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A couple of weeks ago three agents called me within a few days and I was put up for 3 different TV Commercials (TVC's). One was for Japan, one for Russia and one for Thailand.
Turns out the Russian one was only a small part so I did not need to go for a casting, just my recent photos were enough, the Japanese TVC I had to go to a casting (2 casting it turned out), and the Thai TVC my photos were enough to start with...
I was knocked back on the Russian TVC, they chose a guy who was covered in tattoos and looked "meaner", being covered in tattoos in Asia generally means mafia, so I can see why this fellow might be chosen in this case. Though my profile photos are generally smilely photos in contrast to my showreel characters. In fact my agent should have put forward my showreel.
My agent for the Japanese TVC decided I was being a trouble making foreigner as I flatly stated my standard rates. They wanted me to drop my rates for them as the TVC suddenly became a Internet only advertisment, I declined to lower my rates. They also wanted me to go in for an extra day to do a "rehearsal" for a sixth of a days pay when the industry standard is one half. On top of that they wanted me to shave my head bald for free, common practise is to get an extra payment for something like this. Later after threats from one employee and a personal insult by the manager they upped the pay rate, almost double the original offer. Later through another agent I found out this was the base pay rate I should have been offered to start with. More childishness followed and the Japanese client was told I was no longer willing to work on the TVC, which is in a tiny part true as I had a conflicting day on one of the days - which should have been presented as a filming day conflict rather than a flat refusal. This should not have been a problem as originally they were planning a 4 day window to film.
Before I get to the Thai TVC which I took and performed in let me go back and study the previous proposal first. A day of rehearsal? WTF I hear Western actors asking. Amateur time is my only answer. I work in International release movies without rehearsal, no one rehearses, especially not for a 30 second TVC that has 2 days to film. And shaving my head for free, number one I have shaved my head before and I do not like the feeling, number 2 is that the Thai people who do not know me from movies will assume I am Nathan Jones with the shaved head then I will have to refute that I am the big foreigner from Tom Yum Gung at least 5 times a day - which gets very annoying as it happens now until I mention the movies I have been in and they realise we are different people. (Like Westerners thinking Asians all look the same, it seems that to Asians many Westerners look the same).
Gladly I will not be working with that agent again.
Lastly I got a call for a low paid part in a Wrigleys "Extra Professional" brand chewing gum TVC. I told the agent my fee for a small part, he tried to convince me to take the money on offer (I was asking 4 times more money) but I said to him;
- If I work for low pay this time others will try to get me to work for low pay everytime
- Low pay undercuts my image as a main character actor
- It takes the same time to do a small part or a big part, and in fact a small part is more boring as you tend to sit around all day. My rate is a daily rate, and there was already a 33% discount as I was not the main.
- If they can find another 7 foot bodybuilder to do the part good luck to them, market economics dictate that scarcity begets price increases in a free market.
- And lastly I don't care if I miss the low pay.
Rather excitedly this agent called back laughing about half an hour later, they agreed to your pay! He was laughing because as my agent me getting more money meant that he too would get more money - a fact many agents here don't understand (or they are taking more than their share and you getting more cuts into their excessive secret fees).
(Now I must say there are some very reputable agents in Bangkok and some very professional, but unfortunately it is the cheap agents who often get the jobs)
Next the Wrigleys TVC production team asked me to go to Bangkok for a fitting, so I emailed my exact measurements from my tailor to my agent and told him that I did not need to go to a fitting if they followed the measurements correctly. If they wanted me to go they would have to pay my taxi and some little spending money to cover my costs, they did not want to do this. I compromised and said that I would get a new jacket made and pay for it myself (my costume was a black suit and blue shirt).
Next they called and said the client (ie Wrigleys management) wanted to see me in person to how how I could react with the main actress in the TVC. I told my agent to tell them to go watch the movies Som Tam and Bangkok Adrenaline, and emailed a link to my showreel.
Really these 30 second TVC people want me to do more casting and auditioning than I do for multi-million dollar world wide release films. A little bit annoying for me considering the difference in importance of the roles.
Anyway I did the TVC, worked with some really nice people, the extras were all University students and I also met a professional Dancer from the Tiffany's Show, who was a rather fun guy. All in all I had a good day on set.
Also on arriving several people recognised me from my movies, including some of the Wrigleys people it seemed and for this I was glad - it made my request for more money seem more justified.
We ended up doing 4 hours overtime, which had me on a 24 hour day including travel time, also by the end I was rather hungry and this always gets me agitated when my blood sugar levels go low. I just smiled and did my best to be upbeat and friendly, and on a final note I was able to converse mostly in Thai with the extras both on camera and off, gaining me more points.
Just waiting for the pay now, then I'll be happy with the entire TVC.
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