Fee

The fee is a fixed, lump-sum remuneration—regardless of how long the shoot actually takes or how many days the person is on set. This fundamentally distinguishes it from the daily rate, which is billed per workday. A fee is tied to the role, the project, or the agreed-upon service, not the actual time of engagement.

In practice, it works like this: an established actor is hired for a supporting role with a fee of 8,000 Euros—whether the role comprises three shooting days or ten, the sum remains the same. This is an advantage for productions with tight budgets because costs remain calculable. At the same time, it protects artists from surprises due to shoot extensions. The director or production management cannot simply say: "We're shooting two more days"—the fee has already been negotiated and fixed.

Fees are typically used for actors, directors, screenwriters, or specialized service providers (e.g., well-known cinematographers or visual effects supervisors). For the crew below this level—gaffers, grips, assistants—daily rates or hourly wages are almost exclusively used. A fee presupposes that the person provides a clearly defined, self-contained service and does not have to be available daily.

Important: The fee usually only covers the agreed-upon service. Additional requirements—such as reshoots weeks later or appearances at premieres—are separate negotiation items. Here, the concept of a supplementary fee or an additional daily rate billing applies. Usage rights (theater, streaming, TV) can also be included in the fee or compensated separately—this depends on the individual contract. Some productions distinguish between "fee for shooting" and "fee for editing/post-production" for specialists like sound designers or composers. The exact demarcation is stated in the engagement contract that the production management concludes with each artist.