AFTRA Contract Lawyer NYC Francelina M. Perdomo Klukosky - Perdomo Law

The short answer here is yes. With today's quick-changing technological advances, media is always changing, as are media agreements, such as contracts in the entertainment industry. You will also want to be assured that you are getting paid what you deserve for your work and your talent. An AFTRA contract can cover anything from an agreement that is many pages long to cover work in a mega feature film to a small Internet production. If an actor or announcer is being used, even in a non-union position, a contract would be the best protection you can get in order to not be taken advantage of in any way.

One example of an AFTRA contract is an Under-Five Contract. This type of contract can be negotiated and drawn up by an AFTRA Contract Lawyer. It is called Under-Five because the actor in the television show or film has less than five lines of dialogue to speak. This can be an important contract for a beginning actor because it may very well lead to more roles that are larger and contain more lines, requiring more intricate contracts. So although just a few words will be spoken on screen, this actor should have an appropriate contract drawn up to protect his or her pay scale and other perks you may be due but weren't aware of.

There are different specialized varieties of contracts in the entertainment field, especially in AFTRA or SAG. There is the AFTRA Interactive Contract for Internet-based work, such as web episodes or podcasts. There are AFTRA Commercials contracts for advertising work. In fact, whatever type of work you are currently getting involved with may require you to wear a number of different hats, from actor to voice-overs to producer. As an actor, you may need a Performance Contract, and so on.

A residual is a fee paid to the performer or the creator of a performance when it is reenacted or shown more than once. This is largely known in television as reruns or shows that have gone into syndication. It is also true of films that are re-shown on television after being in first-run theaters. When it comes to acting in television or on the radio, residual payments are important concepts to have included in your contract, as these paid performances are shown or heard by audiences over and over again. An actor or other entertainer should be covered legally in the form of fees paid for residuals.