You spent the day running cables, moving c-stands, lifting heavy cases and possibly getting coffee.  Then you sit around and wait to be called on to run more cables, move more c-stands, lift more heavy cases and get more coffee.  After it’s all over you spend the rest of your time wrapping cables, putting away gear and cleaning up.  It’s the glamorous life of a PA on a set. We’ve all been there.  It’s part of getting your foot in the door in the TV and film business.  But aside from the “experience” that you’ll learn, you stand a good chance of getting paid for your hard work.

It’s a good idea to get yourself out there and meet as many people as you can.  Sometimes this means working for free.  It shows that you’re eager to learn – production companies like this.  However, (and this is a BIG however) you shouldn’t work with a company more than twice without asking for some kind of payment! 9 times out of 10, the production company will only let you work for free once.  They will usually call you for other jobs and offer a PA rate (between $50 and $150 depending on the shoot) after they get to know you – and of course,  if they actually like you.

Internships

This doesn’t apply if you are an intern.  If you’re an intern,  you should expect to earn nothing but “experience” for a semester or two.  I talk about interning all the time – it’s great.  But after you are finished with the internship it is customary to get paid for your efforts.  Don’t get suckered into any additional free work after the fact.  You’ve had your chance to prove yourself so don’t fall for the “experience” line any more from the same company that offered you an internship.  There are exceptions to every rule, just try to not let too many people take advantage of you in the name of experience.   After all, “experience” doesn’t pay for your fancy Burger King meals, does it?

The Invoice

Every production company that hires you will ask you for an invoice.  An invoice is a printed statement that you provide to the company with details about your shoot.  These details are as follows:

1. Full name
2. Address (so they can mail you a check)
3. Phone number
4. Social Security Number (for tax purposes)
5. Invoice number (you create this for your own tracking purposes)
6. Date of issue for the invoice
7. Name of the project (if it was a commercial for an attorney you would put XYZ Attorney shoot
8. What you did on the project (camera operator, cable wrangler, production assistant, etc.)
9. Date of the shoot (this is different than the date of issue for the invoice – I’ll explain in a sec.)
10. Hours worked
11. Total amount of payment (this is usually negotiated prior to the shoot – don’t catch them off guard with a high number)

Here is a sample invoice for you to download.  Just change the info and you’re on your way!

Follow up with your client

Add all of this information to the sample Word Document above or create your own. Print it out or email it to your client or mail it to them, depending on their requirements.  If you email the invoice, make a note in the email that you would like a confirmation upon receipt.  If they don’t respond immediately, call the company and check to make sure that they received your invoice.  Do the same thing after sending an invoice in the mail – but wait a couple of days.  Some companies like to pull the old “we never got it” routine.  The catch here is that you will have to usually wait another 30 days after issuing the new invoice that they “never got” and it sets you back.  Be diligent and follow up – it’s your money.

Net 30 – What does that mean?

It’s important to remember that most companies pay on a Net 30 basis.  This means that once you issue an invoice, the company has 30 days to pay you – so don’t expect to get a check the next day.  It usually goes right up to the wire.  This is why it’s important to make note of your invoice number and date of issue.  YOU have to keep track of this stuff!  If you did the proper follow-up and they confirmed that they received your invoice but now 30 days have passed with no check -  you should definitely call to check on the payment.  Most times this is an easy process, but there are some horror stories out there.  If you’re on top of things you have nothing to worry about – the majority of clients pay on time.

Get organized

Keep track of everything!  Make a folder – either a real folder or one on your computer – and put all of your invoices in the folder.  When you get paid for a job, write “Paid” on the invoice.  Also, make a note of your expenses and your mileage.  This helps make tax time much easier and the expenses might be able to reduce your taxes.  This is where you need a good accountant.  We’ll talk about that in another post.