Fair Take Pledge
Fairness isn’t something earned once you’re established.It’s the baseline that precedes the first audition.
A call to fairness for non-union performers — the ones with no union, and often no one, in their corner.
You are not the only one.
We are the ones who work without a net.
The ones not yet ready to join the union, and the ones working toward it. The background players and the leads. The ones chasing a first audition, and the ones who book steadily. The ones in markets too small to have anyone whose job it is to look out for us. Regardless of where we are in our careers, what we share is that we are non-union performers, with no regulatory body behind us.
For a long time, we’ve been told this is just how the business works. With no union agreement setting the terms, an agent can decide what we’re owed and how we’re treated, and our only move is to take it or leave. Where nothing requires otherwise, basic decency becomes optional, and too many opt out. We’re handed representation as a favor to be thankful for, expected to stay grateful for a place on the roster and quiet about the rest. And when we question unfair treatment, we’re seen as difficult.
Fairness shouldn’t be difficult.
A good agent doesn’t wait for a union to make them fair. They earn when we earn. They’re honest about our money, reachable when timing matters, and ready to protect the people they represent and work alongside them — because to them, that is simply the job. Those agents exist, and we’re glad they do. Their behavior withstands scrutiny.
What can't survive scrutiny hides from it. The payment with no breakdown, the accounting irregularity no one will explain, the question we don’t feel safe asking. What lets the unfairness survive is silence.
So we’re saying something.
We talk to each other now. We compare notes. We say the numbers out loud: what we were paid, what was taken, what we agreed to. Not to start a fight. To end the silence that lets the unfairness hide. The thing no governing body will do for us, we’ll do for each other.
We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re not asking for more than our share. We’re asking for an honest one — a fair take. The cut that’s actually fair. The work that’s actually ours. And a say in how we’re treated along the way. Our take on this matters. It always did.
You were never the only one. You just didn’t know it.
The Pledge
Nothing hidden.
We’re the agents and managers who believe representation is a partnership built on mutual trust. Here’s what we promise.
- 01
No fee to be represented. We earn when you earn — never a charge to join, and no required classes, photos, or purchases as a condition of representation.
- 02
Transparent, consistent commission. We disclose our commission in writing before any work begins, and apply it the same way every time. You always know what we take, and why.
- 03
Clear accounting. Every payment we pass to you comes with an itemized statement — what the production paid, our commission, and any deduction, each one named and explained.
- 04
No hidden fees. We never deduct a cost you haven’t agreed to in advance.
- 05
Prompt payment, on a stated timeline. We tell you exactly when to expect your money, and we pay it on time. Your earnings don’t sit in our account or get spent elsewhere.
- 06
We work with you. Representation is active — we submit you, champion you to casting, and seek out opportunities, rather than waiting for work to find you.
- 07
Reachable when it counts. When timing matters, we reach you by the fastest reliable means and confirm the message landed.
- 08
Honesty in representation. We submit you with your knowledge, describe you accurately, and disclose any conflict of interest.
- 09
Questions without fear. You can ask us anything about your account or bookings and it will never affect how we represent you or treat you.
- 10
An agreement in your hands. Our terms are in writing, in plain language, and you keep your own copy.
- 11
The freedom to leave. If we part ways, you owe nothing beyond commission on work already booked through us.
You may have more rights than you think.
This pledge describes what fair treatment looks like. In many places, some of it isn’t only fair — it’s the law, even if no one has told you. Depending on where you work, agencies that find people work can be licensed and regulated, barred from charging you to sign on, and required to keep your earnings separate from their own money and pay them out promptly.
These rules vary a great deal from one place to the next, and whether they cover talent and acting agencies specifically isn’t always obvious. While this isn’t legal advice, it’s a starting point. If something about how you’re represented feels wrong, it’s worth finding out what your local employment-standards or labor body actually requires. The protection may already exist. You just have to know to ask for it.
Know the signs.
Watch how they react when you ask a fair question. A good agent treats a reasonable question about your money, your bookings, or your contract as normal business. A bad one gets defensive, evasive, irritated, or punitive. If asking a fair question is dangerous, you already know what kind of representation you have.
Money
- They ask for money to sign, or require you to buy their classes or use their photographer.
- You get paid with no breakdown — no statement of what the job paid or what was deducted.
- A deduction appears that no one will explain.
- You chase your own money, or payment timing tracks their cash flow, not a stated schedule.
- Commission shifts or gets applied inconsistently.
The work
- You signed, and then nothing — no submissions, no auditions, no contact. A roster you’re parked on is a waiting room, not representation.
- You can’t reach them when timing really matters.
- They won’t tell you what you’re being put forward for.
- The opposite of silence: guarantees of work, or pressure tactics. Real agents don’t promise outcomes.
The contract
- There’s no written agreement, or they won’t give you your own copy.
- The terms penalize you for leaving, lock you into a long exclusive stretch, or claim a cut of your work long after you’ve gone.
What to do
- Document everything from the start — before anything goes wrong. Keep the agreement, every statement, every payment, the dates, the emails.
- Keep every booked casting notice. These typically spell out the rate, usage, and payment terms agreed for the job — often the only place those terms live in writing before the money arrives.
- Move important conversations into writing. Ask by email or text, so there’s a record. The request also doubles as a test of how they respond.
- Know your exit before you need it. Read the termination clause when things are calm, so you already know what you’re owed and what, if anything, you owe.
- Compare notes with other performers. One honest conversation often reveals you’re not the only one. This is how we look out for one another.
- Know your local avenues. Unpaid money can sometimes go to small claims or a labor body, and conduct can be reported to industry associations. What’s available varies by market — not guarantees, but options to explore.
Trust the pattern over the excuse. Leaving a bad agent isn’t quitting; it’s standing on fairness.
Stand for a fair take.
This is a pledge good agents can sign and be proud of — and a standard that performers can hold up, in any market, in any language. Agencies who sign will display the mark above.
Insist on a fair take.
A way for agents to sign is coming soon