Local news for local people
Work for nothing. It will be fun.
January 29, 2026
In the world of journalism, being asked to work for nothing is usually justified by saying it will be for "exposure". The question is then asked "Can you tell me where I can spend exposure to buy food or pay for rent?"
The image above appeared in social media recently, followed by the text:
Hi Oberon! We're still looking for extras for our feature film shooting 9th and 10th of January! If your kids are between 8-21yo we would love to have them involved! Be part of a movie shot in Oberon.
I asked how much they producers would be paying and another person asked the same plus whether the film people had Working With Children accreditation. (A Working With Children Certificate is required for everyone on the set, including all the actors.) The answer to both questions was silence.
A brief look at the web site for the producers suggests that they are a professional production company who must be aware of the union rates for the payment of cast and crew. The only assumption that can be drawn from their reluctance to answer questions about pay rates for this project is that they weren't going to pay anything. No company should expect employees up to the age of 21 to work for nothing, and there are legal protections to stop them doing so.
Someone told me that it would be "fun" for the kids. I suppose they could spend the fun in the same shops that accept "exposure" as payment. And is it fun? I remember spending eight hours on set once to record a 30 second television commercial. I was paid for the whole eight hours, but I'd bet the child who had the main part got paid a lot more than I did.
Judy Garland was 17 when "The Wizard of Oz" made her a star and launched her career. Jodie Foster got her start at 14 in "Taxi Driver" and Macaulay Culkin was 10 when he made "Home Alone". Would it have been fair to have them all work for nothing because it might help with a future career?
There are lots of valid reasons to ask people to volunteer their time without pay. Working for free so that someone else can sell your work product is not one of them
The union covering actors, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), was approached for a comment about this matter but hadn't replied by the deadline for publication.
