If so, share below!