Should I be getting paid for appearing on a TV documentary?

[revsRus]

I’m going to be interviewed on camera in my flat tomorrow afternoon, the footage of which will be used in a crime documentary about a murdered Scottish fraudster who lived in my flat immediately before me. I’m of mild interest since I had various dodgy bastards and subsequently the police arriving at my door looking for her when she went missing. So I’ll probably be appearing as a talking ahead for no more than a few minutes or less when the documentary is released.

Should ai be asking for money?

Peter

[Gavster]

That's an interesting one, as you are giving them access to something totally unique, which means there's definitely value in the access you're providing. If there was no unique value, e.g. they were interviewing you because you own a blue car, then you'd have no chance of getting a fee. However, because there's only one property then you definitely could ask.

The only thing is that asking within 24 hours of filming is a bit of a cunty move, you're not going to make any friends asking now. If you just enquire, then they'll say no. If you say it's off unless you give me £500, then you're putting them in a crappy position.

[revsRus]

That's an interesting one, as you are giving them access to something totally unique, which means there's definitely value in the access you're providing. If there was no unique value, e.g. they were interviewing you because you own a blue car, then you'd have no chance of getting a fee. However, because there's only one property then you definitely could ask.

The only thing is that asking within 24 hours of filming is a bit of a cunty move, you're not going to make any friends asking now. If you just enquire, then they'll say no. If you say it's off unless you give me £500, then you're putting them in a crappy position.

I don’t feel like I deserve any money in a morality/cosmic sense, but it’s clear this is a private production company who will be pitching their completed product to the various major broadcasters. I wonder if the lure of being on the telly is usually enough to get contributors like myself to agree to take part, but the producers are willing to negotiate if anyone asks the question. I’m definitely excited to be on the telly

[DeskJockey]

As Gavster says it is a bit late to ask now. As someone with vast experience of being on telly* I was paid for my involvement both times, but that was offered up front. Do it for the novelty.






* Did one scene for a TV show that ended up on the cutting room floor, and am credited as general dogs body and translator in an Irish documentary that I'm quite sure at least 25 people watched, so I'm very qualified to comment.

[dinny_g]

and translator in an Irish documentary that I'm quite sure at least 25 people watched, so I'm very qualified to comment.

Curious DJ… which one??? I may be one if the 25

[Matty]

The important thing here is you link it so we can critique your appearance and general demeanour.

a crime documentary about a murdered Scottish fraudster who lived in my flat immediately before me.

Hmm.

[DeskJockey]

and translator in an Irish documentary that I'm quite sure at least 25 people watched, so I'm very qualified to comment.

Curious DJ… which one??? I may be one if the 25

“An Chaille Brídeoige: The Wedding Veil of the Princess of Connaught"

[V8Granite]

As a tv personality at a young age I think you should be paid with lots of free gifts and football tickets.

Dave!

[unzippy]

Should ai be asking for money?

Just a substantial rider

[Gavin]

percentage of the gross?

I once got roped in as an extra when my mate worked for a production company and my wife had volunteered to be an extra. Someone hadn't turned up and literally someone walked past with uniform (was docudrama set during WW2 I think) told me to stand up saw I fitted and sent me to hair and make up. This was despite my protests I was not an extra.

I wasn't paid the £25 my wife was and was in a few scenes smoking and wolf whistling a stripper. My parents were proud!

[mik]

As a tv personality at a young age

Have you told us about this before? Were you one of the Milky Bar kids?

[dinny_g]

“An Chaille Brídeoige: The Wedding Veil of the Princess of Connaught"

Wow… niche. Must have missed that one

What was it, English to Danish? And why

[mik]

I once got roped in as an extra when my mate worked for a production company

My mate is in the nightclub scene in Trainspotting. He received a very short-notice call, and he’d then called me at the house to see if I was interested? No mobiles back then of course. Didn’t get the call as I was in the garage underneath my car. Damn.

[V8Granite]

As a tv personality at a young age

Have you told us about this before? Were you one of the Milky Bar kids?

I am a Nickleottery winner, it’s essentially the greatest prize that can be given to someone who still enjoyed watching Rugrats on tv.

As these things always do though, once I saw my hazey coke dusted reflection in the butt of another stripper, then having to clean the vomit from Malcolm in the middles Escalade, I had to leave that crazy life behind.

Dave!

[Gavster]

I don’t feel like I deserve any money in a morality/cosmic sense, but it’s clear this is a private production company who will be pitching their completed product to the various major broadcasters. I wonder if the lure of being on the telly is usually enough to get contributors like myself to agree to take part, but the producers are willing to negotiate if anyone asks the question. I’m definitely excited to be on the telly

I think that being in the media is often enough of a lure for a lot of people, especially print, journalists rarely pay for interviews.

However, I'd see your situation more like finding a filming location, which costs a lot and is a PITA to find good spots, so from that perspective you're providing them with a lot of value. Anyone filming will try to get everything for free as it saves tons of cash, and they probably would say they don't have a budget if asked. Sometimes I ask them to go back and find one

[John]

My class at school was in an Open University documentary, I think we got free orange juice and biscuits.

[Gwaredd]

You should at least be offered payment for anything you do for anyone. Even a mate (although we never accept, unless it's a beer or Chinese)

If you're not, they're taking the piss.

Request payment, taking comfort in the knowledge they're making money from your services.

[Zonda_]

percentage of the gross?

I once got roped in as an extra when my mate worked for a production company and my wife had volunteered to be an extra. Someone hadn't turned up and literally someone walked past with uniform (was docudrama set during WW2 I think) told me to stand up saw I fitted and sent me to hair and make up. This was despite my protests I was not an extra.

I wasn't paid the £25 my wife was and was in a few scenes smoking and wolf whistling a stripper. My parents were proud!

Pah! When I starred in a Holywood blockbuster* I was paid £50 a day! I hadn't seen the advert but a load of mates were doing it and gave me the directors number, I phoned him at 7pm the night before and was told to report at the set at 6am the next day It was August and we were filming a Dunkirk evacuation scene, we were stuck wearing WWII battle dress all day and it was boiling! By the time we'd got out of costumes, given weapons back to the armoury etc is was 9pm and we had it all to do again the next day, hardest £100 I've ever made.

*the film was Atonement, the scene I was in holds the record for the longest Steadicam shot in a film at 13 minutes. To this day I've never watched the film I've watched the bit with me in it but can't see myself.

So to answer the original question, if they were paying you I'd expect about a fiver!

[dinny_g]

£50??? £50 per day - I was only offered £25 per day to appear in Circle of Friends - Parts were filmed at my uni. In the end my hair was too short and not "of period" so I wasn't chosen

My mate did and described it is you do. Stuck in a costume and told to stand around for 6 or 8 hours. No water, no food, no toilet breaks. You had to be ready in case the director wanted you.

[DeskJockey]

@dinny_g: the documentary traces the history of the wedding veil that the (now) crown Princess of Denmark wore at her wedding. I guess someone thought it interesting that an Australian (with Scottish heritage) marrying a Dane would wear Irish lace.

I was the driver (they'd hired an amazing Zafira 1.6) and translator from Danish and Swedish to English. I also wrote the subtitles for the screen. It all came about as the director was a distant friend of an Irish friend of mine living in Copenhagen. Second claim to fame is that I almost met the Queen while we were filming in the royal palace.

@V8Granite : what had been done to the poor lady's hindquarters to make them shiny though for you to see your reflection?