Residual (entertainment industry) facts for kids
Residuals are special payments given to people who help make TV shows and movies. This includes actors, directors, and writers. They get these payments when their work is shown again. This happens with cable reruns, when shows are sold to other channels (called syndication), when they are released on DVDs, or when they are put on streaming services. Groups like SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, and the Writers Guild of America figure out and handle these payments. The word "residuals" is almost always used in its plural form.
How Residuals Work
Figuring out residuals can be tricky. Many things affect how much someone gets paid. These include whether they are part of a special guild (like a union for actors or writers), how much they were paid originally, and how long they worked. The type of show or movie also matters. For example, a network TV show might pay differently than a movie sold on DVD. Payments can also change if the show is shown in another country.
The rules for residuals often change. The groups that represent actors, writers, and directors talk with movie and TV companies every three years. They agree on new contracts. Payments for popular TV shows often go up each year. This is because they are linked to the minimum salaries, which usually increase a little bit each year.
Who Gets Residuals?
Not everyone who works on a movie or TV show gets residuals. For actors, people who are just extras usually don't get them. But stunt performers, puppeteers, singers, and actors who have lines or interact with other characters (sometimes called "supporting actors") usually do. The main actors in a show or movie often get bigger residual payments. The more famous an actor is, the more they might earn. For example, big stars like Tom Cruise might get a share of DVD sales in addition to their regular residuals.
All writers who are given credit for their work can also get residuals. The amount they get depends on their specific credit. For instance, a writer who gets a "written by" credit usually gets the full payment. If they get a "screenplay by" or "teleplay by" credit, they might get 75% of the payment. A writer with an "adaptation by" credit might get 10%.
Examples of Residuals
Sometimes, residual payments can be very small. This might happen if an actor had a tiny role or if the movie or show was not very popular. For example, the actor Jeff Cohen once received a residual check for only $0.67. This was after he appeared in one episode of the TV show The Facts of Life.
However, residuals can also be quite large. Bob Gunton, who played Warden Norton in the movie The Shawshank Redemption, shared his experience. That movie is one of the most-rerun films. Ten years after it came out, in 2004, he received "close to six figures" (meaning almost $100,000) in residuals. Even in 2014, he said he was still getting "a very substantial income" from the movie.
See also
